How long does it take to master the guitar?

[Sam kovacs]

Hello, i have bought an electric guitar, but i must admit i'm kind of lost.

A friend gave me a dvd, its good stuff, but it's really slow, and it's a lot with learning to read music. But i've realised that i don't really need that to play the guitar, since tabs exist.

How long does it take to get really good at a guitar?
Is there any good product which doesn't take 30lessons to start playing?
has anyone played the guitar for a long time?
Is it possible to make money out of playing music?

[PhoenixFlames]

Hi there

As a former student of Guitar Playing all I can say is that it is a discipline that requires Guitar Lessons from a professional and requires countless hours of practicing "flawless" technique over and over again just to learn a single Chord Progression.

Your fingers will ache, especially when trying to perform chords that require you to widen the the stretch between your fingers as well as pressing down hard.
20 lesson? Are you kidding me- it can take 5 years of hard concerntration just to get "good" at learning other peoples songs- and another 5 years to learn how "music works" when it comes to writing your own songs (*clue you can't just throw a bunch of chords together and expect to hear a coherent song).

100% of people I knew who picked up a guitar with the intentions of being self taught ended up quitting anyways as they got frustrated.
A DVD, Tab Book or any other "teach yourself" books cannot give vital feedback, even when learning the very basics.

Are you holding the Guitar right?
Are you Fretting Right?
Are you holding down the strings to loose or too tense?
Are you playing in Split Second Time?
Are you too tense with your strumming?
Are you hitting the strings at the "correct angle?"

Just wait until you get into more "basic" stuff!

Guitar playing looks easy and effortless when observed- however the amount of concerntration, rythmn and repeated practice that musicians put into playing just a single bar of music is unbelieveable.

My advice, considering what you have written, would be to quit; sell your Electric Guitar and Amp whilst you are ahead.
20 lessons may

My first question is why did you pick up the Guitar?

Do you enjoy listening to Guitar based music? Good enjoy it, play air guitar in whatever genre you listen to. Kick back with a beer or a glass of wine.

I doesn't mean you have to play it yourself on guitar. This is a trap many people get into.
There is a HUGE difference from listening to The Guitar Music which can be life changing
and picking it up yourself which is BORING. VERY BORING

So get some live tuition lessons and see how you go from there.

[Sam kovacs]

Oh i might of been missunderstood. I gotta admit i didnt communicate very well.

the dvd i've got is Learn and master guitar. And it seams ike a very good dvd, and is rated to be the best dvd on learning guitar. I've got to lesson 4 and i've realised that playing with tab, is easier than with music sheet. you look like you know what you're talking about. On the long run is learning to READ music important?


And mate, i'm no quitter, i'm not going to sell my guitar or my amp, until you come and chop my fingers off. I just wanna know more about what's important and what isn't.


So please, tell me more: What do i need to know before playing the guitar. What's important?

[martn]

Hey Sam-

You've asked a pretty tough question. I am not sure if I'm reading you correctly, but I think I know where you are coming from...

1) You do not describe once the music you desire to play. You need to nail this down-if you focus on what you would like to emulate right from the beginning you will not be able to NOT succeed because practicing will be joyful, not drudgery.

I ask you again-what guitarist do you see yourself playing if all went swimmingly? Be specific. Hendrix? The Edge? Who?

In my youth(I started when I was twelve-Im 44 now) my particularmusician peer groups splintered into jazz/classical, classic rock, or punk rock...I chose punk...relatively quickly the hand strength comes along as well as the timing.I also took up classical because that was a major to take in college.
>>I can still read music, but I truly sucked balls next to the guys who lived and breathed classical.But i was good enough to get accepted...

2) Hell, let me answer your question . It will take you 3mos min to play campfirely chords at length...It will take you 6 mos to ape randy rhodes style stuff if you've got the genes(I don't). You will make money if you can sing and play at the same time and play music people want to hear while they eat and drink.

I'm glad you are adament about trying to play-you are going to need that attitude.

