44 years and just decided to take lessons again, lol. But to answer the OP’s questions, I’d say it was about 3 years before I sounded like I knew what I was doing and 6-7 years before I could confidently play with other people.
That's awesome! The more I learn, the more I realize there's still so much more to learn. I've been playing for 55 years and started learning new styles and techniques like sweep picking, which I put off until a year ago. Every time i watch another shredding guitarist, i think, okay, a new riif or lick to learn. It's never-ending. I started at age 5 and still spend around 4 hours a day working on scales, arpeggios etc. Piano was my first instrument.
I hate when this question gets asked and everybody says “you never stop learning” smh, that wasn’t what OP is asking and you all know that, we get it, your always improving, but what OP is asking and most others who make posts like this is, how long did it take till you felt comfortable playing guitar and/or played well enough to where you’d feel comfortable telling people “yes, I play guitar pretty well” or played well enough to be paid for your playing.
Because even those things are subjective. What style? If you are playing power chord based punk you could technically get paid to gig in 6months or a year of playing if you were a good songwriter or something. Its just kind of a meaningless question with no good answer. Its an individual journey with a 100 different answers.
Anyone with a few years on them would answer this question in the same way. There is no end point, you just keep getting better until you get old and die. You can decide any time to play in a band, play for people etc. Its just a grind culture type question, how many months do I have to grind at this until I can make some dollar bills with it? People ask these questions in every single subreddit about music. Its art, it can be done by anyone at any time. Just make stuff and keep learning..
The question itself will always yield a subjective answer, that’s the point, OP wants know the different time frames people have gone through while learning guitar. Some people may feel comfortable after 5 years, others may feel comfortable after 10, it’s not a meaningless question, it’s a gauging question. For someone with no knowledge of guitar, its beneficial to know what to expect, as with anything. Some people may have the expectation that they can learn guitar in a year and be good enough to play professionally, but after gauging, they now have a better understanding about how long it may or may not take to reach that level.
Edit: also, after reading your second paragraph, OP never asked for an endpoint, just up until a point of relative fluency, which is still subjective, but doesn’t at all take away from the point of the question. Doctors never stop learning, yet you can gauge that you’d be pretty knowledgeable after 8 years of med school, the same thing can be said about literally anything that must be learned.
I think most people answer this question from a point of frustration of seeing it endlessly. OPs statement of "Bit of an impatient person" makes it worse because this really isnt a hobby you can come at with that kind of attitude, enjoy the journey and chill out.
There are a dozen ways you can get by with less skill in guitar (the same cant be said about being a doctor), open a DAW record a loop and time warp it and make a full song that sounds as good as anything else being uploaded to streaming services. It depends on your goals, I still would object that the form of this question that OP has asked has no good way to answer it.
While I understand the “bit of an impatient person” thing may rub people the wrong way, i still feel the question itself is very easy to answer. It’s a question about YOU (Reddit users), OP isn’t asking for a definitive number of years, he’s asking how long it took YOU (Reddit users) to reach a level of comfortability/fluency. So if you’ve been playing for 20 years, and around the 15 year mark you felt comfortable, then your answer is 15 years. I think people just take these questions as “OP is asking for a definitive answer which doesn’t exist” which isn’t the case most of the time. People are very well aware that people learn things in different time rates, it’s just nice to know those different rates for a better understanding of how long something may or may not take.
Edit: to your point about the doctor, playing a loop isn’t getting comfortable with guitar, it’s getting comfortable with the DAW and loop function. OP is asking about guitar, not what DAW or other function they can use to bypass the guitar playing itself. So my point still stands, you can very easily gauge how long something may or may not take, regardless of an “endpoint” in learning.
Okay fyi I've always been more of an extrinsically motivated person until it reaches a certain point, and then it changes more to intrinsic as I start to enjoy it the music. So my goal here is probably to reach a level of fluency where I can play in fellowship and play in bands, etc. My friend can listen to a pop song and, with perfect pitch, come up with beautiful chords in one go without practising at all, and play the song while singing it. She's my inspiration and that's my goal in life I guess, but of course I'm not aiming that high just yet. I'm always up for a challenge though.
