Guide
How to learn guitar for beginners
The fastest way to learn guitar is ten minutes every day on two chords and one song, rather than two hours on a Sunday. Here is a plan for the first three months, what to practise in each session, and the habits that decide who is still playing at Christmas.
What you need to start
- Any guitar that stays in tune. Acoustic, classical or electric all teach the same thing.
- A free tuner, on your phone or in the menu above.
- Ten minutes a day, at a time you will actually keep.
- One song you already know by ear.
Watch out
Do not shop, play
New strings, a capo, a strap and a stand can all wait. The only purchase that matters early is nothing at all.
The first three months
| When | What to learn | What it gets you |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Tune up. E minor and A minor. One strum per bar. | Your first clean chord |
| Week 2 | C and G. Change between two chords, slowly. | Your first song at half speed |
| Weeks 3 to 4 | D and E. A down up strum pattern. | Songs sound like songs |
| Month 2 | Melodies from tab. Simple scales. The F chord. | Both hands working alone |
| Month 3 | Fingerstyle, or barre chords, or singing along. | A direction of your own |
In words: E minor is 0 2 2 0 0 0. A minor is x 0 2 2 1 0. C major is x 3 2 0 1 0. G major is 3 2 0 0 0 3. Numbers are frets, thick string to thin, and x means do not play that string.
What a ten minute practice looks like
- 1
Tune, one minute
Every session. It also trains your ear.
- 2
Chord check, two minutes
Make each shape, play the strings one at a time, fix the buzzes.
- 3
Changes, three minutes
Two chords, back and forth. Count out loud. This is the real work.
- 4
Play a song, four minutes
At 50 to 70 percent speed, all the way through, mistakes included.
The mistakes that slow people down
- Practising only what you can already play. The awkward change is the practice.
- Learning twenty chords and no songs. Three chords and a song beats it every time.
- Playing at full speed too early. Slow and clean becomes fast. Fast and messy stays messy.
- Skipping the tuner, then deciding you have no ear.
- Stopping every time you fumble. Keep the count going and rejoin.
How long does it really take?
| Goal | Typical time at ten minutes a day |
|---|---|
| One clean chord | A few days |
| A slow two chord song | One to two weeks |
| Smooth changes between four chords | One to two months |
| Playing and singing an easy song | Three to six months |
| Barre chords that ring properly | Three to six months |
Tip
Sore fingertips are temporary
The skin hardens in about two to three weeks. Short daily sessions build calluses faster than rare long ones.
Start today
Try it now
Ode to Joy, chords mode
Two chords, C and G. Set the speed to 60 percent, strum once a bar, and play it three times through.
Open the songQuestions people ask
- How long does it take to learn guitar?
- Simple songs come in a few weeks. Feeling comfortable with chords, strumming and a few songs takes about six months of short daily practice.
- How much should a beginner practise?
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day. Daily beats long weekly sessions, because chord changes are a physical habit.
- What should a beginner learn first on guitar?
- Tuning, then E minor and A minor, then the change between two chords, then one easy song at half speed.
- Am I too old to learn guitar?
- No. Adults learn chords and songs at much the same rate as children, and usually practise more sensibly.
Keep going
How to play guitar
How to play guitar from scratch: how to hold it, tune it, press a string, make your first chord and strum your first song, all in one sitting..
Easy songs to play on guitar
Easy songs to play on guitar for beginners, sorted easiest first, each with its chords and a player that lets you slow it down and follow along..
Basic guitar chords
The basic guitar chords every beginner learns first: C, G, D, A, E, Am, Em and Dm, with diagrams you can hear and the order to learn them in..
E minor chord
Fingers, notes, sound and songs.
A minor chord
Fingers, notes, sound and songs.