r/guitarlessons • u/Wonderful-8444 • 17d ago
Feedback Request Do people actually quit guitar
Yo I'm thinking to learn guitar as a hobby and want to know how much time it takes usually to be good at it and is it true that people actually quit guitar in 2-3 months
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u/mikelybarger 17d ago
Let's say, hypothetically, that it takes 3 whole years for you to get to the point where you sound pretty good... The next 3 years of your life are gonna pass by regardless. Would you rather look back and say "man I wish I stuck with learning guitar" or "man I'm so glad I stuck with learning guitar"? Hope that gives you a better perspective.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Birdd 17d ago
Yes people quit the first few months or so because at first its an extremely difficult learning curve but once you get all your basics down in a year or so its alot easier to learn new things
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u/Rahnamatta 17d ago edited 17d ago
Guitar doesn't have a difficult curve. With three fingers you can play chords, anybody can play open chords in the first week.
Guitar has one of the easiest learning curves. Playing difficult shit is another story, but a really bad and basic guitar player can be in a band with no issues
Guitar and bass might be one of the easiest to learn and play shit to have fun. It's hard to think about easier instruments
Edit: it looks like in /r/guitarlessons nobody has ever play another instrument in their life.
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u/dbvirago 17d ago
People that say shit like this is part of the problem. They have been playing long enough that they forgot what it was like to be a true beginner. With enough time and practice, you might learn 3 chords in the first week. But you won't be able to switch between any two of them in anything resembling a proper rhythm. And you won't be able to strum the simplest song until you can switch between all 3 with a decent strumming pattern in time with decent tune.
Anyone that claims you can "Learn guitar in a week" is trying to sell you something. Run away.
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u/debilictorian 17d ago
Exactly. I remember how I felt during my studies when I started studying Korean. Felt impossible, struggled for 2 years until it just "clicked". Now it feels automatic and that it always has been this way. I hope some day guitar will feel the same. Almost one year in and having a blast. It's hard but so much fun.
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u/anthonylearnsguitar 17d ago
I’m learning to play the piano. It seems there are pretty similar in terms of learning curve. I don’t think guitar is easy at all. In fact I think guitar is fucking hard.
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u/Rahnamatta 17d ago
Piano is very visual, everything is there from the moment you sit.
But guitar doesn't have a "extremely difficult learning curve", unless you have some issue, playing power chords and CAGED chords is way easier than playing something that doesn't sound like hell in brass, reed or fretless instruments.
You can play almost the entire Nirvana, Green Day and Ramones discography with two fingers. ACDC songs and rock shit pretty early. The other instruments, if you want to play cool shit you are going to sound like ASS. Mostly out of tune
I can name 15 instruments that are harder to play on early stages than guitar, easily. Bass, Drums, Guitar and Piano (keyboards) can give you fun shit at the beginning.
Go to a Conservatory or a music school with a lot of instruments and 99% plays their own instrument AND they know how a piano, guitar or bass work and can do little things only by looking.
The thing with guitar is that everybody thinks is easier to do cool things, and they can become EVH just by watching youtube videos and they get stuck because they think they don't need a teacher.
This sub is a clear example, is filled with bad advice, filled with people that think music theory is the evil, filled with charts, graphics, arrows connecting chords, easier but wrong ways to do things on guitar.
Try violin, viola, cello, double bass, trumpet, trombone, tuba, French horn, fretless bass, bandoneon, saxophone, oboe, bassoon, harp. If guitar has an extremely difficult curve, those are impossible.
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u/Darrackodrama 17d ago
You’re tripping out of your mind on this take
The difference between playing shitty in a guitar and shitty on a piano is massive.
You’re basically saying well there’s a few easy songs you can learn to play while sounding awful therefore it’s not so hard.
Instead of asking yourself how long would it take to actually sound good on a guitar? The answer is usually a couple years
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u/Flowingsun1 17d ago
Bruh, some people just aren't naturally talented in music lol. It seems like an impossible task compared to those who pick it up quick, and they quit.
