Originally Posted by: acharlesmiller96

So i started learning yestarday.

If your fingertips with no calluses did manage that as a complete beginner (?), my advice as an older head would be pace yourself, ....or the enthusiasm that accompanies the novelty of new and exciting will quickly fade even if your fingerstips don't.

Re exercises, chords, & scales? On day 1? Guitar Tricks has phased learning starting with their Beginner course. Maybe if you follow it it might work for you just as it does for everyone else who sticks with it? I suspect the instructors who designed it might know something about the learning to play guitar process?

Open chord shapes. Yes. You'll start there anyway. But follow the course as its structured in the way it is for a reason. They'll teach you the ones which are easist first, so you can build upon success. In doing so, the chords will be ones which feature in common chord progressions so you can see progress quickly in being able to play a myriad of simple song rythyms based around them. The pyramids weren't built in a day, but stone by stone.

Stretching and finger agility exercises are important. Little and often. Why not be guided by the fundamentals of Guitar Tricks course?

Scales? Crawl, stand, walk, run.

If you start with scales, I suspect you'll get both frustrated and bored rather rapidly. Scales will come soon enough, and be easier to tackle after you establish that degree of finger flexibility and agility which comes with acquired motor skill memory in developing competency with open chords and fluid chord changes between them. Of course all the time, if you also practice stretching, when it comes to learning the 5 shapes of A minor pentatonic, it's a natural enough progression practically as well as on the learning curve for which you will be better equipped motor skill wise. That way, it chances are it won't present as the daunting, boring nor frustrating task it might starting out.

Everything will come over time with personal application. You probably read elsewhere before that learning to play guitar is a marathon, not a sprint. That's the key. Sticking with long established structure is the key, whether it's learning to fly or learning to play guitar. Neither are merely the aquisition of theoretical knowledge.

Broken down into its most basic form, whether it's a weapons drill or tactical theory the army methodoology of instruction is demonstrate (by the instructor), imitate (attempt to do what you have just been taught), practice (until you can). Next lesson within the course structure, rinse and repeat with regular revision (some practice sessons which will include a compilation of all taught so far).

[br]Good luck. Remember to enjoy the 'game', not just focus on personal touchdowns as a measure of relative accomplishment or failure. Cheers.