How Long Does It Take To Learn Guitar?

Many people ask, how long does it take to learn guitar? And the answer is never a simple one. It depends on several things:

• What level do you consider to be ‘able to play’?
• How regularly are you going to practice?
• How do you practice?
• Your age and ability.

Is your idea of being able to play just about being good enough to strum along to your own singing or jamming with mates? Or are you wanting to be stage proficient for local gigs? Or are you wanting to play amazing jazz/classical pieces, know advanced theory, be able to learn a piece by ear and have a huge repertoire remembered? In this latter case it is likely to take you a lifetime of complete dedication, but as for the others, well read on..

Regular practice means as close to daily as you can manage (5 days a week will do). Even a twenty-minute slot will be sufficient over the first few weeks while your fingers harden up. To try to blitz a five-hour session only to wait a week for the next, thinking you are putting in the required weekly hours is counter productive.

You are going to have to get your hands and fingers used to doing something they are not used to doing – very precise and coordinated movements. You will be using muscles you did not know you had and you will be building calluses on the finger tips of your chord playing hand. A good analogy is like learning to walk. It is simply something that can only be achieved by daily routine.

On the subject of routine, this is how you should practice, find a time that fits in with your busy schedule on a daily basis. Maybe when you get in from work or after an evening meal. Make it a time when you know you will have half an hour, or whatever. I have heard of people who pick up a guitar during the ad breaks and play until their program restarts. This is fine as long as it is a focused three minutes of practice and you are not distracted by what is on the T.V or going on around you.

If you are only just starting and you find your fingers are getting too sore after ten minutes it is OK to rest up and come back to it later. Just keep coming back to it and over the first two weeks you should find your finger tips are adjusting.

As mentioned your practice should be focused on trying to play the chords/song clearly and in tempo. It’s good to go slow until you start getting used to a sequence of chord changes, say, then speed up as you find you can play it cleanly.

While doing this you are developing your strumming skills as well – a good strumming pattern can make all the difference to a song. Initially you will just be making sure the pick brushes all six strings evenly but you will very quickly learn different patterns. And it is amazing how different a song can sound using a different strum pattern.

Another factor is what study aid you intend to use. There are tutors, book courses and online tuition available and each has its benefits. It is a personal choice but to help you decide which one is for you see

Age can make a difference. It is impressive how quickly 11-18 year olds can pick things up and this is a great age to start learning. Older adults can also have a mental conditioning that often makes them think something new is hard to learn which can hold them back. But there is no reason for this. Learning something new helps keep the mind active and alert and is highly recommended by medical professionals.

It is safe to say people usually learn guitar in fits and starts. It’s easy to get into a routine where you might have learnt a few songs and you just keep practising the same ones over and over and not progress further. Some kids start learning because their parents might have told them to and they spend six months not fully committed before leaving it. But then at some point in their future their priorities change, may be it now seems a cool thing to do, and take it up again. Learning is rarely a linear progression.

Natural ability will come into it, especially at first, and this is where younger learners might have an advantage, however, a student with massive ability who doesn’t practice much will be passed by the ‘tortoise’ who picks up their guitar daily and tries to learn a new chord or a new song.

Passion is by far the thing most likely to get you playing to a good standard. Where discipline will surpass natural ability, passion surpasses discipline. Love playing along to songs or playing along to your singing and you will have a passion you won’t want to put down. Really get lost in the music even write your own material and try to learn your favourite riffs and solos and your playing will improve, and even if it doesn’t, you’ll be enjoying too much to care.

So, how long does it take to learn guitar?

Well, If I had to give an answer, based on the criteria above, I would say, as a guideline:

• 2/3 weeks – having learnt a few basic chords you should be able to play basic strumming to a few songs. Should be able to accompany yourself singing.
• 1/2 months – half a dozen chords and more easy level guitar songs. Maybe some single string picking. Note half a dozen chords will be enough to play thousands of songs.
• 3/6 months – strumming along to rock songs (usually the easiest style). 6 months should be enough to jam with friends. (hey, look. Your already a guitarist and probably enjoying yourself.)
• 1 year – you are an intermediate player who looks comfortable playing and able to play riffs and licks, maybe some easy solos. You are ready to play in a band. If going into classical you will be reading music.
• 2 years – having mastered more technical elements you are able to play most songs. New songs are easy to learn now and you could be a gigging musician.
• 3 years – can improvise if theory has been learnt
• 5 years – if you have still been progressing and learning you are now an advanced guitarist, playing and entertaining people regularly.

The above schedule is assuming regular playing and continual learning. It does not have to be all cold and mechanical practice (although a certain amount is needed), just play along to something and enjoy it. If you make mistakes, keep practising that bit you found awkward, slowly at first – there is no need to go back to the beginning. When you are able to play along with others, listen adapt to what is being played around you and play in time to them.

Learn and complete a course before specialising in styles. It is better to have all the basics mastered, any progress from there will be quicker and  easier because of it. Work on your weaknesses, not just the bits you like.

It has been said that you need 10,000 hours of practising an instrument before you can play it. That might be the case for top-level professionals who start playing at six years old (even at 5 hours a day, which is not practical, that would take 5.5 years). But really you can be enjoying playing guitar after just a couple of lessons – maybe 5 hours practice.)

The guitar is one of the easier instruments to play although it may not seem like it at first.

Another way to answer the question is:

How long does it take to learn guitar? a lifetime.

If your thinking of learning guitar, or have already started but are looking for ways to improve check out this

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