Learning to play the guitar is a rewarding journey, opening up a world of musical expression and enjoyment. While formal lessons offer structured guidance, self-teaching is an increasingly popular and accessible path, especially with the wealth of resources available today. If you’re aspiring to learn guitar on your own, you’re in the right place. This guide will equip you with the knowledge and strategies you need to successfully learn how to play guitar by yourself, covering everything from essential skills to valuable resources.
What You Need to Successfully Learn Guitar Independently
Embarking on the journey of learning guitar by yourself requires more than just a guitar and enthusiasm. It calls for a specific set of personal attributes and a strategic approach to ensure consistent progress and avoid common pitfalls. While the absence of a teacher can be a hurdle, it also empowers you to learn at your own pace and style. Here are key elements for self-taught guitar success:
Patience is Paramount
When you learn guitar by yourself, you become your own guide. Unlike having a teacher who streamlines your practice and directs your focus, self-learning can sometimes lead you down less productive paths. You might find yourself exploring fascinating but ultimately distracting techniques or songs before mastering the fundamentals. Patience becomes your compass, helping you navigate the initial learning curve and stay committed even when progress seems slow. Remember that every guitarist, regardless of their skill level, started at the beginning.
Motivation: Your Internal Drive
Without scheduled lessons or an instructor to check in with, your motivation becomes the primary driving force. It’s crucial to connect with your ‘why’ – why do you want to learn guitar? Is it to play your favorite songs, write your own music, or simply enjoy a new hobby? Keeping these reasons at the forefront will fuel your practice sessions and help you overcome moments of discouragement. Set realistic goals, celebrate small victories, and remind yourself of the joy that music brings to stay motivated on your self-learning journey.
Kindness and Self-Compassion
Learning any new skill involves challenges and setbacks, and guitar is no exception. There will be days when your fingers feel clumsy, chords sound muddy, and progress seems nonexistent. In these moments, practicing kindness towards yourself is essential. Avoid harsh self-criticism and remember that learning is a process of ups and downs. Treat yourself with the same understanding and encouragement you would offer a friend. Embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and focus on the progress you are making, no matter how small it seems.
Cultivate Your Curiosity
Self-directed learning thrives on curiosity. When you don’t have a teacher to dictate your learning path, your natural inquisitiveness becomes your guide. Explore different genres, techniques, and musical concepts that pique your interest. Experiment with sounds, tunings, and playing styles. This exploratory approach not only makes learning more engaging but also helps you discover your unique musical voice and preferences. Don’t be afraid to venture beyond the basics and delve into areas that fascinate you – this is where true musical growth happens.
Developing Your Ear: An Essential Skill for Self-Taught Guitarists
Learning to play guitar by ear is a powerful skill that significantly enhances your musicality and understanding. It’s about training your auditory perception to recognize pitches, melodies, and harmonies, and then translating them onto your instrument. While it might seem daunting initially, especially for beginners, developing your ear is a rewarding process that unlocks a deeper connection with music. You don’t need perfect pitch to start; just the ability to discern differences in sounds.
Beginner Ear Training Exercises for Guitar
Before diving into complex melodies or songs, focus on foundational exercises that build your ear training from the ground up. These exercises concentrate on basic auditory skills essential for any guitarist.
Getting Started: Foundational Guitar Skills
Before focusing on ear training, ensure you have a basic grasp of these guitar fundamentals:
- Tuning Your Guitar: Start by learning how to tune your guitar. Accurate tuning is the bedrock of ear training, allowing you to recognize correct pitches.
- Proper Guitar Posture: Understand how to hold the guitar correctly. Good posture is crucial for comfortable playing and technique development.
- Fretting Notes Clearly: Practice how to fret a note. Cleanly fretted notes are essential for accurate pitch recognition.
- Plucking Techniques: Learn how to pluck strings effectively. Experiment with both a pick and your fingers to understand different tones.
Visual Guide to Guitar Posture and Hand Position:
Observe guitarist Molly Miller’s technique: using fingertips for light pressure on strings and employing a plectrum for picking, demonstrating effective hand positioning.
Simple Ear Training Exercises:
- Open String Familiarity: Play each open string individually (E, A, D, G, B, e). Listen intently to the unique pitch of each string. Repeat this regularly to memorize these fundamental tones.
