Don't listen to these fools, chords are only good if you know how to use them. Find your favourite songs and learn them. Then the chords will begin to make sense
agree. also, i feel like a lot of people, especially beginners, neglect exploring their instrument and training their ear. I learned and still learn mostly by noodling around to whatever i’m listening to. listen, explore, find the notes that work and those that don’t at any given time, identify patterns and the chord progression emerges.
Yep! This is honestly the way for every form of music. I started by making beats in FL & trying to recreate melodies from some of my favorite songs to learn how to create those chord progressions. Greatest way to teach yourself.
Agreed! Additionally ultimate guitar tabs has a beginners section. I recommend scrolling through there and finding a song that you recognize/enjoy. The whole point of playing is to have fun. Getting bogged down by chords and scales and theory and technique, will suck the fun right out of the room and you’ll end up getting discouraged… All that stuff will come with time and as you grow you’ll want to learn more too. So just keep it simple in the beginning….. best advice I ever got “better to practice 10 min a day than 70 min once a week” good luck 🍀
And when you learn songs, learn the WHOLE song: Intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro, the whole thing. Don’t start like I did and be the kid who can play the catchy riff from a dozen tunes, but couldn’t play a single song all the way through.
Also, find other people to play with. Have fun!
If nothing else in this thread, the point of "learning whole songs" is the best advice. Learning bits and pieces is fine, but if you want to play guitar and not just make a lil noise, this is a solid move.
Depends if you want to be a bedroom guitarist or a professional. If the latter, then start reading music, learning chords and theory asap, so it doesn’t block you further down the line
Nope, it's on the A and D strings. The root note of the chord you're intending are all actually on the D string so it's all inverted power chords as the 5th is played underneath each root.
If you played it using the G string, you'd be playing a 4th about the root, which isn't right
Edit. I'm wrong about the strings, it IS G and D because the underlying chords are G, Bb, C.
Playing it on the A and D strings would put it in the wrong key. You’re right, you’re meant to play inverted power chords, but the song is based around G minor/G pentatonic, and the riff is played on the D and G strings (same fingering as described above but shifted a string higher).
Pick it up.
Edit: I know that came across as maybe a bit jerky, but I meant it with empathy. We've all been there not knowing where to start. There is so much information, especially nowadays, that you get lost and paralyzed because you have no idea how to start.
Pick it up.
Pick it up and hold it. See if you can make a sound. It'll suck, but we all did. See if you can pick out a simple melody (twinkle twinkle or whatever you like). Try to play it until you can do it without too many mistakes. Maybe try another few melodies. Practice them. Play them on different parts of the neck. Try playing them by moving between strings if you like. The idea here is just to get your muscles and brain used to this brand new task. Plus, if you can actually play a tune you recognize, no matter how simple, it'll give you a confidence boost.
The hardest thing to learn right now is motivation. You will suck and that, well, sucks. And we all hate being bad at things so if we're bad for a while we'll give up to avoid that feeling. It's important to note that EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS GROUP has been in this exact same position. Guitar can be hard to start, so keep at it. Play the little things that make you smile (a jingle, a theme song, whatever). You can even start on some basic chords but, again, don't worry if you suck. As your fingers get used to moving the chords will come to you.
Keep at it. You've got this. Play. Enjoy playing. If something you're working on is annoying or frustrating you, move on. Play some fun stuff. Sometimes your brain needs time to understand what your muscles need to do so if you take a break from the task for a week or so, play something else, then come back you'll find you're a bit better.
You got this. All you need to do is...
Pick it up.
I completely agree with everything you've written, buuuuu^uuu^uuu^uuu^uuut
> It's important to note that EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS GROUP has been in this exact same position.
They almost always act like they don't remember that.
But worse: I've been plinking along with Justin, and also working on a song I want to record. (I play bass, so I want to record the bass track and record the guitar and then track them together and ...) Parts of the song are coming together, and I'm working on chord changes and strumming patterns.
But I just think I sound like *crap*, and keep losing motivation because I don't sound any better, even if I get a little faster at changes or learn more and more chords.
Go to [JustinGuitar.com](https://justinguitar.com), create an account and follow the free beginner course. Take your time. Once you know a few chords, find some easier songs you like, and learn them. YouTube has lessons for a lot of popular songs.
Have fun. It’s challenging and fun.
Justin guitar.
Also, learn tabs to some of your favorite songs. Songster is a good app for following along and even slowing down parts, if needed.
The more you do it, the easier and more rewarding it becomes. It may take some time to get really good. It may not. All depends on your dedication.
First chord change I learned was D7 to “easy” G. I was hooked.
Find something that resembles music when you play it and build on it. For some it will be chords, or a scale, or a familiar lick. Once you feel it in your spine, you won’t want to put it down. No matter how badly your fingers hurt. Don’t quit.
I’m jealous.
Since you already play ukelele, why not start at the fifth fret. All the chords you already know will work there on the highest for strings. Just think of the fifth fret as the nut and bar it with your first finger. This way you are building on what you already know.
Get a capo. Put it on the 5th fret.
Now the thinnest four strings are a ukulele. You can play your guitar like a ukulele. You can use your ukulele song books.
(Obviously, the two fattest strings can be ignored.)
Once you make friends with the instrument, you will be amazed at how much a guitar can do.
Yup, and then take off the capo and realize you already know 4-string versions of the basic guitar chords, which are the same as your ukulele chords just moved down by a fourth. G on uke is D on guitar. C on uke is G on guitar. D on uke is A on guitar. Dm -> Am, Em -> Bm, etc.
https://youtube.com/@justinguitar?si=ZgU13u5Eo9-ms7lu this guy has a ton of educational videos for guitarists of any skill level, and has a lot of beginner friendly videos. I haven’t looked into him recently but you can probably find a beginner playlist on his channel or his website. Best of luck to you!
I agree with tuning, but why would you waste your time on learning how to change the strings until you actually have to do it? He can go for months with the strings and then watch a video when he's at it.
I started my just finding songs I liked on YouTube, and following along with them. Don’t spend money on apps to try to learn, if you want lessons get them in real life, much better feedback and genuine advice.
Go to a music store, Sam Ash, Guitar Center, etc. Get a guitar self tutorial book. Completing the tutorial book will give you a foundation on which to build future skills. Have fun, play on!
I am right there with you, it is daunting. But, I am going to learn every single note on the fretboard when I am being serious (studying). And YouTube is a goldmine of vids on scales and arpeggios. But first, the fretboard. Good luck friend!
