This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
If you’re interested in a free online guitar lesson, check out the details here.
A question that I get every so often from students is: How long does it take to learn the guitar… or more specifically, how long does it take to learn the acoustic guitar?
Or even MORE specifically: How long will it take before I become a famous rockstar in the style of John Mayer or Taylor Swift?
All of these are great questions… and they all have a very disappointing answer: “It depends…”
(Before we move on, if you’re interested in teaching yourself how to play the guitar you should check out this article)
So, in an effort to provide good information (so I don’t waste your time), I’ll try to answer this more precisely. And, like I said above….
It depends… on how much you practice.
Obvious but true. For anyone who knows me I’m all about efficiency – and making the most of my time. I’m a strong proponent of deliberate practice. This is how elite musicians become elite musicians. But it’s also how beginners (or anyone) can learn more quickly – without spending a lot of time. Essentially it boils down to practicing the right material. As I said, I’m big on efficiency.
It depends… on what you want to learn/what your goal is.
Arguably, more important than practicing, your level of skill and/or satisfaction with the acoustic guitar (or any guitar) depends on ultimate desire. If you want to expert level proficiency… it’s probably going to take you 10,000 hours (yup – that’s 20 hours a week – of practice – for 10 years). However, there is hope! As I said, it depends on your goal. If you want to be able to play your favorite songs, strum the chords, sing along, and impress your friends, it will take MUCH less time. You can accomplish this in less than a month.
Yeah…but really… how long does it take to learn the guitar??
Ok. I’ve seen some other websites give time frames (like: “if you practice regularly, in 1-2 months you can play most chords”; or “in 1 year you can play most songs”). I think that’s crazy. What does “most songs” mean? Or “most chords”? And what does “regular practice” even mean?
Annoying.
So let me give you specific examples:
Case Study 1: Steve – The Brand-Spanking-New Beginner Guitar Player
Skill Level when starting: ABSOLUTELY NO MUSIC OR GUITAR EXPERIENCE.
Goal: Just loves the guitar and wants to play. Just loves it.
Frequency of Practice: 4-5 times a week. For around 20-30 minutes. (To me – that’s A LOT of practicing).
Skill Level after 6 months: Can play rock/pop songs easily: strums the chords, clearly plays the chords with no trouble switching. Can easily learn new chords via chord chart and/or tablature. Can read tablature and play small riffs (or can learn riffs by listening to the song). Can read some standard/staff music (but hates it). Has great rhythmic timing. Can play a few of the minor pentatonic modes (for newbies – this means that he can solo and improvise). Can’t quite play barre chords but is getting there. Not interested in the theory behind music…which may limit him (at least for now).
Case Study 2: Jenn – Played Trombone 20 years ago in High School – nothing since.
Goal: Always wanted to learn, not a lot of time to practice, but really really wants to learn to play her favorite songs.
Frequency of Practice: Practice? A little bit every day – but when I say “little” I mean like 2-3 minutes (total). In between commercial breaks she picks up the guitar and plays a few chords (one of my preferred practice methods).
Skill Level after 6 months: Has memorized 5-10 first-position open chords and can clearly play them. Can execute some basic strumming patterns. Not much outside of down-up-down-up-down-up. Can execute some basic fingerpicking styles. Has reached her goal of playing her favorite songs!
The Results:
Both Jenn and Steve could call themselves guitar players. Both Jenn and Steve started playing at the same time. But obviously, both are very different in their goal and level of practice. No judgement is meant to either of them – they are both happy with their progress (and they should be!!).
When Steve practices – it is hard work – mentally. He’s actively trying to push himself.
When Jenn practices – the mental piece isn’t as draining – but she’s training the muscles in her hand and fingers to remember those chords – and again, it meets her goals.
So, like I said above, the length of time it takes to learn the guitar truly depends on those few personal factors.