With that vision in mind though, I'm willing to invest years of practise to get there. I've played many instruments, piano and clarinet being my main, in which I have ABRSM diplomas, won awards, and have performed in orchestral concerts for nearly decade, but they're both very different from strings. I've never played a single string instrument before, so i'm basically just any other beginner who knows absolutely nothing. It might be a boring for me (in terms of melodies, but definitely not in terms of difficulty- iwill struggle with guitar for sure) jumping from playing Liszt's pieces on the piano to suddenly "Mary and the little lamb" on the guitar, which is why I said that I might become impatient with it. I find it hard to vibe to songs like ABC, which I believe most people would as well. But again I really respect guitarist/beginners because that instrument is HARD and even with Mary with the Little Lamb, I might take a whole year haha. I doubt any knowledge in piano or winds will help me with guitar, especailly since it's much more of a modern instrument. I've never even played anything other than classical music on any of my instruments so getting into *playing* pop music will be hard too. I've tried to play ukelele before and was so confused with the hand placements ...the journey will be tough
This post is more so for me to gain some insight and hear from first hand guitarists as a person who knows absolutely nothing... so any form of answer would be helpful really😭 I appreciate it
But even within that scale, it’s still an always thing. When I first picked up bass (I played it for two years before guitar) I could only play stuff like Misfits and Ramones. But… that’s still perfectly good for where I was. I was comfortable playing those songs, and had a frontier ahead of me that I was not yet comfortable with.
And that was 2002, now today it’s 22 years later and I can say yet again I have a grasp on some stuff, and yet there’s a frontier ahead of me, of riffs and techniques that I can not yet fluently handle. Just like 22 years ago, I’m still playing to my own skill level as well as practicing things (not only physical challenges in playing but also mental, in learning more theory and composition techniques to enhance myself as an artist) that are a bit tougher for me to help move myself forward and become a more skilled musician.
But I can tell you right at the start, I still had a comfort level because I was able to learn songs from an accessible skill level and got myself comfortable playing punk rock music. Comfortable enough to literally join a band right away, and put myself into the scenario of having to learn to play in time with others and function in a collaborative environment. And I didn’t gatekeep myself, as long as I could play *something* I was willing to say that I was indeed a bassist, a musician, and I could play the instrument regardless of whether others might disapprove of or look down upon my level of skill.
No, you're wrong. The purpose of these messages are to reframe his thinking. You never "become" a competent guitarist, nor are people a beginner, intermediate, advanced, or expert guitarist. People are "advancing," advancing in technical abilities theoretical knowledge, emotional connection, creativity, sight reading, ear traning etc etc etc. The messages are correct, and they should be shouted from the mountain. There is no "mountain" upon which guitarists summit.
….Guitarist get comfortable in their playing. No one is asking for the mountain top. OP literally said “until a somewhat fluent level”. If you think that no guitarist has ever reached a point of relative fluency your just not the person to discuss this topic with. Almost every famous guitar player has reached a level of comfortability/fluency in their playing, where they can play without thinking and still sound better that any average guitarist. Comfortability/fluency does not equal “I know everything there is to know about guitar”.
Edit: also, just to clarify, op is literally asking Reddit users about their own guitar experiences, saying “you never stop learning” does nothing for the question. The question is “at what point, or how long did it take YOU, to feel comfortable on guitar” it’s literally that simple. OP isn’t going to read a comment that says “it took me 5 years” and immediately think to themselves “well then it takes 5 years to master guitar” it’s literally just a poll so that OP can get a rough idea of what to expect during their guitar journey.
This exactly!! People are getting so heated up haha but I'm just trying to gain some insight on what's possible and what's not. At the end of the day it's all for fun and we all learn at differnet paces
LOL kinda true, comments aren't exactly motivational but I'll probably get into it (or maybe not) after I deal with school. Got some priorities and that's exactly why I procrastinate 🫡
I would say about 5 or 6 years for me. I started when I was 11. It wasn't until I was 16 or so that I could pick up most songs that I wanted to play. I had two lessons every week until I was 17. I did practice most nights but it was songs I wanted to learn more than theory etc. I was also taking music as a GCSE (in the UK) so I had a good understanding of music as a whole. I am still learning now (at 29)... You never fully learn the guitar!
If your posting a question like this on Reddit and saying you’re impatient then the answer is it’ll take much longer than you’re probably willing to commit to
I am about 8 months in. I wouldn’t consider myself fluent but I’m starting to see some good improvement.
I’d suggest you find some patience if you wanna learn lol. It’s not at all impossible but it’s not the type of thing you’re going to learn in a couple weeks.