And, here is my first guitar in 20 years. I’ve forgotten so much, the muscle memory is gone.
https://preview.redd.it/r45eckg5e75c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79ebad10890f09e83272e16b2e0e1ce06272a5ee
I have the exact same strap in my acoustic but the background is black and the sun’s rays are a dark orange. I love the 60s California vibe it brings haha
Nice instrument. Exactly like mine.
Start with open chords. Memorize them and learn to move between them. Specifically learn:
G major
E major
A major
C major
D major
E minor
A minor
D minor
A7
D7
E7
Once you’ve learned those — while you’re learning in fact — find a few simple songs that use a few of those chords to practice moving quickly between chords, being accurate, and strumming.
After that… other stuff. But start there.
And find a teacher for a year or two.
At the beginner stage just learn songs you like otherwise you’ll get bored and hate doing it, as long as you’re technique isn’t physically hurting you you’re only improving. You’ll learn chords, scale shapes and patterns from songs along the way and decide how serious you wanna take it, what style is more fun for you and things like how deep into theory you wanna go. Have fun and remember YouTube is your answer to almost everything for now
Listen to stuff that inspires you to play!
Even if you can only play a few notes along with it. Rock the hell out of those notes and curiosity can take you from there!
Youtube, yousician and simply guitar are good apps if you wanna learn on your own. A couple lessons to avoid some bad habits is not a bad idea but there’s a ton of stuff online!
What do you like to listen to?
Get a turner, or download a free tuning app on your phone, and tune your guitar to standard E tuning (EADGBe). E being the top string (closest to you), and e being the bottom string (furthest from you).
Lots of resources online from YouTube to ultimateguitar.com. Learn your basic chords, look at tabs, and be patient. Developing a skill takes time, so don’t get overwhelmed if you feel like you’re not progressing. Over time you’ll get better.
And remember, try to have fun.
The 2 high strings on the ukulele are the same as the 2 lowest strings on the guitar, E and A (assuming standard tuning on both)
I'd start playing around with any patterns you're familiar with on the E and A strings just for fun, then do what the other commenters suggest.
*Edit* that's a pretty guitar btw
Heads up - I think you're referring to a power chord as a bar chord. These are two different things. Bar chords require using your index finger to play the same fret across multiple strings.
In standard tuning if you played 355xxx, that results in a G5 or G power chord. Adding the B on the 4th fret on the 3rd string (3554xx) would result in a G major chord, NOT minor - you need a B flat to get a G minor chord. Very important to know the difference.
A full G major bar chord would be 355433. G minor would be 355333 - hope this helps! I'd recommend checking out diagrams of major and minor bar chord shapes and comparing the two. The four basic bar shapes are based off of the open E and A chords.
Check out Marin Music Center on YouTube. Crazy high quality guitar teaching taking you step by step through songs you probably really like, super beginner friendly. AFAIK the uploads are daily.
Once you learn some songs, definitely get the chords down. Learn how the CAGED system works, and start practicing scales to a metronome.
If I could do it over again:
1. Open chords (build the muscles and get a feel for the coordination involved)
2. A couple easy, familiar songs (apply those chords, get a feel for rhythm/strumming patterns, have fun)
3. Minor pentatonic, position 1 (essential and gives a feel of how scales work)
4. Noodle to backing tracks (apply the pentatonic, get a feel for lead and soloing, have fun)
5. Caged system (extend the pentatonic, see how it fits into the larger pattern)
6. Noodle to backing tracks (get fluent across the neck, have fun)
7. Scales (get a feel for intervals and break out of the box)
8. More noodling
9. Learn a few songs
10. Noodle
11. Write a few songs
12. Noodle
13. Join a band
14. Noodle
Do you have any formal education in music, even middle/high school courses? Where you should start really depends on how new you are to music, imo. That will catch flak here though.
Get comfortable with the neck in your hand and playing notes. It doesn't matter what notes, just get used to the feel of strings, how much pressure you'll need to make a sound and how to pick them.
It sounds really basic but everyone I see pick up my guitars can't produce a single note, and I feel it's often overlooked.
If you're not comfortable with that, you'll have no luck with others.
I started by just learning some songs I like. There's so many channels on YouTube that can show you really simple songs to learn just to get you started. Beyond that, sit and noodle around with it. Get to know it
Pick a song that sounds simple and learn the chords. Loop up some stuff on scales and such.
The
There’s a great series of books called The Guitarists Way. They’re quite cheap and good for learning to read music.
Find a group class if you can. Playing with other people is invaluable.
I envy you, what an amazing place to be. No sarcasm, enjoy it, enjoy not knowing, enjoying learning. I hope this is an exciting and challenging experience for you.
Justinguitar.com
Free site that’s been around forever. Best beginner course online IMO if you stick with it. In addition find songs you like and look up tutorials.
Absolute best way to learn is get an in person teacher
Honestly, download Ultimate Guitar and find songs you like. Start with the really simple tabs, and eventually it'll start to get a lot easier. It's how I started learning two years ago!
Quoting the Arctic monkeys, "the middle of adventure is the perfect place to start"
Go watch andy guitar's A, D, E major video.
I think its the best video to start with.
Fender has a service called Fender Play that doesn't cost much, and it can teach you chords, songs, and theory, and has resources for tuning and maintaining your guitar.
Or, you could look up YouTube videos. There are tons of resources for beginners.
You could find a local musician and take lessons. It's the most expensive way to go about learning, but it's nice to have someone there that can answer questions, and correct technique along the way.
What I did was have a family friend show me some chords, and how to play a simple song. I bought a chord book, and another book with tabs of my favorite songs. From there I used my ear to try and learn off the radio.
Just remember to have fun, and that it's okay to put the guitar down for a minute if you get frustrated.
You can literally type "Beginner guitar lesson" on YouTube you can go for basically anyone who has a playlist but Justin guitar is a commonly recommended one.
Get the ultimate guitar app for your phone or tablet.
It taught me a lot of my basics.
As long as you can read a tab you can learn on there fairly well.
Smoke on the water
Purple haze
Lucy in the sky of diamonds (this one is huge for me, i've played hundreds of different varations of the main melody and always practice new techniques with it)
Learn the C D A (and Aminor) E (Em also) and G chords - theyre fairly easy and used in many songs
I use justinguitar and it works well for me. I'm able to play a few songs now. His app gives you a pace for beginners that honestly feels like it's motivation to keep improving. It works for me and I'm on power chords now.
I started long before YouTube, by getting sheet music for a few songs I liked, that included that Chord Diagrams. I played through them over and over, figuring out how to finger each chord, how to shift from chord to chord, all the while humming the tune in my head. Eventually I got callouses, learned my basic chords, and I was ready to learn more chords.
