Djordje LukovicThe current state of affairs is probably the best climate ever to pick up a new instrument and learn how to play.
The wonders of technology that are currently surrounding us, provide us with an infinite amount of different learning possibilities.
Also, with the rise of the CNC machines, guitar manufacturing is cheaper than ever, so you can get your beginner guitar at a great price.
Ok, so, the possibilities are there, cheap guitars are to be found… So, what do we do next?
Well, you can start by defining the initial method by which you will be learning how to play. That’s where HHz comes in!
For this article, we have fried our brains to weigh out the pros and cons of each approach and give you as much value as possible!
So, in the wise words of Deep Purple – “Listen, Learn, Read On”!
These are the best ways to learn to play guitar:
1. In-person lessons
This is the approach a lot of us non-classical guitar players take. And for good reason, as well!
Lessons are a terrific way to learn your craft from someone who has had real-life experience playing guitar. The people that usually give lessons are the ones who earn their bread playing or teaching guitar on a non-stop basis.
The grind is real, as the kids would say! Staying afloat amongst the competition is no easy task, and thus, you have to constantly record, play, practice, and teach.
In terms of playing, understanding music, and transferring their knowledge to other people, most of the guitar tutors are very good at what they do.
However, you should be wary of the bad ones. A guy might be a stellar player, but if he’s going to lose his temper frequently and yell at your kid, the chances are the kid is never going to pick that guitar up again.
The good thing about in-person guitar lessons is that there is a lot of room for your idiosyncrasies in terms of taste and playing style.
Taking that into account, your guitar guru can shape the curriculum around that and build upon your own emotional bond with the instrument and the music itself.
Furthermore, it can spark some creativity in you and help you to work on your own song ideas and develop them together.
- A lot of flexibility with the curriculum.
- Working around your own sensibilities, wishes, and needs.
- Encouraging creativity and your own artistic expression.
- A good guitar player doesn’t mean a good teacher. Ask someone for a recommendation and find the right person.
2. Formal education
Attending music schools at any level can be an exhilarating experience.
You are literally stepping into a temple of music history with all the needed infrastructure, equipment, and personnel to help you achieve excellence.
From my own experience, formal music education is perfect for getting the groundwork done. It’s great because it gives you all the right tools and knowledge. But, I have noticed that their teaching methods usually stifle creativity.
So, I would honestly recommend formal music education if you are not aspiring to be a music creator, but rather a performer. In that case, it is your best bet!
These organizations have garnered their reputation by being the best at producing new well-rounded musicians, and there are no buts about it!
However, as I have mentioned, there is not so much room for your own personal creative freedom there.
If you want to focus on writing music, you need to have enough downtime to experience some leisure in order to receive the gift of inspiration. The temptation is to get lazy, but that’s another story. I’ll just leave you with the wise words of Keith Richards – “Meet the muse halfway!”
Another downside could be the fees. Maybe you don’t want to be a professional musician, and you don’t want to invest that much money in your education. Or you just don’t have enough free time.
- Curriculum that is tried and true.
- Perfect for anyone that wants to focus on being a performer.
- There’s a real tendency of stifling creativity.
- Tutelage fees may be expensive for some.
3. Online lessons
This is not just the future of learning how to play instruments. It may just be the present.
You can literally become a good guitar player by watching free YouTube videos and dedicating a lot of time to practicing.
Most of the guitar-related YouTubers also have their own premium courses available. You would probably have to pay for those, but it turns out that you get your value for money in nearly all of the cases.
Having said that, those are not necessary, it’s more like a premium option.
Other than that, there are multiple learning platforms out there. Since we are living in the golden age of the internet, we are blessed to have a lot of people out there that are able to provide us with a lot of value at a very reasonable price.
Last but definitely not least, you can learn a lot about guitar just by reading quality, informative articles (like this one, and all of the others at HHz! Wink, wink…). There is a lot of free info out there, so you can save your hard-earned cash for some premium content.
The downside of this would be the lack of eye-to-eye contact. After all, we are social creatures and besides learning our crafts, we have to learn to co-exist in a certain environment.
However, all of that can be mitigated if you have your jamming buddies or, even better – a band!
- A lot of great free content.
- You can work at your own pace.
- Lack of real human interaction.
Conclusion
Nowadays, there are numerous excellent options for learning how to play guitar. Any other instrument, for that matter.
We have used all of our experience to come up with a list of different ways to portray their strengths and weaknesses.
Having said that, have in mind that in the end, it’s what you make of it. You can’t go that wrong with any of these approaches. Pick the one that seems to best suit your needs and just go with it!
If you want to learn some more, be sure to check out the articles on our website. We are a team of professionals that make our living by helping musicians get the information that they need.
So, until next time… Pick up that guitar!
