What's It Worth To You To Learn Guitar?

How much is learning to play the guitar worth to you?

Beginning guitar students need to consider how much they're willing to spend to get started. There are decisions to made concerning what type of guitar to buy, accessories, music, and lessons. Here are some choices in the order of their importance.

Choosing an instrument. Do you like acoustic or electric guitar better? It used to be that everyone recommended that you start on an acoustic simply because it was lot cheaper. The price gap isn't there any more, so if you or your son or daughter prefer electric guitar there's really no good reason to start on an acoustic first. The electric guitar has thinner strings so in most cases it's a little easier to play. Acoustic guitars also offer nylon or steel strings. The nylon strings are not as hard to push down, the down side being that they're harder to keep in tune since they stretch more than steel strings. Most full sized nylon string guitars also have a wider neck since they're meant to be played with your fingers instead of a pick.

How much money are we talking about? You can expect to spend around $150 and up for a decent, playable instrument. Almost all manufacturers offer a package with everything you'll need including the guitar, a case or gig bag and if it's an electric guitar, an amplifier. Some also have picks, extra strings and an electronic tuner. While you can find cheaper guitars at a big box store, if you don't know anything about guitars you're best off spending a little more and getting one from a music store.

Cases. The choices are a gig bag, which is a soft, zippered case, a chipboard case, a fancy name for cardboard, and a hardshell case, the strongest and most protective of the 3. A beginner grade guitar probably doesn't need the most expensive case, but should you choose an upgraded model, don't skimp on the case.

Instruction. There is an abundance of material to choose from. Private lessons, books, CDs, DVDs, internet courses, You Tube videos and the list goes on. Your choice should depend on how you learn, your budget, and self discipline. Our teaching studio gets lots of calls from frustrated individuals who discover that it's not as easy to teach yourself as it seems. I like to point out to them that the problem is mainly that you can't ask a video a question, nor can the video correct bad habits that you may be developing. One more thing, YOU WON'T LEARN TO PLAY IN 7 DAYS, ONE WEEKEND, OR 30 DAYS! Muscle memory simply can't be developed in a short time. Yes, more practice will mean more progress, but be realistic about how long it's going to take.

Music stands, guitar stands, electronic tuners, etc. It never fails to amaze me when I have a student tell me they practice sitting on the bed, with the book alongside them, in the living room with the book on the floor, or my favorite, with music playing in the background! Buy yourself a music stand, get a chair with no arms, and set up a practice room where there will be a minimum of distractions. A guitar stand is nice since the guitar will be calling out to you "play me, play me." Get in the habit of tuning your guitar each time you practice. While it's nice to be able to tune by ear, electronic tuners have gotten so cheap that there's really no reason to not buy one. Pitch pipes, tuning forks and tuning by ear all work, but they each depend on your ability to match sounds. That's a skill that most beginning guitar students need to develop.

Set a budget, consider the priorities, and then get busy. How you get started isn't as important as getting started. Do some research, figure out how much you're willing to spend, and then dive in. Playing guitar is a skill you can enjoy for a lifetime.