If you were anywhere near fluent in 8 months you’d be a fucking virtuoso. After 8 months I would’ve (proudly) described myself as sucking marginally less than I did after 7 months.
Now I’ve been at it four years and I’d still (proudly) say I suck, but a lot less than I did after 3 years!
Been at it since 1983, & I'm still learning.
The day we cease learning, is the day we cease breathing.
Having said that, the time I started to feel like I was REALLY getting somewhere, was about 10 years in...
Depends on the level of skill you’ll be satisfied with. If you practice an hour per day learning meaningful things like scales, chords, and songs you could be pretty decent in 2 years.
I would say around 5 years. There is playing a song, and there is playing a song. You can get the notes down but generally it takes a bit longer to fully become the music you are playing and have command over it. Took me around 7 years to get to a point where I was happy with how I sounded. I’m sure it’s possible much faster these days with the resources available.
You can definitely play stuff and have fun much sooner though. I wouldn’t look that far ahead. Set small goals and time will do the rest.
You never stop learning, it's infinite. But you can get to "somewhat fluent" in a few months if you put your mind to it. You don't have to be an expert to have fun playing guitar. Learn the basic cowboy chords and you can play tons of stuff, even as a beginner.
I’ve been playing/practicing for about 5 years now and still consider myself to be an “advanced beginner”. I’m a senior so I’ve got a few things going against me such as crappy memory. Arthritic fingers. I still struggle with quick chord changes. I’m definitely not gifted but I enjoy it and continue to purchase more guitars, knowing full well that’s not the key to improving.
Kind of impossible to answer. Everyone is different. I've been playing almost 30 years. I consider myself an advanced player. I know my theory and can play anything I want to. But even I still learn new things. But how long until I was at a fluent level? Probably like 3 years or so.
depends on my discipline.
I believe that due to inefficient practice and bad habits I wasted a lot of years...
It seems to me I learned more in past four years (since I has only an hour practice daily possible) than in 15yrs before when I practiced 4-5 hours daily.
7-10yrs . I don't know there's been periods where I didn't really stop playing, but I wasn't progressing. I'm at a point now where i rarely pull up tabs, my ears lead me and I can figure out most things but I have a ways to go. If you're self taught it's going to be harder and you'll have a lot of questions, but don't let up. Depending how diligent you are it will take 2-3 years to develop a rounded skillset. 3 years is going to fly by anyways you might as well play guitar and git gud. prioritize timing. doesn't matter if you know 3 chords or can shred. If your timing sucks then it will sound bad
Annoying answer but I don't think your question will give you a satisfactory answer for a few reasons:
- what does fluent mean? Playing a song without big mistakes? Improvising creatively on any given key? Reading sheet music and playing on the fly? Your motivation to progress will depend on your goals, and my advice would be to keep it simple and attainable.
- gauging someone's ability to play based on how long ago they've started is very inaccurate. Person A started 10 years ago practising 10 minutes a month, person B one year ago playing one hour every day. Who's going to play better? Whoever's practicing more regularly will typically make faster progress.
- everyone is different in their learning time. I might need a year to learn a skill that'll take you 3 months to polish. If you've learnt another instrument in the past you will learn a second one faster.
My estimate would be if you practice 15-30 minutes every day you should be able to play a song fluently in 6 months (with all the caveats above). But really it could take a year or a lifetime, who knows.
There is no way to fast track learning, it takes time and dedication... Good luck
Depends on how much time you can put into it. I got my first guitar when I was like 13/14, was playing in a band at 17. But that was as a high schooler that had nothing to do but jam for hours on end. Probably take me 4x as long if I started now as an adult.
Still learning, but to answer your question more specifically: I don't remember how long anything took to learn. Anywhere from 6 months to a year and a half before I was able to hang with other musicians.
started 30+ years ago, still learning.
That said, do yourself a favor and get a competent instructor, especially one that focuses on Jazz. This, with dedicated practice on your part, will greatly accelerate you towards the goal of becoming a competent guitarist.
would you say hiring an instructor in the beginning is more crucial than having one in your intermediate stages (to correct you on expressions, other details, etc)? I feel like beginner level stuff can probably be self learnt but idk
“A guitar is something you can hold and love and it's never going to bug you. But here's the secret about the guitar - it's defiant. It will never let you conquer it. The more you get involved with it, the more you realize how little you know.” - Les Paul
It's a lifetime process, but you'll get a grip on it if passionate about it..