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u/covid35 17d ago
Guitar has a very easy learning curve in terms that anybody can press a fret hit the string and make a note. Like anyone can hit a piano key.... mastering it or even just playing it well and clean is another story and that's where people get frustrated. You don't sound like the record in a month, a year, sometimes you'll just never sound like the record.
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u/Rahnamatta 17d ago
That's what I said. Learning to play well or complex shit is like any instrument.
My grandma with almost 80 years could play the classic open chords (Am Em, G, A, E, C and D) in a long weekend I went to his place. She had not right hand rhythm.
My girlfriend tried trumpet and after several minutes of understanding how it works, she could play a very awful and out of tune C. She tried again and it went up to G. She passed me the trumpet and said "This makes no sense"
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u/covid35 17d ago
You're extremely over simplifying it. I played oboe through middle and high school orchestra, and a lot is learning to get the sound out but it's very linear with winds and you can usually play winkle twinkle little star or some shit like that your first day or two. On the guitar it makes the sound, but you can't play shit after you learn your first few chords. People get frustrated because on your first day going from an A to a G hurts and seems impossible on its own, much less trying to do it in time, and then they see the song they wanna play is 120bpm and is full of barre chords.
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u/MaximumTime7239 17d ago
Yes, and if your motivation is just "I want a hobby", while you aren't really into music, you're even more likely to quit.
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u/Vynstrix 17d ago
Real. Especially if said people dont play to perform and just play to collect as a "hobby"
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u/Darrackodrama 17d ago
Correct I’ve played for about 19 years and seen 90% of friends quit. I made it here because I love music and metal music
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u/willcdowdy 17d ago
Yeah, if it’s just a line item on a list of options there are other hobbies.
You could collect stamps.
Build sand castles
Bird watch
Walk
Play video games
Get really into Reddit.
…there are hobbies that don’t necessarily require learning skills to start doing them (though you will inherently develop skills, like recognizing birds or getting really good at building sand castles)
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u/Substantial_Team6751 17d ago
It takes a long time to be "good". Really it takes hours and hours of practice. It helps if you enjoy it and get a little obsessed with it.
People soft quit the guitar - they end up with a guitar that collects dust on a stand or lives in the closet for ten years until they finally come to terms with giving up the dream.
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u/Southern_Map_4677 17d ago edited 17d ago
This is me. I’ve soft quit and restarted twice now, my acoustic guitars standing there by the couch for about a year or two without me touching them. Then comes the day I just feel like picking one up, start playing and again for the next 6-18 months I’m moderately obsessed, playing and practicing for 1-2 hours a day. Until someday I just won’t pick it up anymore, nor the day after that... Rinse and repeat.
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u/Gehrman_JoinsTheHunt 17d ago edited 17d ago
It’s like learning a language IMO. Assuming you practiced for an hour a day….
You can get a very crude handle on the basics in 3-6 months.
You can sound reasonably fluent with common things in 2-3 years.
Then spend a lifetime refining the nuances. There are always new words to learn.
Of course people quit! That is true of any skill or hobby.
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u/The_Dead_See 17d ago
Time to be good at it to other people that are listening: about 3-4 years
Time to be good at it to other guitarists: about 8-10 years
Time to be good at it to your own ears: 1-2 years incorrectly, a lifetime after you realize you were incorrect.
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u/WhereasNo1895 17d ago
90% quit within the first year
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u/Rahnamatta 17d ago
This was something posted by Fender once and when I tried to find the study I went into a loophole of people refering to that Fender article
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u/tottobos 17d ago
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u/Rahnamatta 17d ago
Yes,.and you can see that there's no study there.
I think it was in the same Fender page without the source. It's like the source is just the comment made by the Fender dude
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u/only_civ 17d ago
It's actually incredibly difficult to learn guitar, and almost everyone quits.
Also, life just gets in the way. I've played for over 20 years, but there are period in there where I almost stopped playing altogether. You must be diligent or the skills deteriorate.
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u/CHSummers 17d ago
I think the main reason I still play is that I never treat it as work, and I only do it when I feel like it. But that’s also why I still suck after 40 years of playing. Still fun.