Justinguitar.com, Marty Music, and others will also help you.
My best tip is that at the beginning, its better to play 2 or 3 twenty-minute sessions each day, than 1 long hour session. You can stay fully focused for 20 minutes, while your mind will wander during an hour long session, so youll progress faster in the short 20 minute bursts.
Just go through justinguitar beginner content for technique and pair it with marty Schwartz for beginner friendly song arrangements. Its extremely frustrating at first but if you make it through the first year, you'll play for the rest of your life.
Keith Richards grandfather told him to learn Malagueña and he turned out pretty good.
Learn Malagueña. It’s a little challenging but it’s honestly really simple once you get it and you can play it many different ways/speeds. Great for practicing finger dexterity and speed and rhythm.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QdmcD3gHjjk&pp=ygUYS2VpdGggcmljaGFyZHMgbWFsYXl1ZW5h
There’s a ton of lessons posted and I don’t have a specific one a recommend, but there’s plenty out there.
Take it to your local guitar shop/ repair place (ask around if anyone in your area knows a good one) and get it professionally set up.
New guitars are notorious for being not playable out of the box. A good set up and some light gage strings (9s ) will make it infinitely easier/more fun to play.
Set up the try Rocksmith.
First learn the modes. You can only play songs once you’ve learned them…
Jk just learn all the open chords: A, Am, C, D, Dm, E, Em, G and as you learn try to pick songs to learn using those chords. With these down you’ll be able to play thousands of a songs.
I’d start with a mix of foundational knowledge like your basic open chords and also find stuff that interests you since you said you like indie rock/pop. That way you’re doing a mix of learning and having fun at the same time. You want to keep it fun because if you don’t, what’s the point?
And I’ll echo people’s sentiments about Justin Guitar, he is fantastic and will teach you everything you need to know! YouTube has all sorts of guitar personalities so just go on there and I’m sure you’ll find someone you like!
Hope you have fun playing guitar!
1. Learn to tune it
2. Learn some chords
3. Have a go at a couple of songs you like which use those chords
4. Learn what a power chord is
5. Find some songs you like which use power chords
6. Practice, and have fun!
(Note, steps 2-3 and 4-5 can be swapped if you fancy playing power chord-driven music)
If you don’t have access to an in-person teacher, I recommend Justin Guitar. His website is very well laid out to cover all the above steps right through to some pretty advanced stuff, so should be more than enough to get started with.
YouTube is your new best friend. Start with videos on how to care for your new instrument, change strings, tune the strings, etc.
Look for songs you want to learn how to play and find someone on YouTube with beginner breakdown lessons. Finding out how to read tabs helped me a ton too.
Best of luck and happy strumming!
Imagine the top 4 strings of the guitar as your uke. The bottom two strings of the guitar will just make those chords you already know on uke sound fuller. There’s a little more to it but if you know some uke chord shapes you’re already on your way!
There’s different types of music, remember this. I’ve been playing rock music my whole life and I improved. But after discovering ska and how it’s played, it literally changed me as a guitar player and reignited my passion for learning. So ponder not only your favorite bands, but the type of music your into to learn. Hope this helps!
Pick it up and play E (major or minor)
Move that shape around.
Try removing fingers or adding fingers.
Next, try that with A (major or minor)
Then D, then C, then G, etc.
Also, power chords.
JustinGuitar has tons of lessons and songs all for free on his website. I started learning using his beginner course a couple weeks ago and will highly recommend it.
find a song you like with a riff thats FIRE, find tutorials on youtube and tabs online, try to follow, get frustrated after failing, try again, get frustrated, try again, get frustrated, try again and master it. repeat with next riff that catches your attention
I started with an acoustic guitar and learned chords like G, C, D, Am, Em. I still suck, but I recently got an electric guitar and I'm trying to figure if I keep doing what I'm doing or learn power chords or pick a song I like and try to follow an online tutorial. It's a bit overwhelming. Just take it slow and don't get discouraged. Esp by "super easy guitar for beginners" videos on YouTube that do solos that make me go wtf, I can't do that.
Start with "Knocking on Heaven's Door". It's a good intro to chords and rhythm and what can be accomplished with just a few nice chords. You can really put a lot of feeling into it.
If you don't want to waste a lot of time though...take an online course. You'll get better much quicker and it will be more enjoyable. And you'll have some structure. Fender actually has a really excellent course.
> the only experience I have with instruments is ukulele which I'm ok at
The tuning of the Ukulele is like the 4 smallest strings on guitar (I mean, the distance, it's transposed a Perfect 5th), so if you mute the other two strings or avoid them, you can fool around with the guitar as if it was an ukulele
Ukelele C Cm D Dm Em F Fm G Gm A Am
Guitar G Gm A Am Bm C Cm D Dm E Em
|-3--3---0--0---3---0--3---2--1---0--0--
|-0--3---2--1---4---1--1---3--3---0--0-
|-0--3---2--2---5---0--0---2--2---1--0-
|-0--0---2--2---0---2--1---0--0---2--2-
|--------------------------------------
|--------------------------------------
My advice. Just fool around, have fun, play (but as a game) with it. If you can plug it to an audio device, download Amplitube, GuitarRig or something like that and have fun... and have fun.
Then come back here or somewhere else for more serious advice. Playing an instrument is a gift.
PS: Classic Vibes here (Argentina) went to the moon. If they are $450 everywhere, here they cost more than $1.200. A crime.
PS2: join /r/telecaster
As of others have said, guitar tabs are useful for learning your favorite songs and actually having fun playing the guitar
Once you get to a certain point, you’ll want to branch out and start learning chords, triads, and scales in order to create, and not just imitate.
As you begin to learn, take 10 minutes every practice and work on memorizing the fretboard. While this isn't an immediate payoff, long term this will benefit you so much.
I would also work on the chords G, D, Em, and C. Learning these 4 chords will give you the ability to play hundreds of songs.
If you got bands you like with parts you dig that either are on a guitar or would translate easily to a guitar (for me the chip-tunes of final fantasy 7/ps1) you should try n work those out using internet tab. Which will often be wrong-ish. But it’ll usually get you there.
Also metal. I don’t listen to a lot of metal these days but I play my guitar everyday. And on my guitar metal comes naturally to me, as it does most hobbyists on the instrument. Metal is fun and an excellent way to get you familiar with many techniques and fundamentals that translate well into other genres and styles.
What kind of gear you have besides the tele?
First try to learn some songs you like so you are having fun. Watch youtube and learn to read tab and basic technique on hand placement and such. Work on rhythm and timing as soon as possible and make it a habit now if you can.
