Which guitar should a beginner buy?

Hello,

I'm a complete beginner. I've never held a guitar in my hands. I want to start playing the guitar and I have a couple of questions.

1. Is learning the guitar online an acceptable way to learn?

2. If so, which guitar should I buy? I was thinking of buying an acoustic guitar, but I don't know how to pick the right-one for me (again, I'm a complete beginner).

And that's it for now...

Thank you for reading and answering my questions,

1. learning online is ok. Thats how I learn some some songs and tips.
2. As for a guitar, I would suggest those starter packs from fender, ibanez and etc. Find a cheap guitar but sounds good and with good quality. I have a Jasmine S35 that I bought for $99 and it sounds great. Once you get comfortable with playing then buy a really nice guitar.

Hope this helps...

I advise getting a starter package and learn on that. But if you have the money to buy a good guitar do it. It will help you more in the long run!

as long as it tunes properly and stays in tune, spend a little extra

in this day and age where youngsters are getting iphones and expensive game consoles...a starter pack is kinda chincy.

ofcourse budget is always the final factor

Learning Online:

I started playing a few months ago as a complete begininer and started with Guitar Tricks straight away and it seems to be working for me so far.

You tube is also pretty good for finding songs you want to play and seeing how people play, some lessons are reduced to very basic chords for beginners which , although not 100% accurate, do the job for learning and practicing.


Regarding a guitar to buy:

I started on a very cheap borrowed acoustic with a thick neck that didnt keep in tune, but bought a reasonable acoustic a few weeks in, with a neck the same size as an electric.

I would say that learning on an acoustic is better for these reasons:

1) Its harder on your fingers to play chords etc, I think this is something you want, to get your fingers stronger more quickly.

2) Its easier to just pick up the guitar and play a couple of things your're learning at the time without all the wiring up (especially if you need to go into another room to play) I have tried Just picking up the electric without wiring it up and although I dont really play electric much, I feel I play it too hard when unplugged, electrics are much more sensitive and need to be played softer (ie let the pickups and amp do the work)

3) I "think" its would be better for ear training, I have zero previous experience and couldnt hear the difference between most chords when I started, but I would think an acoustic would be better for this?

Hi, Ala......,
Like you, I am a beginner and started my guitar lesson here at GT!
I learned a lot! Instructor Chris is excellent! He explains even those very difficult section with ease. Particularly, I am referring to that section regarding "Intervals". Bottom line, learning guitar online is more than okay if you have the right site. And I say, Guitar Trick is the online site that is right!!!
Regarding buying a guitar, I hope this is not late for you to consider.
Ever heard of an acoustic/electric guitar! Yes, it does exist and that's what I have. Bought it online from www.HSN.com for $129.00 plus shipping of $15.00. Can't beat that. The guitar is from Esteban and it comes with 10 instructional DVDs. The first DVD will teach you the parts of the guitar, how to hold and how to tune it as well, plus a few guitar chords and exercises to keep you busy. The last 9 DVDs are either for intermediate or advance guitarists because they teach how to play solo popular songs.
Also included are the following: 10 watts amplifier to plug to your guitar, amplifier chord, extra set of strings, picks, hardcase for the guitar, strap, and more. As to the sound, oh boy, beautiful when you play it in acoustic and when you plug it to the amp to become electric, you will be impressed!
So, there you are, one guitar you can use as an acoustic or electric! Two for the price of one! It's also beautful. By the way, the one I bought is Esteban's black and silver anniversary edition.
Good luck and happy guitar playing!!!
P.S. Other brands of guitar you have to buy those added items separately and when you add them, it will cost you an arm and a leg!!

Learning online in my opinion is great once you have the basics however the PC is not going to tell you that your third finger has fallen down and needs to be picked back up again or that you need to move your thumb down.

My opinion is that the internet should be a supplement to your learning and you should get a teacher to guide you through the basics. I am obviously biased as I am a guitar teacher myself.

If you only want on-line guitar lessons, you cant go wrong with this site as unlike other sites with the word tube in it, these people know their stuff.

In terms of acoustic guitars you cant go wrong with a Yamaha, also I have seen some fab Vintage branded guitars over the years they are as cheap as chips.

http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageacoustic.html

These guitars are great for the price and stay in tune but most importantly they feel good.

I've been playing guitar for more than 40 years, played professionally in the 70's (yup..long time ago) and was 100% self taught. Couldn't read a note, but learned songs by ear and by "fake books"...mostly by ear because I couldn't afford the books. Now I have 8 guitars Acoustic and electric
Here are some things I learned over the years:

-Your first guitar should be the best you can afford with good action.Which type depends on how you want to play...around the campfire, get an acoustic; in a band, get an electric.

