How I did it: I tried to learn guitar for about a year before it really stuck. My grandmother gave me my first guitar (a jumbo acoustic!) and it was far too big for me. Difficulties with the size and a lack of motivation meant I never really learned more than a few chords and some easy songs. Then my mom's boss, a total guitar guy, found out I was learning to play and and gave me an acoustic guitar that was a bit better suited to my size. (I really lucked out, not having to buy them, and I realize that.) A friend loaned me two guitar books, and, having a much less painful time reaching around the instrument, I worked through them until I finished them and realized that, while I am not The Best Guitarist Ever, I have all the basics covered and have some confidence/ease in playing that I didn't before. (Thus, marking a goal that is never really finished as complete.) From here I'm planning to spend my practice time on....

• working through an exercise book that focuses on cleaning up playing, improving rhythm and sound, etc.
• learning/memorizing some really fun songs
• learning some more challenging songs (One of the very best ways to improve is to push yourself with music you may not be able to play right away, second to have someone very talented critique your playing.)

There's this huge difference between knowing how to play notes and being a good musician. I've been playing the oboe for something like 6 years, and learning how to play guitar has been a completely different experience for me, because for my first instrument I had teachers helping me, I started in grade school knowing nothing about music, and the focus was on playing in a group. (Which, with my instrument, was a little embarrassing. The point where the oboe sounds good comes waaay after the point where you know the notes and can play in time, you really have to earn it.)   With guitar it was just me working on my own, occasionally playing duets with a friend, but it was almost easier because I already knew how to read music and play musically. Overall, it was really interesting.

Lessons & tips:

• There is a ton of stuff online to help with learning the guitar, but I think it's definitely worth it to start from a how-to-play/beginners book. A good one is way more organized than what you're going to get online, and will be more thorough. A bad one can be more frustrating though--I started on one that was mostly a type of music that I didn't like and offered very little help with how to do things.
• Practice consistently...I'm not going to say you HAVE to sit down every day and practice 45 minutes, because quite frankly, that's a lot for a beginner. But DO make sure you practice a couple times a week (3-4 is probably doable), and put enough time in to actually learn something.
• Play on an instrument that is comfortable. Too big, too small, poorly made, whatever, you don't have to have a top-notch guitar starting out, but the instrument shouldn't be an obstacle if it doesn't have to be.

Resources:

• Hal Leonard Guitar Method Books 1 and 2

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Jul 18, 2012, 11:24AM PDT | 1 comment | 16 cheers