Access to good teaching materials:
Lastly, having access to good guitar teaching materials will help you learn much faster. Having a great guitar teacher (who clearly understands your goals) is probably the fastest way to learn how to play guitar.
Not all of us have time for guitar lessons. I get it. I was self taught (before there were things like JamPlay, or Youtube). I think I turned out ok.
If you want to learn to play guitar for free… something like Youtube lessons, or even chord charts and tabs from Ultimate-Guitar.com are a great place to start. However… the downside is that this will take longer – mainly because you have to find all of the resources yourself (e.g. they’re not tied up in a nice little package).
If you really want to speed up the learning process, and don’t mind spending a few bucks, I’d strongly recommend something like JamPlay. It’s cheap, comprehensive, and you can cancel anytime you want (so you’re not spending a fortune). If you can’t learn to play with something like this… you’re probably not going to learn to play the guitar. As we talked about above: it depends on your goals… and how you practice.
172 replies on “How Long Does it REALLY Take to Learn to Play the Acoustic Guitar? (With real life examples from actual guitar players)”
I just started (1 week ago) teaching myself to play on an old classical acoustic guitar that was given to me. Eventually want to learn to play some old and new rock/pop songs so is learning on a classical guitar ok? I’m just doing basic dexterity/scales practice for about 20-45 mins a day and started learning a few chords. I do have some issues due to having smaller hands/fat fingers and was wondering if that will always hold me back or will it just take longer to get the needed dexterity? Also, calluses are coming along nicely so it’s not as painful now! 🙂
Hey Robert – Ahhh yeah, the old fat/stubby/little/short finger issue. A few things that may help:
1. Using a classical guitar will probably help anyone who has thicker fingers. Generally, classical guitars have wider/thicker necks, which usually means that the strings are further apart. This lessens the issue of your fingers rubbing up against the wrong strings. Unfortunately, wider necks can make it more difficult for players with small hands.
2. Using a capo on the 4th or 5th fret (or playing your scales on higher frets) may help as well… maybe.
3. Check out this post (and video) of Django Reinhardt. One of the best guitar players ever, and he only used two fingers.
4. Another example is Ritchie Havens – who had super large fingers that made open position chords tricky to play – so he relied on open tunings to get the sound he wanted.
The point is… your finger size and shape may make it more difficult, but it’s not an excuse. You can always adapt. You can always find work-arounds.
Good luck! Keep playing!
Thanks for the reply and info.
1. Yes, the wider neck is making it a challenge and the reason I’m doing so much dexterity practice. Some chords are a real pain to play clean but I’m already seeing improvement. 🙂
2. Don’t have a capo but I started with playing the higher frets and making my way down as I get better … seems to be helping.
3-4. Impressive and inspirational!
I figure I’ll give it 3-6 months of daily practice on the classical, depending on how my skill level goes up, then I’ll look at getting a steel string acoustic (maybe electric?) guitar. Does that sound like a good plan?
That sounds like an awesome plan – as long as you keep picking it up and stay motivated. Don’t be afraid to go easy on yourself once in awhile and play some easier stuff (just for fun)… no use in pushing yourself too hard. Let me know if you need ANY other help! Keep me updated on your progress.
Thought I’d give a quick update with a little over a month of practice now. I can play all the major and minor open chords (except F), even started to air change between a few of them but I’m still not quick enough to play any songs. I also found that I really struggled with rhythm and strumming so I do that everyday now and have gotten much better. In hindsight, I think working more on the strumming rhythm first would have been a good idea. So the journey continues …
Hey Robert – That’s nice progress. Keep working on the F chord. Start with Fmaj7 (it sounds harder than F, but it’s more like a C chord and will still give you that F chord sound). As far as the strumming goes, here is what I usually tell people:
1. Whenever you’re strumming, and about to change chords… KEEP STRUMMING. Do NOT stop strumming. Ever. Even if your left hand hasn’t fully formed the chord. It’s ok. By continuously strumming you will subconsciously force your left hand to make faster changes. It may not be perfect at first, but it will help.
