7 Things Every Beginner Guitarist Should Know Before Their First Lesson

Starting guitar is exciting! But it can also create an impressive number of questions before you've even played your first chord.

Should you buy an acoustic or an electric guitar? Do you need to know how to read music? How much should you practice? Are sore fingers normal, and how much will it hurt? Do you need an expensive instrument? And how long will it take before you can actually play something that sounds like music?

The first thing I tell new students is this:

You do not need to have all of that figured out before taking your first lesson.

In fact, helping answer your questions is part of what a good first lesson should accomplish.

At Cloverdale Guitar & Ukulele, I have taught complete beginners, students that already knew a few chords on their own, players returning to guitar or ukulele after many years away, and intermediate guitarists. Beginners arrive with very different backgrounds, goals, instruments, and musical tastes; however, there are several things that almost everyone benefits from understanding at the outset.

Here are seven:

1. You can start on either acoustic or electric guitar

One of the first questions beginners ask is whether they should start on acoustic guitar or electric guitar.

The honest answer is that either one can work. Both are legitimate first instruments. The better choice depends largely on what kind of music makes you want to play guitar in the first place. What inspired you to play guitar?

If you are drawn to folk, country, singer-songwriter music, bluegrass, worship music, classical guitar, or acoustic versions of popular songs, then an acoustic guitar may be the obvious choice.

If the music that excites you includes rock, blues, metal, punk, alternative, pop or lead guitar, then starting on electric guitar may make considerably more sense.

Electric guitars also have a practical advantage that surprises some beginners: they are often physically easier to play. Electric guitars typically use lighter gauge strings and lower string action, and many have relatively slim necks that are easy to play. That can make fretting notes and chords easier on inexperienced hands.

Acoustic guitars are a bit more difficult to play but have advantages of their own. For instance, they require very little equipment, are easy to pick up and play anywhere, and provide a direct relationship between your hands and the sound coming out of the instrument without the need for an amplifier.

Neither type is a “beginner guitar” in any meaningful musical sense. You start with the guitar you have or the one that best matches your musical interests. However playability is also important and your teacher can help you ascertain the playability of your instrument or pick one that is right for you (see #3 below!).

2. You do not need to know how to read music before your first lesson

Another common worry of beginners is that they are intimidated by pages of notation, music terminology, music theory, etc. To them, the notation looks like Greek and they wonder if they are really capable of learning how to speak this new language.

But never fear! Guitarists use several different systems for communicating music, and different styles place different emphasis on them.

A beginning student may encounter:

• chord diagrams

• tablature, or “tab” (a number-based system)

• rhythmic notation

• chord symbols

• scale and fretboard diagrams

• standard musical notation

• listening and playing "by ear"

  
  

I always ask students if they would like to learn to read music, and it's true that parents are often interested in this route because it is more "formal." However, "Tab" or "tab" is especially common for guitar. It tells you where notes occur on the fretboard and where to put your fingers when you play one or multiple notes. Chord diagrams are an efficient way to learn basic chord shapes. And rhythm notation helps explain when notes and chords should be played.

That does not mean that reading music has no value. Au contraire! Standard notation is also extremely valuable, and for some styles—particularly classical guitar and jazz guitar—it becomes much more important. But there is no reason that a brand-new guitarist should feel that he or she must already possess that skill.

At the first lesson, it helps if you already do know some of this, but the goal is not to prove what you already know. The goal is to find out where you are and to begin building from there.

If you know nothing yet, then that is completely fine. And we can quickly get you started strumming!

3. A playable guitar makes learning much easier

A beginner does not need an expensive guitar. But a guitar does need to be playable.

This is one of the biggest surprises for new students. Sometimes the problem is not the student’s hands, patience, or talent. Sometimes the instrument is simply fighting them.

A very cheap or poorly set up guitar can have issues like:

• strings that sit too high above the frets

• sharp fret edges

• tuning problems

• buzzing notes

• a warped neck

• stiff tuning pegs

• poor intonation, where notes sound off even when tuned and played correctly

  
  

When the strings are too high, every chord takes extra effort. A beginner may think, “I’m just so bad at this,” when that is far from the truth: the truth is that the guitar is making the job much harder than it needs to be because it's not very playable.

This does not mean that every beginner should buy a costly instrument. Many affordable guitars are excellent starter choices. The important thing is to get an instrument that fits you comfortably, is reasonably well made, and is good enough in quality and setup to sound good and stay in tune. If these conditions are not met, then your guitar just won't sound as good, and you won't be as motivated to play it.

