Acoustic Guitar For Beginners - Get Started Right

Acoustic Guitar for Beginners rule number one: Start right.

The advantage to being a beginner is that you have not yet developed any bad habits. That's an advantage you'll have over someone that's played guitar for years that never developed the proper techniques. It's harder for someone that's played for years to 'unlearn' their techniques than it is for a beginner to start properly.

Proper finger technique is the foundation for skilled guitar playing. It is also the solid foundation you will use to advance in learning how to play guitar. Finger technique, if learned right, in a way makes learning guitar easier. You can't UNLEARN bad technique, at least not without difficulty and a lot of frustration.

Dexterity is VITAL to learning guitar. Muscle memory is key. You might not think of playing an instrument as an athletic endeavor, but just like anything that take physical skill, exercise is important. Practicing finger technique builds up your finger strength, accuracy, and speed.

Keep this rule in mind from the get go. This is the mindset you need when starting to play.

Acoustic guitar for beginners rule number two: Don't reinvent the wheel.

Decades (even centuries) of guitarists precede you. That many years of guitar techniques precede you as well. There are techniques that are tried and true, and you'd do well to follow them.

A lot of people that try to learn guitar on their own end up learning by trial and error. It's as if they believe they're so naturally talented that all they need to do is pick up a guitar and 'wing' it. Don't kid yourself. Learning guitar takes time, practice. And not just ANY kind of practice makes perfect: perfect practice makes perfect. Again, it boils down to proper technique, learning right from the get go.

Acoustic guitar for beginners rule number three: Learn by Example

The best thing to do would be to learn from a more experienced guitarist. This doesn't mean go to your neighbor that knows how to play. They may be a good guitarist, but if they don't teach you the right techniques, you won't have the right foundation.

One of the most popular ways to do this today is to get some on line learning program that teaches guitar. There's a lot of upside to this: a lot of the online guitar programs teach PROPER finger technique right from the start. And they're not expensive at all (anything from $20 to 60). They contain video lessons so you can learn by example. Check out programs like Jamorama, Master the Guitar, and others.

I review my favorite ones right HERE. REMEMBER: get it right the first time and you'll have the RIGHT foundation, you'll have an advantage right from the start.

Noel Alcoba currently resides in the Pacific Northwest and has been playing guitar for 25 years. You can read about his online guitar reviews here.