Learning To Play The Guitar

[Unoveloce]

My wife gifted me a beautiful acoustic guitar after years of me saying I wanted to learn. Right now the schedule and budget don’t allow for formal lessons, but I was hoping someone here could point me in the right direction for some self taught lessons. Either via YouTube University, online videos, and/or the old fashioned written how to book.
Thank

[Bob Ross]

30 minutes face to face with a good teacher will be money well spent, and almost certainly more valuable than chumming for info on youtube (depending on the teacher obviously).

[ericpmoss]

+11 for getting a teacher. For study out of the classroom, you might try the book Fretboard Logic. It's not how to play, exactly, but it's like a dictionary and thesaurus of the beast all in one.

[zachateseverything]

Another thing you might want to look into to supplement a teacher or some other formal instruction is is the game rocksmith. It turns learning to play a real guitar into a rhythm game. At a minimum it makes practice more fun than just mindlessly running through some scales, finger exercises, etc.

Rocksmith(R) - Learn to Play Guitar & Bass | Ubisoft(R) (US)

[Scott G.]

Ulysses Everett McGill : What'd the devil give you for your soul, Tommy?

Tommy Johnson : Well, he taught me to play this here guitar real good.

Delmar O'Donnell : Oh son, for that you sold your everlasting soul?

Tommy Johnson : Well, I wasn't usin' it.

[Diablo de Acero]

The question is what is it that you would like to learn. There are plenty of teachers out there. Are you methodical, a perfectionist or just looking for some mental time off from the world. Oddly playing a guitar it is not too far off from riding a bike (mentally).

You have an acoustic guitar presently, so learn what it is you like hearing played on acoustic guitar. Trying to be Jeff Beck or Steve Vai on acoustic is going to be pretty frustrating. Also your wife rocks to buy you a guitar! Maybe pay her back by learning songs she appreciates. Believe me, you are lucky. On another note, my brother who is an excellent bass player(experienced) has been learning how to play guitar quite well from the internet.(youtube) One of the benefits a one on one teacher can help you with, is not to develop bad habits. Also in the end just have fun with it. That is what it is all about.

[holliscx]

Gardner Minshew is learning to play guitar and swears by the app Yousician

[VertigoCycles]

If schedule and budget don't work for formal lessons, grab a book to learn basic chords and have a go learning at some of your favorite acoustic songs by ear. I truly believe that if you can sing, even reasonably well, you can get started on just about any instrument. If you can hear and sing harmonies, you have an even bigger head start.

[deano]

That's right, Sean, singing helps a ton.

I'll add that whatever kind of instruction you do settle on, make sure it incorporates some basic music theory (and I would ask this directly of any instructor). Someone to show you the intervals and what they do, the circle of fifths, the scales and modes, etc. Then the chord shapes will start to make a lot more sense. Music is kinda like math in that, for all of its beauty and mystery, there are rules and once you know those, you'll surprise yourself with what you can do. An ear for music goes a long way, but I am a big believer that anybody can learn the rules and hang. It doesn't have to be a "got it or you don't," type thing at all.

When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything, atmo.

[Mabouya]

Just do it like this guy - how hard can it be?

[Tim Porter]

For a person starting out on guitar these days I'd consider the beginner series of lessons online at peghead nation. pegheadnation.com. I've been playing a lonngg time and I'm using it to develop some jazz guitar chops, which has never been my thing until now. More to come--I have a couple of other ideas that would dovetail into the use of a good online resource like peghead nation. Tim