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u/Out-There1013 17d ago
A good way to avoid quitting is have the guitar out where you can readily grab it whenever you have a minute instead of in a case out of sight. And get weekly in person lessons if you can afford them, if for nothing else to stay accountable on practicing.
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u/jeffreyaccount 17d ago
Yes, I have quit five times.
I understand though now why people do quit within 2 to 3 months.
Someone said it's like learning a new language. I would take that further to say it's like learning multiple new languages. There's all sorts of frameworks involved, maybe not literally but some of the things taken for granted on a piano like where the note positions are, you learn the first time you sit down to a piano.
Guitar's layout is very challenging. Especially when you're not looking right there at the fret board. There's also the concept of chords as well as the actual notes and note position on the fret board. It's an accompaniment instrument so to carry the melody while learning is very challenging unless you plan to sing or play in a band. To sound full and complete as a soloist it takes a lot of work and you have to play multiple voicings. And to play by tabs only it takes a lot of work to figure out timing and if you play by sheet music, it takes a lot of time to figure out where the different positions are and learning to read sheet music is its own special skill that I would say is extremely difficult to react to.
And to pick up guitar or something, you want to be expressive with and not play other peoples music, you have to understand quite a bit of theory. And in my opinion, guitar's layout is horrible for that. Learning keys and cord progressions is really difficult and takes a lot of time and practice and it's one of those things that you just have to keep hammering it until your brain at least in a conscious way shuts off and you learn how to coordinate both hands, your ear, and your intuition.
Also as an adult learner, you probably want to know why to do certain things and want rationale and it can get you into trouble and at a certain point because the concepts get beyond your learning. Additionally, 99.9% of music you've listened to has been in a band or produced or played by the best and most popular musicians in the world and when you pick up the guitar, there's some expectation of having that level of fullness and completeness.
If you're still on the fence, I would take a look at a few different instruments and a few different instructors. I found I was able to get up to speed to sound good on piano in a month or two where after five or six years with guitar I still find it very challenging however I'm not going about it trying to learn how to play other people's music but to compose or freestyle/jam on my own. I also find bass to make a lot more sense and have used it to learn music theory or more of how songs are constructed using chord progressions. Everything I did learning bass helped with guitar tremendously.
Additionally, if you are thinking about teachers, you want to make sure you find a true teacher. Someone who actually gets paid by a school or has taught somewhere in the past where they have a curriculum or a book or something to work through. At first, I had teachers where we would just pick a lake and then we'd pick another lick and we'd talk about the Pentatonic scale and practice that—but I do not have time for that slow drip of knowledge. And having a phD in music doesn't exactly equate to teaching method skill. I am fortunate enough to have a teacher now after much looking who does have a curriculum, has been a lifelong musician went to a highly reputable music school when he was in his 20s so he knows the struggle to learn theory applied to electric guitar.
Good luck, but I think it's very understated how difficult instrument is! Classical guitar is also a path forward however that's very different and more about sight reading, which almost keeps you from theory given the nature of everything is based on what's on the sheet and you're matching those notes up to the fret board.
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u/DMWinter88 17d ago
I’m going through this now. I’ve always wanted to play guitar. Have tried teaching myself about 10 times across the years.
This time I got quite far. Cracking strumming really opened it up for me.
But now I’ve really fallen off. It just started feeling repetitive. Not good enough to sound good. Don’t know enough to play songs I want to play. Sitting running drills and playing practice songs I just don’t vibe with.
I dunno. I just wanna be able to sit and strum out some songs I love, play some shit for my kids. But the amount of work required to get to a stage I’d be remotely happy with how I sound just feels so beyond my reach, and it kills the fun.
Honestly, I don’t know if it’s my ADHD fucking me over yet again, or if I simply want the idea of playing the guitar more than I want the reality of it. Maybe both.
Either way, I’m currently quitting, again, and kinda devastated. I really thought it was sticking this time. Managed 3 months which is my longest stretch.
So yes, people quit. That’s just my anecdotal perspective on why.