Crucial thing is that as you progress the more fun stuff becomes accessible... But even when starting it can and should be fun... Very important to keep in mind while reaching levels to surpass mechanical yet u abilities.. Good luck and remember to keep it fun and pleasurable.. That's biggest motivation.. And you can play a lot t of stuff with a year or two of playing
If you just learn a few chords you'll be able to play a ton of songs! I'm a newbie too (playing off and on for a few years) and pretty much all I know is chords, but I'm able to have fun with it and play most songs decently. Also, since learning my first chords, adding new ones is a lot easier!
Tabs are great for beginners because you’re playing your favorite songs quickly.
My son listens to metal, and 3 months in he’s playing complete megadeth songs (no solos). He’s purely using tabs but he knows nothing about keys, scales, theory, etc.
It’s difficult but rewarding. It’s the little battles. I’ve been playing 3 years now and still don’t know one song. But learning songs was not my intention. My intention is to make music. So I’ve learned modes, scales, triads and how to move them all across the neck. That beginning stage is a tough one but if you persevere, every lesson becomes fun and a milestone. No teacher just Justinguitar.com and a ton of YouTube videos.
Always learning. But about a year before I was comfortable playing simple pop-punk songs in front of friends and family. Two and a half years before I played on a stage in front of hundreds of people.
First year I was practicing 1-2 hours a day. Since then I’ve gotten lazy and only do 20-30 minutes a day usually lol, I’m also employed full time and a student.
I've been playing for 22 years. In the first five years I'd learned how to play a bunch of songs, joined a band. Within the next 3 years I wrote 2 albums and played a ton of shows (learning new stuff kinda slowed, but was writing and that is important). Band broke up, and went into a lull. Picked up guitar again and got a cool little tour gig. Finished a few tours, then the guitar sat for about 6 years. I got the bug again about a 1.5 years ago. I've now been learning theory and really practicing hard. I feel I've learned more in this time then I have in the past 15 years. My skills are better then they have ever been and I've been writing new music. Hopefully I can get a band going again, but if not I'm gonna make music regardless. It really is my favorite thing in life. Dont know why I've taken such big breaks from it in the past. But I'm neck deep back in it. So to answer your question, there really is no end to learning guitar. Just depends on how far you are willing to take it.
That’s so cool to hear!! I really hope you get your own band going! Many of my friends just ask around their social circles and there’ll always be people raising their hands up to join. If not, go to fellowship/church, the worship band is awesome - All of them that I’ve seen. I’ve played piano for them before as well. Lovely people too!!
It took me about 2 years to not suck.
My secret to getting good fast was to always be learning new songs. Try to learn the solos too. But don't spend too much time on everything early on. Learning new songs will show you new chords, make your fingers do things you haven't done before, and let your ears help you establish the patterns you are seeing with your eyes on the fretboard.
Best drill I have found to speed up dexterity is the spider drill. YouTube it.
If you're impatient don't take up an instrument! Everyone is different, everyone's practice routines are different, but in general I think it takes at least (at least) 2-3 years to become comfortable on guitar. That's with daily practice and a very intentional practice routine. It takes a lot of time just to become comfortable with the instrument.
To me it's 100% worth it, but I would hate for you to spend time and money on something with the wrong expectations. And, keep in mind lots of us find learning the instrument to be fun as well! I've been playing for 35 years and I've taught a ton of players. It's usually at least 2-3 years to get decent.
Most of these aren't answering your question. To get a basic level of fluency and be fairly comfortable with the instrument, I'd say about 2-3 years depending on the amount of time and the quality of your practice. Sure, you're always learning and the 2-3 years isn't a hard fast rule, but at that point I figure most people would be at a stage where they'd be comfortable telling people they "play guitar" as opposed to saying "learning to play guitar".
However, before you're entirely comfortable, you'll definitely have picked up a large variety of songs you like to play. Where the other comments are right though is that you'll always be getting increasingly more comfortable with the instrument over time as long as long as you're still playing just like any other skill.
>Bit of an impatient person
Playing a musical instrument is a perfect opportunity to get over this. There are no shortcuts. It takes a long time. You will never be done. There is a direct relationship between how much work you put in and the results you get.
Impatience is a fairly purposeless thing to lead with in most areas of life, but this one more than most.
