Hey & welcome to GT!

Originally Posted by: poshgirl

I consider myself a beginner at the guitar even after 4 months of having a guitar but don't have all that much time to work with it... [/quote][p]I'm going to reply to all you questions. But I'm going to start with some advice.

1. You need to work through the Guitar Fundamentals courses 1 & 2.

https://www.guitartricks.com/beginner.php

The core learning system is a step-by-step course that will guide you through the beginner stages of learning to play guitar. You'll get answers to your questions, and all the right material in the right order. :)

2. The only way to get better at playing guitar is a lot repetitious practice. There is no substitute.

You say you've been playing for 4 months & don't have a lot of time. From your post, it seems like you've learned quite a bit of beginner content! Congrats! But the only way to get better is to be patient with yourself & make time to practice.

Answer to questions!

Originally Posted by: poshgirl

In tuning - with an electric tuner- I think I have messed up something while tuning it (watched a tutorial) as now every time I play it twangs/buzzes and just recently began to rattle - annoying! Seems like the strings are too loose, but according to the electric tuner they need loosened more..?! So How to tune the 'right' way?

[/quote]

This is covered in detail in Guitar Fundamentals 1 (GF1).

Originally Posted by: poshgirl

Strumming - I understand there are several strumming patterns. But with a simple acoustic guitar what is the best pattern to use for classical songs? I am not into blues, jazz or anything like that right now.

[/quote]

This is covered in detail in GF 1.

Originally Posted by: poshgirl

Timing/Beat - I don’t understand anything here. I know there is suppose to be a timing to the strumming and some places rec. a little gadget for that. But I don’t think that is necessary to purchase one...

[/quote]

This is covered in detail in GF 1. You are referring to a metronome. We have an online one you can use. But it's more important to understand the concepts & build some basic playing skills before you worry about a metronome.

Originally Posted by: poshgirl

Humidity - funny question :P But I think it has something to do with the care of an instrument. In the winter here it gets super dry whereas the summer it is super humid with a capital! Anyway the guitar I have now is real basic and a second hand one want to keep it nice anyway. (Until I can save enough for a better one :)

[/quote]

We have a wonderful & knowledgeable guitar tech that answers these kind of questions. Here's a thread from his forum on that topic.

https://www.guitartricks.com/forum/thread.php?f=30&t=41933

Originally Posted by: poshgirl

Chords - How many chords are there and how many do I need to learn?

[/quote]

There are 12 major chords & 12 minor chords for all 12 possible musical alphabet letters. And you can play them in a million different ways. Also, there are a whole lot more chords once you get into extended harmony chords & ornamentation (7th, 9ths, sus4th, etc.)

You only need to learn as many of them as you will actually use when you play music. The point is: learn them one at a time & use them. When you need to know another one, that's the time to learn it.

Originally Posted by: poshgirl

Read notes - Is there a way to learn to read music with a guitar? - Yes, but how?

[/quote]

This is covered in detail in GF 1.

Originally Posted by: poshgirl

How are there Notes and Chords for a guitar? Can play the piano with sheet music and am certain there must be a way to do that with a guitar.

[/quote]

This is covered in detail in GF 1.

[quote=poshgirl]

Why are there little baby ‘dents’ in the metal fret bar of my guitar?

That's caused by the strings pressing down into the fret wire. Happens after a guitar has been played a whole lot. Sometimes there's a little more life left in them. Sometimes it means the frets need to be filed down & recrowned. Sometimes it means the frets need to be replaced! Take it to a reputable lical music store & have them assess it.

I'm guessing this is your older guitar?

[quote=poshgirl]

What is that thing that’s called a ‘circle of fifths’?

A system to conceptually organize all 12 possible major & minor keys.

[quote=poshgirl]

What are scales and how do you use them?

This is covered in detail in GF 1.

[quote=poshgirl]

What are bar chords and what are they for?

This is covered in detail in GF 1.

[quote=poshgirl]

For finger strumming - how do you do that?

Use the tips of your fingernails to graze the strings. Caren does that here.

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=1408

[quote=poshgirl]

What is the quietest method to play?

Probably a classical guitar with nylon strings and your fingers (no picking or strumming).

[quote=poshgirl]

Why does it sound really good when I hear someone else play and my playing sounds so ‘plain’?

Compared to beginner or medicore playing, good playing is more refined. It has a better sense of rhythm, more precise physical technique, and often has ornamentation that fleshes out an otherwise simple playing arrangment.

[quote=poshgirl]

What else do I need to know?

That you need to practice a lot in order to get better. There's no magic bullet. There's no way around it. You can practice smarter & harder. But you have to put the time in. Try to enjoy the process. Work through GF 1 & 2!

Hope this helps! Please ask more if necessary. Best of success!