How to Learn Guitar Without Paying a Fortune

The first step in learning to play the guitar is deciding what you want to be able to play.

Do you want to play an acoustic guitar or an electric? A steel string or a nylon string? A six string or twelve? There are many types of guitars to choose from. There are also many playing styles to select from. Do you want to strum with a pick or do fingerpicking? Or learn slide guitar?

You probably have a picture in your head of what kind of music you wish you could play and what kind of guitar you see musicians using who play that type of music.

It works well to select the type of guitar that goes with the style of music you'd like to play. But even if the type of guitar you can get access to doesn't match the style of music you want to play, you can still use it to learn the basics.

Maybe you already have an old guitar you always wanted to play but never learned how. If you don't have one, maybe a friend or relative has a guitar sitting around that they aren't using that you could borrow. If you can't use one for free, you might be able rent one from a music shop or find an inexpensive second-hand one at a garage sale or other venue.

Once you have your instrument and have decided what kind of music you want to play, it's time to get started. But how can you learn guitar without paying a fortune?

Your public library is an amazing resource for materials. Many libraries have shelves of how-to-play music books and racks of instructional DVDs. Many town libraries that have limited selections are able to obtain materials for you from other libraries through interlibrary loan. Often, library catalogs are accessible online with an option to view and order materials from other regions. If you still aren't finding what you're looking for, many interlibrary loan librarians are willing to assist in accessing materials.

But how do you know what you're looking for?

It's important to select materials that match your learning style and your interests.

Some people learn well by reading diagrams and written instructions. Others need a more direct demonstration and could benefit from the instructional DVDs. Whether you like to learn from a book or from watching a video, there are scads of options out there that explain everything from how to tune and hold the guitar to how to improvise. You can find interactive DVDs that allow you to jam along.

Some people want to start playing songs right away, while others want to learn music theory, scales, chord progressions and rhythm. For those who can't wait to play their favorite cover tunes, there's something in the stacks. Songbooks galore are at your fingertips when you have a library card. Whatever your pleasure, materials abound.

Another free way to access materials is by searching the Internet. You might learn how to read tablature from a library book and then you could go online and find sites that provide free tablature of your favorite songs. Some sites even offer online support and podcasts. Other links are filled with solutions to common guitar quandaries. You can look up how to deal with a broken string or how to figure out dropped d tuning and you'll likely find pages of free instruction options in a jiffy.

Good luck and have fun!