I have the treasured secret for all aspiring beginner guitar players out there who want to learn to play guitar in 30 days or less...FREE OF CHARGE!!

And the answer is...

(drumroll, please...)

You can't. At least not to the extent that you may think.

Playing guitar (or any musical instrument for that matter) can be the same as learning a different language. It is not the type of thing that can be learned and developed in a 30 day time frame and be totally understood.

I remember when I started to play. I had to spend a LOT of time just trying to figure out and get comfortable holding the darn thing! In addition, learning all of the basic mechanics needed to properly play (such as putting your fingers in the right place for a given note or chord, getting comfortable holding and using a pick, hitting only the strings you are supposed to hit) are not physical skills that can be developed overnight.

PRACTICE TIME IS THE KEY!!

Let me clarify this, however...

Yes - you can get books and lessons and guitar tablature and sound files and video shots and so on. You will even be able to learn simple songs at first...

I risk sounding extremely negative here, but that is not the intention. The point is that learning to play is a process that takes TIME. You have to develop the physical skills first.

For a beginning guitarist, topics such as basic music theory can be pretty much looked over at the start. Heck, most people wanting to learn how to play don't even know that such a thing as music theory even EXISTS. The elemental mechanics of learning HOW to play chords, scales, and such is much more important at this early stage.

Learning to play guitar successfully CAN be done on your own. However, as with anything (in all honesty), being willing to part with some hard-earned money will make the process much easier. One-on-one lessons with a qualified guitar instructor is an excellent resource you can use to "jump-start" yourself into guitar playing. Be prepared, though, to spend as much as $15-20 dollars for a half-hour lesson!

With the advent of the beloved PC (ok...and Mac) learning how to play can most definitely be done in the confines of your home. Excellent software packages exist, and there are many online lessons that are available that can help you in your "quest".

The intent here is not to scare you off. Learning to play guitar is a wonderful thing that you can share with others and have great enjoyment for yourself. There is a personal frustration I have with the fact that there are many offerings out there that may make a beginning guitarist think that they can be a Van Halen, Hendrix, Danny Gatton, John McLaughin, Al DiMeola, Andres Segovia, (insert your favorite guitarist here) within a very short time frame.

As with many articles located at 1StopGuitar.com it boils down to where you want to go...what is your goal? Do you wish to learn the latest songs that will impress your friends? Do you want to be in a band? Do you want to write your own music? To what extent do your want to go?!? That alone will tell you to what extent you will have to explore this "new world".

For me, playing guitar has been a wonderful release. It is really easy to get frustrated as first, but the time you spend with it can develop into a wonderful "thing" in your life.

Jerry Mathis has 25 years of guitar experience - playing, teaching, recording and performing live. Visit his website 1StopGuitar.com to get all of your guitar tablatures, articles, reviews, accessories and more all in one place!