How to Learn Guitar From Home

Think you have to take expensive music lessons at a music teacher’s house to learn how to play guitar? Think again. With today’s technology and the power of the internet, you can learn from anywhere.

Why Learn Guitar?

If you’re going to learn to play a musical instrument, you have lots of choices. And while there’s nothing wrong with learning to play the drums, piano, or some sort of percussion instrument, might we suggest guitar?

• Easy to learn. The guitar is very easy to learn the basics. You don’t need to be able to read sheet music or master any complex techniques. With just four or five chord patterns and some basic strumming, you can play hundreds of songs. It might take a few months to learn these chords well enough to play music, but it’s a fairly quick process when compared to other instruments.
• Versatility. Guitar gives you the ability to play any number of styles of music. Whether it’s jazz, blues, rock, country, pop, or heavy metal, the guitar is capable of doing it all. You can even create your own unique style based on the techniques you use. Getting an electric guitar as a beginner is a great choice, offering a versatile and exciting instrument to explore and embark on a musical journey.
• Jam instrument. The guitar is the ultimate “jam” instrument. In other words, you can play it sitting around a campfire, at a party with friends, on the beach, in a cabin, or at home with the family. You can literally take a guitar anywhere and just start strumming.
• Minimal space required. Unlike a drum set, which requires a ton of space (and lots of soundproofing), or a grand piano, a guitar doesn’t take up hardly any space. This makes it a great choice for people who want to keep things simple.

These are just some of the perks of knowing how to play guitar. The reality is that there are dozens of additional benefits. If you’re willing to put in the work to learn guitar, you can enjoy them all.

The Power of Learning Guitar From Home

When it comes to learning how to play guitar, you have some different options. Understanding these options can help you craft a plan that works for your budget, personality, and individual needs.

The first option is to get guitar lessons from a local instructor. With this method, you hire a music teacher in your area and attend weekly lessons where you sit down in the same room and practice. The benefit of taking face-to-face lessons with an instructor is that you get individual interaction and feedback.

The lessons and instruction are always tailored to your specific strengths, weaknesses, and goals. The downside is that you get very limited time with the instructor. In most cases, it’s just an hour a week (which is hardly enough time if you’re serious about learning to play the guitar).

The second option is to learn guitar from home. You do this by taking online guitar lessons. These lessons are usually part of a recorded course format that allows you to watch classes and interact with course material on an on-demand basis. The obvious benefit is that you get to learn at your own pace. You can spend five hours learning guitar one day and 30 minutes the next day. You can also go back and review content and/or skip around to find the right material to meet your needs.

3 Tips for Learning Guitar From Home

Learning guitar from home affords guitar newbies a number of distinct benefits. Here’s how you can make the most out of your at-home learning experience:

1. Create the Right Setup

It’s important to create an ideal learning environment when learning guitar from home. According to researchers from UC Berkeley and the University of Washington, there are several physical components that matter most in a learning setting. They are:

• Light. Having daylight is crucial to being able to learn. Lots of natural light makes it easier for your brain to absorb and recall information.
• Noise. It’s much more difficult to learn if you have outside noise and distractions. By choosing a room that’s fairly private from the rest of the house, you can create a quiet environment that’s conducive to learning.
• Temperature. Researchers found that the best learning environments have a temperature range between 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 74 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s difficult to concentrate if the temperature is any colder or hotter.
• Layout. A tidy room makes for a tidy mind. For best results, keep the room in which you practice organized and free of clutter.
• Plants. Believe it or not, researchers found that having plants in the room makes a difference in your ability to learn. They believe it’s a result of the calming effect plants have on people.

You might not have enough space in your home to create a dedicated music room, but you can get creative. For example, you might make a few changes to a guest bedroom or home office to make it conducive to learning guitar. As you do this, focus on respecting the aforementioned elements.

2. Choose the Right Lessons

The right lessons make all the difference. While you can get some free lessons on YouTube, you should know that these lessons have severe limitations. You need a program that starts with the fundamentals and builds up over time.

For example, GuitarTricks.com, is known for having some of the best beginner guitar lessons on the internet. Check out their Core Learning System and notice how it begins with the basics, like guitar scales, and build up from there.

3. Practice Daily

As you’ve probably heard before, practice makes perfect. In order to truly master learning guitar from home, you have to practice on a daily basis. While you can take an occasional day off, remember that repetition and consistency are key ingredients in your ability to learn how to play guitar. The more you do it, the more natural it starts to feel.

Adding it All Up

Learning guitar isn’t as difficult as you might assume. Thanks to at-home learning options, you can go from “no guitar skills” to playing simple versions of your favorite songs in a matter of weeks. The key is to choose the right lessons and instructors. If you get this part right, everything else will fall into place. Good luck!