There are tons of future guitar players out there who are willing to make the first move and buy their first guitar because of all the BAD information floating around their heads about what it actually takes to learn how to play. Most of these “myths” apply to adults, but some can apply at any age. Also, most of these myths apply to people thinking of starting on the guitar, but a few apply to veteran players as well.
In this discussion, I will examine 21x fairly common myths associated with learning the guitar, offering my own perspectives regarding their validity and significance. By organizing these myths into specific categories, the plan is to clarify some misconceptions while providing a detailed overview of the issues that aspiring guitarists may encounter.
Furthermore, some of these myths could apply to any musical instrument. I can play a little piano (a little) and drums (also… a little), but I can attest that most of these apply to those instruments as well.
Now, let’s get started disproving these myths, shall we? I’ve divided them into different categories for easier management. This way we can get a wider view of how they all relate to one another.
“The first item up to bid is…”
Category 1: Biological and Physical Myths
1. “I’m too old to learn guitar”
To sum up that post really quick… You are NEVER TOO OLD. I realize that’s quite the cliche saying, but it’s the truth. If you still have your mental and physical faculties present, no task is “unknowable” or “unteachable.” This is something people say to give them an excuse not to participate (in my humble opinion). Which is fine; maybe the desire just isn’t there like you thought it was.
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That’s me in a nutshell when it comes to getting better at what guitar I DO know (and piano, bass, drums, etc. …). I know I just have to commit to a few minutes per day, even just a few minutes per week on a particular guitar topic, to gain a better understanding of its concept gradually. But I turn on Netflix, or Prime Video… YouTube…
2. “Children learn at a faster rate than adults”
I don’t think that’s 100%, or even 70-80%, correct, but I’m no doctor, scientist, or psychologist. I think kids might “seem” to learn better because, as a kid, you aren’t distracted by thoughts like, “I sound terrible,” and “What will people think?” etc. So you keep going like everything is “peachy keen.” While adults DO let those ideas creep into their psyche and therefore hold them back. But adults ALSO have more discipline at their disposal. Most of them anyway… And understand the importance of taking action, creating plans, following outlines, etc.
3. “I don’t have the necessary coordination”
I’ve seen people without hands play guitar, so sure, it would be a challenge if you are extremely uncoordinated with your hands, but still NOT impossible. There are some players that have developed a certain style of playing based on their lack of coordination, or due to a disability.
4. “My fingers are too short”
This one is very similar to the myth above (no coordination), so the same thing applies. Finger length isn’t really a concern. There are a fair number of guitarists out there with small hands and fingers. To be completely honest, I still, to this day, let myself get distracted with this one.
I have small hands and fingers, and every time I watch a phenomenal player with large hands, I say to myself, “Well, of course he’s playing it so smoothly, his hands nearly wrap around the whole neck of the guitar,” knowing all the while that’s not altogether correct. Okay, so it might be a little easier. I think it’s safe to say this IS TRUE, but it doesn’t mean someone with smaller hands couldn’t play the same piece of music. They might have to take a different approach.
5. “Calluses are permanent and hurt”
Calluses DO hurt, but they certainly aren’t permanent. I still get calluses, especially when playing the acoustic guitar, which is normally what I have lying around and easily available. The tips of my fingers start to get sensitive around the 30-minute mark. Again, more so when playing the acoustic guitar. So, yes, it’s part of the process, but not something to be concerned about; that’s for sure.
6. “I’m left-handed so what’s the point”
Left-handed guitars are very readily available for those that need them. Hmm, wasn’t Jimi Hendrix left-handed?…
Key Takeaway:
If your mind and body are still “going strong,” then you really don’t have anything keeping you from getting started with the guitar.
Category 2: Time, Expectations & Skill Building
7. “It’ll take years before I can play something”
You’d be quite pleasantly surprised to see just how fast you can learn a couple of chords and start playing a song, or two, or twenty… You just have to get started. I could teach you two of the easiest chords to play in only a few minutes, and you would then be able to play a wide variety of songs with just those two chords: E Minor and A Suspended 2 (Em and Asus2). Look them up. You’ll see that you are using the same two fingers to play in the exact same area of the fretboard: Em starting on the E-string (6th string) and the Asus2 moves up to the A-string (5th string).
