The classical guitar dates way back to the 1600′s and is a beautiful instrument. If you want to learn to play this type of guitar you will need a DVD that is specifically made for classical guitars. Many say that the classical guitar is only played by masters, but with enough practice and discipline, you too will be able to master this guitar.

When you are researching which particular DVD to buy in order to begin your lessons you need to first know what level you are starting at. If you have never played guitar before make sure you get a DVD that is specifically for beginners. If you have played a little and know a few chords you may want intermediate lessons and of course there are DVD’s that are for advanced players.

There are several methods to help you find the right DVD to use. Most music store will have a selection of instructional DVD’s for sale to choose from. Ask the employees at the store which has been the best seller or which they have had any feedback about. You can also purchase DVD’s online. Buying them online is a good option if you buy them from a site that has customer reviews. You will be able to see exactly how satisfied the customers are that have bought them.

Another factor that most people don’t think about when they make the decision to play classical guitar is that it will benefit your guitar playing if you grow out your finger nails on your strumming hand. Although this is not a deal-breaker, it definitely helps you to get the “classical” sound. You can pluck the strings with your finger tips, but you will not get the same bright sound you would from having a neatly manicured hand.

Once you have your guitar, DVD and a couple of hours to dedicate to learning, find yourself a quiet, comfortable place to play. Make sure you will be able to concentrate on the lesson fully. Having distractions will only make your journey harder.

So you see there are only a few requirements that you really need to learn to play classical guitar on DVD. The most important thing for you to remember is that it will take a lot of time and patience. First make sure that you choose a DVD that will keep you interested. If you are not enjoying your lessons, chances are you will give up quickly. Next, make sure you follow all the instructions carefully. Set yourself a goal and make a plan to stick to it. But keep your plan realistic. If you have never played the guitar before, chances are you’re not going to be playing on stage to hundreds of people in a couple of months!

Along with the self-satisfaction of learning to play the guitar, some of the advantages of learning to master a guitar are as follows:

1. When it comes down to the actual physical side of your playing it’s not only your fingers and hands that are working. Mastering the guitar requires hand, eye and brain coordination. While you are playing your guitar, your brain is learning the placement of your fingers for each note, and the more you play, the easier your brain can remember those positions.

2. Self-gratification is a major advantage of learning to master a guitar. Knowing that you are capable of such a great skill is a magnificent self-esteem boost. Once you have this skill and have mastered it to the best of your ability, you will feel nothing but pride, and want to share your new talent with your friend, family and anyone else who you can convince to listen to you.

3. Being the master of any instrument is something to be proud of, but the advantage of the guitar is that this is an instrument that you can bring with you anywhere you go. It’s not quite so easy to bring along your drum set to the campfire parties!

4. Once you have mastered the guitar you will find that it is an instrument that you can actually make money from. Weather it be by joining a band that can get regular gigs around your area, or if you prefer to be a solo artist, many great musicians have made money playing on the streets. There are many options with this “portable” instrument.

5. You will be the life of the party. What better way to entertain your guests than to have a musically talented friend bring over their guitar and play a few tunes. If you are lacking in other areas of your life, you can make up for them once you can play the guitar. Everyone loves a musician, especially one that is amazing at what they play.

Listed above are just a few of the advantages of mastering a guitar. There are so many more that the list would go on and on. Knowing that you are able to play such a beautiful instrument that will bring so much happiness to others when you play is a great feat. If you are still in the beginning stages of learning to play the guitar, keep your eye on the goal and keep moving forward. The saying couldn’t be truer when it comes to playing the guitar “practice makes perfect”. That’s the only way you will be able to be as good as you aspire to be.

If you are into heavier music then the electric is probably a good guitar for you. If you love to feel the beat of the music pounding your chest, then maybe the bass guitar is a good option for you.

Once you make your decision you will be very happy, but for almost all beginners, the choices are almost overwhelming. A beginners pick is the stepping stone for their musical journey. Here are some pointers to help you in your quest of choosing the best guitar for learning.

1. How do you feel when you are listening to your favorite band? This is how you should feel when you are playing your guitar. The music that influences you is going to be the foundation of which guitar you choose.

