How difficult is it to learn to play the guitar?

[pb+j]

In the world of instruments I think learning the basics of guitar is relatively easy. Being good at it is as hard as being good at any instrument.

It just takes practice--seriously, no joke it just takes practice. I'm not musically gifted, it doesn't come easily for me, but I play at a fairly high level because...practice

You start out and you always think "I could never do that; it's a gift." But you COULD do that, if you practiced it enough. I used to watch musicians and think "wow, I could never do that." now I look at a great player and say "wow, he really showed me what's possible with hard work and dedication." I have a GREATER admiration for good players, because I think I have a better understanding of the degree of dedication required.

But basic strumming? relatively easy, and fun.

[redir]

Originally Posted by Teleman52

depends on how well your guitar is setup

There is a lot of truth to this statement. As a repairman for 20 years I always get a kick out of what they call 'student' models. Cheap guitars taht are impossible to play are no good for students

[richpjr]

Lots of good advice here. The more I play and the better I get, the more I realize how much more I still have to learn. There is the rule about it taking 10,000 hours to master a skill, but you can have a lot of fun long before that!

[HAPPYDAN]

It's brutal. Think heroin addiction - the more you get, the more you want. New chords, new gear, new songs, hours fly by with little to show. You may lose your wife, your house, your dog and your car, but they'll have to pry that last guitar out of your cold, dead fingers.

Now I REALLY hope folks on this forum have a sense of humor. How hard is it? If you really enjoy it, learning is merely the labor of love. If you don't, better try something else.

[freyalewis]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

You will get many more responses to your question if you post it in the General section .... good luck

okay, Thanks for the recommendation.

[Jimbolaya]

It's not so bad. It does take time to build up callouses on the fingers. The basics are just muscle memory. I always say, if you can learn to type on a keyboard, then you can learn guitar. You just have to a little everyday and after a while you won't need to even look at your fingers.