A teacher can also help check whether your guitar fits your body. Younger students (e.g., children), smaller adults, or anyone struggling with reach (e.g., short arms, small hands) may find a guitar with a smaller body size or scale length more playable. Comfort matters more than tradition. And your teacher can help you decided whether regular size or 3/4 size would be best for you.

If you already have a guitar, bring it to the first lesson at CG&U and we can look it over together and I'll tell you if it is ready to learn on, needs minor adjustments, or may hold you back.

If you have not bought one yet, then ask for guidance before purchasing. That can save money and frustration.

4. Sore fingertips are normal, but pain eslewhere is not

There is a physical adjustment period when you start playing guitar.

You're squeezing steel or nylon strings with fingertips that have never been asked to do that before! Thus, mild fingertip soreness and even some sharp pain in the pad or skin of the finger is normal. If you notice the soreness, then take a break and resume playing while trying to put the strings in a slightly different position on the pad of your finger.

With regular practice, the fingertips adapt to this stimulus and build small calluses to protect the body. These make playing much more comfortable.

The trick is to build up gradually. Long practice sessions right away can make the fingers feel raw and discourage a new player. Short, consistent practice works better.

Sharp pain, numbness, significant wrist pain, persistent joint pain or unusual tingling deserves attention. Those problems may come from poor hand position, excessive tension, an awkward guitar position, pressing far harder than necessary, or an instrument that is difficult to play. You also shouldn't have any sharp pain in your back, neck, or shoulders.

Common causes of these hand and body problems include:

• pressing much harder than needed with the fingers

• bending the wrist too much

• holding the guitar at an awkward angle (e.g., pointing at 45 degrees up at the ceiling)

• using a guitar with high string action (bad setup)

• practicing too long without breaks

• craning your neck over the guitar too much to see your fingers

  
  

Technique is not merely about looking proper.

Good technique makes playing more efficient.

The goal is to produce the desired sound with enough pressure, enough movement and enough muscular effort—but not substantially more than necessary.

That becomes increasingly important as the music gets faster and more difficult.

5. Fifteen focused minutes can be more valuable than an unfocused hour of practice

Many beginners assume that they need to practice for extended periods of time, and then they find it very difficult to meet that goal due to lack of knowledge, lack of motivation, or finger and muscle pain.

For most beginning students, however, 15–30 minutes of focused practice on most days of the week is an excellent starting point.

Frequency is particularly important.

Guitar involves coordination, fine motor control, timing and the gradual development of movements that initially feel unfamiliar. Those skills improve through repeated exposure.

Practicing for two hours on Sunday and then ignoring the guitar until the following Sunday is usually less productive than practicing for 15 or 20 minutes on several different days.

But practice quality matters just as much as practice duration.

There is an important difference between playing guitar and practicing guitar.

Playing through something you already know is enjoyable and useful, while practice often means isolating something you cannot yet do reliably. I teach my students that we have two playing modes, one of which is "practice," where we stop when we make mistakes and we work to fix them. That means slow down and work on performing the movements correctly, which is a very important part of practicing.

A useful beginner practice session might look like this:

1. Tune the guitar.

2. Warm up the fingers with a warm-up exercise or two.

3. Review the previous lesson (starting slowly, playing what you did or were assigned; this could be a melody, short piece, chord progression, song, or long piece).

4. Work on one technical problem or issue with the currently assigned material.

5. Practice chords and switching between chords (if you have advanced beyond single-note material).

6. Spend some time on rhythm, that is playing notes or strumming chords in rhythm (always with a known time signature and preferably a metronome).

7. End with something fun, like playing part of a song or improvising! Make sure the last thing you play is something you enjoy!!

   
   

That last part matters. If practice only feels like homework, then motivation fades. A good lesson plan should include skill-building and music that feels rewarding.

Some days will be messy. Fingers miss strings. Strings buzz. Chords are partly dead. Rhythm slips or drifts from the intended timing. It's all part of the process. The goal is not a perfect practice session. The goal is to return often enough that the guitar starts to feel familiar, you see progress, and hopefully you also find happiness and peace while playing.

One of the simplest things a beginner can do to facilitate practice is also one of the most effective: keep your guitar somewhere you can see it, where it is accessible.

An instrument sitting out on a stand gets played.

An instrument zipped up or closed up in a case, placed in a closet, or hidden under a bed usually does not get played.

6. You need very little equipment for your first lesson

Beginning guitar does not require a room full of accessories.

If you already own an instrument, then the most important thing to bring to the first lesson is your guitar.