Playing music ,by myself and with friends, is my favorite thing in the world to do.
Becoming 'A MASTER'? Its up to you.
Tom

[martn]

What Phoenix said-
I want to focus on the positive aspects
1) It is indeed in your best interests to take some lessons from someone who is both a skilled teacher and an enthusiastic fan of the music you want to know how to play.These people are a rare commodity and prepare to keep looking for the right person if the fit is wrong...
2) Time will have to be put in. How much will determine yr progress-thats it.
Little by little you'll start impressing yourself.
3) Make sure the set-up on your guitar is okay.A guitar that has hi string spacing,poor intonation...thats a guitar that'll make you quit.
4) Reading music is optional. Chord theory will come as you play more songs.
5) Play with others at your level-this teaches you to listen, in real time,and to hear what cleanly and mushily played notes sound like(and adjust things accordingly)
Take big bites of practice,or little bites...just make sure they're FUN bites.
Tom

[aggie]

for what it's worth, my ex played the guitar...he carried it an played and practiced for hours and years....i think he was pretty much self taught in the beginning. he even hung out with johnny rivers and some other musicians of that day before getting drafted to nam.

i think he had some natural talent for it and intense dedication to it.

he ended up taking some classical lessons to broaden and strengthen the base that he had...which i recommend.

on his own he pursued everything from modern rock of his day to classical to the origin of a lot of music...the old time black guitarist from the south.

he would get recordings an sheet music and listen and play over and over.

he could've played professionally (was in a little know group called the "cashmeres" in his youth....the war and bad relationships and drugs unfortunately detoured him.)

while i was with him i tried to encourage him as much as i could. he spent thousands of dollars on custom made guitars....martins were his favorite...he even had a stainless steel dobro.....

sorry, i ramble with the memories...but my point is...it is a passion and you can have it if you want it...whether you make money or not

[James81]

Yeah, these guys ^ are making it way harder than it needs to be. lol

I play the guitar. I wouldn't consider myself a guru at it or performer worthy, but I'm decent.

And basically, if you learn a handful of chords, you can play almost any song within a few weeks of practive.

My suggestion for you is to get a chord chart and start learning the chords.

Most important chords to learn are A, C, D, E, F, and G. You learn those six chords and you'll be hooked.

you also need a basic knowledge of what chords belong to what what keys.

Basically, you pick the key you want to play in (for example the key of "G"). And then you skip the next two letters and the two letters after that are the other two chords that belong in that key. (for example, in the "key of G", you skip A and B, and then C and D are the other two chords that are in that key. So, the three chords you use for the key of "G" are "G, C, and D")

You can do that for every key. Most common keys I play in are G and C.

So G, C, D for key of "G" and C, F, G for key of "C".

If you can play in those two chords, you can play pretty much any song you want and sing with it and it'll work fine.

Once you get that down, then go and pick up some sheet music for the songs you'd like to play. Be aware that sheet music is going to require you to learn a few more chords, but it's really not that much more intensive for most songs.

Once you get that down, then you can start studying riffs and power chords and **** like that. By this point, though, you'll start picking stuff up on your own and start feeling the groove. And at this point, if you learn just this much, you'll be as fluent as about 80% of the guitar players out there.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by James81

You can do that for every key. Most common keys I play in are G and C.

So G, C, D for key of "G" and C, F, G for key of "C".

You should add a few minor chords.

Eg for the key of G, add an Em and Am.
For key of C, add an Am and a Dm.

Next, buy a capo and you're ready to rule the world!!

[pjhaggerty]

I can't speak to guitar, but as a piano teacher, I think I might have some insight

Learning an instrument is not in general a phsyical process. if you can make a fist with your hand and you can type, then physically you are capable of learning an instrument, and in fact your hands are not too much different from, say, eric claptons hands.

What separates you from eric clapton is not your hands (although there may be small differences), it is your nervous system. Basically, eric clapton has been playing guitar for so long, that it is a part of his nervous system, while you have just begun.

Therefore, if you want to get good at an instrument, what you really need to do is focus on your nervous system.

This is GREAT news. It means that spending hours physically playing an instrument is not necessary (in fact it could be harmful due to over use injuries due to bad technique). Of course spending some time with your instrument is necessary, in order to get comfortable with it and develop proper technique. But when you are actually playing an instrument, you should be focused on playing it comfortably, so that your body is not feeling undue stress or pain from playing improperly.

What is necessary is to attune your nervous system to playing the guitar, or the piano. However, to work with your nervous system, you do not need a guitar. All you need to do is to visualize playing a guitar, and you're practicing. In fact, research on visualization in athletics has shown that visualizing is nearly as effective as actual physical practice.