-Check out Craigs list and ebay and get the best you can afford.
-A good balance is an acoustic/electric or hollow body, but a Fender strat will last a long time and is great to play.
-Use on line lessons as much as you can. I wish a site like this was available when I was learning. I've learned a lot in the month I've been a member.
-Supplement this with in person guitar lessons, after you have a baseline.
-Practice every day for a while to build up strength and callouses
-Learn the fundamentals; scales are important; Pentatonic great for Rock and Blues.
-Pick a song from this site for beginners and learn it all the way. It will give you confidence and build up your skills.
-Play along with someone more experienced who is patient and doesn't make you feel bad. Don't play along with someone who just wants to show you how good they are.....
-If you go the rock route, find a group of people who like the same music as you and see if you can sit in for a song or two when you get your skills up.

Lastly, learning guitar is one of the best things I ever did in my life. It brought me great joy, allowed me to play in front of thousands of people (and I was really shy at first) and continues to bring me satisfaction many, many years later.

I hope this is the start of something great for you.

Best of luck,

Paul

Hi Alazanki! Learning to play guitar is a lot fun, good for you for going for it!

1) Learning to play on-line: its great. If you're not a full member for this site yet, definitely sign up. The only draw back is that you don't have someone there to correct you if you're making mistakes or developing bad habits, so that just means you have to pay extra attention in the video lessons to make sure you're playing correctly. Other than that, on-line is far cheaper, you can watch the same lesson over & over again (no more going home saying "what was that the teacher said about tempo??") and you can choose from lots of different instructors, lessons, and styles.

2) What kind of guitar to buy. Well, what kind of guitar do you like to play? If you like acoustic, that's a good place to start, even if you are going to move on to electric later. If you can buy from a shop so that you can try the guitar out, I'd definitely recommend that over buying on-line. Don't go too crazy with a pricey guitar to start with. While there is some truth in "you get what you pay for" with guitars, keep in mind that some guitars have fancy inlays on the fret and decorative work on the body that makes them expensive but does nothing for the sound.

Good luck!

Well, the most common questions are these two ...

1- there is no fault or any problem in learn by the internet..., there are a lot of information that you can use to learn by yourself :) iv learned alone, and the only problem is that you need to take a time every day to practice, and if you are lazy (like me XD) you will have a little difficult.

2- for me, to begin to learn by the internet, iv looked for a relatively cheap guitar that have a good tune for me, for example: i have a Strato Model from "Shelter: California Made". I liked this one because the tune is very good for those who want to play rock songs :) if u want to play blues, u can buy a "Epiphone" model. His sound is more "Fullbodied" than the strato ;)

Try to unite the "useful" and the "nice", lookin for a good guitar with the cheapest price ;)

go into your local music shop and pick up as many guitars as you can and see which one fits in your arms perfectly. (and your price range)

Amazing responses from everyone! +1 on buying from a music store, your axe is an extention of your arms and fingers so pick one out that feels right. You will know the minute you sit down with it if it is the right one.

I picked up my first guitar after playing for a year with a rented instrument, that was back in 71. It was an Epiphone acoustic and I loved that thing! I just bought an Epiphone SG and for the money (about 300.00) it feels and plays great.

I second going to the guitar store and checking out all the guitars, however here was my problem when I was starting out:

Not knowing much about finger placement and such, I was going primarily on looks and some ancient, short-term lesson (when I was 10). I ended up with an Ovation, which, while pretty, had a narrow neck and my chords were always dirty.

After I learned a little more I picked up a few different ones and found many I could play cleaner chords on because the neck wasnt as narrow and my finger placment was better.

I ended up with a cheap Yamaha scratch-and-dent, which sounds pretty good and recently bought a nicer Dean.

It is always easy to purchase the flashiest product in the market. However, you might not have money left over for any other task. So, as an amateur, purchase the guitar that would go well within your budget. It need not look the nicest, or simply breathtaking. All you need it to be is comfortable around your fingers and make sure that you can play without any problems to your stance. You can go here for more information: http://thebestbeginnerguitar.com/

Get a Fender Squire Stratocaster. It won't cost nearly as much and plays very nicely. It is a great guitar to learn on. Later, after you are a better guitar player, you can buy a Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul.

I think based on what I bought, that you can't go wrong with the Keith Urban Night Star Electric guitar. I paid 200.00 and it came with everything, case amplifier,. the Keith Urban DVDs, which are ok, but might not be right for a beginner. The thing I truly love about this guitar is that it came straight from the factory with a very low action which is excellent for a new guitar player. Acoustic guitars are ok, but you will not find many acoustics with a low enough action. Be ready for your fingers to hurt until you develop callouses. The only thing I did was immediately replaced the strings with a set of Daddario 10 46 gauge strings.

And then, after you decide which one you want, go on Ebay and find one exactly like it that has been played only 2 or 3 times for a 33% or better discount.

That's what I did. I got: 1) a Fender Stratocaster MiM for $391, with ZERO neckware delivered; and 2) a Epiphone Hummingbird used for about 2 hours w/ case for $300 delivered.

Adopting these instrument is an important duty. Ya've got to free the trapped soul man.

And yeah. I'm bragging a little bit but only to make a point. 8^)