Q: How long will it take me to learn the guitar?

Firstly, it depends on your God-given gifts: body shape, DNA, hand-eye coordination, ear for music, talent, learning style, passion, persistence etc. Secondly, it depends on your musical history; what you have been exposed to, your culture, your education and what you listen to etc.. Thirdly, some believe you never really learn music as it is an ongoing, evolving process where you are always learning.

Here's a quick way to get started

Well, here I present to you a four week guitar starter* course to get you up and playing in the minimal amount of time. By focusing on essential fundamental information you will know how to avoid those bad habits limiting your ability to play freely, by establishing sound technique right from the start. Tension inhibits movement, and to play the guitar requires a subtleness and flexibility with the hands which must be recognized and practiced to master.

Guitar lessons are not measured units.  In a commercialized world, where music education is marketed, priced and packaged, some things still cannot be given a discreet value.

I write this article to explain the benefits of the old fashioned guitar teacher.

Beginners don’t know what they need to know.
Diligently following a guitar method will not necessarily make you a good guitarist.  Information means different things to different people and everyone learns in different ways.  When we begin an activity there is so much new information it is easy for the judgement to get distorted.  People focus on what is not crucial and fail to recognise the importance of fundamental first principles. 

Information is Temporal
When I realize a student could adjust a hand position to make things easier for themselves, I just tell them.  Nip it in the bud, avoid the potential bad habit there and then.  This information early in development is much better than years down the track when the bad habit is well learned.  There is no magic formula for WHEN a student should learn something.  In the case where you have a teacher, it is their responsibility to disseminate the right information at the right time to best aid the student.

Information is not generic
Even though students may come to a lesson saying that they are a complete beginner, each has an individual personal relationship with music and the guitar.   Me as a teacher have no idea of a students past relationship with music, and depending on their background, body size, and what they already know will determine what information is useful.  In my experience information is not generic; it has to be grafted, modified and personalized before it is really helpful to the student.

 
In conclusion it requires experience and know-how to sift through the mountains of information to find what you need, and sometimes you don’t even know what you need to know making the task seemingly impossible. Your private teacher should give you the right information at the right time, developing sound technique and empowering the student with tools to overcome stumbling blocks and play freely – invaluable!