How Long Does It Take To Learn Guitar? The Question Every Newbie Wants Answered

The clear question that most people ask when they start to play guitar is, “How long does it take?”

Well, there are several important factors, and your personal talent is only one of those clues.

Certainly, being talented for playing music and having a very good ear will fasten your results, but the diligent practice and the right way of doing it will truly win over some lazy, but the talented musician.

Playing this instrument will cause some change, and that means learning completely new finger and hand positions and movements.

That’s almost similar to learning the new language, and you will really need to strengthen some muscles of your hand that you really didn’t think of before, and also you need to learn some coordinated, precise finger positions and movements.

So, the only possible path to progress, the only way to truly learn these movements, apply them to your hand, and improve your muscles performance, is to practice continuously.

The answer

But let’s pull back to the main question of how much time it can take to achieve this. So, how long does it take to learn guitar?

Given that there is enough regular practice, you can truly reach these different stages within the time-spans that are precisely given on this list:

[su_highlight background=”#fdffed”]1-2 months[/su_highlight]

You can play some very easy songs for guitar (learning few basic chords, and also single string ones without jumping off the string, chord arpeggios or else)

[su_highlight background=”#fdffed”]3-6 months[/su_highlight]

Now you can play a little more demanding and difficult songs because they need better technical elements and techniques.

For example, those that require some much easier pull-offs, hammer-ons and some other relatively easy lead guitar moves and techniques.

[su_highlight background=”#fdffed”]1 year[/su_highlight]

At last, now you can certainly play true intermediate level stuff, which means many quite popular riffs, blues, well-known guitar song etc.

You will start to get a realistic and definitive feel and security for playing barre chords during this time period as well.

[su_highlight background=”#fdffed”]2 years[/su_highlight]

If you truly practice hard, you could be able to achieve to play many different songs after 2 years.

Well, of course, you’ll practice those more complicated ones before you start to actually play, but remembering to play a song at this particular stage is pretty quick, which means that you have truly mastered most important technical elements and moves already.

[su_highlight background=”#fdffed”]2-3 years[/su_highlight]

Well, if you also learned basic guitar theory until now, you’ll be completely able to fully improvise on your instrument as well.

[su_highlight background=”#fdffed”]5-6 years[/su_highlight]

Now, you can truly call yourself a real guitarist, because you’ll probably be able to smoothly play almost anything you need to.

Advanced Stage

[su_highlight background=”#fdffed”]6-10 years[/su_highlight]

Until this time period you reach definitely a real master level. Because now, you’ll figure out how many things you really don’t know, then you’ll want to learn more and more. And, that is when you can learn some very advanced stuff.

[su_highlight background=”#fdffed”]20+ years[/su_highlight]

Entertaining yourself and others continuously are the right thing now. Out of possible 20 guitars collection, you play only those 3, which are your favorites.

The point of the tale is that precise learning to play is a continuous process, but achieving a really acceptable level, the level where you will truly start to enjoy your own music, can be really reached after around 6 months to 1 year of smooth regular practice.

It would be nice to mention that important word – REGULAR. Many new beginners get their instrument for several days, and after that, they stop for around a week, then they take it again, and that process goes on and on.

It is smart to mention this fact: learning this will not be achieved overnight, and it truly takes several weeks of hard practice and dedication before you really start getting some clues of those smooth ways of some basic chord changes.

Do not lose enthusiasm after a very short period of time.

Final thoughts

If you become stuck at any some point, remember that all those best players were mere beginners firstly, and everyone goes through their personal learning curve.

So, if you totally endure, then you’ll be at least left with this very wonderful hobby and skill that will be truly yours for entire life.

That means, at least, many hours of happiness and joy for you and your loved ones.