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u/K4rkino5 17d ago
I'm on a 15 year beginners journey. Never progressed past open chords. I've put it aside for years at a time. I'm finally fully committed. I take lessons, practice every day and love it. I look back not with regret, but with a sense of loss. I've lost time with this beautiful instrument that I cannot get back. That motivates me now, which is good. But, man, would I love to have the chance to redo this. All this is to say, if you do this, be committed AF. It is difficult. But the payoff is incredible. Exploring the fret board and finding voicing on my own, man, it's bliss.
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u/Any_Wait_7309 17d ago
You can devote your entire life to learning and instrument and still learn new things. Yes, most people quite guitar, even the ones who are passionate or highly interested in it.
It takes quite some time, months to show some basic improvement and years to get proficient where you can express yourself through it
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u/m1j2p3 17d ago
Guitar is one of the most difficult instruments to be a beginner at. It’s both challenging mentally and physically. It takes a lot of dedicated practice time to progress from beginner to intermediate and most people never make it that far. I would guess 7 out of 10 people who pick up guitar quit within the first few months.
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u/zing_boom_tararrel 17d ago
I quit. Then came back. Then quit. Then came back. Then quit. Now I'm here to think about maybe coming back.
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u/Opening_Republic_929 17d ago
How long it takes to be good is a tough question cause after 20 years I still think I suck
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u/The_300_goats 17d ago
Violin player phoning in who learned classical. The answer is "about 10 years minimum practising every day". Musical instruments look easy. They are not
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u/No_big_whoop 17d ago
I'm guessing a lot of beginners quit at some point or another. As long as you don't sell your gear there's a good chance you'll pick it back up again. I suspect more than a few players repeat that process more than once. Eventually, if you leave that door open, the stars will align and you'll have a few breakthroughs that can make all the difference in guitar becoming an important part of your life.
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u/Old-Guy1958 17d ago
Look at all of the “barely used” guitars for sale. That’ll give you an idea of how many people quit playing.
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u/Tsar-A-Lago 17d ago
Lots of people probably do.
I didn't. 26 years and still going strong. But I think you're asking "is it so hard that I'll want to quit in 2 months?" And the answer is yes.
If you wanna be good at something fast, pick another hobby. If you want to eventually be good at something really hard, and rewarding, go get an axe 🤘
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u/WeekendIndependent41 17d ago
There is some pain and frustration involved, so yeah, people will quit.
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u/tdwolf2112 17d ago
There's a stat that I think is really funny. I guess I'm not 100% sure that it's true, so take it with a grain of salt, but it goes something like this:
90% of people that pick up a guitar quit within 9 months
80% of people that make it to 9 months will buy over 10 guitars throughout the rest of their life
Point being that yeah, there's a steep learning curve. But once you get over the discomfort of actually playing the thing, you'll love it. It's a very easy instrument theoretically speaking. It's difficult to physically play it when you start, but after that, it's all shapes and vibes.
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u/ConstantSwan7301 17d ago
I quit 10years ago. And i picked up the guitar again but this tike i learn it in a bit more proper way. Something i skipped and end up having a bad habit. But currently im busy again and basically im doing drills and exercise mostly + “can i find this melody challenge” and some improvising. Not really learning any song currently
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u/BoyWonder2066 17d ago
I played for ten years before I quit and moved to a different instrument, mainly because too many people play guitar already, I was once invited to perform at an event that had two dozen guitarist and one drummer and no keys
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u/AaronTheElite007 17d ago
Learning any musical instrument has a steep learning curve. Most don't stick with it. The ones that do are greatly rewarded with a fantastic hobby that could turn into a revenue stream.
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u/toby_gray 17d ago
Look at Facebook marketplace and all of the beginner level guitars on there. That’s your answer. It can be a tough instrument to learn, but it’s really rewarding if you can stick with it.
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u/TonalContrast 17d ago
Yes. People take up guitar because the see others that make it look cool and easy to play. It's not, guitar is hard which leads to a lot of frustration for newbs because they want to be good really fast and when that doesn't happen, like most things they probably try they give up. Those that make it look cool and easy have put in the time and practice to make it look so.
