I Wanted to know about learning a little bit of guitar and since this is the only website that lets me be anonymous and you're the only person I know for sure plays.... well I am asking you about that!
Ah, sure! Fair warning, though. My musical makeup goes something like this in order of proficiency:
I'm one of those people who has had music training that's mostly centered on voice-work. Until my 20's, I only ever dabbled in guitar, and I am extra-SUPER-BONUS weird in that I sought out serious tutorship on bass guitar before I pursued learning via instruction a regular guitar.
In reality, they're not too dissimilar and I think guitar is especially accessible to new players. That said, here are my recommendations if you want to learn how to play guitar:
1. You can learn electric things by playing an acoustic, and you can learn acoustic things by playing an electric BUT do yourself a favor and buy the instrument you want to learn on.
Listen, the reason you want to play an instrument is probably because it sounds cool! And, spoiler alert -- an electric guitar sounds different than an acoustic. Get the one you want. They have both at all price-points and that includes any extra gear you might need like amps, capos and cables to get you started. Don't believe anyone who says you should learn one over the other. Some people who became frustrated with the acoustic guitar's action (how hard it is to press down the strings) found an electric, easier. Conversely, people who don't want to plug in all the time, might find the ease of portability in an acoustic much more to their liking. The point is -- they both have benefits and drawbacks, so get the one you want to play or you will risk feeling unmotivated to play.
2.a. Play every day. Even if it's just for five minutes.
2.b. Get a stand or find a stable corner and keep the guitar out of its case.
Want to get good? That's all you have to do. Practice. Even a little. Even if you think you're not doing anything for yourself. Make the guitar easily accessible. Make it so you can't walk into the same room with it and not think about picking it up. Creative drive dies when getting set up becomes a pain in the ass. Got a second? Go get the guitar. Waiting for a patch to download? Guitar. Watching a show? Run some scales on the guitar or practice picking patterns. Make everyone think you're weird for how often you have the dumb thing in your hands.
3. Don't get discouraged if you try out The Song You're Guaranteed to Play on Day One™ and can't do it even on day thirty-one.
Everyone learns at a different pace. Maybe you fucking hate that song. Try a different one. You're not going to be motivated by stuff that doesn't sound good (see point 1). Or maybe don't play songs at all. Maybe you're more of a technique/methodical learner. Maybe running some scales or repetitions of string crosses or picking are more your thing? Try that! Fuck that song. Then, don't be surprised if you come back to it after you've actually enjoyed playing something, and can nail it.
4. Don't think you need to learn theory inside and out to be any good.
Learning how to sound good and have a good time should be your priority. Even after you've been at it for a while. Theory is there for you, but only if you run into a problem with how you're sounding.
5. Remember that an instrument is a lifelong pursuit.
No matter how good you are, you will always want to get better, if you're getting real fulfillment out of a creative endeavor.
All that being said, here are my recommendations for good places to start learning:
Marty Music -- Marty Schwartz has been around forever, which means he's probably almost as old as me! :) He offers a lot of great stuff in his courses, but you can also catch him on YouTube where a beginner will have lots to choose from, for free! Great for beginners, intermediates, and advanced players -- so you can grow with the program.
Yousician -- If you want to play Guitar Hero with a real guitar and you have a cell phone or computer, you should try Yousician. There's lots at the free level, but if you subscribe to Premium, you can learn a lot of licensed tracks. Good for building confidence and learning a song at different levels of proficiency. For guitar, bass, vocal, and a bunch of other instruments -- pick your fave.
BassBuzz -- You want to learn bass instead? Josh Fossgreen is probably the best bass teacher on the internet. His Beginner to Badass course is a great primer for new bassists, and his forum is one of the friendlist out there. Like Marty, he has a lot to offer for free on Youtube, as well!
Talking Bass -- Maak (translated from British, Mark) Smith is another excellent bass teacher with a lot of content on his site, but lots of focus on intermediate and advanced techniques. A lot of bassists who did the Beginner to Badass course with Josh graduate to Talking Bass. Does he offer free lessons on Youtube? You bet he does.
So I hope that helps, anon! Or whoever takes the time to read this. :) Hope you get into it and really enjoy the process -- and please let me know if you do!