8. “I don’t have the time to dedicate to practicing”
Time is precious, that’s for sure, especially if you have a full-time job, family, and already many secondary engagements laid on for yourself. We make time for those things that are important to us. And again, just picking the guitar up for 5-10 minutes per day is STILL something. Then, the more you start to learn, the more motivated you become, possibly figuring out how to devote more time to your playing.
9. “You have to practice for hours at a time to be any good”
Of course, the more practice one can devote to learning a new skill, the better they become, but again, you certainly DO NOT have to spend hours on end every day playing the guitar to good, or even great. Also, if you are starting from scratch and already putting extremely high pressure on yourself to sound like one of the greats, that’s a lot of combat on a daily basis.
Give yourself some time. Create some milestone markers for yourself to track your progress. Comparing yourself to a guitarist who’s played for decades, or even just a couple of years, is NOT what you should be doing at all.
Most importantly, it’s not about the amount of time you put into your practice, but rather WHAT you are practicing. Many of the great players will tell you that DELIBERATE practice is the Key to becoming GREAT at something. Deliberate means highly focused practice. Not simply learning random riffs and continuing to play those same riffs over and over again (like I tend to do, honestly)… It’s best to find a mentor, online or in person. A teacher that can take you through a program designed for growth.
10. “I’ll never be able to switch between chords fast enough”
There certainly are some challenging chord combinations, even at the beginner stages, that can seem impossible to change between. For example, I thought I’d never be able to switch between a D Major and a C Major. And then there are those weirder chords out there like the ever-popular bluegrass-style C-Shape D Major chord (part of the CAGED System) that’s held like a C Major chord except you have to include your pinky finger for the root note – quite uncomfortable at times. I still have to pause on that one on occasion.
Key Takeaway:
Don’t put so much pressure on yourself at first. The progress will come. Then the motivation will follow. Also, you can find some extra time to play/learn if you want to. Perhaps there are other things in your life you could adjust to make learning the guitar more approachable.
Section 3: Music Theory, Reading & Ear Training
11. “I can’t read music”
Judging from my experiences with the guitar thus far, reading music isn’t necessary. Reading tablature (the next one on the list below) can be a good thing, but also not necessary. Although it’s not necessary to know how to read music, I DID already know the basics of it before I took up the guitar; however, I learned more from following chord diagrams and personal instruction than from reading notes on sheet music.
You would think that learning how to read music is more important for someone learning the piano, and I would have to agree for the most part; however, my great-grandmother learned how to play numerous church hymns completely by ear (later on down the list). She couldn’t read one note of music, but you wouldn’t know that listening to her play.
12. “I can’t read guitar tab”
I don’t know ALL of the ins and outs of guitar tablature, but I DO know the basics, which are very easy to learn. It’s certainly not worth letting it get in the way. It would only take one short sitting to learn enough to get going.
13. “Learning proper theory will ruin my natural creative personality”
Ooh, I was a BIG believer in this one; however, looking back I realize just how SILLY that view was. In reality, it was me coming up with an excuse not to put in the effort to learn more. Just because you know the “right way” to do something doesn’t mean you will always adhere to that right way. Knowing more theory gives you more “avenues of approach.” More ideas will naturally evolve because you are more aware of the possibilities.
14. “You need perfect pitch to play guitar by ear”
I certainly cannot attest to the perfect pitch thing because I do NOT have it. I can (now) guess certain chords in songs, but that’s based on time spent learning the instrument. When I think back to my earlier playing years, I was so far off on what the right notes should be it wasn’t funny, but I quickly learned some of the more correct ways through instruction and self-disciplined learning on my own. What my ears thought was correct needed to be combined with time spent actually playing to get to the point of learning how to play songs by ear.
Key Takeaway:
Music theory, including learning how to read music, is certainly a great quality in a musician; however, it is not completely necessary to learn guitar. The musical process becomes natural to most of us with time.
Section 4: Equipment & Technique Misconceptions
15. “Always start on the acoustic guitar”
It seems that most people that I’ve talked to who are considering learning the guitar think they should start on an acoustic guitar. You start on whichever one you wish. There are advantages and disadvantages to both acoustic and electric.
I would personally recommend someone buy an electric guitar (and a small amplifier) because they are easier to play when it comes to the amount of pressure that needs to be applied to the strings to create the right sound. It’s a little more awkward because of the cables and an amp, but you don’t have to plug it into an amp if you don’t prefer to. That being said, some unplugged electric guitars are easier to hear than others.