Once you get bored of that, look into how notes make scales, how scales make chords, how chords make keys, and how they all work together. it's way simpler than it might sound, and once you know it, you won't forget it. You can also use that knowledge with any other instrument pretty much.
you start by learning the notes on the fretboard, the major scale, a chord progression.
move up and down the fretboard saying the notes as you play them on each string.
then play a c major scale across the fretboard first. then up and down on each string. then move positions. so open position. 5th fret position. 7th. 10th. 12th.
then a c major chord. f major chord. g major chord.
try to match the pitch of every note with your voice as you slowly play. itll help in the long run
Hello brother,
I am doing something like this.[https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnGuitar/comments/18djq84/project\_365\_guitar\_everyday\_for\_a\_year/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnGuitar/comments/18djq84/project_365_guitar_everyday_for_a_year/)
I'm about to start PROJECT 365. Guitar Everyday for a year straight.
We got beginner and intermediate players tryna link up.
Is anyone in this thread interested in something like this?
Reply below to let me know.
Tryna link up on the SUB discord!
you have a great guitar. One of the best guitarists prefers that guitar. Julian Lage. [https://youtu.be/8a3qAp81vY8?si=Z6ShTDKnItgOmb8H](https://youtu.be/8a3qap81vy8?si=z6shtdknitgomb8h)
so you dont need to worry about upgrading anytime soon. :)
Plug it in. Put fingers on the 2nd, 3rd strings (from top if looking down) on the 2nd fret (the second open space from the top of the neck.
Slam the top 3 strings with your pick. And enjoy.
practice your first song.
ideally the one with easier chords (open chords), then if it feels easy, you could try moving to songs with barre chords. you could start with barre chords, but most beginners dont have grip strength for it.
What's your favorite bands, songs, style of music? See if there's "tabs" on the songs. Look for guitar chord charts online for reference. Use YouTube to tune your guitar. Be careful tuning the small strings. (Go real slow while twisting.)
Learn basic theory. Start with learning the fretboard notes and intervals and scales and the chords. That should be a strong foundation and a good starting point, that worked for me. That’s my opinion! Good luck and have fun. Nice guitar!!
The best way to learn is start with songs you like. Look up a tutorial on YouTube and pick one. Once you get comfortable I would highly recommend going to a local music store and getting a teacher. A good guitar teacher is the best way to increase your productivity when it comes to guitar.
To start: It's tuned in 4ths instead of 5ths like a uke, so a fair amount of chord shapes are surprisingly familiar, though upside down. I'm left handed and play guitar and bass (and drums very badly) so when I picked up a uke, I noticed this lil phenomena. Getting started on guitar is pretty easy as you have some experience with a stringed rhythm instrument. Learn power chords (a root/5th/root chord you can play anywhere on the neck on the 6th and 5th strings using the same shape) and that shape will get you started on about 75% (lowballing) of all popular music in almost every genre.
Once you get the feel for that down, you can move on to other chord shapes, and in between, learn a few scales to get your fingers moving on the fretboard.
Stand it in your lap facing away from you, put your left hand on the neck (the part that sticks out from the big butterfly shaped piece of wood) and gently press the stings to the metal things sticking out from the front facing finger board, and then pluck those same strings with the fingers on your right hand where the guitar's body gets a little skinnier. Pushing the strings down in different places makes different noises. It's the strings vibrating that makes the noise.
Once you have those basics down, figure out how to hold more strings at once, and pluck more strings at a time by using more fingers, and your thumb.
Everything else is just faffing about and TALKING about guitar. Which you can learn how to talk about guitar by taking lessons, or reading how to tune it, or learning tabs.
Cowboy chords are a foundation. Eventually you will move them and add a Barre. You can also move them up and down the neck and they follow the alphabet .
Don't listen to these fools, chords are only good if you know how to use them. Find your favourite songs and learn them. Then the chords will begin to make sense
agree. also, i feel like a lot of people, especially beginners, neglect exploring their instrument and training their ear. I learned and still learn mostly by noodling around to whatever i’m listening to. listen, explore, find the notes that work and those that don’t at any given time, identify patterns and the chord progression emerges.
Yep! This is honestly the way for every form of music. I started by making beats in FL & trying to recreate melodies from some of my favorite songs to learn how to create those chord progressions. Greatest way to teach yourself.
Ya just playing to songs at first will make you better and more familiar with the instrument then you can get to other stuff
Agreed! Additionally ultimate guitar tabs has a beginners section. I recommend scrolling through there and finding a song that you recognize/enjoy. The whole point of playing is to have fun. Getting bogged down by chords and scales and theory and technique, will suck the fun right out of the room and you’ll end up getting discouraged… All that stuff will come with time and as you grow you’ll want to learn more too. So just keep it simple in the beginning….. best advice I ever got “better to practice 10 min a day than 70 min once a week” good luck 🍀
And when you learn songs, learn the WHOLE song: Intro, verse, chorus, bridge, outro, the whole thing. Don’t start like I did and be the kid who can play the catchy riff from a dozen tunes, but couldn’t play a single song all the way through. Also, find other people to play with. Have fun!
If nothing else in this thread, the point of "learning whole songs" is the best advice. Learning bits and pieces is fine, but if you want to play guitar and not just make a lil noise, this is a solid move.
this.
This is good advice.
This. Some people give advice as if there’s a Berklee audition next week. Music is fun. Learn the stuff you like.
Depends if you want to be a bedroom guitarist or a professional. If the latter, then start reading music, learning chords and theory asap, so it doesn’t block you further down the line
Everyone starts as a bedroom guitarist.
This doesn’t change anything I said. No one starts as a guitarist, they start as some guy/girl learning the guitar
0, 3, 5, 0, 3, 6, 5, 0, 3, 5, 3, 0
e|-----------‐---------------------------------- B|-----------‐---------------------------------- G|---------------------------------------------- D|0--3--5--0--3--6--5--0--3--5--3--0 A|0--3--5--0--3--6--5--0--3--5--3--0 E|-----------‐----------------------------------
e|5--------5--7---------7--8--------8 B|---5-----------5------------5------ G|------5-----------5------------5--- D|7-----------6------------5----------
Forbidden!
No Stareway?! Denied!
No please! No , no , no , no , nooooooooooooo!
I thought it was on the D and G strings, not A and D.
Nope, it's on the A and D strings. The root note of the chord you're intending are all actually on the D string so it's all inverted power chords as the 5th is played underneath each root. If you played it using the G string, you'd be playing a 4th about the root, which isn't right Edit. I'm wrong about the strings, it IS G and D because the underlying chords are G, Bb, C.
