How hard is it to learn to play a Guitar?

[krp8128]

So am I completed deluded if I think I can go on CL, buy a guitar for a couple hundred bucks, watch some youtube vids or buy a book and actually learn to play?

Looking for something to occupy myself with until snow flies.

[leroy jenkins]

How hard is it to learn to do anything, well that depends on who you think of as knowing how to ski/play guitar whatever.

In ski terms, if you want to be able to sort of get down the mountain ok, that is, play a few songs, its pretty easy. If you want to be able to use the mountain as your playground, that is, be able to use the guitar as a voice to express your creative vision, well thats a lifelong journey and you will always feel like a beginner.

[systemoverblow'd]

You expect to learn to play the guitar before it starts snowing? Piece of cake d00d, you'll be Jimmy Hendrix good if you don't ski and play all winter.

[Ted Striker]

...if you want to be able to ... play a few songs, its pretty easy. If you want to be able ... to use the guitar as a voice to express your creative vision, well thats a lifelong journey and you will always feel like a beginner.

this
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[krp8128]

You expect to learn to play the guitar before it starts snowing? Piece of cake d00d, you'll be Jimmy Hendrix good if you don't ski and play all winter.

No, I don't expect to completely learn a new and difficult activity in the next month. I said I was looking to occupy myself (with the learning process) until snow flies. So fuck off.

BTW, you still want to try out some 15mm carbon camera rails?

[systemoverblow'd]

Haha, jokes man. I actually sold my camera that uses the rails and won't be getting another for a few months.

[Snowcat77]

How hard is it to learn to do anything, well that depends on who you think of as knowing how to ski/play guitar whatever.

In ski terms, if you want to be able to sort of get down the mountain ok, that is, play a few songs, its pretty easy. If you want to be able to use the mountain as your playground, that is, be able to use the guitar as a voice to express your creative vision, well thats a lifelong journey and you will always feel like a beginner.

Great analogy, exactly what I came here to say.

Totally worth it either way you go, but if youre any good at skiing you know how much more satisfying it is to be able to rip than just cruise down some blues. Not knocking people that just want to go out with friends/family and enjoy the winter and not spend tons of time worrying about technique, or just strum a few chords in comparison, but if you want to really get into it its a great way to spend your non skiing time dedicated to something else.

But yeah, it can kind of give you that broken heart artist feeling you'll never be good enough. /emo post.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

I know some really, really good guitar players. They spend a significant portion of their life playing and have been doing so since they were kids.

I have another friend who knew how to strum a few chords and had learned a couple of metal songs back when he was a teen and decided a couple of years ago that he wanted to get better and be able to play along with our other, better friends. He spent a year taking lessons and plays for an hour each day when he gets home from work. After two years he's getting decent.

I think much will also depend on the individual. Talent is a thing not shared equally among us. Some will pick up guitar playing easily, some will never be able to.

[ashmgee]

I have been messing around with the guitar for three years now, and started because of a similar reason as the OP mentioned.

Am I good, No....
Do I enjoy playing.....Yes

It is always fun to kill time with something constructive. If you have friends that play, you will probably improve faster. This is a similar parallel to skiing.

The other thing I love about music is that there is no ceiling, so you always have something to work towards.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

...
It is always fun to kill time with something constructive. If you have friends that play, you will probably improve faster. This is a similar parallel to skiing.

The other thing I love about music is that there is no ceiling, so you always have something to work towards.

Another parallel with skiing, at least for me. I'm never as good as I want to be.

[iscariot]

General Rule:

If you play an hour or two a day for about a year, you will likely be able to play 90% of the top 40 radio stuff fairly well, and even with a bit of emotion. You'll impress the ladys around the campfire with your sensitive, slightly clumsy, playing. They'll figure that a guy who unabashedly plays, mistakes and all, must have something to deeper to offer, because guitar playing obviously ain't it.

If you want to be an average guitar player, start playing asap (because its already too late), and keep playing 2 to 3 hours a day for about 5 or so years. You will likely be able to play most of what you want, and will be proficient at writing and creating music if you choose. You will genuinely impress the ladies around the campfire. If you play coffee-house gigs, and the odd open mic night, you'll have a few groupies who think you're the best and wan't to get with you before you make it famous. But the joke is on them, you're never gonna be famous, let alone get out of the coffee-house.

If you want to be a stellar guitar player. Its already too late. 6 to 8 hours a day from when you are 16 years old, for 6 or 7 years will get you into a position to be a musician who can make a living touring in a band etc... if you're one of the lucky ones. Ladies will come to your gigs, buy you drinks, hit on you shamelessly, and want to sleep with you. At this point, many of them don't even care about the music anymore, and just want to fuck a guy in a semi-popular band. The ladies that do care about the music, will do so because the songs you've written are about them, you've dated them and thought there was a future, but when it all comes apart, like it always does, you'll take consolation in the fact that you will at least get a few good lyrics from the pain and wrenching heartbreak. They love the songs but don't want anything to do with you anymore, because you are a boy chasing a rock dream, and they want a man to settle down with.


Again, general rules (of course there are notable exceptions; however, these should be seen for what they are: anomalies of ridiculously talented people that have put in a lot of hard work and have a little luck on their side) that I've learned from a lifetime of music, several bands, lots of musician friends some of whom made it and a lot that didn't, and about 20 years of playing guitar, singing, and writing music.

YMMV.