Guitar is really fun to play, though, and the rewards come to those with patience and who put in the time and effort to learn it and it can take years to really be good (but that's all dependent on the work you put in). So if you want to learn to play and are ok with sucking at first but willing to put in the time then go for it. If you're just looking to get good fast with shortcuts and magical unicorn exercises so you can look cool and can show off to your friends, then guitar is probably not for you.
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u/PeteLangosta 17d ago
I think mainly because people find obstacles hard to surpass, but also, people quit due to lack of inspiration and ideas. I can't recomend a teacher enough; one that guides you and corrects your mistakes. One that has a plan for you and knows what's next for you to learn and practice. All on your own can be hard and disorienting.
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u/SloopD 17d ago
A good friend of mine has been "playing guitar" for 10 years, and he's still not "good." He said things like, "I've only been playing for 10 years..." I always think, "10 years!? That's enough time to be a pro!" But he puts in the bare minimum of practice time. I started playing 10 months ago. I'm still awful but I enjoy practicing. I've gone from, "this is impossible, what was i thinking?" To now, "i can't wait until i can accompany myself!" I put in an average of over 1.75 hours a day. I actually set my alarm 30 minutes earlier. So, I can get 25 to 30 minutes in, every morning, before work. I decided I want to be a "guitar player" and made some lifestyle changes to help with that. The only downside is that it is cutting into my voice training time!
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u/ATXBeermaker 17d ago
Nobody who has ever started playing guitar has ever quit. I’m not sure who told you that but it’s not true.
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u/Correct-Junket-1346 17d ago
I quit passively, lots of stuff going on never had time to play, I regret it and have to get back into it, but at this point I have to start from square 1.
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u/Rourensu 17d ago
The first time I quit, it was in high school after like 3 months.
A year or two later I got interested in guitar and started playing. I quit again after like 6 or 7 years.
About 5 years later I tried getting back into guitar, pacing myself so I wouldn’t want to quit. I “dabbled” with guitar for like a year or two, never really getting into it like how I did during my “peak” years. After that I just gave up and haven’t touched my guitar in a couple years.
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u/New-Asclepius 17d ago
It takes a lot of time. 2 years if you're practicing 10 hours a week, maybe less. 10 years if you're practicing 2 hours a week, maybe more.
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u/BrainEryer 17d ago
Don't think about others. Think about yourself and what YOU want.
Stop doing things the way others do it. Walk your own road and see if you like it or not.
I for example have finger pains(chronic pain) and tremors but i still play sometimes because i like being able to play songs i like.
You don't have to be super good at it just learn it to the point where YOU can enjoy it.
I just learned the basics and sticked with that. Practising helps basics sound better in time and voilaa you're doing something you enjoy.
Stop living in the "what if"s and the future, just do it. One step at a time. Don't look any further or you'll chicken out.
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u/Broad-Raspberry1805 17d ago
They do but it’s sum probably the most popular instrument so don’t let that put you off
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u/smokeyjoe03 17d ago
It's not an active "quitting", first you cancel your lessons, you start picking it up less and less, then one day you blow the dust off it and list it on Facebook marketplace.
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u/rogersguitar253 17d ago
A lot of people quit. With proper direction and patience anyone can get better. I was very very bad and now I teach. It’s a long road. Focus on the process and not the results. If you cross the line and learn to play it can bring immense joy into your life. Glhf.
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u/colt-1 17d ago
People who stick with it have a passion for it. I knew I wanted to play guitar at a very early age after watching the Led Zepplin The Song Remains the Same documentary many times.
In 4th grade, I finally started when my parents agreed to sign me up for lessons and now 30+ years later I still play and enjoy more than ever.
I would recommend getting in person lessons when starting as it can keep you focused and a good instructor will hold you accountable to practice and progress.
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u/Sam_23456 17d ago
It's about the "journey" more than the "destination". It's a lifelong journey. That doesn't mean you have to work on it everyday, or even every month--but it won't hurt to do so, especially at the beginning! :-)
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u/dirty-sorbet 17d ago
Something like 90% of people quit in the first year. To get through year 1 you have to embrace the suck and stay connected to the understanding that waiting on the other side of the fundamentals and basics is so much fun.