- Fretted Note Exploration: Fret notes randomly across the fretboard, focusing on producing a clear, buzz-free sound. Listen to the varying pitches as you move up and down the neck. Try to identify whether each note is higher or lower than the open strings.
- Range Identification: Find the lowest note (open low E string) and the highest note (high e string, potentially higher up the fretboard) on your guitar. Play notes across this range, consciously hearing the spectrum of pitches your guitar can produce.
- Melody Replication: Hum a simple melody (like “Happy Birthday” or a nursery rhyme). Then, try to find and play that melody on your guitar, note by note. This exercise connects your internal musical ear to your instrument.
- Harmonic Exploration (Two Notes): Play two different notes simultaneously and listen to the interval created. Experiment with various pairs of notes to hear how different combinations sound together – some consonant (pleasant), some dissonant (clashing).
- Chordal Harmony (Three Notes): Expand on the previous exercise by playing three notes together, attempting simple triads (three-note chords). Listen to the richer, more complex harmonies that emerge.
- Rhythmic Patterns with a Single Note: Choose one note and play it using different rhythmic patterns (long-short, short-long, even rhythms). Focus on the rhythmic aspect, internalizing how rhythm shapes musical expression.
Creativity is key in ear training. The more you experiment and engage actively with sound, the faster your ear will develop. If you have prior musical experience, leverage that knowledge to accelerate your guitar ear training.
Learning Songs by Ear: From Listening to Playing
Once you’ve started training your ear with basic exercises, the next step is to apply those skills to learning actual music. Learning songs by ear is not only a fantastic way to develop your auditory skills further but also a deeply satisfying way to expand your repertoire and musical understanding.
Step-by-Step Song Learning Process:
- Choose a Familiar Song: Select a song you know very well and enjoy. Simple pop, folk, or blues songs are often excellent starting points due to their straightforward structures and melodies.
- Focus on a Short Section: Don’t try to learn the entire song at once. Begin with a small, manageable section, such as a verse or chorus.
- Identify the Melody: Listen to the chosen section repeatedly. Try to sing or hum the melody. This helps internalize the tune in your mind’s ear before attempting to play it on the guitar.
- Find the Notes on Guitar: Start searching for the melody notes on your guitar, one note at a time. Use your ear to match the pitches you’re humming to the sounds you’re producing on the guitar. This is where your ear training exercises come into play.
- Play Along with the Recording: Once you can play the melody section reasonably well, try playing along with the song recording. This helps you refine your timing and intonation, and ensures you’re playing in the correct key and tempo.
- Tackling Chords (Optional): If you have some musical background, you can attempt to figure out the chords as well. Start by listening to the bass line to identify the root notes of the chords. Then, try to determine the overall chord quality (major, minor, etc.) by listening to the harmonic context. Figuring out chords by ear is a more advanced skill, so focus on melody first if you’re a complete beginner.
For a deeper dive into this subject, explore resources specifically focused on how to learn songs by ear, which can provide further techniques and insights.
Top YouTube Channels for Guitar Learning
YouTube is a treasure trove of free guitar lessons, making it an invaluable resource for self-learners. However, the sheer volume of content can be overwhelming. To save you time and effort, here’s a curated list of reputable YouTube channels that offer beginner-friendly guitar instruction:
Music Theory Essentials with Andrew Huang
While not strictly guitar-focused, Andrew Huang’s channel offers excellent videos that demystify essential music theory concepts in an engaging and accessible way. Understanding music theory provides a framework for your guitar learning, enhancing your comprehension and musicality.
Beginner-Friendly Lessons from JustinGuitar
JustinGuitar is a cornerstone of online guitar education. Justin Sandercoe’s channel is renowned for its comprehensive, structured, and completely free guitar lessons for beginners. If you need guidance on the absolute basics – from holding the guitar to tuning, picking, and fretting – JustinGuitar is an ideal starting point.
Simple Chord Lessons with Lauren Bateman
Lauren Bateman’s channel offers concise and clear lessons, including tutorials like learning four easy chords (E minor, G major, C major, and D major). These chords are fundamental and versatile, enabling you to play countless songs quickly.
Song-Based Learning with Marty Music
Marty Music (Marty Schwartz) excels at teaching guitar through popular songs. His lessons, such as 22 songs using four chords, are highly effective for beginners. Marty’s approach allows you to apply newly learned chords and techniques in a musical context immediately. While some of his strumming patterns may be initially challenging, beginners can simplify them by starting with basic down strums on each chord change.