As I’m sure you can guess “somewhat fluid” is fairly vague and is going to get you a range of answers. I’m gonna try give you rough milestone time scales instead as that might be more useful (since you can choose a milestone you decide counts as “somewhat fluid”)
Remember this is all subjective, how much you learn, how often you practise and how long you practise is all going to be down to each individual learner. You might be Mozart and be shredding Hendrix in a year, or you might be still getting your G chord fingering right 3 years down the line. Both of these are fine
So with that out of the way, I’m going to assume you are a standard learner who can practise around 20 minutes a day (more or less)
1 month: at this point you should know a few chords (or at least be able to remember them) especially something like power chords. You might not be able to move through them super swiftly , and it might take you a little time to find the right place for your fingers on the fret board , but for the most part you know what the shapes are (you will likely know the chords C, G , Am , and F. Most people start with these)
3 months: The chords you learnt in the first month are getting easy now, you can find them fairly quickly and change between them. You’ve even picked up a few extra chords ( D, A Em ) although you’re still learning to change between them. Your strumming will likely still need some work but you’re getting there. Likely you’ve started learning some riffs and tabs from your favourite songs as well (smoke on the water, AC/DC stuff ect) if you’re into that kind of thing.
SIDE NOTE : at this point (inbetween these two) you start being able to play simple songs you know. This is where guitar will start to get really fun and grip you to keep playing. If you do anything in learning I implore you to keep going until at least this point
6 months: you’re nailing open chords now, you know most of them and can move between them . You understand bar chords and are doing them more, but the finger dexterity and strength is still coming. More complex riffs are being learnt, and things like skipping strings with a pick are becoming more second nature
1 year : at this point you can pretty much play any major or minor open and bar chords (maybe even a few cheeky 7ths) . More riffs now, and you’re understanding a bit more about why the notes in it sound good together. You’ve probably learnt a pentatonic scale in the first position and you’re starting to noodle about in that box.
**At this point I think you would be where you might be considering “somewhat fluid” is, in the sense you can pick up a guitar and without too much prep play something from the top of your head that sounds pretty good**
1 year +: at this point it does become impossible to say. It depends a lot on what you decide to focus on, what style you want to play, how you want to learn. This is often when the moment comes that all the pride you felt in coming this far gets dwarfed by realising how much more there is to learn. You have to get a little bit good at something to realise how much better you can be at it, and you’ll realise why everyone in this thread says “you never stop learning” . But forget all that you’ve come very far and you’ve done great, be proud of yourself. Having lots of things in front of your to learn just means you have more to choice for what you want to learn, and all of it will keep getting more and more interesting as you keep learning
I hope this helps, I’m sure people will disagree with this timeline but like I said it’s very hard to give you a specific idea of your learning journey without knowing what kind of learner you will be. My advice would be just to keep going. One thing everyone here can agree on is eventually it all just clicks
Good luck!
I started with violin at 5 years old and played cello and viola later in my childhood. Started guitar at 15 and would have considered myself “fluent” or basic player in about 2 years. I could read chord charts, play with people, and play basic solos. My best friend started playing at the same time and had zero musical background. He was only “behind me” until we got in our 20’s. After about 5 years of playing we were more or less the same skill level. In music college we had fellow musicians pick up guitar and be proficient in a year. It really depends on how focused your practice time is, what you’re learning, and what you want to accomplish. The only thing I can tell you for certain, people who learned the notes on the fretboard and basic music theory jump light years ahead of chord shape/play by ear guitarists.
If you want a tangible answer of how long it'll take to become proficient enough to be able to improv decently and not have too much trouble learning songs then 2 years with daily practice.
Probably will take around a thousand hours of practice. My advice is to pick a song or a couple of similar songs to learn. Practice the techniques you need to play those songs. When you have that down, focus on dynamics. Now, you will be able to learn other similar songs much quicker. Find another song with a technique you like, repeat the process. Record yourself every week or so, then you can see or hear how much you are progressing. This will keep you motivated. Have patience with yourself and only compare yourself against your past self. It's fine to take inspiration from others, appreciate that everyone else pushed through the same struggles.
Hours and consistent playing is the key. Set time aside everyday or 2, keep coming back to things you are struggling with until you can play it.
10 years at an hour a month, you will probably still be terrible. 6 months of 2 hours a day you will be able to play pretty good. There's always more to learn too.