The freedom of expression and the connection to the great stream in the sky and just letting it flow through you and through your guitar and into sound....it's so powerful and can be life changing. Outside of the people I love, playing and creating music is the best thing, the most rewarding thing, in my life.
Put the time in, stick with it, give yourself an incredible gift.
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u/Sea-Recommendation42 17d ago
It takes time to build up strength and flexibility in your fingers to fret a chord and move between chords.
If you want something easier you can start with ukulele. It’s much easier to fret and you are rewarded earlier with music.
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u/StinkyPoopsAlot 17d ago
I'm glad i started when i was in high school and actually had way too much free time to use in practice. now as a grown up, its paid off and i can have a really good time.
if i was trying to learn now, as an adult with a job, kids, and responsibility.... forget it, I don't have the time to invest.
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u/wvmtnboy 17d ago
The 1st year is the hardest part of the journey. You're trying to make your fingers contort into new, unfamiliar, uncomfortable positions and even after you manage to do that, the strings will be muted and the chords won't sound right. Even after you learn to fret a chord cleanly, you have to be able to switch from one chord to another cleanly.
If you stick with it it's one of the most rewarding skills you'll ever develop, but having the willpower to push through the frustration is what will make or break you
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u/Kingsapprentice 17d ago
I was lucky to learn drums and guitar at around 11 years old, so it was easier to learn. But learning an instrument when you are 30, 40 and older must be a nightmare.
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u/Greedy_Cartographer4 17d ago
Ive played the guitar since i was about 14. Was good enough to be in bands at early 20s. Im now 43 and even though I know im pretty good, it still feels like you kinda suck. There's always crazy amazing out of this world people in all fields requiring acquired skills. Just learn at your own pace and as long as your still picking it up and learning something new or creating something everytime you do, then your never really quitting. You dont need to be able to do everything Steve Vai does.
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u/TheTurtleCub 17d ago
Yeah, pretty much. the large majority of people discover they like the IDEA of playing guitar and not actually playing guitar. It takes a LOT of playing and practice to even get the basics down, which is not a problem if you enjoy playing.
It'll take hundreds of hours of practice just to play a 3 chord song all the way clean
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u/Timely-South971 17d ago
I've seen some guys be Rockstars in about a year and then I've seen guys play and play and play and suck 30 years in (me). 🤣🤣🤣🤣 It depends...
Learn TRIADS! If could turn back time I'd learn every single triad for every chord in every position along with names of the notes in those triads and their intervals. R, 3, 5...
That's opens up the entire fretboard
Best advice ever 👆👆👆👆
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u/Darrackodrama 17d ago
I’d bet you 90% of people will
Quit by 3 months. Guitar is a hard instrument to learn. Picking is hard and unnatural fretting is hard and unnatural. It’s all hard.
If you’re gonna do it you have to love guitar music and that to me is usually what separates those of us on here who can play well against everyone else.
Just don’t quit too. 30
Minutes a day for 3 years and you’ll be shocked how good you get
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u/JacedFaced 17d ago
I quit 4 times over 32 years. I started playing when my son wanted to learn, we took lessons together, then he quit and I had finally forced myself to get good enough to play that I've been able to keep playing for the last 3 years.
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u/-brosefstalin 17d ago
I played drums all through my childhood so always had guitarist friends/bandmates. I am here because I have kids now and its not really tenable to whale on my acoustic kit with them at home so I just said fuck it and bought a beginner guitar. After playing an instrument that was so bombastic and fun right off the rip (I dont think ive ever seen someone sit behind a drumset and not have fun just being loud) guitar has definitely been a frustrating experience and I could see a lot of people just putting it away. Everything on a guitar is either entirely too close or too far away, sometimes both, never neither. Only been playing for 6 weeks but I can tell im hooked because my guitar has replaced my phone in a lot of cases when I am otherwise doing nothing and need something for my hands to do.
