Depending how serious you are about your desire to learn how to play the guitar, there are many steps which you should take before you actually set about learning. If you do not already know your end goal, decide why you want to learn to play the guitar. Do you simply want to learn how to play an instrument and the guitar seemed like a good choice? Do you want to play in a band or create your own music? Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn to play the guitar may be, having an understanding of why you want to learn is key to staying motivated during the times in which the process may seem tedious or difficult.
After you have determined your end goal in learning to play the guitar you need to decide what type of guitar you want to learn and what type of music you want to play. In the beginning it is not imperative that you decide what type of music you want to play since a great deal of your practice will be consumed by the basics of notes and chords. But, as you progress, knowing what type of guitar music you like best will help you to find easy guitar songs that you enjoy to fit into your practice schedule to round-out your developing skills. The best way to decide what type of guitar and what type of music you want to play is to listen to a variety of music. From classical to country and blues to heavy metal there are countless varieties of guitar music and there are certain types of guitars that are best for some of these types. For example, if you decide that you want to play heavy metal music you would do better to learn to play the electric guitar than the acoustic. If, however, you prefer softer music and, perhaps, want to play in coffeehouses or compose your own music, the acoustic guitar might be a better choice.
Once you have made the decision which type of guitar and which type of guitar music you want to play you can take the initial steps in your learning. One of the most important things you must decide is how to want to learn to play the guitar. Will you hire a private instructor who will be able to give you individualized attention or will you enroll in a class that offers lessons for beginners in an informal setting? You may even decide to take free guitar lessons online, an option that is often free and rising in popularity among new guitarists. Once you have made all of these decisions you will be ready to learn how to play the guitar - all you must do now is practice!
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