Are you interested in learning how to play the guitar? Many people agree that compared to other instruments, the guitar is relatively easy to learn as well. But that said, learning the guitar also still takes years of practice. This may lead some players to ask: Is Learning Guitar Worth It?
Learning to play the guitar is absolutely worth it. Learning to play guitar is an extremely fun and rewarding process.
But of course, there are pros and cons to everything in life. Keep reading to find out what the benefits and detriments of learning guitar are so you can be as informed as possible when making your decision.
Top 5 Pros of Learning the Guitar
There are far more pros than cons when it comes to learning to play the guitar. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable pros:
1. Learning Guitar isn’t Too Hard
The first pro is that the guitar is a relatively easy instrument to learn when compared with other instruments. It can be challenging in the very beginning, but once you get the hang of it, the proper method begins to come naturally fairly quickly.
2. You Can Customize your Guitar-Learning Journey
There’s also optionality- you can choose to learn acoustic, telecoustic, and electric guitars. You can decide if you’d like to focus on learning basic chords, fingerpicking, power chords- you name it. You don’t have to be familiar with any music theory to learn guitar chords as well- a saving grace for individuals who didn’t grow up playing an instrument.
3. Learning the Guitar Sharpens Your Brain
Learning guitar is also a fantastic brain exercise tool. The focus, multitasking, and problem-solving that learning guitar involves sharpens up your brain for other functional tasks and improves concentration.
Medical News Today notes that people who learn instruments have sharper brains than those who don’t. You’ll be the envy of your peers for being able to play and being smart for it.
4. Playing the Guitar Provides Stress Relief
Playing guitar is a wonderful stress-reliever as well. Listening to music in general is a proven stress-reliever, and many guitarists find that an hour alone with their guitar relieves stress and worries and helps them come to a more grounded perspective. This is because playing an instrument engages many areas of the brain at once.
5. Playing the Guitar Builds Self-Confidence
Lastly, you can build your confidence by learning to play the guitar. The little achievements you make in your progress are incredibly empowering and fulfilling. Many guitar players find that they build their self-confidence and fortify their mental health through guitar practice.
The 2 Cons of Learning the Guitar
After reading that list, I bet you probably can’t imagine that there are any cons to learning guitar. But there are, in fact, a couple of considerations to make before jumping right into it.
1. Guitars Can be Expensive
Guitars are an expensive instrument, and if you’re wanting to start playing, you’ll likely have to set a few hundred dollars aside to get a decent starter guitar. Of course, there are guitars of varying quality and those made for beginners, so you don’t have to purchase a professional-grade guitar right off the bat.
Check out thrift stores or used instrument stores to find a good deal on a beginner’s guitar.
2. Learning the Guitar Takes Time and Patience
Learning the guitar doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll need to dedicate a significant amount of time to learning the guitar in order to make consistent progress. However, if this is a hobby you enjoy, it won’t be too difficult to make yourself practice every day.
Experts recommend that guitar learners spend at least 15 minutes of practice per day and no more than an hour to avoid burnout. You can also split up your practice by giving yourself breaks.
Ready to Learn Guitar for Free?
Perhaps the ultimate pro to learning the guitar is that you can do so for free! If you’ve read the above list of pros and cons and decided you want to try to learn guitar for yourself, keep reading to find out the best way to get guitar lessons for free.
We are extremely lucky to live in a time where there are plenty of free resources online for learning pretty much anything- and this goes for guitar as well.
You can find guitar lessons available on YouTube for free. Some of these lessons follow an organized curriculum made up of multiple videos. Check out this post on the top guitar YouTube channels.
You can also start by googling certain chords and trying to do them yourself. This helps you learn how to read where to put your fingers on what strings, and allows you to build a repertoire of basic chords you can use to play songs with. Start with G, C, Em, and D- as these are easy chords used very often in many songs.
There are far more pros to learning guitar than there are cons. If you can dedicate the time to practice and get your hands on any cheap guitar, you can start to learn the basics and secure benefits like relieving stress, exercising your brain, and building self-confidence through your practice. Rock on!
The #1 Thing New Guitarists Get Wrong
I recommend the first thing that all guitarists learn is how to choose, maintain, and care for their instrument.
Because surprisingly few players know how to do exactly those things.
And if you don’t even have a handle on those fundamentals…
Then it doesn’t matter how good you are, or what song you’re playing…
You simply aren’t going to sound good on a poorly maintained instrument.
That’s why in this book, I decided to reveal all the secret tips I know when it comes to buying, owning, and maintaining an acoustic guitar…
…Stuff that took me a decade to learn on my own, since it is scattered randomly around the internet (or rarely discussed at all)
In this book you’ll discover…
- how to choose a guitar
- what to look for in tonewoods
- guitar body styles
- how to get a good price
- whether to buy used or new
- a curated guide to the 10 best acoustic guitars for beginners
- how to choose guitar strings, and make them last 10x longer
- how to maintain your instrument for a lifetime
- caring for the fretboard
- should you use fretboard oil? how often?
- adjusting the truss rod
- flying and traveling with your instrument safely
- how to store and display your guitar safely
- caring for the fretboard
- what to learn first on guitar (fingerpicking? flatpicking? etc)
- where to learn it
- the best ways and resources to teach yourself guitar for FREE
- 30 secret hacks to unleash unstoppable guitar motivation
- how to stay in love with the instrument for the rest of your life
- much more
So if you’re ready to rocket past your competition…
And learn how to choose, maintain, care for, and fall in love with your instrument for a lifetime to come…
Then you can pick up my Ultimate Buyer’s and Maintenance Guide.