Over years of teaching people how to play guitar, I have become convinced that anyone who wants to play, can play. The most important musical talent is not a good ear, or a good sense of rhythm, although these gifts are important and should be developed. No, the most important talent is that of desire. If you enjoy music enough to want to play the guitar, then you are musical enough to learn to pl

Perhaps you want to play guitar because you really love music, and you want to be able to make beautiful music yourself. Maybe you want to eventually play music with other people, or write your own songs, or play for your toddler or perhaps you want to be a rock star! All of these and others are fine reasons to play guitar. Regardless of your particular motivation, let us recognize the one thing t

You should practice as much as you can and want to, regularly. We have busy lives, but if you practice even for 15 or 30 minutes four or five times a week, you will gradually gain a great deal of skill and confidence with your instrument. With more practice time your comfort and ability will increase more rapidly. Everybody’s life is different – the important thing is, practice as much as you comf

You may know that a chord is a little arrangement of your fingers pressing down on the strings of the guitar. Further, you may have heard guitar playing friends throw around many names of chords, such as “C major, D minor, E seventh, and F suspended flat five”. “How many of these things will I have to learn?” you ask yourself in dismay, for the prospect seems daunting. Fear not! With only a baker’

It turns out that many, or even most rock, folk, blues, funk, heavy metal, punk, and country guitarists are not particulary good note readers. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and John Lennon are examples of skilled guitarists who read notes not at all or poorly. If you want to play like them, you should begin as they did–learn to finger basic chords and to strum some of your favorite songs. In the defe

What sort of guitar do you listen to? If you like classical or flamenco music best, learn on a classical guitar. If you like country or folk or acoustic music or much rock, learn on an acoustic guitar. If you like ska, punk or heavy metal best, learn on an electric. If you will play many types of music, a steel strung acoustic guitar is the best general choice–but if you have access to a free guit

You may know that a chord is a little arrangement of your fingers pressing down on the strings of the guitar. Further, you may have heard guitar playing friends throw around many names of chords, such as “C major, D minor, E seventh, and F suspended flat five”. “How many of these things will I have to learn?” you ask yourself in dismay, for the prospect seems daunting. Fear not! With only a baker’