* After playing the guitar for many years my advice would be, buy the best guitar you can afford, a really cheap guitar with a poor sound or a difficult high fret action will not allow you to advance beyond the beginner stage. A good sounding guitar which is easy on your fingers will allow you to use the special techniques needed to eliminate clumsy fingers so you can play fluent flowing guitar.
* A good guitarist over time builds a comprehensive library of commonly used chords. You cannot become a good guitarist without learning some chords, having said that there are just 12 basic chord shapes that you can learn easily so you can play many of your favourite songs.
* Many guitarists today cannot read music notation at all. Eric Clapton for example cannot read a note of music and it's good to know you just don't have to. It's so much easier to read "Tablature" or (TAB) it really is the fastest and easiest way to start reading and writing guitar music. Once learnt and there is not much to learn about it you can play virtually ANY of the hundreds of songs available.
* Most of the enjoyment of playing your guitar will come from learning impressive skills like finger picking, strumming, hammer-ons, pull-offs, vibrato, and palm-muting and more. These skills really do make you feel like a real guitar player. They are not that difficult to master and boy are they impressive to hear especially when playing an electric guitar.
* With so many skills learnt and mastered fairly easily how about playing in a band? This is one way to master a wide range of musical styles including rock, jazz, country, blues, hip-hop, and dance. When you play with other musicians in a band this is when you see your guitar playing skills sky rocket.
* It's time to give some thought as to how you are going to structure your guitar learning. It's important to choose a way you feel will allow you to enjoy the learning process if you do not enjoy learning to play your guitar you will get despondent and give up. Never give up!
* A guitar teacher is the best way to learn to play your guitar, but do choose a good one. A hands on teacher can help you progress much faster than if you learn on your own. Bad habits are less likely to form, a teacher is usually the best option for most people.
* I learnt a lot about playing the guitar from a friend and this is another option, to either get a friend involved in your teaching or if you are lucky enough to have a family member who plays the guitar. Especially if they have a lot of experience they can speed up your learning process.
* Books and DVD's are an excellent way of learning the guitar. DVD's can be run over and over again especially if you like to learn visually this may well be the best option for you. There are many such packages on the market and it's almost like having the teacher in your own room.
In conclusion - enjoy learning to play your guitar I cannot stress enough about the enjoyment aspect. Yes you will get frustrated but stick at it. It is possible to be self taught it may just take a little longer. It's really important to gain experience by playing with other people.
