Master classic chords and strum your way to musical expression.
Reviewed May 31, 2026
Ideal for those who are happy spending hours repeating the same movements..
Social
Solo
Where
At home
Depth
Lifelong craft
Sessions
30–60 min sessions
Physical
Sedentary
Learning
Some learning curve
Starter cost
~$1284 to start
Portable
First sounds
Buy a beginner guitar
Yamaha F310 or Fender CD-60S (acoustic) and Squier Stratocaster (electric) are reliable entry-level options. Avoid cheap no-brand instruments that are hard to tune and stay in tune.
Learn to tune with a clip-on tuner
An out-of-tune guitar makes everything sound wrong and trains bad pitch habits. Clip-on tuners (£5–10) are accurate and always available.
Learn your first three chords
G, C, and Em cover hundreds of songs. Strumming changes cleanly matters more than speed in the first month.
Musical expression
Write your first chord progression
Four chords, any key, any tempo. The act of arranging chords deliberately is the first step from playing songs to composing them.
Improvise over a backing track
Use the minor pentatonic over a 12-bar blues backing track in A or E. Start with one string before using the full shape.
Take a beginner Playing Guitar course
A structured course is the fastest way past the awkward beginner stage. Browse highly-rated playing guitar classes for beginners.
Take the free quiz to rank the full catalog by your time, motivation, and setup — about five minutes.
5 stages · 20 milestones
Tick off milestones as you go — from first session to confident practitioner. Progress saves to your account so you can pick up where you left off.
Buy a beginner guitar
Yamaha F310 or Fender CD-60S (acoustic) and Squier Stratocaster (electric) are reliable entry-level options. Avoid cheap no-brand instruments that are hard to tune and stay in tune.
Find gearLearn to tune with a clip-on tuner
An out-of-tune guitar makes everything sound wrong and trains bad pitch habits. Clip-on tuners (£5–10) are accurate and always available.
Find gearLearn your first three chords
G, C, and Em cover hundreds of songs. Strumming changes cleanly matters more than speed in the first month.
Browse coursesBuild a daily practice habit
15 minutes daily beats 2 hours once a week. Short consistent sessions develop muscle memory and calluses faster.
~$1284
Core gear to get going. Estimates from curated picks; actual spend varies.
+~$30
Nice-to-have upgrades once you know you are sticking with it.
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