If you’re reading this article, you’re already asking yourself if you should learn to play guitar. But you might have a bunch of questions swirling around in your head…..
- Maybe you’re not really sure if learning guitar is the right thing for you?
- Maybe you don’t think you’ll have the ability to actually play songs and make music?
- Maybe you don’t think your busy schedule will allow you enough time to play?
- Maybe you’re worried about how much it will cost to buy the gear and pay for learning materials or lessons?
Well fear not, my friend. Everyone starts out in exactly the same position you’re in right now asking exactly the same questions. And I’m here to tell you that learning to play guitar is one of the best decisions you can make for yourself. Here are my top five reasons why:
1) You Love Music
You already love music. And learning to play guitar is a fantastic way to take your love of music to the next level. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you start to hear the guitars in your favorite songs in new and interesting ways. And whether you’re into The Beatles, Tom Petty or Ed Sheeran, you’ll be able to start playing some of your favorite songs in much less time than you think!
2) You’re Creative
Learning to play guitar provides an incredible outlet for your creativity. You get to choose which kind of guitar you play. Which kind of songs you learn. And eventually you’ll even be able to make your own music, the ultimate expression of your creativity! A guitar is one of the most dynamic and expressive musical instruments you can play. When playing a piano or drums, you’re only allowed to adjust the volume characteristic of the notes that you play. A guitar allows a player to fully control the volume, tone and limitless gradients between all of the notes.
3) You’ll Learn Something New and Different
Let’s assume that you’re not an experienced musician. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when you learn to play guitar how it challenges you to use your brain in different ways than you do right now. And learning how to play guitar challenges people with different learning types. Let’s say you’re more left-brain dominant (logic & math). In that case music theory might come really easy to you while improvisation may be more challenging. Now let’s say you’re more right-brain dominant (creative & artistic). Playing by ear may help you accelerate quickly whereas you may find scales and chords more challenging. In the end, it doesn’t really matter which type of learner you are. For a student, a working adult or a retiree, learning to play guitar will challenge your hand-eye coordination, your listening skills and your memory.
4) You Can Share Your Music
You’ll feel a sense of pride when you’re able to strum some basic chords and play a few melodies. Your enjoyment of the musical world will expand very quickly. And you’ll be able to share your newfound musical skills with friends and family. Hosting sing-alongs with while enjoying a campfire, relaxing at the beach, or sitting around a Christmas tree makes for some great memories. And you can never go wrong with hanging out in a garage with your buddies bothering all of your neighbors!
5) You May Discover a New Passion
Hopefully you will develop a love and passion for playing guitar that can last the rest of your life. Depending on your musical tastes and personal style, playing guitar can range from being a great source of relaxation, to a chance to really rock!
In response to the other questions I posed at the beginning of this article, he is what I’ve learned over my years of learning and loving guitar:
Is Learning to Play Guitar Right For You?
If you love music, and it doesn’t matter if your passion is for rock, country, blues, jazz or anything else, you will find tremendous joy and satisfaction in making your own music and challenging yourself to improve your skills and musical knowledge. A great sense of pride and personal accomplishment is felt every time you learn a new skill or song!
Do I Have the Ability to Learn to Play Guitar?
Do you have reasonable hand-eye coordination and the ability to tap your foot to the beat of a song? Then you have the basic skills required to get started. It really doesn’t take much more than that.
Will I Have Enough Time to Practice?
If you can manage to carve out at least 15-20 minutes per practice session, 2 or 3 days a week, you have enough time to really give this guitar thing a go. Obviously, the more time you can afford, the quicker your skills will develop. But trust me, even the modest times described above will start you on the path to learning a great new hobby and possibly a lifetime passion. It is worth noting that more frequent practice sessions, even if their duration is relatively short, is way more effective than a marathon session once a month. The critical habits related to finger dexterity, muscle memory and musical timing will develop much more quickly with frequent short bursts of effort.
How Much Is Learning to Play Guitar Going to Cost?
This question is difficult because there really is no single answer. If you are living on a tight budgets, you could pick up a modest acoustic guitar for a few hundred bucks. Combined with a lesson book or two for twenty bucks each and you’d be on your way. Obviously, there is virtually no upper limit to how much money you could spend on professional quality gear, books, videos, lessons, etc. But don’t worry too much about that for now. Check out some of my gear reviews to learn much more detail about the right gear for any budget.