The Jam - Post Punk, David Watts

The Jam: Little Boy Soldier [purchase ]I plan to approach this new theme, at least in part, by discussing the various ways that artists become inspired to write. I have at least three posts in mind, and this… (in post Songwriting: Little Boy Soldier from Star Maker Machine. Download this at Amazon More by this artist at eMusic iTunes)

Everybody learns at their own rate and in a style that is comfortable for them. This is true whether a person is learning to drive, learning math, or learning how to play the guitar. In this article I will examine different ways to learn the guitar, and in the process, maybe help you decide which way is right for you.

When someone asks me which musical instrument I would recommend for them or their children, I usually say the piano, mainly because a person would receive the most all around musical training on this grand instrument. However, the guitar is a very close second. The guitar is great for it's portability, the popularity of the instrument, and just because they are cool!

There are a couple ways to learn to play the guitar. If you are lucky enough to have a friend or sibling that plays (and is patient) you may be able to talk them into showing you a couple things to get you started. From there, you can either take private lessons from a guitar teacher, or get guitar lessons online.

Private lessons big obvious benefit is that there is an instructor right there to correct mistakes before they become bad habits. Your instructor can show you how to play music of your choosing too, you are not bound to learning only what's in the online course. Private guitar lessons can be very expensive though. Normally you buy lesson times in blocks in advance, this can be a large chunk of money to have to come up with all at once.

Online guitar lessons can be done at your own speed which is a good and bad thing. There is no one there to push you to keep moving forward. Most online guitar methods or systems have plenty of diagrams, pictures, and videos, and can be a good way to learn guitar. They are usually set up as "pay once for the entire course" then you have options to purchase further specialized training. For example: lead guitar, acoustic guitar, or blues guitar. Really, for the price you can't go wrong purchasing one of these packages.

What it comes down to in learning guitar is learning new things, practicing them until they are virtually automatic, then moving on to new areas and repeating.

John Phillips has played the guitar for 30 years and is owner of http://www.ucanplaytheguitar.com a great resource for finding online guitar lessons and private guitar lessons.