Start by learning simple chords and scales. Many books are available that show basic chords and scales with finger position, most have the finger positions numbered for ease. In addition, there are many online guitar courses that a very good and can help to get you started. Once you begin to learn a few chords, start to practice moving from one chord to the next, transitions, on the fingerboard.
It’s a good idea to write down your goals of why you are learning guitar, how much time are you willing to invest, and where you want to go with this.
Try to devote a period of time each day for practicing the guitar. Try starting out with a basic chord transition or guitar scale and work on this for a month. You will be surprised at how well your fingers begin to work and remember this dedicated task after only a month.
When you have mastered a few chords, you will probably want to learn some songs. Keep it interesting and enjoyable by learning songs that you enjoy hearing. This can be really inspiring as you begin to actually play one of your favorite songs. An important tip for learning a song is to not just learn a part of the song, but learn the whole song. By learning the complete song, you will begin to understand song structure and help you to improve your playing ability faster.
Another important tip is to always use a metronome. The metronome will help you to concentrate on your timing and this will be beneficial as you progress. Start by setting the metronome to a fairly slow setting and begin practicing at this speed. When you are playing your scale or riff perfectly, slightly increase the speed of the metronome, and continue. This routine may seem tedious, but stick with it, as the benefits will pay off for you.
Learning to play guitar has everything to do with a dedicated approach, routine practice and a lot of patience. If you keep it interesting and stick with it, you will be successful.