2. Are you watching your left hand when you make chord changes? If so: STOP. Take some of the focus off of your left hand so you can begin to make the changes by touch/feel and muscle memory (rather than visually). Also easier said than done, but again, it will help.
You should be able to play some basic 3-4 chord songs really soon. Don’t go crazy with the strumming pattern, just start with one strum at a time (per chord). Keep it basic until you can get the timing right. Choose songs that utilize your best/easiest chords. For me, that’s usually G, D, Em, and C. For others it may be A, E, and D.
Keep it up. You’re making awesome progress! Love the update… keep it coming!
Jake
Three month update!
Its coming along, I can play a couple of really simple songs now along with a few cool riffs. As long as I keep the BPM below 90-100 I can generally keep up with the chord changes though not perfectly. Strumming practice has really paid off, its nice to just stum away and switch up the pattern and chords, makes learning much more fun … and easier on the ears.
The Fmaj7 was easy to learn, thanks for pointing that one out. I haven’t focused on new chords though I know some new shapes for the riffs I learned. I did practice new fingerings for the common chords and this greatly increased my speed. Simple changes, like using fingers 1&2 instead of 2&3 for Em makes a quick change to A or G … there are many of these that help.
It seems I have hit a bit of a learning wall in the past couple of weeks, not really getting any better and feels like I took a step or two back on some days. I’ll keep at it though …
Hey Robert – Thanks for the update! Awesome points… definitely trying alternate fingering positions can make a difference. It’s crazy… I’ll play a G chord one way in the first part of the song, and then another way later in the song. So much of it depends on what chord comes next, how fast the song is, etc.
Here’s a few things that I do (for myself, or for my students) when I hit a wall/plateau:
1. Learn some new songs. Find a song you’ve always wanted to learn (even if it seems beyond your skill level) and start learning… just take it slow and be patient.
2. Learn a new style. Maybe you can switch from a strumming style/song to a finger picking song. Maybe you’ve been learning chords and you can take a stab at a basic scale or solo or riff. I think one of the best ways to beat stagnation is to mix things up.
3. Try a new guitar out. Go to a guitar/music store and try out some different guitars (using what you’ve already learned). No need to buy anything (though the temptation will be strong). But really, it’s just a way for you to get a feel for what you’ve learned and how it can be applied/played on different guitar styles.
See how that stuff works. Keep me posted!
Switching up the fingering is a great thing to learn, I did it not only for the speed but partially due to the classical as doing a G with fingers 2,3,4 is a real stretch on a 2″ nut width for me but it should be easy on a standard guitar now!
Thanks for the suggestions, already doing 1 & 2, learning new songs or intros that require picking (Boston, Rush, BOC, etc) so it’s not just strumming. Not ready to try finger style yet but I’ll keep that one in mind for the future.
I’ve been resisting the urge to get another guitar though I think it might help some now as the classical width and higher action does give me some grief but I think it might help me play better later on when I get another guitar.
Six Month Update … 🙂
Doing a little less practise due to the warmer weather months but still getting 15-45 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week.
Strumming is pretty easy now, even for fairly complex patterns and doesn’t take long to learn new ones. Also learned palm muted strums which creates an interesting sound.
Chord changes are getting better, a bit faster and more accurate now and I’m comfortable with more of them (minor, 7 and sus versions). Started learning (only a couple of weeks now) power and barre chords, getting the hang of that faster than I thought. I do have to pay real attention to my thumb position right now as it’s not “trained” to the larger movements barre/power chords require when sliding between frets.
My picking still needs work, I’ll focus more on that once my barre chords get reasonably good. Also, I took your advice and started learning a few basic fingerstyle patterns which gives my fretting hand a nice break. I find it’s a good thing to practise when watching TV.