Now, if you know all you want to do is play in a campfire setting, then an acoustic is the way to go. It might be a “tad bit” harder due to the finger pressure requirement, but ultimately it will be louder so you won’t need the amplifier.
16. “Speed comes from practicing as fast as you possibly can”
I can’t tell how much fast playing I’ve seen over the years that I just wasn’t into AT ALL. And I’m talking about incredible speed combined with never missing a note; however, I wasn’t feeling the emotion in these particular instances. Some of that could be because we’re just different people who like different things.
On the other hand, though, I think some of it could be concentrating on getting fast before really knowing the fretboard – really knowing what to play. In my humble opinion, the individual notes are far more important than how fast you can play several notes one after the other. The speed part comes from mastering certain technical aspects at slow rates to the point of not having to think of where the next note is going to come from. I’m not there yet…
17. “Using a capo is considered cheating”
It’s not cheating. It’s simply the common sense thing to do in certain situations. Using a capo lets the guitar player rest a little easier because now certain chords that would require more fingering require less. Okay, so that does sound a little like cheating, but the guitar player, the musician, still has to play the song and know where to place the capo on the neck of the guitar. The guitar player also has to be able to reason whether or not a capo can be used in the first place.
18. “Metronomes are only for strict classical guitar players”
Everyone needs to be able to keep time. Even a rock, or punk rock, song can be a little too far gone if the timing skews a little far from center. Practicing with a metronome only helps lock in that time-keeping skill.
19. “If a song sounds simple, it’s probably very easy to play correctly”
You would be surprised at how complex a simple strumming pattern can be at times, depending upon the song. Never assume, until you’ve had a really GOOD LISTEN, that, “Oh, he’s just playing a C# Minor barred on the 5th fret, down-up, down-up.” It’s quite possible he’s not always playing the entire chord; there might be some single-note action taking place, etc. Really give it a listen. It’s those small embellishments that really give a piece of music its emotional feel. And in most cases, that emotion will be diminished if those embellishments are missing.
Key Takeaway:
Go electric when starting out. Never be afraid of using ANY of the tools available to you as a guitarist. Lastly… Always pay attention to the “small stuff.”
Section 5: Mindset & Learning Paths
20. “There’s no need for face-to-face instruction anymore. We’ve got YouTube!”
YouTube is, well… Awesome, as we all know. And it truly is. You can definitely learn just about anything you want for free on that platform. However…… Taking lessons from a real live person elevates the experience up to another level entirely. There’s something about getting that direct feedback from another live human being sitting right in front of you as you play. That cannot be replaced. Is it necessary? No, but highly recommended if you can manage it.
I already knew how to play most of the popular open chords, the E-Form barred chords, A-Form, etc., and took a stab at some scales before I took any in-person lessons. All from the books I had purchased. This was the early 90s – No YouTube. Well, mainly one book that got my playing off to a great start: Arlen Roth’s “Complete Electric Guitar.”
But when I started taking lessons, my understanding of the guitar increased exponentially. I only took four thirty-minute lessons in total before I needed to stop due to money issues (“attempting” college at the time), but those lessons paved the way forward. I need to pick up where I left off many years ago.
21. “I’ve learned all I can learn and should just accept it”
This is the one that I’m, unfortunately, still fighting. You and I both know that this statement never has to apply to anything in our lives, but some of us seem to let this feeling really, really sink in to the point where it’s difficult to get going again. Shake it off…
Key Takeaway:
If at all possible, find a guitar teacher and get busy REALLY LEARNING THE GUITAR.
In Conclusion
I’m sure there are many more myths out there concerning what it’s like to learn how to play the guitar. If you have to ask yourself if something is true or not, then that means there’s room for discussion. And in the case of these myths, none of them are true.
Your Invitation to Act:
For the beginner:
Go pick out a guitar somewhere. Whether it’s online or you borrow one from a friend or family member, give it 10-15 minutes per day for a week and see where you stand. Remember, I’d go for an electric to start, if possible.
For the “approaching” intermediate player like myself:
Learn as much theory and technique as you can. It’s incredibly amazing how complex music really is. Did you know that Einstein had music skills as well? He has been noted as saying that if he were not a physicist, he would have become a professional musician, which is a testament to how complex music really is.
Above all, and in either case… Just Have Fun Doing it…
‘Till Next Time,
Featured Image: A B&W version of me posing with my Taylor 214CE in Fayetteville, NC while stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina back in 2009.
