How Long Does It Take To Learn Guitar?

Is it hard to learn guitar?

Learning guitar is an exciting prospect. It’s a skill that requires dedication and practice.

However, there are a lot of myths surrounding learning guitar.

Some people think that it takes years to master the instrument. Others believe that it’s impossible to learn without lessons.

But the truth is that anyone can learn guitar if they put their mind to it. In fact, it only takes a few months to become proficient at playing the instrument.

If you’re interested in learning guitar, then read on to find out how long it takes to learn guitar.

How quickly can you learn guitar?

The first thing to consider when thinking about whether or not you’ll be able to play guitar within six months is your level of experience with music.

If you’ve never played before, then don’t expect to pick up the basics overnight. You need time to develop your skills and build confidence.

However, once you have some musical knowledge under your belt, you should be able to start picking things up pretty easily.

The good news for beginners is that most songs will teach themselves after just one listens.

You may want to try listening to other musicians’ recordings as well. This way, you get used to hearing different styles of music and gain inspiration from them.

How many hours a day should you practice guitar?

Another important factor to consider when deciding how much time you spend practicing each week is what kind of schedule works best for you.

For example, do you prefer to work during quiet times such as early morning or late evening? Or would you rather practise while doing something else, like watching TV or reading books?

It also depends on where you live. Do you have access to private space where you won’t disturb others? Will you be practising alone, with a guitar teacher? or with friends? These factors all affect how often you should practice.

It’s recommended that you dedicate around 1-2 hours per day to learning guitar. Of course, this varies depending on which song you choose to focus on.

But even if you decide to stick to one particular piece, you still need to make sure that you devote enough time to it.

Learn the basics of scales and chords

Before starting your learning process, you should familiarise yourself with basic chord shapes and note names. Learning these fundamentals will help you understand more complex pieces later on.

For instance, knowing the notes C major means that you know the name of every single letter on the scale. Knowing the notes F minor helps you recognise the shape of the key signature. And being aware of G7thchord notation tells you exactly what type of chord you’re dealing with.

Once you feel comfortable with the basics, you can move onto learning specific techniques.

There are plenty of resources available online that cover everything from strumming patterns to fingerpicking style.

Additionally, there are several free lessons available on YouTube. Just search “beginner guitar” and you’ll see hundreds of videos teaching you the basics.

As long as you keep at it consistently over time, you shouldn’t struggle too much to master anything. It might seem daunting now, but by sticking to it, you’ll soon become an expert!

10,000-hour rule

If you really want to achieve mastery quickly, you could follow the 10,000-hour rule for a higher chance of success.

According to Malcolm Gladwell, anyone who wants to become an expert needs to put in between 10,000 and 20,000 hours of dedicated study.

This doesn’t mean that you need to sit down and practise ten thousand hours straight away.

Instead, you should set aside regular blocks of time throughout the year to improve your skill. Moreover, don’t forget about breaks – they’re essential for maintaining motivation levels.

The bottom line: If you want to play guitar fast, then you must first develop a strong foundation and build consistency over a period of time.

Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can begin focusing on improving individual skills.

However, before jumping into advanced topics, it’s worth spending some quality time getting acquainted with the essentials.

Is there such a thing as too much practice?

Of course, we’d love nothing better than to say yes. After all, why not just skip right ahead to mastering those difficult licks?

Unfortunately, though, there isn’t always a clear dividing line between beginner guitarists and intermediate level players.

In fact, many experts agree that most people never reach true proficiency because they lack discipline.

In other words, no matter how hard you try, you simply cannot progress without putting in consistent effort.

In addition, you also have to be willing to accept criticism when things aren’t going well. This is especially important during early stages of development.

As you get older, however, you’ll naturally start developing self-discipline. By doing so, you’ll find that practicing becomes easier and easier.

So, while it may sound like a lot of work, remember that it only takes dedication to succeed. The sooner you realise this, the faster you’ll be able to advance.

Basic guitar skills

Before moving forward, let’s review the basic fundamentals of playing the instrument.

These will help you understand where to focus your efforts.

Guitar chords,

Chords are one of the main building blocks of music. They consist of three or more strings played simultaneously.

Each string has its own pitch, which determines whether it sounds sharp or flat. For example, if you pluck a C chord, each note would sound either C or G depending on their relative position.

You can use different types of chords to create melodies and harmonies. You can even combine them together to form complex structures.

When learning guitar, you’ll often hear terms like “major” and “minor”. Although these names refer to specific scales, they actually apply to any type of chord. So instead of thinking of major and minor chords, think of major and minor keys.