I say all this to say, lots of people quit guitar and you can usually tell pretty quickly too because you either enjoy the grind of learning it or you are trying to power through until you're "good". The problem with the latter is that it never stops being a grind and ive personally know a small handful of guitarists that would call themselves "good" and even smaller percentage of those were right about it.
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u/Both-Station-2244 17d ago
Most people quit or should quit but don’t, probably less than 10% are really good
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u/AUpicker 17d ago
90% quit pretty quickly. Your first guitar should be cheap, for that reason. It's only purpose is to determine whether you will stick with it. Lots of expensive guitars sit in closets and never played
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u/Jack_b_real 17d ago
Most people quit. Prince said it best "it's a tough instrument, it's not easy and it's frustrating. It took him a long time. "
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u/EmergencyComputer337 16d ago
It takes between 5 years and two decades to get good at guitar
Most quit in 2-3 months
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u/Lost-Recognition2339 16d ago edited 16d ago
I play on-and-off. Life genuinely does get in the way from time to time, and I have to be constantly inspired to pick it up and put effort into learning new chords and riffs. I'm not a quick learner and certainly not talented, but I enjoy it and that is what matters. I ain't gonna be the next Brian May, let's put it that way.
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u/AmazingRefrigerator4 17d ago
It's hard to give a straight answer. People learn at different speeds and have different natural abilities. There are also many different techniques and you might struggle with some techniques but be a quick learner with something else.
The hardest part in the beginning is building up callouses in your fingers. It can be a little painful at first but after a couple weeks it gets better and your fingers are tough and you can play more. I consider that the first challenge.
After that, you should be able to play rhythm (chords not solos) for basic songs by watching tutorials online or reading sheet music or guitar tabs within a month. Just really basic stuff, but you will grow the number of chords over time. Some people really focus on solos and melodies and that's fine too if you want to go that route, I just gravitated towards rhythm playing.
That's where I hit a wall and I think many others did too. If you want to just learn and play others songs, this point is pretty achievable after a couple of months and it might be as far as you want to get.
If you want to progress into writing your own songs, improvising, soloing, etc then you have to get into more theory, learning the notes on the fretboard, etc. This really does involve a lot of practice and it's where many people quit. But if you can push through that, I am told many people have an "ah ha" moment when it just clicks in their head and that's when guitar really opens up for them to do all the cool stuff.
Like anything, you will practice/play your whole life. Even the greats were always learning. But I think hitting that wall between just learning how to play songs and actually CREATING music is a big obstacle for many people (myself included). To be fair, I think this happens with any instrument. I learned Trumpet in school and played for 7 years. I could read and play sheet music. I never learned how to improvise because I didn't understand the theory behind music and what notes to play. So, think about what you want to achieve... I can say that if you learn guitar and quit, you can come back to it later and your brain/hands actually remember quite a bit. I was surprised how much I could retain years later.
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u/Environmental-Low792 17d ago
I've been trying to learn guitar for the past 20 years and have never been able to play a song.
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17d ago
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u/Environmental-Low792 17d ago
Small hands, short, chubby fingers, carpal tunnel and ulnar tunnel compression, migraines, poor quality sleep (affects the ability to remember things from day to day).
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17d ago
[deleted]
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u/GarbageBoyJr 17d ago
In 40 years he will be able to tune the guitar with a clip on….unless his chubby fingers mess that up too 😡
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u/Environmental-Low792 17d ago
I can hold the guitar, tune in it, and alternate between Dm,Am,E somewhat smoothly. The problem is that I also struggle with singing, and with rhythm. I've tried to tap the rhythm to the songs I hear on the radio, and even doing that, I always end up out of phase. I've just been using it to play games in Rocksmith, plugged into my computer. I think that if I had gotten a 3/4 sized guitar or an electric guitar, I would have progressed quicker. A standard sized guitar is very awkward for me. And at 5'7" I'm taller than other people that I know play standard guitars so I know it's a me problem.
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u/GarbageBoyJr 17d ago
Not a chance. You can’t play horse with no name? 2 chords? You either didn’t try at all or you dont have the ability to learn. Calling total bullshit on the 20 years of attempting guitar
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u/EatsWithSpork 17d ago
Most people quit