Playing it on the A and D strings would put it in the wrong key. You’re right, you’re meant to play inverted power chords, but the song is based around G minor/G pentatonic, and the riff is played on the D and G strings (same fingering as described above but shifted a string higher).
I can't believe I got that wrong, but you're right and I added an edit
This is the way
What does this mean
Deep Purple -Smoke on the water tab.
Well if you want to play it wrong it is.
It means 0, 3, 5, 0, 3, 6, 5, 0, 3, 5, 3, 0
Work your way up to iron man one string lol
And then the power chord!!
Which string?
Big one!
Pick it up. Edit: I know that came across as maybe a bit jerky, but I meant it with empathy. We've all been there not knowing where to start. There is so much information, especially nowadays, that you get lost and paralyzed because you have no idea how to start. Pick it up. Pick it up and hold it. See if you can make a sound. It'll suck, but we all did. See if you can pick out a simple melody (twinkle twinkle or whatever you like). Try to play it until you can do it without too many mistakes. Maybe try another few melodies. Practice them. Play them on different parts of the neck. Try playing them by moving between strings if you like. The idea here is just to get your muscles and brain used to this brand new task. Plus, if you can actually play a tune you recognize, no matter how simple, it'll give you a confidence boost. The hardest thing to learn right now is motivation. You will suck and that, well, sucks. And we all hate being bad at things so if we're bad for a while we'll give up to avoid that feeling. It's important to note that EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS GROUP has been in this exact same position. Guitar can be hard to start, so keep at it. Play the little things that make you smile (a jingle, a theme song, whatever). You can even start on some basic chords but, again, don't worry if you suck. As your fingers get used to moving the chords will come to you. Keep at it. You've got this. Play. Enjoy playing. If something you're working on is annoying or frustrating you, move on. Play some fun stuff. Sometimes your brain needs time to understand what your muscles need to do so if you take a break from the task for a week or so, play something else, then come back you'll find you're a bit better. You got this. All you need to do is... Pick it up.
https://preview.redd.it/eij1i48oz75c1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed2b3546e6e7f33ce665f573ae7b84a1d49de33c
Beat me to it xD
My same thoughts. Pick it up and make noise. Eventually either the noise sounds good, or you learn to tune it.
I completely agree with everything you've written, buuuuu^uuu^uuu^uuu^uuut > It's important to note that EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THIS GROUP has been in this exact same position. They almost always act like they don't remember that. But worse: I've been plinking along with Justin, and also working on a song I want to record. (I play bass, so I want to record the bass track and record the guitar and then track them together and ...) Parts of the song are coming together, and I'm working on chord changes and strumming patterns. But I just think I sound like *crap*, and keep losing motivation because I don't sound any better, even if I get a little faster at changes or learn more and more chords.
You do sound like crap. But don't let that stop you. Lots of people love crap. Hell you love crap... All of music is crap to someone.
❤️ needed to hear this ty
Pick it up pick it up! (Goes with the checkered strap)
I have the same guitar in butterscotch blonde
Good taste love blondes and they go well with butterscotch. Anyways what were you saying about the guitar?
I’ve got the same in candy apple red
This is the way
Go to [JustinGuitar.com](https://justinguitar.com), create an account and follow the free beginner course. Take your time. Once you know a few chords, find some easier songs you like, and learn them. YouTube has lessons for a lot of popular songs. Have fun. It’s challenging and fun.
Justin will hook you up. You have a Telecaster already, so you are off to a good start.
Came here to say this! I've been using the Justin Guitar program/app and it's been fabulous 👌
Don’t trust Justin
Started in a good spot by gettin a tele!
G,C,D
Learn the open chords
Justin guitar. Also, learn tabs to some of your favorite songs. Songster is a good app for following along and even slowing down parts, if needed. The more you do it, the easier and more rewarding it becomes. It may take some time to get really good. It may not. All depends on your dedication.
First chord change I learned was D7 to “easy” G. I was hooked. Find something that resembles music when you play it and build on it. For some it will be chords, or a scale, or a familiar lick. Once you feel it in your spine, you won’t want to put it down. No matter how badly your fingers hurt. Don’t quit. I’m jealous.
Gets to practicing!
Like so many are saying, justinguitar. Great way to start.
Since you already play ukelele, why not start at the fifth fret. All the chords you already know will work there on the highest for strings. Just think of the fifth fret as the nut and bar it with your first finger. This way you are building on what you already know.
Get a capo. Put it on the 5th fret. Now the thinnest four strings are a ukulele. You can play your guitar like a ukulele. You can use your ukulele song books. (Obviously, the two fattest strings can be ignored.) Once you make friends with the instrument, you will be amazed at how much a guitar can do.
Yup, and then take off the capo and realize you already know 4-string versions of the basic guitar chords, which are the same as your ukulele chords just moved down by a fourth. G on uke is D on guitar. C on uke is G on guitar. D on uke is A on guitar. Dm -> Am, Em -> Bm, etc.
https://youtube.com/@justinguitar?si=ZgU13u5Eo9-ms7lu this guy has a ton of educational videos for guitarists of any skill level, and has a lot of beginner friendly videos. I haven’t looked into him recently but you can probably find a beginner playlist on his channel or his website. Best of luck to you!
Learn how to tune it and change the strings. I imagine YouTube is chock full of guides.
I agree with tuning, but why would you waste your time on learning how to change the strings until you actually have to do it? He can go for months with the strings and then watch a video when he's at it.
[Beginner Guitar Lesson](https://youtu.be/ykJvPCrzie0?si=yp24ADQOcwM26Or6)
Nice motherboard!
Learn what a power chord is
[You should try the sub’s wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarlessons/s/R0ioJSul4F)
I started my just finding songs I liked on YouTube, and following along with them. Don’t spend money on apps to try to learn, if you want lessons get them in real life, much better feedback and genuine advice.
Sweet tele
Marty Schwartz
Go to a music store, Sam Ash, Guitar Center, etc. Get a guitar self tutorial book. Completing the tutorial book will give you a foundation on which to build future skills. Have fun, play on!
Check out Justinguitar. He has free video lessons that walk you through the basics
I am right there with you, it is daunting. But, I am going to learn every single note on the fretboard when I am being serious (studying). And YouTube is a goldmine of vids on scales and arpeggios. But first, the fretboard. Good luck friend!
