FAQ

How long does it take to learn to play the guitar?
How often should I change my strings?
Should I learn to play Nylon/Steel string acoustic guitar first before learning electric?
I am left-handed! Should I learn to play left handed?
How old should my child be to start guitar lessons?
What size guitar does my child need?
Is a half hour lesson once per week long enough?

How long does it take to learn to play the guitar?

This is one of the more difficult questions to answer, as there are so many variables.
To start with what does one expect of a guitarist. Some think that sitting around a campfire strumming chords to some folk ditty is the end goal. Whilst others have a burning desire to become the next Joe Pass, George Golla, Tommy Emanuel, Steve Via or whoever. Then there is the question of how much playing one is willing or able to put in, also, obviously there is the question of natural abilities.

I sincerely believe that most people can learn to play a musical instrument if sufficiently motivated. We are not all going to be geniuses but most can achieve a degree of satisfaction that is equivalent to input. In close to thirty years of teaching I have struck possibly five or six students that had little hope of achieving any thing on the guitar.

As for the how long question I usually answer it in this way.

Within three months or thereabouts the student should be able to play and read simple folk melodies and play an appropriate chordal accompaniment to these.

Within a year [or less] the student should be able to start participating in, and establishing a pop/rock band type situation if that is their desire.

Beyond that it really gets down to what you expect of your guitar playing. One could never claim [with any credibility] to know all that there is to know about guitar or music.

How often should I change my strings?

On acoustic instruments as often as possible.
Strings lose their zap for want of a better word. Think of your acoustic guitar as a mini piano. You should be able to hear each string singing/vibrating and the body of your guitar vibrating in unison and enhancing the sound.

The quality of your instrument is the governing factor here. You can put new strings on a dud guitar and it will still sound like a dud guitar Strings lose their zap through the tension placed upon them, the perspiration layered on them [from sticky fingers] and, obviously, how hard a life they get. I change my acoustic strings every six to eight weeks, meaning I would like to change them monthly.

On electric guitar my thinking is similar, but on my favorite guitar a semi-acoustic I have flat wound strings for the jazz sound they give. I just clean them regularly and replace them when a string breaks. I personally like the sound of heavy strings so a string rarely breaks.

Should I learn to play Nylon/Steel string acoustic guitar first before learning electric?

No, not necessarily.
There are certain advantages of learning an acoustic instrument first. Acoustic instruments are more stable when sitting down and therefore more concentration can be given to left hand /right hand technique in the early stages of learning. You don’t have to fight for control of the instrument. The purists amongst us would also say that that the origins of the instrument lie with acoustic instruments. Hard to fight that thought.

Having said all that, I think that the motivation of the student is the most important factor. Some students think of guitar playing on an acoustic instrument as the goal, others an electrically amplified instrument. There is still some anti re electric guitar. As a guitarist if you are going to be heard in a contemporary music situation i.e. with bass, drums, sax section, piano what ever, you are going to have to be amplified electrically one way or another.

I am left-handed! Should I learn to play left handed?

If you are a full bottle molly dook (lefty) of course you should play left handed.
A guitarists strong /favored hand should always be striking the strings i.e. over the sound hole, over the pick-ups. Some people do some things with their left hand and other things with their right hand. For these people I explain the above and leave the choice up to them.

How old should my child be to start guitar lessons?

Ten year olds and above generally have the physical capabilities to play the guitar.
Below that each child should be evaluated on an individual basis. The youngest child I have successfully taught was a seven year old boy, but he was very large for his age.

What size guitar does my child need?

A three quarter guitar can be easier for a smaller child to handle.
Just remember that a full sized instrument will have to be purchased later. In general a visit to your local music store will determine what feels comfortable for your child.

Is a half hour lesson once per week long enough?

Yes, unless you have been studying your instrument with a tutor for a number of years. You and he/she will know when the length of your lesson time should be increased.
During the lesson your tutor sets tasks that you are to achieve over the next week. It is the playing of the instrument at home to achieve the tasks set that is time consuming. The next lesson the tutor evaluates your progress and then decides whether or not you are ready to move on. The student should throughout their tuition be applying the skills they are learning to the music of their choice and bringing this to their tutor’s attention. Musical personality is an evolving process.