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If you want to learn guitar online please be sure to check out JamPlay.com!

How many times have you said, “I’ll look into lessons tomorrow” or “I’ll get started right after <insert feat of greatness (that’s probably also on your bucket list too) here>”.  You may even have gone out and bought yourself a guitar or announced “I’m doing it!” at your New Year’s Eve party. Good for you… just not good enough. Look, that guitar you bought isn’t going to play itself, so let’s discuss the top four reasons you should just buckle down and start playing now.

Reason #1: You’re Not Getting Any Younger.  None of us are. As glib as this sounds, it’s really one of the best reasons we can think of. Putting things off just gives you less time to enjoy them and music, for most of us, tips the enjoyment scales.

Besides, you’re never too old to aspire to new things… how about today you aspire to playing guitar?

Reason #2: It’s Good For You. It’s a fact that playing music reduces stress and lowers blood pressure. According to the Mayo Clinic, music is one of the top 10 stress relievers, along with sleep and laughter, which we’re pretty fond of too.  We can get into the really scientific reasons this all works, but the gist is this:  Music provides a mental distraction, reduces muscle tension and decreases stress hormones… all of this adds up to you feeling more relaxed when you pick up your guitar and get to playing.

As if stress relief isn’t enough, music also keeps your mind sharp, enhances your coordination, and can increase the capacity of your memory. All of this, of course, contributes to a better and more enjoyable quality of life, which we all know, is priceless!

Reason #3: All the Cool Kids are Doing It. Okay, maybe not all of the cool kids, but a lot of them are. How do we know? Well, they’re hanging out on our forums and inspiring us every day.

People are focusing more and more on the things that make them happy, and we’re seeing it all throughout our JamPlay community. The number of people starting their lessons “later in life” are climbing and they are, without knowing it, motivating the rest of us to take the plunge and strike one more thing off our list.

Reason #4: It’s Easier Than Ever To Get Started. A lot of us use the “I’m too busy” excuse when it comes to really picking up the guitar and learning. The fact is that the days of having to load up your instrument and head to your music teacher’s studio are over. While there are a lot of benefits to traditional music lessons, there are also some great reasons to jump on your computer and take advantage of the awesome online music lessons that are now available.   More and more people are choosing online lessons because of their affordability and convenience. No matter how busy you are, you’re be able to learn on your terms at your own pace.  Kind of takes away most of the excuses you can come up with, doesn’t it?

Feeling inspired yet? No matter whether you choose to teach yourself or to take lessons, the point here is that it’s time to get started. Pick up that guitar and start enjoying the process of learning. You have nothing to lose except one less item on your bucket list!

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Question #1: What is The Right Age to Get Started/Am I Too Late?  The short answer here is that music lessons are for everyone. While we wouldn’t recommend guitar lessons for your toddler, some music teachers will take students as young as five with great results. If a child has the attention span to sit through the lesson and to focus on practicing, they’re great candidates for lessons.

For the adults who feel that they may be too old… that’s just crazy talk. As long as you have the desire and motivation to pick up the guitar, you’re the perfect age to get started.

Question #2: What Kind of Guitar Should I Start With and How Do I Choose One? Okay, we know, that’s two questions, but they can be answered together, so here we go.

The first thing that you’re going to want to do is decide whether you want to start with an acoustic or an electric guitar.  Both have their benefits, but the general difference, other than the overall sound they create, can be summed up by the following:

Due to thinner strings, smaller necks, and an amplified sound, electric guitars are generally a bit easier to play while acoustic guitars can be played anywhere and are often more affordable, since they don’t require extra equipment like amps.

Once you choose the type of guitar you want, you need to go shopping. There are a ton of options out there, so be sure to check out our tips for buying the best acoustic and best electric guitars for beginners. Remember that the most important things are to stick to your budget and to do your homework — keep those two things in mind and you’re sure to find the perfect guitar just for you!

Question #3: How Important Are Lessons When I’m Starting Out? We won’t deny it, there are people out there who have successfully taught themselves how to play guitar, but most of us need a little help. Luckily, there are a ton of options out there to get you playing in no time.

There are a lot of great things about private lessons. The one-on-one time with your teacher, coupled with the consistency of scheduled lessons are a great way to stay focused and to get personal guidance and correction. Even a few months of private lessons can jump start your playing and get you on the right track.

For many people, however, private lessons aren’t practical — be it for financial reasons, or simply because they don’t have time. The good news is that online guitar lessons are becoming a great option for guitar students who want convenient, affordable lessons that allow them learn at their own pace.  In fact, sites like JamPlay supplement their pre-recorded lessons with daily live group sessions via Skype, which allow students the opportunity to get feedback from instructors just as they would during traditional lessons.  An additional benefit of online lessons is the ability to access a variety of teachers and styles until you find what clicks for you.

Question #4: How Long Should I Practice? Perhaps more important than how long you practice is how often you practice. When it comes to improving, consistency is key. We recommend that, whenever possible, you practice once a day for at least 30 minutes.

We find that, even if you choose to take private lessons, online lessons sessions are great practice tools as well. Find exercises that complement what you are trying to accomplish in your lessons. For example, if you’re working on barre chords, find a lesson that helps you improve. Want to try different strumming patterns? There are videos out there that can help with those as well. YouTube is a great resource for these types of videos and the variety of exercises will make you practice time more fun and interesting.

Question #5: Will My Fingers Hurt and What Should I Do About It? Again, two questions, but they belong together. Yes, odds are great that your fingers are going to hurt. As your fingertips get calloused and the muscles in your hands get used to playing, the pain will subside. People rarely find themselves so sore that they can’t play through the pain, but here are a couple of tips to make things a bit more comfortable:

1. Keep playing consistently. If you wait until all of the discomfort goes away, you’ll be back at square one, so try to play every day so that your hands can become accustomed to playing.
2. Give yourself a break. If you really need to, take a day off, however don’t make a habit of this… again, it will actually impede your progress, so stick with it… we promise, it gets better!

Now that you’re armed with the basics, the next step is to jump on in and enjoy yourself. Remember that even the greatest guitarists were beginners once and odds are they faced the same challenges you will. Stay focused, stay positive and remember that there are endless resources at your fingertips to help you meet your musical goals!

If you wish to take lessons from Steve Eulberg, and over 70 other professional instructions, you simply must visit JamPlay.com.

JamPlay.com is the best way to become a better guitar player.

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If you want to learn to play the guitar, JamPlay.com is literally the best place on the planet to go.

Click here to download the backing track.

And don’t forget, the best way to learn the guitar is JamPlay.com!

Please visit JamPlay.com to learn and master the guitar.