Music is one of the characteristics that define humanity. It is an expression of our emotions that can transcend speech. Nearly every person has some innate musical ability, and with the right instruction can learn to play music. The guitar has become a nearly universal instrument, widely used in nearly every musical format and genre. If you want to learn to play the guitar, prepare yourself for an enjoyable and valuable experience which can provide lifelong rewards.
We are all familiar with the cartoon pictures of a child gazing sadly out the window, seeing his friends playing while he is forced to practice the piano. Later in life those lessons start to take on a new importance, and many of us regret not paying more attention. It is never too late to start learning how to play and create music. All it takes is a good teacher, a little time and practice.
Those childhood private lessons were probably not inexpensive for your parents, and they required a visit from the teacher, usually once a week. Today, however, music lessons are much more affordable and widely available on the Internet. Online courses cover everything from the most basic to advanced techniques. Take some time and explore the options available on line.
Good advice for the novice is to do a lot of comparison shopping before settling on a particular course. Choices range from written instructions, free web-based videos, or courses on DVD. They all progress in a similar fashion, usually starting with the fundamentals and progressing to complex. As a budding musician it is important to realize exactly what you might truly need in a course. Be sure to analyze your current talent and abilities honestly. Do not discourage yourself before you start by choosing something too advanced or complex.
Also, resist the temptation to skip right to the “good stuff”. As a new student you will need to thoroughly master the basic skills. If you already own an instrument, good. If you need to buy one, a decent, inexpensive six-string acoustic will be adequate for training. Get a set of light gauge picks, and expect your fingers to be a little sore at first. Choose a study time when you can all your attention to learning. Remember, a simple love of music by itself doesn’t teach you chord progressions or sight reading, and needs to be focused.
Most online courses follow a typical pattern, starting with the simplest musical knowledge and progressing to the complex. Be sure that the tutorial you have chosen teaches the basics of notes and chords, along with the physical components of the guitar. That includes the names of notes and strings, how to tune them and what all the physical features actually do. You should learn finger placement, strumming, and how to produce the best sound when plucking a string.
Once these are mastered, a good student will be able to actually begin to play songs. Today’s guitar is an integral part of nearly every style of music we hear, from jazz to rock to pop. But, even though we live in an age of computers and video, a musician still needs the advantage of learning to read printed music. We’ve all heard the person who somewhat proudly proclaims he or she has never had a lesson. They probably have an incredible amount of talent, but if they can’t actually read music, they are limited musically. A good guitar course will recognize this, and will not be limited to technique only.
Once you have mastered the basics, an online course will teach musical style, and the skills, chord structure and harmony basic to that style. This includes blues, rock, or classical music. Advanced strumming techniques and chords will follow. Usually these are presented in a logical, easy-to-understand format that will both encourage and instruct. If you want to learn to play the guitar on your own schedule, and at your own pace, an online course is the way to go. There is nothing more satisfying and fun than having the ability to pick up an instrument and dazzle your audience, even if that is an audience of one.