Learn Guitar – The Complete Guide from Acoustic World


brown and black acoustic guitar

Looking to learn guitar? You’re in the right place!

There’s so much information available online that it’s literally the best time to teach yourself guitar.

However, this amount of information can also be overwhelming too.

That’s why I put together this starter guide for learning guitar.

Read on and check out the resources below and you’ll learn:

  • If learning guitar is hard
  • If learning guitar is worth it
  • If anyone can really learn to play guitar
  • If guitarists should learn to read music
  • How to stay motivated while learning guitar
  • The 8 best youtube channels for learning guitar (for free)
  • The first 5 chords to learn on guitar
  • Whether you can still learn guitar at age 30, 40, or 50+

Let’s get started!

The Best Guitars, Lessons & Courses for Learning Guitar

First off, when it comes to learning guitar you want to make sure you’ve got the right resources. If you’ve got a music theory book from 50 years ago and a half-broken guitar that you got at Goodwill for $15, well… all I can say is that you’re making your learning process harder than it needs to be.

If you want to know what guitars, lessons, and courses I personally recommend for learning guitar, I put together a crazy detailed resource guide just for you right here.

Is learning guitar hard?

Is Learning Guitar Even Worth It? (...
Is Learning Guitar Even Worth It? (The TRUTH)

Sometimes, playing the guitar may look so easy. You may ask yourself: Is learning guitar hard?

The short answer is yes, and no. If you love the process you will progress easily. Learning in the right way will get you there, but it learning the guitar can still be a long journey and parts of it will be hard even if you’re quite talented.

Still, earning guitar is a rewarding and fun hobby to pursue. Not only is musical training very beneficial for your brain, but playing guitar can be a great social experience.

The TRUTH

Is Learning Guitar Too Hard?

  • You’ve no doubt seen the artists playing guitar like it is the easiest thing in the world, and like it’s never been hard for them…
  • Is this the reality of learning guitar though? Find out:

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:

Is Learning Worth It?

Is Learning Guitar Worth It?

  • Many people agree that compared to other instruments, the guitar is relatively easy to learn – but is that really true?
  • Is learning guitar even worth it in the first place?

Can anyone learn to play guitar?

With enough patience, time, and commitment – playing the guitar will become second-nature. Like all hobbies, however, your ability to play the guitar will depend largely on how good you want to be. Of course, there are other factors at play, too, such as the quality of your training and how good the guitar you’re using is. But overall, learning the guitar largely depends on you.

The TRUTH

Can Anyone Learn / Play Guitar?

  • Many beginner guitarists or those wondering if they should ever start playing often ask themselves: Can Anyone Learn to Play The Guitar?
  • Discover the answer in this quick and easy guide post…

Do guitarists need to learn how to read music?

While you don’t absolutely have to learn to read music as a guitar player, there are certain styles of music and situations where reading music has its advantages.

We’ll look at those in the article below:

Music Theory?

Should You Learn to Read Music?

  • There are so many ways to learn to play the guitar: tabs, chord charts, and yes, reading music…
  • But as a guitarist, which should you really focus on?

How do I stay motivated while learning guitar?

Any guitarist will tell you that it can be tough staying motivated while learning guitar through the years, and many people lose motivation to play guitar. That’s why I wanted to write a helpful post full of tips I’ve personally used to stay motivated while learning guitar and keep playing throughout the years.

I hope the tips below help you to keep your guitar motivation throughout your journey, so that you stick with the instrument:

Motivation Masterclass

30 Secrets for Guitar Motivation

  • Any guitarist will tell you that it can be tough staying motivated while learning guitar through the years, and many people lose motivation to play guitar…
  • Fix all of that with this free guide:

The 8 best youtube channels for learning guitar (for free)

With so many guitar channels and videos on YouTube, it can be tough knowing where to start. Who really is putting out good content, as opposed to who’s just showing off or trying to make a quick buck?

In this post I share my personal, hand-curated list of YouTube guitar channels who put out the best lesson on learning acoustic guitar. I’ve personally learned from all of these guitar teachers myself, so I can vouch for their skill and teaching ability, and the value of their content:

Learn Guitar for Free

Best YouTube Channels to Learn for Free

  • When it comes to free acoustic guitar lessons, YouTube is definitely one of the best places to start learning guitar.
  • The guitar community on YouTube is full of experienced teachers – but who’s the best?

The first 5 chords to learn on guitar

What if I told you that 90% of songs use 5 chords or less?

And actually, there’s even better news. By learning just 5 chords, you’ll be able to play hundreds of different songs that you know and love. Everything from Led Zeppelin to Cat Stevens to The Grateful Dead and Black Sabbath… All from just 5 chords.

Below I’ll reveal the 5 chords every guitarist should learn right away, and then we’ll explore some famous songs that use just these chords, or even less:

Just Do This:

The First 5 Chords to Learn on Guitar

  • I’ll reveal the 5 chords every guitarist should learn right away
  • we’ll explore some famous songs that use just these chords, or even less. Let’s get started.

Can you still learn guitar at age 30, 40, or 50+?

Leave your age out of the equation. If you really feel compelled to learn the guitar, you should!

Not only can you learn guitar at any age, but by doing so at age 30 and up, you’ll actually reap some unique benefits. Let’s look at just 5 of them below:

The TRUTH

Learning Guitar Later in Life?

  • Many people may refrain from learning guitar in their 30s and beyond for many reasons…
  • Here’s why you shouldn’t:

Bottom Line | What’s the best way to start learning guitar?

Learn the first 5 chords recommended in the section above. After that, I always recommend people get started on guitar by learning their favorite songs. This may sound overwhelming at first, but I guarantee you that most of your favorite songs are easier to play than you think.

Some of the most incredible songs out there use just a handful of easy chords. If you want to get started, check out the Learn A Song section where I give chords, tabs, and video lessons for some awesome songs to learn on the guitar.

Best of luck on your guitar journey!

Your pal,

-Corbin

PS: You can also get a head start by grabbing my free guide to 100+ song chords, tabs, and lessons by signing up for my email list via the form on this page.

Ready to Get Better at Guitar, Faster?

Whenever you’re ready to take your guitar playing to the next level, check out a few of my favorite resources below:

The Best Acoustic Guitar Strings – A unique polymer coating makes these guitar strings last for months or even years at a time, making for an exceptional value. They provide the perfect mix of boom, range, twang, and brightness that acoustic music is known for. — CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

The Best Acoustic Guitar – Beloved by everyone from Paul Simon to Gordon Lightfoot, the Martin D-18 is one of Martin’s most legendary guitars ever… It’s an excellent, premier quality acoustic guitar for bluegrass, country, folk, rock and more. This is also what I play myself — CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

Chords, Tabs & Video Lessons for 100 Epic Songs – This free guide that I created for fellow guitarists gives you chords, tabs, and video lessons for the 100 best songs to learn on guitar… I spent many hours putting this guide together to help you get better at guitar, faster. — CLICK HERE TO GET IT FREE

Fingerpicking vs Flatpicking Guitar – Learn which picking style is right for YOU by exploring examples, history, and popular players of each style. Discover essential techniques and pros and cons of each approach. — CLICK HERE TO GET IT FREE

Corbin Buff

Corbin has played guitar for over a decade, and started writing about it on Acoustic World in an effort to help others. He lives and writes in western Montana.

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