Beginners Guitar Lesson FAQ

Get your basics right! In this tutorial, we will cover the Frequently Asked Questions by students

Frequent Asked Questions

1. 1.     When is the right age to start learning?

They say learning is a life-long process. This applies to guitar as well. You are never too young or too old to start playing guitar. We have a couple of students who are over 50 years old. They have started with us as a beginner, and now they’re in the advanced stage. However, we would recommend kids under 8 years old to learn Ukulele first as it might be difficult for them to reach the chords.

2.     How do I decide on the type of guitar to get?

Three basic types:

1.     Classical  (Nylon Strings)
2.     Acoustic (Steel Strings)
3.     Electric (hollow bodied or semi-acoustics)

It really depends on the type of music you are interested in learning.

Our advice is to avoid purchasing a ¾ guitar unless it is for young children.

You can get a basic guitar from $150 at Alternate Tone Music School. It comes with bag, picks and guitar tuner that will get you started right away.

3.     Can I start learning electric guitar or do I have to learn acoustic guitar first? 

We would recommend for beginners to start with the Acoustic guitar

4.     How long will I take to master a piece?

Supposedly you practice an hour daily, you’ll probably learn to play a song within a week. That is, if you are completely focused in learning. It probably may not be the most perfect-sounding, but it will at least be recognizable.

5. 5.     Will I be able to learn based on online tutorials?

Though you may learn the chords and various guitar techniques through various online tutorials (Like ours!), however it is fundamental to get your foundation right. So we would recommend to seek help from a professional instructor.

6.     My fingers feel sore after 5-10 minutes, does it mean that my hands are not suited to play the guitar?

Do not worry, it’s TOTALLY normal to feel sore in your fingertips especially the first few rounds of practice. If it becomes too painful, then you should take a break and come back to it later. The grooves in your fingers will toughen after a while and it will not be as painful.

One thing to note, it is not necessary to press the keys too hard. You’ll need test how lightly you’ll be able to press while making sure getting clean notes.

7. 7.     What if I am a left- hander?

As a left-hander myself, trust me when I say it’s unfair that we lefties can’t help feeling LEFT out that the inventions have shown a bias against us. But we work around things yeh?

So no, for us lefties, we can get a left-handed guitar or alternatively, you can reverse the strings on a right-handed guitar. [only recommended if you are Jimi Hendrix]

What I would recommend though, is to start learning from a right handed guitar as it is more common and offers a wider range.

8.     Should I use a pick?

For beginners, I would recommend starting using a pick. Gradually, you can explore strumming with your finger and see which style you prefer.

9.     How long will I take to master beginner level? Most of the time, it depends on how much practice time a student invest. Base on our experience it should take about 3 to 6 months. At Alternate Tone students usually takes about 12 lessons.
10.  Do I need to start reading tabs?

Yes! Definitely. A lot of the free resource online depends on tabs, it should be one of the first few things you learn as a beginner.