Saying it is easy does not mean that it does not require practice. New learners tend to quit early. When the fingers start to hurt or scratchy sounds fill the room. This is because most are not trying hard enough to learn the instrument and give up the instant they encounter difficulties. Daily effort has to be put in to practicing constantly. A common excuse new learners use is that they no longer have time to practice the guitar or that their fingertips hurt too much. I is important to understand that practice makes permanent and the reason most encounter difficulty is that they do not practice daily or as much as necessary. They sometimes try to do too much, and fizzle out quickly. What it takes is to commit to the lessons that have to be learned. And to take one step at a time.

For those who do want to learn to play the guitar, here is a list of tips that you need to bear in mind:

1. Spend some cash to invest

Learning to play a guitar is almost equal to using the best instrument possible. Naturally, people learn faster and easier if they have the right equipment for the activity.

For this reason, it is important to invest and buy a good quality, not necessarily the best, guitar. This is because good guitars have better strings that will trigger quality play and better sound. They tend to be more forgiving in sound production and give greater confidence to beginners. Quality guitars give better comfort for beginners. I started with a Yamaha Classical as nylon strings do not hurt so much and there are very good second hand models around...

2. Practice makes permanent

It is important to practice every single day. Try fingering chords and changing between two or three and strumming. It is the ONLY way for you to learn how to play the guitar and play it well.

3. Try by yourself first (DIY)

For beginners, learning guitar by yourself can be fun initially and to get acquainted with the guitar. In this way there is no pressure and you can get used to your guitar in as little time possible. It is a longtime and fruitful skill, so it helps to know your instrument!

You can think about getting an instructor once you are quite familiar with the basics. Self paced programs are the best and the internet has plenty of resources to assist. DIY learning can also gain by having an instructor. I like getting immediate feedback by an instructor, it helps and I improve faster! So, just go get started and once you are familiar with the guitar, it would be easier for you to listen to and understand the instructor/teacher. They can also show off their skills and inspire you to keep going. I constantly listen to better players and aspire to play like them in the future. After some time, I was almost as good!

Learning the Guitar is easy! It just takes hardwork, interest, determination, and inspiration to advance on and on. For me, listening and viewing pros guitar players helps keep me motivated!