So, if you want to get good at guitar quickly, you need to be thinking about it all the time. Choose one 'lesson' from the dvd to learn each week, and as you go throughout your week review it in your head. Every chance you get, imagine yourself playing the song/lesson perfectly. if you do this realistically, then the same neurons will fire in your brain and in your body as when you actually play guitar/piano.

This will condition your nervous system to playing guitar, and is quite easy to fit into your schedule.

In fact if you did this for 30 minutes a day (five minutes as you wait for coffee, during a boring meeting, whenever) and practiced your technique ten minutes a day, you'd be nearly as good as if you'd actually played for 40 minutes, without the fatigue in your hands.

From there on, you can learn as quickly as you can think about it, and master it in your head.

I'm currently applying this technique to learning the ukulele, and it is much easier compared to my 'traditional' method of learning the piano (30 minutes of physical practice a day, at least).

Also, I would like to note that you should pay attention to your body when you are actually playing a physical guitar. If something feels painful, it is probably wrong or there is probably a better way of doing it. Remember, everybody's body is different, and so 'proper technique' might actually damage your body. However, you can't go wrong if you listen to what your body is telling you. So stay present and stay aware of what your body is saying.

Using the visualizations and the technique you can master every chord, song, etc. without massively disrupting your lifestyle. A teacher is good, however, make sure that you are completely happy with your choice. it is better to fire 10 teachers who aren't a match to find one good one then to hire the first teacher and quit two months later.

[Acting Like Godot]

I agree generally ... except that for guitar, you do need to go through the painful physical process of growing the calluses on the fingertips of your left hand.

Playing the guitar can be very painful when you're a beginner. The tips of your left-hand fingers could even bleed.

But when the calluses have grown, you'll be fine.

Also, you need to develop flexibility and the streeeetch in your left-hand fingers, especially when you start playing chord positions that span not just 1 to 3 frets, but 4 frets.

Visualisation works better for the guitarist's right hand.

[Sam kovacs]

Thanks for all the advice, it has been truly useful. I'll try the visualisation thing.

I did loads of resarch to find a good amp and a good guitar for not much, so i reckon i have a pretty kick ass beginner guitar.

And now i'm doing research on actually playing the guitar =D

[Remiel]

Going by what it takes to become an expert in anything, 7 years. I think Brian Tracy was one person I've heard that from.

[Sam kovacs]

ok well i'll report my progress, when there will be some

[Trezker]

It ttook me 1 full year to go from total newbie to clearing all songs on expert in Guitar Hero 2. And then I had only cleared them, I only got 100% on the very easiest.

So say one more year to really nail some more difficult songs. That's 2 years just to be a decent Guitar Hero player and that's just 6 buttons to keep track of.

I wouldn't expect "mastering" real guitar in less than a decade even if I worked really hard at it.

[James81]

Originally Posted by Trezker

It ttook me 1 full year to go from total newbie to clearing all songs on expert in Guitar Hero 2. And then I had only cleared them, I only got 100% on the very easiest.

So say one more year to really nail some more difficult songs. That's 2 years just to be a decent Guitar Hero player and that's just 6 buttons to keep track of.

I wouldn't expect "mastering" real guitar in less than a decade even if I worked really hard at it.

lol

Guitar Hero and playing the actual guitar are two different things.

I piddled around with the guitar when I was kid. When I took the time to actually learn the chords, I was pretty proficient with the guitar in less than a year.

After a couple of more years, I got to where I was playing in churches and stuff.

3 to 4 years MAX to be proficient with the guitar.

The only way I see it taking a decade would be if his goal was to become a professional guitar player.

[taktics]

NOTE: I didn't read every post prior to this. Just the first one and phoenix's reply.

first of all don't be discouraged by phoenix's post.

Mastering anything takes a long time. What you want to do is stick with it until you learn the basic stuff and have fun with it. Once you start having fun with it or not having fun you will decide if you want to master it or just play it as a hobby or even quit altogether.

Steps

1. Learn Open major & Minor Chords
2. Learn different strumming patterns, learn how to keep rhythm
3. Learn and Play some easy songs and or chord progressions
4. Learn and play easy guitar riffs
5. Play and have fun

go on youtube and or look up chord charts

Ive been playing guitar for a few years and never had any professional teachers although I only play as a hobby. You don't need a professional teacher, you just need to practice and progress, practice and progress.

good luck you can do it!

