Picking Up That Over-Sized Ukelele
Hurtin' for the glory of music!
Teaching yourself how to play the guitar
So you want to learn the guitar. And you've already spent half your life savings on that Electric/Acoustic jet-black Ibanez, with the deep mahogany wood neck finish, and built in tuner. Which means finding an instructor and taking lessons is out of the question. But fear not! For where there is a will, there is a way! Thankfully technology has given humankind a tremendously useful gift. The Internet!
How To Get Started
Of course you're going to need sources in order to take on your arduous journey. How else are you going to learn your chords?! Not to mention the myriad of rhythms, strum patterns, and styles! Well in order to achieve full mastery over these skills, practice and perseverance are indeed necessary.
As for your sources, YouTube will be one of your best friends. Considering you can find a "how to" video on almost anything, you can find a tutorial on guitar basics and work your way up from there! Google of course is also very handy, especially once you've understood the basics of a guitar, from frets, string order, and finger placement. Plus, you can find chord sheets which display finger placement corresponding to a chord.
In the video below, we have an example of a beginner tutorial from YouTube.
8 Guitar Chords You Must Know - Beginner Guitar Lessons
The Obstacles
Now there is no journey without a struggle. And learning the guitar on your own is a great example. You're gonna come across many hurdles. Many of them motivational hindrances, and most others being physical struggles. Your fingers will hurt, and your hand will ache. The thin strings will dig into the tips of your fingers, and they will be sore. There will be days where you feel you won't be able to switch from chord to chord fast enough to learn a song. You are going to have to muscle through the lazy days.
Solutions
But fret not my child! For you are not alone in the world! Know that many have traversed through those same trials, and came out of the fires of music, stronger than whence they entered said flames of music! There are always others who are probably in the same situation as you. So collaborate, hang out, dispute theories, and just plain jam out with them.And by deciding to take up this long loved art form, you have already overcome the hardest part of your journey.
Starting it.