2. Before you go looking for your dream guitar, have a budget. You don’t want to go to the music store and find the guitar of your dreams, only to find it has the price tag of your worst nightmares. There are so many different models out there that I have no doubt you will find something you love within your budget. In the case that you come across a guitar that you can’t pass up, ask the store if they have “in-store” credit programs. Some music stores have their own credit solutions for those that cannot pay for the guitar outright. These stores will provide you with a monthly payment plan that you can afford, allowing you to get your dream guitar.

3. Next step is deciding on the features you want your guitar to have. Do you want your guitar to be electric or acoustic? The best thing to do is to weigh the pros and cons for each choice.
Electric and Acoustic pros and cons:

• Most think that the electric guitar is much easier to learn on.
• You can play the acoustic guitar anywhere. All you need is your guitar.
• Acoustic guitars are usually cheaper.
• You will need to purchase an amp and chords if you decide on an electric guitar.
• Electric guitars are a lot harder to manipulate.

These are just a few of the pros and cons that may help you to decide whether to go with electric or bass.

4. Lastly, try to find someone to go with you to pick out your guitar. A beginners pick is not always the best. Usually the excitement and anxiety of getting your first guitar over-rides your common sense. Having someone there with you (preferably someone that knows a little about playing) will be a great benefit to you.

Deciding to play any musical instrument is a great choice and will enhance your
life more than you can imagine. The sense of pride you will feel once you can play
your first song is amazing. And being able to impress your family and friends is
an added bonus.

The first step in learning is to get yourself a guitar you can practice on. You
may want to buy your own, or you can ask anyone you know if they have one you can
borrow. The down side to borrowing a guitar is that you get used to playing that
guitar, then eventually have to give it back. If you can afford to buy a new
guitar, you can find second hand guitars online or at a pawn shop. The great thing
about second hand guitars is that you don’t have to worry about scratching it.
Usually older guitars are already “Weathered” and have the “authentic” look
already.

The next decision you have to make is what style of guitar you want to learn to
play. Do you want electric or acoustic? To decide this, you need to consider the
style of music you want to play on your guitar. Are you into heavy rock music? If
you are then an electric guitar would probably suit your style better. If you are
more into John Meyer then an acoustic would probably be more for you. This is not
always the case, so you can always try both styles to see what you are more
comfortable playing. The one great benefit from playing an acoustic guitar is that
you can bring it with you anywhere you go. You don’t have to plug it in like and
electric, and you don’t need an amp to be able to hear what you are playing.

The final element on learning and mastering the guitar is to find yourself an
audience. If you know someone that can actually play the guitar, then ask them if
you can play to them once or twice a week. Have them critique you. Tell you the
good points of your playing, and also the things you need to work on. Its good to
have someone who has already mastered the guitar as they will be able to see your
mistakes that a “non-guitar player” wont see. But if you don’t know anyone that can
play, ask a friend or someone in your family that you know will be honest with you.

Now you have the main components that will help you while learning the guitar,
next you need to actually start playing. You now have the guitar that you are
going to learn on. Your next step is to make sure you are holding your guitar
correctly. Sitting is the most common position to be in when playing the guitar,
but some may find standing easier. You decide which is best for you. If you are
choosing the sitting position, you will need to rest the body of the guitar on your
leg. Your right hand will be your strumming hand (if you are a right handed
player, and opposite if you are left handed) and your left will the hand that will
move to play the notes. Make sure you have a good posture while playing so you
don’t strain any muscles.

Weather you have decided to learn through books, DVD’s or online courses, make
sure you are following all the steps that are given to you. Don’t skip ahead. They
are written that way for a reason. If you practice you can master the guitar in no
time, just take your time and do it right the first time.

Once you know the basic chords, choose one or two EASY songs that you want to learn
to play. Don’t start off by choosing a hard song. This will only disappoint you
when you have a hard time mastering them. Choose a song that has only a few
chords. Many songs are written with a variation of 3 or 4 basic chords. Start
with these then work your way to more challenging ones.

If you are an OK singer you should practice doing so while you play. This will
assist you in timing and knowing when chord changes are needed.

Never give up. You made the choice to learn to play the guitar and no-one said it
would be easy. Now only you can decide if you are going to follow through on that.
Your fingers will be sore at first, but that’s a sign of determination and great
practice. Eventually they will build up callouses and no longer be painful.