[LaylaStar]

Hi!

Great to hear you've picked up the guitar! It is a lot of fun!

Not sure if you've heard of it yet (just skimmed through this thread) there's a great site out there called justinguitar.com (not sure if we can post links here?) A LOT of lessons there are free on YouTube & geared toward newbies who don't read music.. (The guy has also played with Katie Melua & I think he knows his stuff.. He taught her too, & gosh she plays fab for a newbie too!)
Lots of info on the forums there too..

I'm in no way affiliated with them, just think it's a great site!
& I saw a relative newbie there playing FAB!! (on YouTube video, after learning for half a year or so) - Better than me after 6 years of classical guitar lol!!
Basically we were mostly taught playing the 'serious' stuff which was often pretty boring, & the chords etc had to be largely self-taught.. It did take a while, I didn't practise much though.. (always wanted to play piano lol..)

So it depends how you go about it, also on your determination etc.

It makes MUCH more sense to learn real guitar than Guitar Hero lol - I think it's also easier!! (always sucked at computer games! ) Why trouble yourself for 1 year with odd buttons, if you can learn real guitar in that time?

I agree with 3 or 5 chords you can sing almost any song - if you like singing, learn the song in the height appropriate for your (or your friends') voice so you can sing along.. It's less boring to practise this way..

Hm, if you wish to play for money, you better consider putting in time to get real good /or become a notorious punk band?/ How old are you? It would be good to have other money streams, it may take a while to start earning with guitar, if you're a total newbie.. There are long discussions about this on musicians' forums - it's possible, depends how you go about it though, what you do (some serious marketing/putting yourself out there may be needed, &/or lots of luck ) - also depends what you expect..

[intj123]

electric guitar is even easier, as for being able to play songs, you can either play by ear or try using TABS, I loved tabs because it's like reading music for dummies, it shows where and when you put your fingers in which spot, the rest is just rockin out!

This is assuming you don't want to take the traditional route.

[Sam kovacs]

Big thanks layla star, this site is a goldmine. Justin is much more motivating than the dude on my dvd. And i actually enjoy playing a lot more. So Thanks a lot fore that.

intj123 why would electric be easier?

[FazK]

Learning guitar is a very difficult process i have been playing almost 8 years now and still cannot say that i have mastered it. Personally my take is that you dont really master guitar there are so many infinite possibilities with the instrument that "mastering" it is impossible.

You have to see playing as a life long journey that you progress along during the course of your life. And as you go forward you just get better and better and learn more and more.

[Aleksander Krstic]

I haven't played the guitar yet, but I'd say that like any other skill it takes 5 years to get good at and 10-20 years to master.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by Aleksander Krstic

I'd say that like any other skill it takes 5 years to get good at

That sounds like a limiting belief to me.

There are many skills you can get good at, in less than 5 years.

[ProbableReality]

I've been at it for 20 years. Still learning lots of things. It is a great journey (hint).

Some people get quite good after 2 years.

[Nicholls]

Hey Sam, nice to have another keen guitarist.

I've been playing the guitar for over a year and a half. I'm in a band that is just about to record our first EP. As well as playing rhythm guitar, I'm also the principal songwriter and singer. If you properly apply yourself I'm sure you could easily accomplish something equally good in a similar timeframe. I'm not someone who practices obsessively or even consistently, but I do have some tips that'll help you get further.

Originally Posted by Sam kovacs

How long does it take to get really good at a guitar?

Depends what you mean by that. To be good enough to perform live (as a rhythm guitarist or lead, but probably not both) I'd say you're looking at 3 months.

Originally Posted by Sam kovacs

Is there any good product which doesn't take 30lessons to start playing?

Forget products. Get a tutor. It may cost more, but believe me, if you want to get ****ing good at guitar there is no better way, at least initially. They will help you over all the blocks you get at the start, encourage you and allow you to select your own path for learning the instrument.

Also a few things I did that I believe helped me become good fast:

• Listen to a lot of music
• Jam with other musicians as often as possible
• Join a band as soon as you can
• Practice a few times a week, at least at the start or when learning something tricky

Originally Posted by Sam kovacs

Is it possible to make money out of playing music?

