- You are happy spending hours repeating the same movements.
- You get a kick out of making tiny, consistent improvements.
- You love showing others what you've created with your hands.
- You hate the idea of constantly practicing alone for ages.
- You get frustrated quickly when your hands feel clumsy.
- You give up when progress feels painfully slow.
Your first moves.
Don't start from scratch. Start from here.
Choose Your First Guitar Wisely
Start with an acoustic guitar, as it's generally more affordable and doesn't require an amplifier. A steel-string acoustic is versatile, while a nylon-string classical guitar is often recommended for beginners due to its softer strings, though it has a wider neck.
Learn Basic Open Chords
Focus on learning the fundamental open chords: G, C, D, E, and A. These chords form the basis of countless songs.
Practice Strumming Patterns
Once you can form chords, practice basic strumming patterns. Start with simple downstrokes, then introduce upstrokes.
Learn Your First Song
Apply your newly learned chords and strumming to an easy song. Many popular songs use only G, C, and D.
Master Playing Guitar with online courses
Find the highest-rated beginner courses on Udemy before you invest in gear.
Acoustic Guitar
Offers the best blend of playability, tone, and value, making it the ideal first instrument for dedicated learning.
Electric Guitar
Provides excellent playability and tone variety, the ideal foundation for exploring diverse musical styles.
Guitar Amplifier
Offers a range of tones and sufficient volume for practice and small jams, the standard for beginner electric guitarists.
Guitar Picks
Offers a reliable balance of strumming power and picking accuracy, the go-to for most beginners.
Guitar Tuner
Provides rapid, precise tuning even in noisy environments, the essential tool for any guitarist.
Guitar Cable
Minimizes interference and noise for a clear, consistent tone, the essential link between guitar and amp.
Guitar Strings
Offers a reliable, versatile tone and good playability, the standard choice for everyday practice.
Guitar Strap
Comfortable Padded Guitar Strap — Distributes weight evenly for extended playing sessions, the standard choice for comfort and stability.
Capo
Reliable Trigger Capo — Provides quick, secure one-handed operation and stable tuning, the standard for easy key changes.
Related hobbies
Ranked by dimensional and personality compatibility with Playing Guitar.