I decided to put together this post help those that are beginners navigate through the sea of information and products available online. I know that the best method for learning how to play guitar is a hotly debated topic in guitarists circles, so I intend to offer some resources that I consider to be the most helpful.
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Steps to get started:
- Get a guitar. Remember, you don’t need to spend a lot of money for a decent guitar. Focus on your playing skill first, then reward yourself after you reach a goal. Rondo Music inexpensive beginner guitars that are well-built. Some even have a licensed floyd rose for under $150!
- If you need a small practice amp and some guitar accessories, check out ZZounds for lowest prices and guarantee. Get some Finger-Ease – it’ll save your fingertips and help them glide on the strings.
- Commit to practicing daily if possible. Find a quiet place where you won’t be interrupted. 30 minutes per day is much better than 3 hours on the weekend.
- Check out JamPlay, SpyTunes, and Jamorama. All are excellent, pick one that you feel the most comfortable with and is the most interesting for you. They all provide structure learning from guitarists that know what they’re talking about.
#1 Rondo Music
Why is it on the list?
If you have a playable guitar then great. If not, you’ll find learning how to play guitar a lot easier when you have one to play. Ok, seriously though, these days you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get a decent guitar. As a beginner your focus should be on learning how to play. The best guitar guitar in the world will not make a poor player sound any better. I was looking for an extra guitar that I could practice with and didn’t have to worry about scratching up and I bought one from Rondo Music, check it out here. I was very impressed with it’s quality and the fact it has a Floyd Rose and cost less than $150.
- Visit: RondoMusic.com
#2 ZZounds
Why is it on the list?
I’m big on ZZounds for music equipment for 2 reasons: 1) They offer 30 days to “try out” what you buy and return for exchange or cash back if you don’t want it and 2) 30 day lowest price guarantee.
- Visit: ZZounds.com
#3 JamPlay
Why is it on the list?
Jamplay is one of the leading video guitar lessons websites that now features over 500 hours of lessons available from over 45 instructors. They have a wide selection of musical styles to choose and even offer webcam lessons.
- Visit: JamPlay.com
#4 Jamorama
Why is it on the list?
The instructors at Jamorama pride themselves on offering structured, step-by-step lessons; making it easier for you to learn guitar effeciently in your spare time. Unlike their competitors, they don’t expect you to know anything about guitar before you begin.They take an extremely simple, yet effective approach to teaching you to play guitar so you never find yourself lost in their lessons. Their courses are for download, so you can use them anywhere, anytime.
- Visit: Jamorama.com
#5 Spy Tunes
Why is it on the list?
SpyTunes presents learning the guitar in a manner much like learning a language … you need to understand the grammatical rules … which is simple, with guitar it’s teaching your hands that takes time. Dan Lundholm, founder on SpyTunes, summarizes his method for understanding how to play guitar in this outstanding video: how to play guitar explained in 20 minutes. Read my interview with Dan here.
- Visit: SpyTunes.com
#6 All Guitar Chords
Why is it on the list?
Knowing your notes … chords, scales, intervals, will advance you playing skill and knowledge that much further then without this knowledge.
- Visit: All-Guitar-Chords.com
#7 Guitar Pro
Why is it on the list?
Guitar Pro is an advanced tablature editor and score player. Guitar Pro provides all the tools you need for editing, sound-setting, and playing your instrument. Guitar Pro software offers such options as listening, printing, importing and exporting MIDI and ASCII formats (thus exploiting thousands of scores on the internet), transposing, transcribing a score in standard notation, etc. It also includes functions such as chord diagrams, a metronome, and a tuner. You can find Guitar Pro formatted tabs on sites such as Ultimate Guitar.
- Visit: Guitar-Pro.com
#8 Tuner with Microphone
Why is it on the list?
Tuning the guitar is an essential skill of every guitarist. You can either plug into your pc mic jack or use a microphone to tune your guitar. The embedded player(#8) below helps you tune by ear.
- Visit: Tunerr.com
#9 Tune by Ear
#10 Metranome Online
Why is it on the list?
A metronome is useful helping you to maintain an established tempo while practicing, training the picking hand, and learning difficult passages. Rhythm is often what differentiates great guitar players from the rest of the pack.
- Visit: Metronomeonline.com
Note: As a matter of full disclosure, I am partnered with some of the resources included in this post. I’ve personally used their products and that’s why I recommend them for you to consider.
