Kona Learn to Play Acoustic Guitar Starter Pack For Dummies

If you are a beginner you need to be familiar with the 'action' of guitars. It's how high the strings are over the fret board, and especiallly how high the strings are above the fret board at the nut. The nut is by the first fret. If the strings are too high, especially by the nut, it's reallly hard to press the strings. It greatly impedes your ability to play and learn. Many low cost guitars have too high action by the nut. Get a guitar low action so it's playable. Not tooo low or it will play like butter but sound like butter too.

also search for 'intonation' on youtube. if the intonation is off the guitar can never be in tune.


IMO a 'travel sized' accoustic is a better choice for a first guitar. It's easier, and it's easy to adjust to a full sized guitar.

Are you talking Marty Schwartz? He's super helpful, for sure. Best way to learn is just like anything else. Nothing but practice. As for learning fast, there's really no such thing as a way to learn fast. It completely comes down to how quickly you end up learning it. 100 people could do the exact same lesson plan, and some will learn it in 10 minutes, while others learn it in 10 days.

One piece of advice I can give you that has always helped me, and many people I know, is to actually "give up" temporarily. It sounds counterintuitive, but what I mean is, if you're just not getting something, bail on it for a little while.

I've been playing for over 20 years, but there are plenty of things that are still hard to play, and if I'm just not getting it, I quit for the day, or for several days. Then I'll pick it up again, and all of a sudden, I start getting it.

I think the biggest problem for people learning is they get burnt out and discouraged, and then they decide to just completely quit and say they were never able to get the hang of it. Guitar is something I truly believe anyone could play, if they actually stuck with it. Just don't let yourself get burned out. If you're feeling discouraged, just quit for the day. Or for a few days, but make yourself pick it back up and try again. That discouragement will go away as soon as you get something down. Then you'll get discouraged, all over again, from the next thing you can't play. Haha. It's a cycle, but it's worth it.

Sorry for writing a novel.

Upside: If you win the guitar lottery and it's problem free, it's a good deal.

Downsides:

1) Quality control is non-existant. Some are good, some are bad.
2) Sound is tinny
3) Tuners are lousy, and you'll have to retune frequently
4) Even if you get a good one, action tends to be on the high side--not good for a beginner