Now is the time to learn how to play guitar!! There has never been a better time to learn to play than now.
If you’re thinking about learning to play guitar, then there are plenty of reasons to do it. Learning and memorizing new chords and all the guitar string notes will exercise your brain and help keep your memory crisp.
It’s also great for hand-eye coordination and helps build your confidence as your playing ability grows. However, the main reason that people get into playing guitar is that it’s just plain fun.
Learning to play guitar can be fun for any age. This isn’t one of those hobbies you need to start young. If you are starting young, that’s great, but I didn’t start until I was 20.
I watched a dad in his 30’s start playing guitar. He always wanted to learn how to play, so his wonderful wife bought him a guitar for Christmas. I thought for sure that the guitar would wind up in the corner of the house after a couple of weeks.
I was wrong! He went out and got lessons and practiced for about an hour or more every day. A couple of years later, I watched him play in a Jazz Band with some professional musicians – he was a great guitar player and had the time of his life playing in the band. Anyone can learn to play.
There is no age limit on guitar playing as it is not intensely physical. Your fingertips will be sore until you get used to holding down the strings. But there is nothing that is going to physically exhaust you.
If guitar playing is easy and not physical, why don’t more people play?
Learning to play guitar does require follow-through. Many people start playing and never pick it up again. Playing guitar is something you need to stick with to improve. You can play for years and still find room for improvement. Remember that if you want to be a good guitar player, you must put the work in.
So what is going to make you stick with it? Well, there are many things that can help you learn and stick with it. One of my favorite aspects is playing with and for other people. I love playing for people in my life and playing with other musicians as well. Not only is it a great way to show off your skills, but it can help you improve.
Playing guitar requires effort, practice, and persistence. So, you’ll need to make time to devote to learning. It can seem a little overwhelming when you first start, especially if you don’t have a musical background. But once you get started, it’ll be a lot easier than you think. Yes, it takes time and persistence, but an hour of practice a day or even every few days can get you far in the learning process.
So, if you’re ready to start, the next question to tackle is what kind of lessons you should take and how to get started. One of the most difficult choices is whether to do private (in-person) or online lessons.
I have new guitar players who ask me all the time what is the best way to learn guitar. I personally think that private lessons work the best, but there can be some challenges depending on where you live.
There are pros and cons for both, and what’s going to work for someone else may not work for you.
Here are some pros and cons of private and online lessons so you can decide which is best for you.
Private Lessons
Pros of Private Guitar Lessons
Feedback
One of the biggest pros of having private lessons is feedback. It can be difficult to hear yourself playing accurately if you are not musically inclined.
There are subtleties to playing songs, notes, and styles of playing that a new student will not pick up on right away. A good teacher will help correct bad habits right away. You may think you have it down, but a professional will pick up what you are doing and help you work through it right away.
Feedback can be intimidating, but it definitely makes you better. Not having feedback does not invalidate your learning and growth as a guitar player, but it does certainly keep you from making mistakes along the way.
Accountability
Private lessons will encourage you to keep playing because of how much money you’re paying, but that’s not the only way it can make you more accountable. Showing up every week and working with another person can help you stay accountable for practicing and remembering what you learn.
You may not think your instructor will know whether or not you have practiced, but they know. So, with no way to hide your improvement or lack thereof from the previous week, private lessons certainly make you more accountable for what you’ve learned and how much time you put in.
Tailored Lessons
Private guitar lessons are fully tailored to you, your style of playing, and your level of learning. Everyone has a different style of guitar that they want to learn or different types of songs. Some students want to learn a fingerpicking style, some want to learn Jazz guitar or Rock guitar. Private lessons can focus on this style and preference if you find the right teacher.
This also means that your improvement controls the pacing of the instructor. Since they can see how you have improved and where you still need work, the instructor will be able to tailor and pace the lessons in a way that allows you to grow and improve without getting left behind.
Jamming Partner
One of the fastest ways to learn how to play guitar is by playing guitar with others. Learning songs, learning lead guitar, and learning the basic flow of playing music happens fast when you are playing with other guitar players or musicians.
A good guitar teacher will provide those opportunities to step up and play songs and put together everything you are learning in your lessons. When you are practicing regularly, this pulls it all together – it speeds up the learning process and makes it just plain fun!!
That is how I advanced in guitar playing- learning from professionals and playing guitar with other guitar players and musicians!
Cons of Private Guitar Lessons
Cost of Lessons
One of the biggest downsides of private guitar lessons is cost. Private lessons can run anywhere from twenty-five to fifty dollars for a thirty-minute lesson. When you are paying out that kind of money, you best be taking advantage of the expertise by being fully committed to learning.