So my six months have passed by and I think I’ve learned a fair bit. Don’t really consider myself a real guitar player yet but I think I’m doing pretty good for an older guy of 50+ years. Following the goal I set for myself, I’m looking at buying a beginner/intermediate electric acoustic guitar to continue on this journey ….
Hey Robert! Thanks for the update. Sounds like you’re getting pretty proficient – awesome! Barre chords can get tricky (especially the transitions between open chords and barre chords).. let me know if you need any help. Otherwise, keep doing what you’re doing. The only other thing I’d suggest: If you haven’t already…. try to get a handful of songs under your belt (songs that you can play from start to finish). It’s nice to have a a few go-to songs that you feel really comfortable with. Keep me posted!
Thanks Jake!
I only know a few complete songs (with vocals too!), simple ones that have the same (or nearly the same) intro,verse,chorus but I know a number of other ones just not the bridges/connectors and such. Thanks for the advice, I’ll work on completing a few.
I’ll likely learn the entire song that got me into doing the power chords (Nickelback’s Photograph). Strumming pattern took 15 mins to learn but these new chords will take much longer, still have to look at my hands. 🙁
Also working on learning Rush – Closer to the heart, that intro is just killing me but one has to push themselves right?
I started playing along with some backing tracks as well, really messed me up in the beginning but getting a handle on it now. Its loads of fun being “part of a band” so to speak. 🙂
Have you ever thought of playing with other musicians? I know it can be daunting… but it’s a really good way to improve/learn. I’ve run of couple of “jam sessions” with some students (who have only been playing for a year or so)… they all liked it… it’s a safe and fun environment. If you have access to anything like that in your area you should check it out.
One year update, well … kind of. So, a month after my six months of guitar I injured a tendon which stopped me from playing anything (though I tried a few times), zero force on my fretting hand thumb. Fast forward to mid-December when I picked up a friend’s electric guitar just for fun and I could play without too much pain, yeah!
So for the past 2 weeks I rented an electric (Fender strat) to try and rehab my hand which seems to be working, I can almost play the classical guitar again. I find the electric is sooo much easier to learn on despite a tight finger fit for some chords (like A). It also requires much less pressure on the strings and is less picky on how far you are from the fret.
Though it set me back a ways, had to re-learn much since I stopped, I believe I’m almost playing better now. The electric is also a lot of fun, much different with bends, slides and hammer ons but I have to take things easy for a while so I don’t cause the injury to come back. Slowly the journey continues …
Hey Robert – so good to hear the update. Sorry about your injury – glad the electric is working for you. If you haven’t done so already – you should seriously consider getting your acoustic guitar setup with a lower action. Take it to a local guitar store, explain your injury and see if it’s something they can do. The difference between a guitar that has not been setup versus a guitar that has been setup well is incredible. Usually costs between $50 – $70. Totally worth it and can make even a cheap guitar play sooooo much better.
Thank You for your encouragement of these individuals pursuing their passion. I am 44 years old and just looking to learn to tag along to some songs, and maybe show off a bit at a get together with family. I am simple, just wondering what time frame am I looking at seeing I have 0 experience on any instruments to learn “AGUINALDO” ( A type of music played around Christmas in Puerto Rico). You may want to listen to a few before answering this one. Thank You very much.
Woah! That’s awesome. I pulled up a few youtube videos of aguinaldo style and it’s pretty sweet (and it does look a little difficult). I’d suggest asking around your family and friends to figure out some easy/beginner songs within that style. If you don’t know anyone who plays guitar, check out some local lessons… but make sure you let them kno wwhat your goals are. You can totally do it! Have fun. Let me know how it’s going!
