Obviously, learning curves are subjective. One person could catch on very quickly and learn how to play the guitar almost in an instant. On the other hand, another person might practice all year long and still not be able to fully grasp the mechanics it takes to play guitar. That does not mean that one person is better than the other. Again, it is subjective as is how to decide to learn! Today’s blog covers how long it usually takes to learn how to play the guitar and it will delve into ways to keep the practice going so you can become the awesome guitar player you have always wanted to be!
Learning guitar is quite hard, let us be completely honest. It is not as cut and dry as piano, whereas you are reading different kinds of sheet music and you need to understand what tab chord charts are as well. You should still learn how to read sheet music as a guitar player, too! Most guitarists say that if you dedicated yourself to the craft, practiced almost every day and spent about an hour or so playing the guitar, you could possibly learn all the basics and mechanics in about six months. In that time, you can fully realize and grasp what makes playing the guitar so unique and special.
Most guitar players that are asked the question “how long does it take” will always ask back “how much do you practice?” That is the most important part of any craft, is making sure you PRACTICE. In sports, you practice. In theater, you rehearse. In music, you practice until you are satisfied with the growth you are making! At Omaha School of Music and Dance, we do offer weekly practices, meaning you can meet with your instructor once a week. We do also offer that you can sign up for a second class so that you are practicing more than once a week, but it is also very encouraging that you practice outside the studio, too! If you are dedicated enough, you should be playing at least every day. Take what your instructor told you in your session here at the school, and apply it to your at-home practice. This is another good reason why we love our lesson mate videos since it gives you a chance to go back and see what your instructors have taught you and you can refresh yourself and work on what they give you as much as you want from home!
Now, with guitar, there is a fine line between practicing enough to make sure you are growing as a musician and overworking yourself. Too much guitar playing and your hands are in danger of getting hurt. You do not want to turn something that brings you joy and that you are passionate about into something that can hurt you! Make sure you practice and devote time to it, but do not make it all-encompassing and too extensive where you cannot enjoy anything else in life because your hands always hurt.
You should also set goals for yourself. They can be big goals like playing Madison Square Garden one day or small goals like learning how to read tabs! It is up to you how intense your journey is and how you get there, but once you set goals for yourself the practicing will really help and there will be a clear path to take when practicing on your own!
At OSMD, we love to help people of all ages learn how to play instruments so please give us a call or email us or come walk into the studio to see how we can help you reach your Rockstar goals! And in no time, you will be able to learn the guitar! Register Today!
