Guitar lessons online for beginners are a great way for people to learn to play the instrument today. Thanks to the rise of the Internet, the possibilities are endless. However, this has not always the case, and some of the most famous guitarists today never had the option of online music lessons. With that being said, read on to find out how they learnt.
Let’s begin with Kurt Cobain. He received his first guitar from his uncle for his 14th birthday, and as he recalls, he became obsessed with it. Although he can’t remember the model of his first guitar, the first song he played was AC/DC’s Back in Black, and he learned with a mere one month’s worth of lessons.
The story of Brian May learning the guitar is quite incredible, as he actually built his first electric guitar. He also received a guitar as a birthday present – a Spanish style acoustic one. He largely taught himself how to play the guitar, although he did have some formal lessons when younger.
Jimi Hendrix is arguably the most influential guitar player of all time, and his first acoustic guitar cost a mere $5. A year later, he purchased a Supro Ozark 1560S. He learned by ear, and also sought advice from musicians in the area. The first song he learnt was the theme from Peter Gunn.
Finally, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong learnt the traditional way, i.e. via guitar lessons. His first guitar was a Fernandes Stratocaster.
Things You Should Know Before Learning To Play
You will have plenty of options at your disposal, and online is undoubtedly an effective way of learning, as you can go at your own pace and learn as and when you please. Nevertheless, before taking any guitar lessons online, read on to discover some things you should know before playing.
Firstly, let’s be frank, your fingers are going to hurt! It will come and go. You will get used to it, but then the pain will spring on you again. Unfortunately, it’s pretty much standard procedure. Oh, and you will probably get hand cramps too, but there are some exercises you can do to get rid of this, so don’t worry about it. You will also have to get yourself acquainted with the turning and restringing of your instrument. As James Bay states, it is really boring, but you will break and lose strings, so restringing a lot is normal.
You don’t need to start off with an expensive guitar. Practice is more important than gear. Plus, if you are planning on making songs, you will need more than just your guitar. Check out this Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 review to get started.
You’re not going to be great in the beginning, but embrace it. You will be having so much fun you probably won’t care. Don’t get too wound up about technical skills. Of course, you need them, but knowing too much can sometimes stunt your creativity, and artistic expression can often be more important than technical skills.
Joe is a friend and contributing Author to Lifein12keys.com. He lives in Longwood, Florida with his wife Bethanne and sons Patrick and Joe Jr.