"I want to learn to play guitar" Did you ever say that to your parents, or have your children ever said that to you? Actually I'd be kind of surprised if you've never heard that sentiment before. People take up the guitar daily around the globe, and it's no wonder given the guitar's portability, and flexibility.
So say someone says to you, or you think to yourself, "I want to learn how to play the guitar", where do you start? What is involved in taking up the guitar? Let's take a look at a few simple things to keep in mind.
First off, you're gonna need a guitar. For rock music an electric guitar will be needed. There are plenty of decent guitars for a great price available, many come in bundle packages including an amplifier, book, tuner, and assorted other goodies. These are a good value if they are made by good name companies like Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, and others. Just plan on taking a day to go shopping at a music store. The clerks will be able to answer any question you may have, and can set you up with a good instrument.
For folk or acoustic playing, an acoustic guitar is necessary. Again, pretty good guitars are available for not too much money. Look for low cost quality instruments from Yamaha, Ovation, and Epiphone. A trip to the music store will answer questions you may have.
After a guitar is obtained, you'll want to look into lessons. There are a couple ways to go about this, one, you can find a teacher at a local music shop, or two, find a course online or offline to learn the basics. Good thing about a live teacher is the ability to correct mistakes before they become major trouble. Good thing about an instruction course is the significantly lower price. These are factors you are going to have to weigh to figure out which route to take.
Next time you hear "I want to learn how to play the guitar", keep these simple points in mind, and you'll have a bit of an idea of what is involved.