# Any suggestions for online(and free) site to start teaching myself to play guitar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 2, 2018, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-suggestions-for-online-and-free-site-to-start-teaching-myself-to-play-guitar/823877 "2018-11-02T03:40:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-suggestions-for-online-and-free-site-to-start-teaching-myself-to-play-guitar/823877/1 "2018-11-02T03:40:45Z")
Doing a little Cleaning and rearranging for fall, and I found the old acoustic guitar some guy gave me years ago when he didn’t have the money to pay me what he owed. Just like every other time I see it I started thinking I should at least give it a try. I did play cello for a about 5 years in Jr high and High school, was fairly average for a public school Cello section, if that base level of musical knowledge assists any thoughts of what to look for. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-suggestions-for-online-and-free-site-to-start-teaching-myself-to-play-guitar/823877/2 "2018-11-02T03:45:11Z")
Well I’m sure there are plenty of good tutorials on youtube. Me personally, I play the bass and taught myself and I consider myself something of a virtuoso on the instrument. I was in band and could read music but I didn’t start trying to learn the way I just listened to my favorite songs and looked up the bass tabs online, looking at tabs just seems a lot easier to me starting out, just find tabs for some simple songs that interest you and maybe start there. ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-suggestions-for-online-and-free-site-to-start-teaching-myself-to-play-guitar/823877/3 "2018-11-02T05:42:02Z")
For what it is worth I highly suggest you look at taking in person lessons until you at least get to bar chords. It will save you a lot of time and also prevent you from becoming frustrated. The way you use your hands will feel very wrong when you start and it is easy to fall into bad habits which will take you a long time to un-learn. The guitar industry would fail if every person who was frustrated just pulled the guitar they have sitting under the bed and sold it. Sign up for a few months with someone who can watch and give you suggestions and it will be a lot easier to get past that initial steep learning curve. Really learning how to relax while you build up the muscles is the critical part and it is pretty hard to notice your death grip without someone there to give you tips. Once you get past that first bit, if you are the self motivated type, it is much easier but still slower to do so on your own. But if “free” is the only option youtube has some good channels like this one. > **[Marty Music](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmnlTWVJysjWPFiZhQ5uudg)** > > Marty Music is the premier destination for guitar instruction on YouTube. Host Marty Schwartz is a modern classic who combines his love and knowledge of music to help others improve their musical abilities. With everything from guitar lessons to gear... ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-suggestions-for-online-and-free-site-to-start-teaching-myself-to-play-guitar/823877/4 "2018-11-02T05:57:21Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > For what it is worth I highly suggest you look at taking in person lessons until you at least get to bar chords. > > It will save you a lot of time and also prevent you from becoming frustrated. The way you use your hands will feel very wrong when you start and it is easy to fall into bad habits which will take you a long time to un-learn. > > The guitar industry would fail if every person who was frustrated just pulled the guitar they have sitting under the bed and sold it. Sign up for a few months with someone who can watch and give you suggestions and it will be a lot easier to get past that initial steep learning curve. > > Really learning how to relax while you build up the muscles is the critical part and it is pretty hard to notice your death grip without someone there to give you tips. I second this advice, if it’s at all possible for you. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2018, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-suggestions-for-online-and-free-site-to-start-teaching-myself-to-play-guitar/823877/5 "2018-11-02T11:48:18Z")
Check out Justin Sandercoe at [justinguitar.com](http://justinguitar.com). ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-suggestions-for-online-and-free-site-to-start-teaching-myself-to-play-guitar/823877/6 "2018-11-05T01:02:03Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > Check out Justin Sandercoe at [justinguitar.com](http://justinguitar.com). Seconded. He has a great easygoing style that’s worked for me so far. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2018, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-suggestions-for-online-and-free-site-to-start-teaching-myself-to-play-guitar/823877/7 "2018-11-05T02:36:25Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > For what it is worth I highly suggest you look at taking in person lessons until you at least get to bar chords. > > It will save you a lot of time and also prevent you from becoming frustrated. The way you use your hands will feel very wrong when you start and it is easy to fall into bad habits which will take you a long time to un-learn. > > The guitar industry would fail if every person who was frustrated just pulled the guitar they have sitting under the bed and sold it. Sign up for a few months with someone who can watch and give you suggestions and it will be a lot easier to get past that initial steep learning curve. > > Really learning how to relax while you build up the muscles is the critical part and it is pretty hard to notice your death grip without someone there to give you tips. > > Once you get past that first bit, if you are the self motivated type, it is much easier but still slower to do so on your own. > > But if “free” is the only option youtube has some good channels like this one. > > [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmnlTWVJysjWPFiZhQ5uudg](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmnlTWVJysjWPFiZhQ5uudg) Marty Schwartz is in my Top 2 for best You Tube guitar teachers. Love that guy! I’m also a big fan of Eric Andreas, [Your Guitar Sage](http://youtube.com/user/yourguitarsage), who offers a bunch of free lessons that he regularly links to in his videos. > [@Shoeless](#): > > Check out Justin Sandercoe at [justinguitar.com](http://justinguitar.com). I’ve watched a few of Justin’s lessons on YouTube as well, including his lesson on how to play Hole Hearted by Extreme (still a work in progress). I like him!