If you follow all these elements on learning and mastering the guitar, in no time
you will be challenging yourself with more and more difficult songs.

The first thing you will need to do is get yourself an Electric guitar and amp.
You can either borrow from a friend or relative, or if you are really serious about
learning to play, you should purchase your own. If you decide to go this route,
make sure you go to a reputable music store. It may be overwhelming when you go
into the music store at first because there are so many different models of
electric guitar available, but don’t be afraid to ask an employee for help. That’s
what they are getting paid for. Pick out the guitar and amp that you are
comfortable with.

You want to make sure that you are familiar with all the switches and buttons on
your electric guitar. Knowing exactly what each one does will enable you to play
your guitar exactly the way you want to. Each button has a different function, but
basically they are all there to adjust the tone of the guitar. Being able to
control these correctly will help you to develop your sound.

Although the electric guitar is thought by many musicians as easier to play than
the acoustic, there are many more added features on the electric that you need to
be familiar with.

Another great thing about actually going to the music store is that you can
actually out the guitar and amp before you purchase them. You can literally try
every guitar in the store if you want until you find one that you love. As you are
just beginning, you don’t need a huge amp. Making sure it has the right features
for the style of music you want to play is important.

Once you have your Guitar, Amp and preferably a pick too (your fingers will get sore
without one, and the sound on an electric guitar is much cleaner if a pick is used)
you are ready for your lessons.

Finding courses and tutorials online is the quickest and probably the cheapest way
to easily learn to play electric guitar (unless you have a professional teaching
you for free). You may decide to take the option of finding a private tutor in
your area, but they can be very costly. You may also be able to find some
resources online that are free if you search around.

Once you have a basic idea of chords and notes, listening to songs with electric
guitar in them will be a big help also. As you are listening to the songs, try to
figure out the chords that are in the songs by playing along with them. This is a
great way to practice.

Now you have the basic idea of how you can easily learn to play electric guitar.
The most valuable lesson I can share with you is this; Don’t quit. When the going
gets tough and your not learning as quickly as you thought you would, keep going.
If you have the right attitude you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
Believe in yourself.

There are two common ways that most people use to learn to play the guitar when they don’t want to pay for lessons. The first way is look around you. Is there anyone you know that plays the guitar? Maybe a close friend, colleague, someone in your class or even your significant other? When trying to find someone you know to help you, make sure they are someone who is patient and willing to spend a good amount of time working with you. After all Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you wont learn to play guitar in one either!

Another method to finding basic guitar lessons for free is to use the resources available to you. There are many tools online that can help you to learn to play the guitar. The advantage with doing online learning is that you can practice at will. No one else’s schedule to work around, but your own. When you feel you need more work on certain things, you can take the time to practice those skills and not feel a burden to anyone else. And if you want to learn for multiple hours a day, or rest if you need to, then that’s your call. You are your own tutor.

I have outlined 5 steps below to get you well on your way to learning guitar.

1. The first thing is essential in learning to play guitar. You actually NEED a guitar. If you can’t afford your own, ask friends and family to see if anyone has one you can borrow until you decide if you want to buy your own. Also you will need a pick (or you can strum with your fingers, that’s your call), a stool or chair (whatever you are comfortable on), and mostly dedication and time. Once you have all these things, learn the different parts of your guitar.

2. If you have never played the guitar before, chances are your fingers will be a little tense. So move your fingers. Do what ever you think will help them not feel “stiff”. If your fingers are tense, your notes will not flow correctly. The more you practice, the easier it will get.

3. Once you are comfortable with your guitar, learning the chords is your next step. Start off with the basic chords. Probably the easiest chords to begin with are C, Cm, and C7. D, Dm, D7. E, Em, E7. F, Fm, F7. G, Gm, G7. A, Am, A7. B, Bm, B7. You can find the finger placements for these chords online for free. Once you master these chords you will have a great start in playing many songs as these are some of the easier chords that are widely used by many musicians.

4. Once you are more familiar with the chords, you need to practice strumming. Listen to the song you are trying to play and how they strum. Play along with the radio until you get the hang of it, and then try it alone. It is alot easier to strum than to pluck, so don’t jump ahead of yourself. You can try the strumming pattern of “down, down, up, up, down, up…” to help you when you start.

