Learning the fundamentals of guitar, getting to know the basics, and actually playing good or normally will be around 6 months or so, however, if you want to master it and become a pro then you are looking at a few years with daily practice.
When you’re trying to get good at anything, the most important thing is to have a consistent practice routine. As my father always said, you don’t learn to swim by getting into the water every once in a while. You learn it by getting into the pool consistently on a daily basis.
The answer to how long it takes to get good at guitar depends on you. If you only want to learn how to play a couple of songs and be the guitar guy at parties, then you’re probably looking at a few months.
But if you want to be the next Eddie Van Halen, you’re going to have to go above and beyond those 10,000 hours and put in a lot more time and effort. This is because getting good at guitar takes time, patience, dedication, practice, and hard work.
Contents
Key Takeaways
- Learning Timeline: Mastering guitar fundamentals takes about six months, but achieving professional proficiency requires years of consistent daily practice.
- Practice Routine: Consistency is vital; setting a regular practice schedule based on clear, achievable goals significantly accelerates learning progress.
- Fundamentals First: A solid grasp of basics like chords, scales, and proper technique is essential before moving on to more complex songs and riffs.
- Guidance Matters: The right guitar teacher can make a significant difference in your learning journey, offering valuable insights, motivation, and tailored advice.
- Technical and Artistic Growth: Building finger strength and mastering techniques are crucial, as is developing your artistic style through varied practice and exploring different genres.
- Enjoy the Process: Maintaining enthusiasm and enjoying the practice are key to sustained learning and improvement, making the journey to guitar mastery both enjoyable and rewarding.
Learn and Practice the Basics
The first thing you should do when you begin your learning journey is figure out your goals. You should always set a goal. If you don’t set one, then you’ll never reach it. For example, you may want to be able to play the guitar by the end of the year, or you may want to play with other people.
The important thing is to show yourself that you are willing to improve and you want to learn to play. This will make it much easier for you to practice and will help you reach your goals. Make sure that you learn about chords, scales, and some basic rhythm patterns.
Many people make the mistake of jumping right into playing songs without learning anything about their instrument. This is because no one teaches them how to practice and they should learn the basics first before attempting to play songs.
You might want to start with learning how to hold a pick correctly and tuning your guitar. This alone will be extremely useful when it comes to playing the songs you want to learn.
Another great way to get started with the guitar is by learning faster licks and more complicated songs than just strumming chords in time. This will show you how much work it requires to play even the simplest of riffs, which in the end will motivate you to practice even more.
Workout Your Fingers! Some people think that finger strength is not that important when it comes to playing the guitar, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. If you don’t have finger strength, you will not be able to play fast riffs and complicated solos without hurting yourself.
Choose a Great Guitar Teacher
Discovering the right guitar teacher can be a little tricky, especially when you don’t live near any music schools. Fortunately, several factors make a great guitar teacher. These include experience, reputation, personality, and knowledge of the instrument.
A great guitar teacher will have a lot of years of experience, which will give students a more realistic expectation of what they’re going to learn.
Students tend to learn the most if their teacher is enthusiastic about the instrument, so it’s also good to look for someone who loves what they do. A great guitar teacher should have a good reputation in the community, so do some research on your local music scene to find out who or where the best teachers are.
And you can always find good reviews of teachers on the internet. Look at the ones that have a lot of positive ratings. This will let you know that he or she is a good guitar teacher.
Also, make sure that they have a great personality and that you feel comfortable talking with him or her. This way, you won’t feel any pressure, and you will be able to learn better.
Work on Your Technique and Artistic Skills
Learning how to master the guitar is a great challenge. It is essential to get started on understanding and learning the basic techniques. A helpful thing to do is listen to music and look at the guitar tabs to see how the guitarists play the song. Try to follow and copy their moves once you figure out how they play it.
If you want to take your music to the next level, you need to practice and improve all aspects of the guitar. Here are some tips on how to master your guitar technique and artistic skills:
- Read books on the subject.
- Practice playing along with chords.
- Practice playing along with other songs.
- Learn from your mistakes, and don’t give up.
- Try to join a band.
- Study advanced players.
- Practice, practice, practice!
Find Your Style
If you are just beginning your musical journey and you are new to the music world, you need to know that there are many types of guitars. You should be familiar with the various types of guitars, as they will help you choose the guitar that best fits your needs.
While you can always buy a guitar and figure out what style of guitar you want later, you should have an idea of the type of music that interests you.
For instance, if your goal is to play rock n’ roll, then a solid-body electric guitar with a humbucker pickup will be your best choice. A softer and smaller body guitar will be better if you like folk music. If you want to play jazz, prepare yourself to play a hollow-body electric guitar.
Additionally, your guitar must fit your size as well as the type of music. A six-string guitar is always preferable because it has more room on the neck, and you will be able to play different styles with ease.
Have Fun and Keep Practicing
The best way to get better at playing guitar is to have fun with it. Many professional musicians out there practice their instruments for hours on end every day—but they love doing it! If you don’t enjoy playing the guitar, chances are you’ll grow tired of it quickly and stop practicing altogether.
So, don’t constantly measure your progress, try to keep your mind focused on having fun, and don’t worry about how long it’s taking you to get good at guitar. The joy of playing will make your journey enjoyable to the end!
This is important because it helps you stick to your practice plan and not get distracted by other things. If you keep practicing, you’ll become a better musician. Try different ways of learning, and don’t give up if you’re finding it hard to make progress.
Remember, the journey is much more enjoyable if you keep going. If you want to be the best guitar player, you have to put in the work. It’s not always going to be easy, but if you do your best, you’ll have a great time!
Conclusion
In conclusion, getting good at guitar takes years, not months or weeks. It takes lots of hours of practice and a lot of time. You need to dedicate a ton of time to get good. You can’t just pick up a guitar, start strumming out some random tune, and expect to be able to play it. It doesn’t work that way.
Furthermore, having fun while doing this is the best part, as practicing the guitar is one of the most enjoyable things that you can do. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t learn the songs in a day, week, or even a month.
It’s okay if it takes years to master a skill. Just be patient and stick to your practice plan. As long as you keep working hard, you’ll eventually reach your goals.
