Is Learning Electric Guitar Hard? Yes AND No…

Is learning electric guitar hard to do? Well, it really depends on a lot of factors and there is no simple answer. Today we go over why it CAN be hard, but also easy!

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Is Learning Electric Guitar Hard? Maybe…

I think everyone that is thinking about playing guitar has probably started by wondering how difficult the journey might be. Music to some people seems like a big, mysterious subject. But electric guitar is pretty cool, and the allure is still there after 7 decades of them existing. Is learning electric guitar hard. though?

That is a really tough question to answer even from someone like me, that teaches. It can depend on a lot of factors, but I think that anyone can learn guitar. I think it really just takes time, and honest practice. Sure, electric guitar is a very fun hobby. But actually taking the time to learn takes a lot of effort.

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So Learning Electric Guitar Is Not Hard?

Personally, I think that learning on electric guitar has some advantages over acoustic guitar. There is a big myth that beginners should always start with an acoustic guitar. I disagree, and I think that electric guitar holds some serious advantages that will make learning much easier.

• Electric guitars have slimmer necks that are easier to play (Even for small hands).
• Most electric guitars are easily adjustable, acoustic guitars are not.
• Acoustic guitars have a higher string tension, making them harder to play.
• Electric guitars can be quiet, and most amps have a headphone jack.

The main takeaway here, is that the neck of the electric guitar is slimmer and easier to get “comfortable” with. So if you are looking to start with electric guitar, then you might have an easier time getting started. Especially if you want to use headphones to be quiet.

But learning electric guitar is going to depend entirely on you! We have talked about how long it can take to lean how to play guitar. In that article we talked about how important it is to have a practice routine. That gives you a little bit of a timeline, or an idea as to how long it might take you to learn guitar.

Additional Resources:

• Is Electric Guitar OK For Beginners?
• Is It Too Late To Learn Guitar?
• Do You Need An Amp To Play Electric Guitar?

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The Importance Of Practice

Anyone can pick up guitar and start with the basics. But how much time do you have to dedicate to practice? Because practice is what is going to dictate how far you get, and the difficulty level. I always tell my students that it can take a couple of months to get familiar with your guitar. But after you get familiar with holding the guitar, and tuning it then it is all up to you!

I always say that putting at least 30 minutes aside a day for practice is a great start. In the beginning, it may seem hard since your fingers will be gaining strength, and 4-5 days a week is going to be best for brand new guitarists. If you can put a whole hour into learning guitar a day then you will obviously have better results.

So learning electric guitar always has some “growing pains” in the beginning, but after you start learning your first chords , especially the tricky F Chord, you will want to practice even more! Because after you get down how to play chords, you will move on to learning songs!

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Wrapping Up…

Learning electric guitar will be different for everyone. It can be hard depending on genetic factors, or hand/eye coordination. But it can also be an easy process, if you just put in the time and effort. There are no real shortcuts to getting good at guitar. Ask any guitarist how they got so good and they will all have the same answer:

Practice!

The more you practice, the easier practicing will become over time. You will also become more motivated as you learn new things on the guitar. There are no sure-fire “easy” ways to learn guitar, and some people will learn faster than others. But no matter who you are, you can definitely learn and it is not all difficult. The best thing to do is pick up a guitar and get started!