Recommended Guitar Books for Self-Study
For those who prefer a structured, step-by-step learning approach, guitar method books are invaluable. They offer a progressive curriculum, often accompanied by exercises, songs, and musical examples. Here are two highly recommended book series for self-taught guitarists:
The Guitar Lesson Companion Series
Susan Palmer’s “The Guitar Lesson Companion” is a well-regarded series developed by an experienced guitar teacher. Susan Palmer, who taught guitar at Seattle University, provides a methodical approach, complemented by video lessons that are part of her free five-year online guitar course. This combination of books and videos offers a comprehensive learning experience.
Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1
“Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1” by Will Schmid and Greg Koch is a classic and widely used resource for beginner guitarists. Hal Leonard is renowned for its high-quality music education materials, and this book is no exception. It’s a staple for many guitarists, offering a solid foundation in guitar playing.
Online Guitar Lesson Websites: Expanding Your Learning
If you have some budget for your guitar education, online guitar lesson websites can significantly enhance your self-learning journey. These platforms often offer structured courses, personalized feedback, and vast libraries of lessons covering diverse styles and techniques. Here are a few reputable platforms to consider:
- Pickup Music: Offers a wide range of courses and lessons from expert instructors, focusing on contemporary guitar playing and music theory.
- Fender Play: Provides a gamified and user-friendly approach to learning guitar, especially suitable for complete beginners.
- TrueFire: Features an extensive library of video lessons from renowned guitarists across various genres, with a focus on blues, jazz, and rock.
- JamPlay: Offers a large catalog of lessons and courses, covering a wide spectrum of styles and skill levels, with multiple camera angles for detailed instruction.
Finding Your First Guitar: Affordable Options for Beginners
Securing your first guitar is an exciting step. If you don’t already own one, finding an affordable beginner guitar is entirely possible. Here are strategies to acquire a guitar without breaking the bank:
Options for Getting a Guitar for Free or Cheap
- Borrow from a Friend: If purchasing a guitar immediately isn’t feasible, ask friends or family members if they have a guitar you could borrow. This is an excellent way to start learning without initial investment, particularly if you’re unsure about long-term commitment.
- Check Local Libraries: Libraries aren’t just for books; some also lend musical instruments, including guitars. Inquire at your local library about instrument availability and any free online guitar courses they might offer through library card access.
- Local Guitar Stores: Rental and Used Options: Visit local guitar stores and ask about rental programs. Renting can be a cost-effective way to try different guitar types before buying. Also, explore their selection of used guitars, which often offer excellent value for money.
Quick Guide to Buying a Beginner Guitar
When buying your first guitar, playability is paramount. As a beginner, assessing playability can be challenging, but here are key considerations:
- In-Store Demonstration: If buying from a physical store, ask a staff member to demonstrate the guitar. If you know someone who plays, bring them along to test it.
- Online Purchase Setup: For online purchases, confirm with the seller if the guitar has been “set up.” A basic setup ensures comfortable playability with adjusted action (string height) and intonation (accurate tuning across the fretboard).
- Consider Used Guitars: Used guitars are often more budget-friendly and can be excellent choices for beginners. Reputable guitar stores usually inspect and ensure used guitars are in good playing condition.
Online brands like Orangewood Guitars, known for affordable and beginner-friendly models like the Austen or Oliver, are also worth considering. Refer to resources like Orangewood’s beginner guitar buying guide for more advice.
Taking the Next Step in Your Guitar Journey
Learning guitar by yourself is a fulfilling endeavor. To accelerate your progress and access structured guidance, consider utilizing resources like Pickup Music.
Start with a 14-day free trial at Pickup Music to explore their comprehensive lessons and courses. For absolute beginners, the Beginner Learning Pathway is specifically designed to get you playing songs quickly and build a solid foundation.
Embark on your self-taught guitar journey with patience, persistence, and the wealth of resources available – and enjoy every chord and melody along the way!
Author: Julia Mahncke
Julia Mahncke is a journalist and musician based in Pittsburgh, PA. Holding degrees in musicology and guitar performance, Julia expertly communicates musical concepts. She is an experienced performer and songwriter.
Featured Course: Beginner Learning Pathway
Instructor: Karl Kerfoot
Learn guitar fundamentals from Pickup Music’s Head of Education, Karl Kerfoot.