Even if you suspect something is wrong with it, bring it. It is useful for me to see the instrument you are actually trying to play.

A basic beginner kit might eventually include:

• guitar

• a few picks

• tuner

• backup/replacement strings

• a guitar strap

• a notebook or folder

• capo, if appropriate for the music you are learning

Electric guitarists will also need an amplifier (and it's power cord!) and an instrument cable for practicing at home, although neither needs to be large or expensive.

A clip-on tuner is an inexpensive and extremely useful piece of equipment that can be purchased quite cheaply, but smartphone guitar tuner apps also work well and are often free to install.

Picks come in different shapes and thicknesses. There is no universal “correct” pick. Beginners often find relatively flexible guitar picks comfortable for strumming (especially on acoustic guitar, but also on electric), while somewhat heavier picks can offer more control for single-note playing. Most players eventually develop preferences based on technique and style.

A capo is useful but not essential on day one.

And while accessories can be fun, they should not become a substitute for playing.

Buying equipment feels like guitar progress, but it can quickly turn into what we all have at least some of: GAS, Gear Acquisition Syndrome!!!

Practicing guitar is guitar progress. To start, you just need the basics.

7. Progress in the first few months is real, but it is gradual

Almost every new student eventually asks some version of:

“How long will it take me to get good or play songs?”

There is no meaningful single answer because “good” can mean many different things.

A student who wants to strum songs around a campfire has a very different destination from someone who wants to play classical repertoire, improvise blues solos or perform difficult metal guitar parts. And students become proficient at playing songs at different paces.

The first few weeks to months usually involve deceptively small accomplishments with your guitar, as follows:

• tuning without assistance

• producing clean single notes on all strings

• muting open strings

• learning basic chord shapes

• keeping a steady right hand rhythm

• switching between two or more chords

• coordinating your picking and fretting hands

• recognizing when something sounds wrong

Those accomplishments may not look dramatic, but they provide a foundation for virtually everything that follows.

After a month or two of regular practice, many beginners can begin playing recognizable parts of songs and simple chord progressions.

With several months to a year of consistent instruction and practice, students often have a small repertoire, greater rhythmic control, a useful cadre of chords to draw from (for songs in the most common keys, e.g., C, D, E, G, and A), some understanding of the fretboard (which notes are where), and enough independence to begin learning simpler material on their own. That can be accomplished while progressing on reading music or relying mainly on tabs.

But progress is rarely linear.

A student may struggle with a chord for days and then suddenly discover that it feels easier or find a way to play it, sometimes even a shortcut.

A song may seem impossible one week and surprisingly manageable two weeks later.

Sometimes progress is simply realizing that something which once required your full attention and concentration has become almost automatic. Muscle memory. You get that from repeated, intentional, and correct practice.

That process is one of the pleasures of learning an instrument.

Do not judge your progress only by asking yourself, “Can I play this perfectly yet?” or "Why can't I play x?"

Ask yourself:

"What can I do today that I could not do a month ago?"

That is a much better measure.

What a good first guitar lesson should feel like

A good first lesson on the guitar should leave a student feeling like they learned something they didn't know about their instructor and the guitar, and that their instructor learned some important things about them as well. They should feel clearer. They might feel overwhelmed, but it should have become clear why they were there: what type of music they like, what they want to play on guitar, what their musical goals are, examples of songs they want to learn, whether they play another instrument, whether they want to play and sing... All these things influence how the lessons will go and what I will teach you.

For a complete beginner, the first lesson may include:

• evaluating their guitar

• learning how to hold the instrument

• me tuning their guitar (demonstration)

• understanding the string names

• learning how to fret a clean note (fret hand position)

• basic picking or strumming

• chord or partial chord example

• a simple rhythm with a single open string or all open strings

• part of an actual piece of music

• a clear practice assignment for the coming week

Someone who already has some experience playing should receive a different first lesson. If you already play, that's awesome! I want to hear you play! Maybe we can play something together... I'll identify what you already do well, and we can discuss things that you can work on and what might be part(s) of our plan for upcoming lessons.

Fall enrollment is now open at Cloverdale Guitar & Ukulele in Montgomery, Alabama!

I teach guitar and ukulele students from complete beginners through more experienced players who want to improve their technique, musical knowledge, and overall playing, and I know that no matter where you are, I can get you to a higher level! Lessons are available for children, teenagers, and adults, with instruction tailored to each student's experience, goals and musical interests. Some children may need to start on ukulele or a smaller guitar.

If you have been thinking about learning guitar—or returning to an instrument you once played—then this is an excellent time to start!