For a long time I tuffed it out on my own with free videos and the good ol Hal Leonard guitar books as my guide. I could learn most of the songs I wanted by finding a free tab online, and I was starting to piece together some of my own tunes.
Something I hadn’t learned was theory. When someone would ask me, what key is that in, I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t any good at playing lead (although still not all that stellar) and I definitely was nervous to jam with friends since I wasn’t up to speed on stuff such as keys, scales, modes etc.
Fast forward ahead about a year to today. I’ve finally taken the initiative to get some good dvd lessons and signed up for an online membership site. I’m taking my guitar education more seriously and WOW it’s a whole lot more fun.
I always assumed that anyone could teach yourself guitar, and that’s still the case, but you need to set yourself up for success with the right materials.
So to those just starting out here’s a quick list I’d follow if I was to do it all over again.
1.) Get yourself some sort of self study instruction. A book, DVD, online videos, heck even a VHS tape if you can still find something to play it in. The point is get something that you can use.
2.) Do a little bit every day. This doesn’t mean you have to watch a lesson video, but you should pick up your guitar and spend a minimum of 15 minutes a day with it.
3.) Keep a scribbler or folder of what you’re learning. I started doing this recently and it helps me learn better when I start writing things down that I’m learning. Especially when it comes to theory.
4.) Know what you’re learning. This comes down to not trying to learn everything at once. Eventually you’ll look back and think “geese remember when I didn’t know that stuff” but for now know what it is you’re working on and focus on that.
These aren’t mind blowing points but they’re things I would keep in mind and follow if I started over again today.
Hope it helps!