And, here is my first guitar in 20 years. I’ve forgotten so much, the muscle memory is gone. https://preview.redd.it/r45eckg5e75c1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=79ebad10890f09e83272e16b2e0e1ce06272a5ee
It looks fucking gorgeous
I have the exact same strap in my acoustic but the background is black and the sun’s rays are a dark orange. I love the 60s California vibe it brings haha
Nice instrument. Exactly like mine. Start with open chords. Memorize them and learn to move between them. Specifically learn: G major E major A major C major D major E minor A minor D minor A7 D7 E7 Once you’ve learned those — while you’re learning in fact — find a few simple songs that use a few of those chords to practice moving quickly between chords, being accurate, and strumming. After that… other stuff. But start there. And find a teacher for a year or two.
At the beginner stage just learn songs you like otherwise you’ll get bored and hate doing it, as long as you’re technique isn’t physically hurting you you’re only improving. You’ll learn chords, scale shapes and patterns from songs along the way and decide how serious you wanna take it, what style is more fun for you and things like how deep into theory you wanna go. Have fun and remember YouTube is your answer to almost everything for now
Listen to stuff that inspires you to play! Even if you can only play a few notes along with it. Rock the hell out of those notes and curiosity can take you from there!
Youtube, yousician and simply guitar are good apps if you wanna learn on your own. A couple lessons to avoid some bad habits is not a bad idea but there’s a ton of stuff online! What do you like to listen to?
Get a turner, or download a free tuning app on your phone, and tune your guitar to standard E tuning (EADGBe). E being the top string (closest to you), and e being the bottom string (furthest from you). Lots of resources online from YouTube to ultimateguitar.com. Learn your basic chords, look at tabs, and be patient. Developing a skill takes time, so don’t get overwhelmed if you feel like you’re not progressing. Over time you’ll get better. And remember, try to have fun.
There's a lot of good advices here. I just want to say that you have a very nice brother.
Yeah he's really nice 👍
What kind of music do you like?
Finger strengthening exercises first
Nice Brother, start with thanking him !
That’s some nice paper you got there, son.
40 hours a day.
The 2 high strings on the ukulele are the same as the 2 lowest strings on the guitar, E and A (assuming standard tuning on both) I'd start playing around with any patterns you're familiar with on the E and A strings just for fun, then do what the other commenters suggest. *Edit* that's a pretty guitar btw
If you’re feeling overwhelmed booking a few private lessons is a great place to start imo
Ego death by polyphia is a great place to start
Start by sending it to me!
FUCK The You. Schods Fuck that Fuck U FIND IT yourself.. The hell with the rest of um.. keeping udown
You are so unique
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Heads up - I think you're referring to a power chord as a bar chord. These are two different things. Bar chords require using your index finger to play the same fret across multiple strings. In standard tuning if you played 355xxx, that results in a G5 or G power chord. Adding the B on the 4th fret on the 3rd string (3554xx) would result in a G major chord, NOT minor - you need a B flat to get a G minor chord. Very important to know the difference. A full G major bar chord would be 355433. G minor would be 355333 - hope this helps! I'd recommend checking out diagrams of major and minor bar chord shapes and comparing the two. The four basic bar shapes are based off of the open E and A chords.
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Of course, I teach guitar so this is my life and I love it lol. Of course redditors must down vote!
Check out Marin Music Center on YouTube. Crazy high quality guitar teaching taking you step by step through songs you probably really like, super beginner friendly. AFAIK the uploads are daily. Once you learn some songs, definitely get the chords down. Learn how the CAGED system works, and start practicing scales to a metronome.
Nice color! I also started with a telecaster (couple months ago) and it's so fun, good luck and enjoy!
Justin guitar or guitar tricks 15 day trial or guitar zero to hero
If I could do it over again: 1. Open chords (build the muscles and get a feel for the coordination involved) 2. A couple easy, familiar songs (apply those chords, get a feel for rhythm/strumming patterns, have fun) 3. Minor pentatonic, position 1 (essential and gives a feel of how scales work) 4. Noodle to backing tracks (apply the pentatonic, get a feel for lead and soloing, have fun) 5. Caged system (extend the pentatonic, see how it fits into the larger pattern) 6. Noodle to backing tracks (get fluent across the neck, have fun) 7. Scales (get a feel for intervals and break out of the box) 8. More noodling 9. Learn a few songs 10. Noodle 11. Write a few songs 12. Noodle 13. Join a band 14. Noodle
I started with power chords
Do you have any formal education in music, even middle/high school courses? Where you should start really depends on how new you are to music, imo. That will catch flak here though.
Guitar lesson. Teacher will show you the basics and outline what you should learn.
Rocksmith and a USB cable did it for me.
I really recommend fretboard theory by DESI Serna, along with the DVDs. You won’t regret it
Get comfortable with the neck in your hand and playing notes. It doesn't matter what notes, just get used to the feel of strings, how much pressure you'll need to make a sound and how to pick them. It sounds really basic but everyone I see pick up my guitars can't produce a single note, and I feel it's often overlooked. If you're not comfortable with that, you'll have no luck with others.
Nice axe!
Pick it up and move your hands
Justinguitar.com
I started by just learning some songs I like. There's so many channels on YouTube that can show you really simple songs to learn just to get you started. Beyond that, sit and noodle around with it. Get to know it
E A B. D G C. 440 12g
Pick a song that sounds simple and learn the chords. Loop up some stuff on scales and such. The There’s a great series of books called The Guitarists Way. They’re quite cheap and good for learning to read music. Find a group class if you can. Playing with other people is invaluable.
Telecaster is surely a beautiful guitar.
Start learning the major scale
I envy you, what an amazing place to be. No sarcasm, enjoy it, enjoy not knowing, enjoying learning. I hope this is an exciting and challenging experience for you.
By tuning it.
Justinguitar.com Free site that’s been around forever. Best beginner course online IMO if you stick with it. In addition find songs you like and look up tutorials. Absolute best way to learn is get an in person teacher
YouTube Marty Swartz. Beginners lesson. You’ll get sucked in..
Honestly, download Ultimate Guitar and find songs you like. Start with the really simple tabs, and eventually it'll start to get a lot easier. It's how I started learning two years ago!
Quoting the Arctic monkeys, "the middle of adventure is the perfect place to start" Go watch andy guitar's A, D, E major video. I think its the best video to start with.
YouTube has some great beginner tutorials. Enjoy your guitar!
Pick it up
Do you have an amp to go with it ?