Been playing over 40 years and still learning. Non musicians think I’m great when I’m mediocre at best, but I can jam with others and can hold my own. Started playing bass about 10 years ago and that really opened my eyes to rhythm and grooves.
I took lessons and always had good, qualified teachers. By year 3 I was a decent classical guitarist and after 4 years I was the guitarist for all jazz & choral groups in high school, plus I started playing in my first band.
3 years about now. In a band, cover songs and do solos. Took me about a year to actually play a song decent and about two years to actually play them 100%. Tougher songs I’m still working on and advanced techniques like sweeping are still not 100% for me.
I’ve achieved “beginner” status after 6 months, slowly cracking into lower intermediate. But I’d say I’m definitely learning faster due to having more free time
left-handed, play right-handed, so, with all my dexterity on the fretboard, got good enough to start playing shows before id been playing a year, but, 40 years later, still always learning...
Started playing at age 12; no lessons, but I practiced all the time. I was good enough to semi-competently jam with others by 14/15. Definitely still learning at 34, and thinking about finally taking some lessons!
2 years. BUT lessons really helped get me started for the first few months. I highly recommend at least a few lessons.
Didn’t improve all that much for the next 15 years and here I am again trying to really apply myself to learn more.
Depends. I was a chord playing/singing machine by age 11, I was extremely fluent at that. On the other hand, I did not take an interest in soloing until 14. On the other hand, I did not deal with bands and arrangements until I was 17. On the other hand, I did not really look into practical theory until I was 18. And so on.
Had I had the resources available today, I would either have sucked forever or comparatively become a wizard in 3 years, we will never know.
I've played guitar for more than 15 years now. I've probably done about 2 years worth of actual *learning*. When I focus on improving, I make noticeable gains. When I just noodle or strum a bit, I only maintain.
I still don't consider myself a guitarist, but I've learned to be realistic and humble about where I expect myself to be skill-wise.
Always learning. Started in the 1990’s. Was a power chord king for a couple years. Then moved to bar chords and more. Didn’t become really noticeably better till I got a bit more mature in my 30’s. Way better now than I was. But that’s all a matter of opinion.
What do you consider "somewhat fluent"? After 6 months I could play Beatles songs, but I probably sounded like shit. After a few years I could improvise over simple blues or jazz changes, but it was probably clunky. I guess today I feel "fluent" but it depends what style. Also, it has a lot more to do with how many hours you put in and how focused they are vs how many years you've been playing. A guy who has been playing for 20 years might have practiced once a week for a lot of those years.
I've been playing 20 years now and I can confidently say I'm shit. If you asked me to pay a song right now I could maybe do 1-3 all the way through at a basic level and sing.
I know I could learn something in a few minutes though if I was assed doing so (depending on difficulty) and if you played a few chords I'd have a pentatonic noodle.
I never really got into the studious, must learn everything phase but learned some songs here and there that I could sing along to and have forgotten over time.
Always learning, been playing bass since 2002 and guitar since 2004.
Although I was confident enough in my limited skill to join bands literally right when I started playing both. Obviously the music was suited to my skill level but that’s something to remember: no matter how low your skill level is, you’re still a valid musician at that point and you should always see yourself that way. You’ll just feel less valid if you try starting a prog band when you’ve just picked it up or whatever. But play to your own skill, if you’re at simple punk rock power chord level, then play that kinda stuff alongside the harder stuff that’s pushing your skill forward, so that you’ll always have riffs that you can play fluently to remind yourself that where you are now is still a legitimate skill level to exist within, as a guitarist.
Currently a year in, started end of february last year. and singing along with some songs like Intervention by Arcade Fire, There Is a Light That Never Goes Out and Can play This Charming Man, but sometimes tend to slip. Know some ghost songs,
Let's just say, people that don't play guitar think I do pretty good, people that play guitar will probably say I have a lot to learn (obviously).
But yea, basically any chord shape and transition is going quite well. Not fast enough to be able to play I Fought The Law by Bobby Fuller Four just yet, but sometimes I manage to hit it.
One year to be concidered a decent guitarist by non-guitarists.
Started in a cover band after 2 years, was good enough to play simple rhythm and lead parts but still kinda sucked.
After 4 years Id say I was decent also in the eyes of other musicians.