The ability of the Instructor
Not every instructor is going to work well with you. Remember in school how you had some good teachers and some not-so-good teachers? Well, it’s
the same with guitar instructors. You are paying more for private guitar lessons, but you’re not necessarily paying for better lessons depending on your instructor.
You need to find that teacher who is not only a good knowledgeable guitar player but has the ability to teach. The ideal instructor will be aware of your skill level and where you are in the learning process. They will build a lesson plan around your skill level and style preferences and be prepared for your lesson.
Some guitar instructors are very good players, but they are not good teachers or they may not know guitar theory. The teacher should have a good grasp of guitar theory. Every guitar student should learn the basics of scales, chords, and music theory. While you can still play guitar without knowing guitar theory, it can hinder your ability to advance later. Learn it while you can.
Availability
This is probably one of the most difficult aspects of private guitar lessons. Availability can be a difficult challenge for people who don’t have a lot of spare time – especially if you have to drive a long way to meet with your guitar teacher. If your instructor doesn’t offer evening or weekend lesson times, you may be unable to work with them.
Also, squeezing lessons into your schedule can make it difficult to make it to the lessons and give them your full attention when you’re there. So, if you opt for private lessons, ask about availability immediately to see if it’s even possible for you to attend.
Online Lessons
Pros of Online Guitar Lessons
Online lessons are a great way to learn how to play guitar. There are a few very good websites where you can receive complete guitar lessons from professional guitar players. You can learn to play just about any song and learn any style of guitar playing.
If you have the drive and motivation. That is the key. I see way too many people start out learning to play, and then they hit that wall of frustration, and the motivation dries up. There is no one there to lift you up and help you overcome the barriers to learning. Below are some Pros and Cons of learning to play guitar online.
Great Guitar Teachers
One of the concerns with private lessons is not connecting with your instructor. Online guitar lessons give you more freedom in choosing an instructor, and most guitar teachers are professional guitar players.
Finding an instructor you work well with is important, and learning online gives you access to more instructors than you would otherwise have. This freedom can help you get the most out of your lessons without wasting a ton of money on an instructor that doesn’t teach you as well as another could.
Go at Your Own Pace
Online lessons allow you to go at your own pace. Depending on the course you take, you can replay lessons to ensure you get the most out of each one and pause along the way to take notes or try it yourself. If you fall behind, the videos are always there for you to refer back to.
For example, you might start with our page on G Major Scale for Guitar. You can work your way through the lesson, and pause or repeat steps as you need to. You can replay parts of the videos until you feel like you’ve really mastered that section or pattern before moving on to the next one. This gives you full control of learning at your own pace.
Online lessons give you full control of when you practice, which can be beneficial for people with busy or unpredictable schedules. Having control of when you practice can be the difference between sticking with it and giving up after a few lessons because you’re schedule changed again.
Money
One major benefit and selling point of online lessons is how much cheaper they are than private lessons. Not only are the lessons cheaper, but you also aren’t paying for travel expenses for online lessons. If money is tight, but you still want to learn to play guitar, then online lessons are definitely going to save you money.
Cons/Drawbacks to Online Guitar Lessons
No Feedback
Feedback and accountability are helpful tools in learning a new instrument, and online lessons don’t offer that. While going at your own pace may be helpful, not getting that one-on-one attention can slow down your learning progression.
If you’re much better at independent learning, this isn’t much of a con. However, not everyone learns the same way. So, if not having feedback would hurt your learning progression, you may want to consider private lessons for that extra hands-on attention.
Quality
You have to be careful with online lessons because you want to be sure that you are getting good-quality lessons. There are some really good sites that offer high-value lessons to take you through the beginning stages of learning to play to an advanced curriculum.
Reading reviews is the best way to understand what you’re signing up for, but there is always a chance that you may not be getting lessons from a professional. It’s great to save money where you can, but it is important when looking for online lessons to do your research before paying for lessons. It never hurts to give the company and your potential instructor a google search.
Overall
So, what is the best way to get guitar lessons? I personally prefer in-person private guitar lessons to online guitar lessons. Although it is more costly, the benefits of feedback, accountability, and playing with somebody make the learning process easier and quicker.
Online lessons through a high-quality website work well IF you are a self-starter. You have the benefit of learning at your own pace with the instructor of your choice, AND you do not have to get in the car to drive to the lesson.
If you’re anything like me, those things don’t come easily to you. No matter which lessons you choose, just remember to stick with it. Most people give up because they don’t want to put the time in, but if you put the effort in, then you’ll be a good guitar player in no time.