Hi, i started playing the acoustic guitar back in may 2014 and had no previous experience with instruments before then. i started just so i could play songs i like (which i have achieved haha) but one of the first things i started doing was making up my own songs/instrumentals, most of the songs i have made up are in fingerstyle because i find fingerstyle more fun and challenging to play at times (most of these songs a reletively simple). I’ve managed to make progress and i love playing guitar, it’s become something i have to do everyday, i don’t always practice everyday but i always play for at least 30mins. I still have trouble with some simple things like barre chords (I actually have a lot of trouble with those haha) and i can only play mostly simple chords like Em, D, A, G, C, em7 and am7. i can’t read or write music/tabs but it’s something that i really want to be able to do and i’m willing to put the time and effort in to get better and improve because guitar is slowly becoming less of a hobbie and more of a passion. I want to be able to write and play music like eric clapton or ed sheeran, not to be a performer or fame like some other people my age i know want (I am 16). I’d just like to know where i should start and what direction i should go to learn how to read tabs and any other ways to read/write music for guitar, i’d also like to get better at barre coulds and just learning other chords in general, i’d still consider myself very much an amteur but i want to improve and i like a challenge when it comes to guitar.
Hey Brayden – that’s awesome! If bar chords are giving you trouble, I’d start working on chords like F and Bm (not necessarily the FULL bar chord versions of these chords, but just the basic version). I’m not sure, but I THINK “I’m a Mess” by Ed Sheeran has an F thrown in there (if you play it in the key of C, probably with a capo on the 3rd fret?). Either way, there are a billion songs that utilize those chords, and they are a great place to start with bar chords. I’m hoping to have a video up soon with bar chord details… if you’re not on my e-mail list, sign up here to be notified: http://eepurl.com/XjoLL
Good luck!
Thanks so much for the reply! And I’ve signed up for your emails 🙂 I’ve been on a couple sites like this that don’t give much feedback and are just looking for a quick buck so it’s awesome that you are taking the time to read our comments and reply to us 🙂 thanks again
Hey Brayden – glad you’re digging it! Let me know if you need any other help or have questions – thanks for commenting!
Hi, I’m a beginner and I’ve learn a few chords on the acoustic .I sing and play piano I can also sing and play the few chords I know on the guitar.I plan to practice 2 hrs a day and I want to be a intermediate player within a year time,hopefully able to play and sing in my live performances..My question is..will I be able to achieve that within 6months to a year?
Dude! 2 hours a day! You are crazy! 🙂
If you practice that much, you could definitely reach your goal of singing and performing live. Are you taking lessons? Or do you have another way to monitor and manage your progress. This can be really helpful (for folks in your case who have very specific goals and timeframes). Stay focused on a handful of songs that you’d like to perform and just work on perfecting them! Good luck!
Hey Jake! I was wondering how long will it take me to play on an average base skill if I was practicing everyday for 30 min? I used to only stretch my fingers on the guitar but now I want to take it seriously and how long will my pinky finger get flexible with regular practice? Thanks I’m advance!
Practicing every day for 30 minutes will add up really quickly. Most people start off with goals like this, but realize that 30 minutes EVERY DAY is ton of time. If you can maintain it – AWESOME! The main thing to remember is that you’ll need to continue to push yourself. For example: try to play a little faster each day, or a little more accurately each day. Timing yourself for speed, or recording your practice sessions can be really helpful to monitor your progress. Hope this helps! Good luck!
Hi! I’m looking into getting an acoustic guitar…. I have a background in music but it’s just singing & I can read music. I can also play a little ukulele… If I practiced for an hour everyday about how long do you think it would take me to master playing while singing? Some examples of songs would be “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones, “Do I Wanna Know” by Arctic Monkeys & “Believe” by John Mayer… Thanks for all your help!
Hey Emily – Good question. I’ll try to write a post soon about singing AND playing at the same time… it can be kind of tricky. The good news for you is that having a background in music/singing will be super helpful. An hour of practice every day is A LOT OF PRACTICE. As long as you’re practicing the RIGHT stuff, I bet you could be strumming and playing within a few weeks if not sooner. Again – make sure you push yourself during every practice session (if you only practice the same stuff over and over, you won’t make progress). If you haven’t already checked it out, drop me your e-mail here and I’ll send a copy of some of the guitar hacks that I’ve used (and that I teach my students). Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks! -Jake
Hi, Im a huge punk/poppunk fan, and Im 13 years old. Id like to start out on acoustic guitar; If I practice about an hour a day; at least five days a week; how long will it take me to learn acoustic covers of songs like basket case and longview?