[flatlander#2]

I played from 8ish until one year in college I picked up a roomie from Turkey and met another buddy through bike riding. The Turk was then Ywengie Malmsteen super technical amazing player. The other dude could no more read Chinese than music. Played everything by ear, would sound out a song on the piano then play on the guitar. The Turk lives back in Turkey, has a band that he plays with and released a metal album recently. The other one has a band he plays with pretty frequently. I realized I would never be as good as either one of them and was pretty frustrated I had spent so much time at something and sucked that bad. I never played after that year. I'd like to again, but time is something I don't have too much of.

[ashmgee]

Another parallel with skiing, at least for me. I'm never as good as I want to be.

No doubt about that, but that kind of lends itself to iscariot's post. "because its already to late" SO true (for me anyway)

[TomCrac]

Well put Chainsaw!

I don't fully get the whole "it's to late" thing.... To late to be a full on rock star?....

I struggle with any sort of musical "talent" but became determined to play 1 song before I go.

Went on Craigslist, got myself a real nice guitar for a great price (tougher to learn and stay motivated on a piece of crap, could always sell it for what I got in to it etc,etc.)

Conistancey, play for about an hour or so a day, love the tutorials on YouTube, learned some basic chords. Learned to get smoother at going from one to the next. SLOWLY got better. Now I really enjoy sitting down and exploring with it.

Just like skiing, I might suck, but I dont care, I truly enjoy it.

[iceman]

I recommend getting some bongos.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

No doubt about that, but that kind of lends itself to iscariot's post. "because its already to late" SO true (for me anyway)

Wait, what? I've been skiing for 41 years. Please don't tell me it's too late to get better (though I realize that at my age I can't always keep up with the younguns any more...)

[leroy jenkins]

General Rule:

If you play an hour or two a day for about a year, you will likely be able to play 90% of the top 40 radio stuff fairly well, and even with a bit of emotion. You'll impress the ladys around the campfire with your sensitive, slightly clumsy, playing. They'll figure that a guy who unabashedly plays, mistakes and all, must have something to deeper to offer, because guitar playing obviously ain't it.

If you want to be an average guitar player, start playing asap (because its already too late), and keep playing 2 to 3 hours a day for about 5 or so years. You will likely be able to play most of what you want, and will be proficient at writing and creating music if you choose. You will genuinely impress the ladies around the campfire. If you play coffee-house gigs, and the odd open mic night, you'll have a few groupies who think you're the best and wan't to get with you before you make it famous. But the joke is on them, you're never gonna be famous, let alone get out of the coffee-house.

If you want to be a stellar guitar player. Its already too late. 6 to 8 hours a day from when you are 16 years old, for 6 or 7 years will get you into a position to be a musician who can make a living touring in a band etc... if you're one of the lucky ones. Ladies will come to your gigs, buy you drinks, hit on you shamelessly, and want to sleep with you. At this point, many of them don't even care about the music anymore, and just want to fuck a guy in a semi-popular band. The ladies that do care about the music, will do so because the songs you've written are about them, you've dated them and thought there was a future, but when it all comes apart, like it always does, you'll take consolation in the fact that you will at least get a few good lyrics from the pain and wrenching heartbreak. They love the songs but don't want anything to do with you anymore, because you are a boy chasing a rock dream, and they want a man to settle down with.


Again, general rules (of course there are notable exceptions; however, these should be seen for what they are: anomalies of ridiculously talented people that have put in a lot of hard work and have a little luck on their side) that I've learned from a lifetime of music, several bands, lots of musician friends some of whom made it and a lot that didn't, and about 20 years of playing guitar, singing, and writing music.

YMMV.

The skiing analogy is just so fitting I must say (imagine south park aspen ski instructor voice)

If you play for the women, you're going to have a bad time. If you play for the love of music, you are going to enjoy it andit will be worth it.

[iscariot]

The skiing analogy is just so fitting I must say (imagine south park aspen ski instructor voice)

If you play for the women, you're going to have a bad time. If you play for the love of music, you are going to enjoy it andit will be worth it.

Ha! Tell that to KISS. lol.

I definitely play for the love of music. I have played a variety of instruments throughout my life, simply for the love of music.

Is everyone's sense of humour turned off in this thread. jeebus.

[Eldo]

Do people learning to play guitar these days still consider mastering the intro to Classical Gas a big milestone?

[TomCrac]

Nah.... Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water"...

[DasBlunt]

Easy to learn. I was trying to bang this amazingly hot Vietnamese woman. I taught her 12 year old son to play some power chords and I got to eat taco the rest of the night.

[huckbucket]

Playing guitar is super easy ...

[GiBo]

I agree with most of what's been said- except the "it's too late" sentiment. I'm sure relatively I'm terrible. I can play most of the basic cords and have the pentatonic scale down. But I have a blast learning songs and I can noodle on the p-scale for leads. I can sit on the couch with a beer and feel like I have a 'voice'. Don't know what it sounds like, but it feels good to me. I say go for it, man. It's really fun.

I think some people get to a point where they're pretty good and then they start comparing themselves to really good people and lose the fun part. It's like golf. It's fun at first, then you get ok at it and want to be really good- but going from ok to really good is a huge leap. As soon as you're ok with one or two over most holes with an occasional par, you start having fun again.

I had a guitar teacher ask me, "Why do you take lessons? You don't want to be in a band or anything, so why do you even want to do this?" I said, "Dude, have you forgotten how fun this is?!"

[hafilax]

The hardest part of learning to play the guitar is consistency. It's hard to pick the thing up when you are fumbling around and feel like you're not making progress. There's a few other threads like this one with great advice. Do a search.

[berko]

Just go get a guitar.

The investment is pretty minimal considering that you may just find yourself an immensely satisfying, endlessly interesting pastime that you can enjoy for the rest of your life.