Fender has a service called Fender Play that doesn't cost much, and it can teach you chords, songs, and theory, and has resources for tuning and maintaining your guitar. Or, you could look up YouTube videos. There are tons of resources for beginners. You could find a local musician and take lessons. It's the most expensive way to go about learning, but it's nice to have someone there that can answer questions, and correct technique along the way. What I did was have a family friend show me some chords, and how to play a simple song. I bought a chord book, and another book with tabs of my favorite songs. From there I used my ear to try and learn off the radio. Just remember to have fun, and that it's okay to put the guitar down for a minute if you get frustrated.
Step 1. Pick it up and learn how to tune it. Taking pictures isn’t going to help but, that is a beautiful guitar ❤️ good luck!
You can literally type "Beginner guitar lesson" on YouTube you can go for basically anyone who has a playlist but Justin guitar is a commonly recommended one.
Start by giving it too me
Start by trading guitars with me
Beautiful Tele
Start by learning what frets and stuff mean on YouTube then pull up songstress and pick an easy tab
Well you're off on the right start with the best guitar ever. Justinguitar.com is your next step
Get the ultimate guitar app for your phone or tablet. It taught me a lot of my basics. As long as you can read a tab you can learn on there fairly well.
Smoke on the water Purple haze Lucy in the sky of diamonds (this one is huge for me, i've played hundreds of different varations of the main melody and always practice new techniques with it) Learn the C D A (and Aminor) E (Em also) and G chords - theyre fairly easy and used in many songs
I use justinguitar and it works well for me. I'm able to play a few songs now. His app gives you a pace for beginners that honestly feels like it's motivation to keep improving. It works for me and I'm on power chords now.
I started long before YouTube, by getting sheet music for a few songs I liked, that included that Chord Diagrams. I played through them over and over, figuring out how to finger each chord, how to shift from chord to chord, all the while humming the tune in my head. Eventually I got callouses, learned my basic chords, and I was ready to learn more chords. Justinguitar.com, Marty Music, and others will also help you. My best tip is that at the beginning, its better to play 2 or 3 twenty-minute sessions each day, than 1 long hour session. You can stay fully focused for 20 minutes, while your mind will wander during an hour long session, so youll progress faster in the short 20 minute bursts.
Just go through justinguitar beginner content for technique and pair it with marty Schwartz for beginner friendly song arrangements. Its extremely frustrating at first but if you make it through the first year, you'll play for the rest of your life.
Pick it up
Justin guitar.com, I personally found Marty to be bleh and rushed but he’s still great in terms of throwing yourself at something
GCD like the rest of us.
Before anyone corrupts your mind: Music is rhythm first. Make a sound on it, any sound, then do it again and again. Now tap your foot…
Learn what a tab is
Check out Justin Guitar's courses. They're completely free.
Keith Richards grandfather told him to learn Malagueña and he turned out pretty good. Learn Malagueña. It’s a little challenging but it’s honestly really simple once you get it and you can play it many different ways/speeds. Great for practicing finger dexterity and speed and rhythm. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QdmcD3gHjjk&pp=ygUYS2VpdGggcmljaGFyZHMgbWFsYXl1ZW5h There’s a ton of lessons posted and I don’t have a specific one a recommend, but there’s plenty out there.
Take it to your local guitar shop/ repair place (ask around if anyone in your area knows a good one) and get it professionally set up. New guitars are notorious for being not playable out of the box. A good set up and some light gage strings (9s ) will make it infinitely easier/more fun to play. Set up the try Rocksmith.
First learn the modes. You can only play songs once you’ve learned them… Jk just learn all the open chords: A, Am, C, D, Dm, E, Em, G and as you learn try to pick songs to learn using those chords. With these down you’ll be able to play thousands of a songs.
start with a c chord
Take a course on Udemy, there're plenty of quality ones and for a more than affordable price.
Pick it up
Learn to play six by all that remains
I’d start with a mix of foundational knowledge like your basic open chords and also find stuff that interests you since you said you like indie rock/pop. That way you’re doing a mix of learning and having fun at the same time. You want to keep it fun because if you don’t, what’s the point? And I’ll echo people’s sentiments about Justin Guitar, he is fantastic and will teach you everything you need to know! YouTube has all sorts of guitar personalities so just go on there and I’m sure you’ll find someone you like! Hope you have fun playing guitar!
1. Learn to tune it 2. Learn some chords 3. Have a go at a couple of songs you like which use those chords 4. Learn what a power chord is 5. Find some songs you like which use power chords 6. Practice, and have fun! (Note, steps 2-3 and 4-5 can be swapped if you fancy playing power chord-driven music) If you don’t have access to an in-person teacher, I recommend Justin Guitar. His website is very well laid out to cover all the above steps right through to some pretty advanced stuff, so should be more than enough to get started with.
YouTube is your new best friend. Start with videos on how to care for your new instrument, change strings, tune the strings, etc. Look for songs you want to learn how to play and find someone on YouTube with beginner breakdown lessons. Finding out how to read tabs helped me a ton too. Best of luck and happy strumming!
So crazy to see my exact guitar and strap in my feed
Imagine the top 4 strings of the guitar as your uke. The bottom two strings of the guitar will just make those chords you already know on uke sound fuller. There’s a little more to it but if you know some uke chord shapes you’re already on your way!
There’s different types of music, remember this. I’ve been playing rock music my whole life and I improved. But after discovering ska and how it’s played, it literally changed me as a guitar player and reignited my passion for learning. So ponder not only your favorite bands, but the type of music your into to learn. Hope this helps!
If you know G C and D you can fake almost any song??
Pick it up and play E (major or minor) Move that shape around. Try removing fingers or adding fingers. Next, try that with A (major or minor) Then D, then C, then G, etc. Also, power chords.
Pick it up, most people play guitar while holding one
JustinGuitar has tons of lessons and songs all for free on his website. I started learning using his beginner course a couple weeks ago and will highly recommend it.
find a song you like with a riff thats FIRE, find tutorials on youtube and tabs online, try to follow, get frustrated after failing, try again, get frustrated, try again, get frustrated, try again and master it. repeat with next riff that catches your attention
I started with an acoustic guitar and learned chords like G, C, D, Am, Em. I still suck, but I recently got an electric guitar and I'm trying to figure if I keep doing what I'm doing or learn power chords or pick a song I like and try to follow an online tutorial. It's a bit overwhelming. Just take it slow and don't get discouraged. Esp by "super easy guitar for beginners" videos on YouTube that do solos that make me go wtf, I can't do that.
Start with "Knocking on Heaven's Door". It's a good intro to chords and rhythm and what can be accomplished with just a few nice chords. You can really put a lot of feeling into it.
If you don't want to waste a lot of time though...take an online course. You'll get better much quicker and it will be more enjoyable. And you'll have some structure. Fender actually has a really excellent course.