Hey Timmy – exactly one month. Just kidding. The bass line to longview should be pretty basic, and you should be able to get it down in no time. Both of those songs are pretty standard power chords – which can be kind of tricky to get the hang of, but not really difficult. The tough part (for a beginner) would probably be getting these songs down on the acoustic guitar. That’s not to say you can’t do it… it just may take a little longer (and sound a little different) when compared to learning them on the electric. An hour a day of practice is a good amount of time… but don’t burn yourself out. Good luck! Let me know how it’s coming!
Hi! I really liked your answers above. I am 13 and have always wanted to play guitar and eventually be in a band. I just recently bought my first acoustic guitar and was wondering how long it would take me before I will be band ready. I plan on practicing most every day for over 45 minutes or an hour each day. Also, the acoustic guitar I got was a pretty common $300 guitar. When would be the best time to upgrade?
Thanks
Hey Drew – if you practice for 45 minutes everyday, you will make progress really really quickly (just make sure when you practice that you continue to push yourself to play more difficult things, either more complicated or more quickly… don’t just play the same things over and over again (at the same speed, or you’ll never get better). Upgrade whenever you want – and whenever you have the money to spend. I’ve been playing the guitar for 20 years and I still use one of the first guitars I ever had (just a $200 basic fender acoustic). Hope that helps!
Hi Anthony,
First off great answers this makes it a lot easier to cope with starting out slow not knowing how soon it will pay off. I would like to play Like John Mayer abd be able to improvise a nd eventually write. I don’t care how long it takes me however I would like to practice efficiently. Could you point me in the right direction by telling me what I should be focusing on first second and third and how much time I should look forward to committing to these steps each day?
Hey Jermaine! It sounds like you have a great attitude towards practicing/learning to play (which is awesome). Take as much time as you want – generally the more you play and practice, the quicker you make progress. If you’re looking to improvise and/or solo like John Mayer, I’d suggest that you start to learn some scales. I’d start with the pentatonic scale. This video is pretty good. At around 2:00 minutes into the video he shows the first position (also known as “Box 1) to learn with the pentatonic scale. Start there. Go slowly. If you don’t have a lot (or any) background in music or music theory, scales can get confusing really fast. Be patient. If you’re able to – I’d strongly suggest at taking a lesson or two (that’s it) just to get started. Good luck!
How long will it take if I practice four to five times a week and 20-30 minutes a day to move up to the electric guitar and play songs like Paranoid or Man on the silver mountain.
Hey Anthony,
It really depends on **how** you practice. If you’re practicing the same parts of each of those songs every day, but not really pushing yourself to get faster (and accurate), it could take awhile. It also depends on your current level of playing: If you’re an absolute beginner it will obviously take longer (maybe work your way up to those songs by starting with the beginning riff to “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple, or even “Crazy Train”). Having said that 20-30 minutes, four or five times a week is an AWESOME amount of time to practice. If you stick with it, you’ll move along relatively quickly (maybe within a few weeks to a month). Good luck!
Hello … Am a acoustic guitar player … Its been a year and half since I started… I am a self leaner … According to me … To play a specific song isn’t a motive of a acoustic player… It is to learn how the scales work and the chords work … So that you can play any given song in your own style … For this you need to practice daily … Start with open chords… Learn the open chords in all major key … And practice … And then learn the theory behind the family of chords… ( Google it man)
Take some gospel songs and jus strum and play… Now move to barre chords … Understand the logic … And remember to become a rockstar you need to practice … May be a year or two or 5 or 7 depends on what you practice … Good luck man …