Yes. You'll hear a lot about the record industry being in trouble because of piracy rates. At worst it's a temporary state of flux. Eventually the industry will change the meet the needs of the consumer. In truth it's only the record labels who are ****ed, and only the majors at that. Check this website to give you a fuller explanation of the industry at the moment: Artists House Music: A learning resource for music and the music business.

A lot of people will tell you being a professional musician is risky. It's like any form of self-employment. Initially it's difficult, but after some time you can establish a firm fan base and make money off that. Way too complicated to cover in a single post, but just take the fact that anyone who wants it enough can have a career in music.

I salute you for your fine choice in hobby

[Nicholls]

Originally Posted by pjhaggerty

Learning an instrument is not in general a phsyical process. if you can make a fist with your hand and you can type, then physically you are capable of learning an instrument, and in fact your hands are not too much different from, say, eric claptons hands.

What separates you from eric clapton is not your hands (although there may be small differences), it is your nervous system. Basically, eric clapton has been playing guitar for so long, that it is a part of his nervous system, while you have just begun.

Therefore, if you want to get good at an instrument, what you really need to do is focus on your nervous system.

I agree in general with you, but guitar is different from piano in that to start with you do need to work on the muscles in your fingers. After a certain period of time yes, you physically can play anything, and it is just a case of muscle memory/nervous system.

[cylon]

I haven't played in quite a while, but I actually used the "Dummies" book and got pretty good at it. But I had been playing piano for years so I think I transferred some of that familiarity with music and sogrwriting over, but still it is a totally different instrument, the notes are in different places etc. I learned to make my own chords (I didn't invent them, I just experimented enough that I learned which notes worked together) and was making very complex songs within not very long of learning. But expect to cut your fingers up on the way to building up calluses.

If you have a feel for music, that's all that matters. Don't tell any of these famous bands in history that have just known the basic power chords that they need to study for an eternity or they will stop making their hit records.

Of course... now I write music on a computer and my actual musicianship has gone way down in quality, because the computer fixes all the notes and everything for me. Before computers I had to play the entire song all the way through perfectly for it to record on tape properly.

I want to gets me an electric guitar now.

Do you guys think that if you hadn't played guitar in several years (which I haven't) that you would still retain some of your skill? Do you think it may come back on its own or do you think you'd have to start from scratch?

[joelr]

I've played for many years and have taught guitar lessons at music stores for over 10 years. Some students progress very quickly being able to strum basic chords well, fingerpick, play power chords/rock songs all in the first year. Some even get pretty good at basic blues type improvisation within 2 years.

The common thread here is they all practice very consistently. Some days maybe only 20 minutes and other days a few hours.

It depends on what you are interested in playing. If you want to be able to play any Green Day song perfectly that can happen well within 2 years. To play all Stevie Ray Vaughn in a convincing fashion usually takes much longer. Many stop actual practicing at some point and just continue to play what they already know or things that are withing their current "chops" level so that's why some players, even after 20 years remain at a certain level.


Have fun with the learning process. It's important to enjoy practicing so you'll look forward to it.
Set aside time to play, even a practice schedule.

[cylon]

joelr---I've heard it's actually better to practice an instrument only twenty minutes a day, every day, rather than big chunks of like two hours one day, then skip a few days, go back, etc.

What do you think about that?

[Mremedia]

I've been playing almost 15 years, but only in the last year have I really grown and progressed. The difference? I've been playing weekly at church in front of people, with other musicians, and had to learn loads of new music every week.

I have been playing for at least a few minutes almost every day this year, and that makes a difference too. Lastly, get your guitar setup by a professional. It'll be easier to play, and sound better too.

Always have a tuner handy.
Always play with a metronome.
Always be comfortable when playing.
Play music you enjoy.
When you get frustrated with something, take a break, but come back to it.

[Jaiysun4]

How fast you develop, will depend on to what degree you avoid ingraining bad habits and tension into your technique.

If you develop bad technique then you will develop significantly slower, and hit a wall, where you have to go back to basics and retrain your muscle memory all over again.

I strongly recommend Learn How To Play Guitar Without Getting Bad Habits - check it out.

If you play everyday and practise with attention you will get pretty good pretty fast, but there will always be more to learn.