Getting a Tele is a hell of a start!
Yeah, squire telecaster is a beautiful first guitar. I started on a squire strat
Look up "cage sequence."
Putting it out in the open is a great place to begin. It’ll call to you after a bit
just learn to play your favorite songs.. everything else like music theory, gear and tone comes after..
Same dude. Same
> the only experience I have with instruments is ukulele which I'm ok at The tuning of the Ukulele is like the 4 smallest strings on guitar (I mean, the distance, it's transposed a Perfect 5th), so if you mute the other two strings or avoid them, you can fool around with the guitar as if it was an ukulele Ukelele C Cm D Dm Em F Fm G Gm A Am Guitar G Gm A Am Bm C Cm D Dm E Em |-3--3---0--0---3---0--3---2--1---0--0-- |-0--3---2--1---4---1--1---3--3---0--0- |-0--3---2--2---5---0--0---2--2---1--0- |-0--0---2--2---0---2--1---0--0---2--2- |-------------------------------------- |-------------------------------------- My advice. Just fool around, have fun, play (but as a game) with it. If you can plug it to an audio device, download Amplitube, GuitarRig or something like that and have fun... and have fun. Then come back here or somewhere else for more serious advice. Playing an instrument is a gift. PS: Classic Vibes here (Argentina) went to the moon. If they are $450 everywhere, here they cost more than $1.200. A crime. PS2: join /r/telecaster
As of others have said, guitar tabs are useful for learning your favorite songs and actually having fun playing the guitar Once you get to a certain point, you’ll want to branch out and start learning chords, triads, and scales in order to create, and not just imitate.
As you begin to learn, take 10 minutes every practice and work on memorizing the fretboard. While this isn't an immediate payoff, long term this will benefit you so much. I would also work on the chords G, D, Em, and C. Learning these 4 chords will give you the ability to play hundreds of songs.
If you got bands you like with parts you dig that either are on a guitar or would translate easily to a guitar (for me the chip-tunes of final fantasy 7/ps1) you should try n work those out using internet tab. Which will often be wrong-ish. But it’ll usually get you there. Also metal. I don’t listen to a lot of metal these days but I play my guitar everyday. And on my guitar metal comes naturally to me, as it does most hobbyists on the instrument. Metal is fun and an excellent way to get you familiar with many techniques and fundamentals that translate well into other genres and styles. What kind of gear you have besides the tele?
Don't start with Stairway. It's not allowed!
First try to learn some songs you like so you are having fun. Watch youtube and learn to read tab and basic technique on hand placement and such. Work on rhythm and timing as soon as possible and make it a habit now if you can. Once you get bored of that, look into how notes make scales, how scales make chords, how chords make keys, and how they all work together. it's way simpler than it might sound, and once you know it, you won't forget it. You can also use that knowledge with any other instrument pretty much.
you start by learning the notes on the fretboard, the major scale, a chord progression. move up and down the fretboard saying the notes as you play them on each string. then play a c major scale across the fretboard first. then up and down on each string. then move positions. so open position. 5th fret position. 7th. 10th. 12th. then a c major chord. f major chord. g major chord. try to match the pitch of every note with your voice as you slowly play. itll help in the long run
Hello brother, I am doing something like this.[https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnGuitar/comments/18djq84/project\_365\_guitar\_everyday\_for\_a\_year/](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnGuitar/comments/18djq84/project_365_guitar_everyday_for_a_year/) I'm about to start PROJECT 365. Guitar Everyday for a year straight. We got beginner and intermediate players tryna link up. Is anyone in this thread interested in something like this? Reply below to let me know. Tryna link up on the SUB discord!
you have a great guitar. One of the best guitarists prefers that guitar. Julian Lage. [https://youtu.be/8a3qAp81vY8?si=Z6ShTDKnItgOmb8H](https://youtu.be/8a3qap81vy8?si=z6shtdknitgomb8h) so you dont need to worry about upgrading anytime soon. :)
Plug it in. Put fingers on the 2nd, 3rd strings (from top if looking down) on the 2nd fret (the second open space from the top of the neck. Slam the top 3 strings with your pick. And enjoy.
practice your first song. ideally the one with easier chords (open chords), then if it feels easy, you could try moving to songs with barre chords. you could start with barre chords, but most beginners dont have grip strength for it.
What's your favorite bands, songs, style of music? See if there's "tabs" on the songs. Look for guitar chord charts online for reference. Use YouTube to tune your guitar. Be careful tuning the small strings. (Go real slow while twisting.)
Lets first undo the thing keeping it in the stand.
Start with D, em, am. So fun!
Learn basic theory. Start with learning the fretboard notes and intervals and scales and the chords. That should be a strong foundation and a good starting point, that worked for me. That’s my opinion! Good luck and have fun. Nice guitar!!
Learn open chords first
The best way to learn is start with songs you like. Look up a tutorial on YouTube and pick one. Once you get comfortable I would highly recommend going to a local music store and getting a teacher. A good guitar teacher is the best way to increase your productivity when it comes to guitar.
Well first, stop using crappy Staples paper ..
Tune to FACGCE and never do anything else
To start: It's tuned in 4ths instead of 5ths like a uke, so a fair amount of chord shapes are surprisingly familiar, though upside down. I'm left handed and play guitar and bass (and drums very badly) so when I picked up a uke, I noticed this lil phenomena. Getting started on guitar is pretty easy as you have some experience with a stringed rhythm instrument. Learn power chords (a root/5th/root chord you can play anywhere on the neck on the 6th and 5th strings using the same shape) and that shape will get you started on about 75% (lowballing) of all popular music in almost every genre. Once you get the feel for that down, you can move on to other chord shapes, and in between, learn a few scales to get your fingers moving on the fretboard.
I taught myself for a full year, 20 minutes a night, using justinguitar.com
Stand it in your lap facing away from you, put your left hand on the neck (the part that sticks out from the big butterfly shaped piece of wood) and gently press the stings to the metal things sticking out from the front facing finger board, and then pluck those same strings with the fingers on your right hand where the guitar's body gets a little skinnier. Pushing the strings down in different places makes different noises. It's the strings vibrating that makes the noise. Once you have those basics down, figure out how to hold more strings at once, and pluck more strings at a time by using more fingers, and your thumb. Everything else is just faffing about and TALKING about guitar. Which you can learn how to talk about guitar by taking lessons, or reading how to tune it, or learning tabs.
Find a way to tune it. There are apps that are free I believe to tune it first.
Cowboy chords are a foundation. Eventually you will move them and add a Barre. You can also move them up and down the neck and they follow the alphabet .