How to Learn How to Play the Guitar

Alright so you're tired of wishing you could play the guitar and you're ready to step up and actually begin playing. You've come to the right place. My guitar was sitting in the living room on its stand for 6 months collecting all kinds of dust and weird stuff before I started learning how to play it. The problem wasn't that I didn't want to play, I did. The problem was I really didn't know how and I didn't know where to start. I've got quick 4 steps to get you on your way to becoming the player you always wanted to be.

1. Get a Guitar
If you don't already have one, you'll need to buy a guitar. If your wallet is tight, there are plenty of cost effective ways.
Check your nearest good will or thrift store. Check a pawn shop, there are a lot of decent guitars to be found here for a fair
price. There's always ebay or craigslist, or if you're in a hurry, just go to the local music store. If you have the money, get a Fender or Starcast. If you're just learning, you can buy a brand new guitar for under $100.

2. So you've got your guitar, now what?
You want to make sure you have all the necessary equipment to ensure you're making the best use of your practice time. You will
need to have plenty of picks, replacement strings in case you break them, and you'll probably want to invest in a guitar tuner as well. If you're serious on how to learn how to play the guitar, you'll make it a priority to get all the necessary supplies
before you begin playing.

3. Okay, let's play!!
The very first thing you need to do is make sure the guitar is properly tuned. Follow the instructions on the tuner until you
have the right tune for E,A,D,G,B,E. Next you should practice strumming until you're comfortable with the movement. After that
use a pick and pluck each string until you can do it without hitting more than just one string. Then you can try it again while
holding down each individual string. This is a good start and it will all seem very repetitive, but learning the basics is key on how to learn how to play the guitar really good.

4. Practice, Practice, Practice!
I can't say this enough, the only way to learn how to play guitar is to keep playing your guitar. It is best to set aside a certain amount of time where you do nothing but play the guitar. If you're a really busy person and only get the chance to play here and there, play as much as you can. It's a lot easier to practice one skill set at a time, so if you sit down to play its important that you finish the set before moving on or doing something else.

These are just the very basic fundamentals though. If you've done everything above you're off to a great start, although it can be very overwhelming at times. I admit I was frustrated when I couldn't hit a certain chord or couldn't switch fast enough between chords. I tried to teach myself from guitar books and I wasn't learning fast enough for my own satisfaction, so I got a little help. If you want to speed up your learning curve like I did, try Jamorama. It has the best lessons for beginners and it's really easy to follow along. Be sure to get the free lesson in the upper right corner. Good luck!