Learning guitar can be done through various methods, including lessons with a professional, self-study through books or online lessons, or playing by ear. Each method has its own benefits and drawbacks, and all require dedication to see results. Music lessons offer personalized assistance and motivation, while self-study is cost-effective but lacks consistency. Some methods teach music theory, but it is possible to learn without it.
While learning any instrument takes a lot of time and effort, different learning methods can yield different results. There are a wide variety of ways to learn guitar based on the time and monetary resources available to the student. Some methods include lessons at school or with a professional musician, self-study through books or online lessons, and imitating sounds to play by ear. Different learning techniques may appeal to someone’s specific goals more than others. All guitar learning methods, however, require some level of time and dedication to produce tangible results.
One of the most common ways for a beginner to learn guitar is to take lessons. Individual guitarists often offer one or more lessons per week in music stores or at home, for individuals or small groups. Music lessons are helpful because they force the student to stay motivated and stick to a schedule. In addition, teachers in these classes are able to provide solutions to specific student problems that books or other impersonal sources of information may not contain. Prices for such classes vary, but affordable classes can usually be found if one shop around.
Another learning method to choose from is self-study, a popular method because it costs little or no money. Many different websites on the Internet offer free or low-cost guitar lessons that, while not customized to the specific student, can still be quite effective. In addition, numerous books offer different methods for students to learn guitar, none of which require the assistance of an outside music teacher. Unfortunately, these sources cannot provide the consistency and personalized assistance of a real guitar teacher.
An important division into the different methods by which one can learn to play the guitar is the focus or lack thereof on music theory. Some books, websites, and teachers teach elementary music theory, such as basic music reading and composition skills, as well as the technical aspects of performance. One can, however, learn to play the guitar without knowing any music theory. Some skilled guitarists are able to play completely by ear without knowing the names of the notes they play. Others learn to play the guitar based on the guitar tabs, which represent notes based on the fingering pattern on the fretboard.
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