5. Finally the last and most important step is to practice. You are not going to become a famous musician over night, but if you practice enough, you will get better. Have a personal goal you want to reach and try to stick to that (like playing your favorite song within the next 6 months). Don’t set your expectations too high. And have fun! That’s why you wanted to play in the first place right?

In conclusion, there are several resources around you that will help you get basic guitar lessons for free. Now the rest is up to you.

First, you must not be intimidated by the thought of playing the electric guitar. It is a good idea to take the time and learn all that you can about the guitar and its fret board. To aide you with this task you can buy a diagram of the notes and strings on a guitar. Having this on the wall while you are practicing will help you tremendously.

Learning the positioning of the notes on the fret board is key, and this is accomplished by practice, practice, practice. Don’t expect this to come over night. And don’t spend hours a day studying this. Instead spend approximately 10 minutes per day on this task. Success for most beginners is gained from the knowledge of the notes and fret board.

Another major factor in learning to play the electric guitar is using your ears. You must listen to the pitch and tone of the notes you are playing. This requires much concentration, and is a very important part of learning. First play the note on your electric guitar, then sing the note in the same key you just played. Repeat this several times with different notes. Once this is easy for you, do it in reverse. Sing a note, then play it on the guitar. Hearing if the note you sang, and the note you played are the same is where ear training comes in. Practicing this for about 10 minutes a day will help immensely.

And lastly, do some chromatic guitar exercises and scales. These will help you develop muscle memory and help your fingers move more cleanly across the strings, developing a cleaner sound. Start off with simple ones and as you feel more confident, move on to harder ones.

These are three major components that will assist you when you begin your lessons. If you practice these three tips before you begin with actual guitar lessons, your journey will be much simpler.

Patience is a major factor in learning the electric guitar. If you can devote 30 minutes a day to practicing these techniques, you will go very far, very quickly. An essential part of the learning process is to make sure you are having fun. If it’s not fun, then you won’t learn. It will feel too much like work and not play!

You will have to dedicate a lot of your time practicing these skills I have mentioned if you want to be able to play “like the pro’s”, but believe me it will be worth it in the end. Just think how you will feel when you “WOW” your family and friends the first time you play your favorite song for them on the guitar!

Although it seems like a lot to learn, once you are more familiar with where the notes are and the sound they make, it becomes much easier. Don’t let the daunting look of the guitar discourage you in any way. All you have to do is start simple.

Playing any song on the guitar is simplified if you know the notes that are involved in the song. But first you must know how to actually figure out those notes. So the best place to start is the basics. Each string has a note. E,A,D,G,B,E are the open string notes (meaning you don’t have your finger on any of the strings) starting at the top string going down to the bottom string.

Starting on the bottom string (E) there are 3 easy notes you can learn to begin with. The open string is E. F is when you press your finger on the first string on the first fret, and G is pressing on the third fret. The next string up is the B string. Open string is B, pressing the second string on the second fret makes a C and the third fret is a D. And here is where you can start. Learn these notes and their placements well and you can start doing some finger exercises using them.

Knowing the notes and what they are called is a great foundation for learning the guitar. At first, maybe saying them out loud, to help you get more familiar with them will benefit you, but once you have learnt them confidently, you should play them without saying them. This will help you then know the sound that each note makes. Once you have these down, you will be able to start to play simple songs, such as nursery rhymes.

Once you are confident with the first two strings, move on to the next which is the G string. G is the open string and A is on the first fret. Adding these notes to the ones you already know and you are well on your way! Make sure you start out with simple songs. You don’t want to jump right in and get discouraged by trying to tackle a complicated one. Nursery Rhymes are the best place to start. No matter what age, we all know a nursery rhyme or two right?

Learning to play the guitar is not as hard as it looks as long as you have the determination and time to dedicate to it. You don’t have to pay an instructor to teach you if you have the knowledge to find the resources available to you. There are multiple DVD’s, books and online courses out there. No matter how you learn or who teaches you, the degree of your success is up to you. If you don’t want to learn, you won’t. Motivation starts with you.