Major Keys

As mentioned above, every key contains seven notes. When you move from one degree to another, you change the tonic note. Here are the common ones used by musicians today.

Key Degrees Tonic Note Major Key 1 First Degree Root Chord Second Degree Third Degree Fourth Degree Fifth Degree Sixth Degree Seventh Degree

Minor Keys

Like major keys, minor keys contain seven degrees. Unlike majors, however, the root note changes for each degree.

Root Notes Minor Key 1 First Degree Root Note Major Key 1 First Grade Root Chord Second Degree Second Degree Third Degree Fourth Grade Fifth Degree Sixth Degree Seventh Grade

Playing techniques

Once you know what simple chords look like, you need to figure out how to strum them. Strums are basically patterns of repeated finger movements.

 Every key has an equivalent minor version called the parallel minor. It shares the same root but uses a different sequence of tones.

Root Minor Key 1 First Degree Minor Chord Second Degree Second Chord Third Degree Third Chord Fourth Degree Fourth Chord Fifth Degree Fifth Chord Sixth Degree Sixth Chord Seventh Degree Seventh Chord

The most commonly used pattern is the open position. In this case, all fingers except the index play the first tone. Then the thumb plays the second tone, followed by the remaining four fingers. Finally, the pinky plays the third tone.

Open Position Open Position Closed Position

 Here’s an example:

First Tone Index Thumb Middle Finger Ring Pinkie Second Tone Index Thumb Middle Fingernail Ring Pinkie Third Tone Index Thumb Middle Nail Ring Pinkie

Now that we’ve covered the beginner chords and strums, let’s get into practice!

Practice tips

There are many ways to improve your guitar technique.

Some people prefer guitar playing with headphones so they don’t disturb others around them. Others find it easier to concentrate when there isn’t anyone else in the room.

If you’re a new guitar learner, try guitar playing alone at home before trying it out in public. This will help you build up confidence as well as develop good habits.

If you want to be able to read sheet music while you play, make sure you have enough light. Try not to spend too much time staring at the page. Instead, focus on where your hands should go next.

Finally, if you feel frustrated or bored during practice sessions, switch things up. For instance, use different songs, try rock songs or simple songs or change pick styles, strings, tunings, etc.

You can also mix genres together – maybe start off with country then progress to rock. The more variety you add, the better you’ll prepared you’ll be for anything life throws at you during your guitar journey.

The Song-By-Song Method

This method works best for beginner guitar learners who already understand basic chord structures and have the basic skills. You simply follow along with the song lyrics and sing the melody line.

It may seem strange at first, but after a few weeks of doing this, you’ll notice that you actually enjoy singing along with the words. Plus, it helps you memorize the tune faster than just reading through the lyrics would.

Let’s see how it works…

Step One: Find the Lyrics

Find the lyrics of your basic songs or beginner songs online using Google or another search engine. Don’t start with difficult songs just yet. Make sure you choose “lyrics” instead of “sheet music”.

 Step Two: Sing Along With the Music

Once you know what the song is about, listen to the audio track again. Now look over the lyrics one last time. If necessary, refer back to step one to refresh yourself on any parts you might need to remember.

When you hear the main riff, count each note aloud. Start counting at 0 and continue until you reach the final number.

Don’t worry if some notes sound higher or lower than expected; these variations aren’t important right now. Just keep repeating the same sequence throughout the entire song.

As soon as you finish counting, stop listening to the song and repeat steps 1 & 2 above. Once you’ve finished both sections, move onto Step Three.

Step Three: Memorise the Melody Line

After completing Steps 1 & 2, close your eyes and imagine yourself standing in front of the stage. Imagine all those lights shining brightly behind you. Feel the energy flowing into your body.

Now open your mouth and begin humming the melody line. As you do, think about the chords being played by the band members. Focus on their movements and gestures.

After several minutes, slowly raise your voice slightly. Continue raising your pitch gradually until you are singing loudly. When you get comfortable with this, increase the volume even further.

Keep going until you can no longer hold back. At this point, don’t worry about making mistakes. Simply relax and let everything flow naturally.

Repeat this process whenever you’re feeling stressed out or anxious. It will help clear your mind and prepare you for when you perform live.

Remember, there’s nothing wrong with practicing alone! In fact, many guitar players prefer to work solo because they find it easier to concentrate without distractions.

However, if you’d like to improve your skills quickly, try guitar learning alongside others. This way, you won’t have to struggle so much against nerves while performing.

You could also ask someone else to play along with you during guitar practice session. For instance, you could invite a friend to join you in learning an instrument. Or perhaps you could start playing together regularly.