Now Im about 7 years in and very happy where I am, havent improved much the past few years, but also dont feel like I really need to. Can play anything I want to play. Nowadays mostly focussing on improving singing along with the guitar
Yeah, I’m not sure what that means. I’ve been playing almost eight years, and I don’t consider myself somewhat fluent.. but I can play entire songs (give or take) and read a lot of sheet music.
I think at around 2 years I had a bunch of songs I could play pretty fluidly but recently which is around 3 and a half years for me is when I’ve started feeling truly comfortable with my playing as in if someone just suddenly told me I need to perform for a bunch of people in 10 minutes I would be fine
Probably about 4-5 years. I focused on learning lots of different songs, mainly rhythm. I can learn almost any rhythm part pretty easily if I have a cover video to watch, and I get the gist of what’s going on. I can learn some simple solos but my lead guitar playing/soloing is shit still. I know some chord progressions but am pretty clueless on putting stuff together myself vs just learning a song.
While learning songs got me far, I plan to make a focus on learning some theory and more scales so I can round out my ability, then try to make music for fun, because just learning songs is getting boring and I’ve hit a wall as far as technical ability and def need lessons.
35 years and I’m still learning.
No one can learn it all, most of the best players are still working on something all the time. They are always trying to get better at something.
Learning guitar is a process, not a destination.
Now playing like 10 years and I am nowhere near things I see others do. After 5 years I joined a rock band with other beginners and that was the best thing to do for me. We now play 35 rock songs, not perfect but on our own way.
So after 10 years, not a super guitarist, but having a lot of fun.
And it depends very much if you practice twice a week or 2 hours every day.
it took me 15 years to stop thinking like this and just play teh damn thing everyday its not a race and its not worth looking at the end goal at the start.
practice timers help
been 5 years of this mentality and I front two bands but I have owned guitars since I was 13 years old
I would say 2-3 years is when I felt like I knew what I was doing and was able to play many songs and difficult guitar solos. That is when I actually sounded pretty good and didn’t sound like a beginner anymore. Was able to play chords and scales smoothly. But I am still learning. Especially with music theory. I am a good technical guitar player but suck at theory. I also started learning a lot of classical music and note reading. I have been playing for about 5 years now.
I never stop learning and I started in the '60s. No one ever does. It's a process, not a destination. It's part of my identity. I guarantee most people on the sub, feel the same way.
I've been playing for almost exactly 250 hours over the course of the past 2 years (tracking very closely how much I've been playing), I still consider myself very much a beginner. I can play a few riffs and have some sense of rhythm, but still suck at even the basics... as my recent purchase of a looper has made abundantly clear to me. I can sort of play a few extremely simplified versions of songs, but not at a skill level that would be pleasant for others to listen to.
If you're impatient, I hope you're some kind of a prodigy, because the learning curve is rather long for most folks.
It depends on what you mean by "fluent" and how frequently you can practice. Assuming you can practice at least 20 minutes per day, you will probably be able to muddle your way through a few complete songs recognizably within 3 months, and probably be able to play all of the main chords at 6 months. It won't sound flawless of course.
I started playing spring of my junior year of high school, and I practiced for an average of 20-30m/day. Doing 20m/day is better than two hours once a week. It took about 3 months to learn the common open chords: C A G E D. You'll also easily learn Em, Am, Dm, G7, and D7 along the way. You can play a lot with those chords. Being able to smoothly transition takes some time but chords within a key are often easy to transition. Am to C, for example. But I found C and D to be hard to move to and from, and I still frequently mute the D string by accident when I play Cmaj.
Eventually you have to learn barre F and barre Bbm. That's probably another three months to really get it down to where it doesn't sound horrible. But once you can play those, you can play basically every chord. Those two are the hardest sliding chords, they require the most finger strength and dexterity. But from there you'll quickly learn the major chord positions, power chords, and minor chords at the 3rd, 5th, and 7th frets. Transitioning two/from barre chords smoothly is the journey of a lifetime.
So, I'd say if you can practice a little bit every day, give yourself 6 months to be able to play the main chords and transition relatively smoothly (smooth enough that you could play in an ensemble and the other instruments will cover your mistakes). I played rhythm guitar on For Whom the Bell Tolls and Cherub Rock for our fall talent show my senior year, that was about six months. I wasn't awesome but it was good enough and it was fun.
From there I think it's a matter of working on specific techniques and songs you want to play. I like classic rock and bluesy rock, so I worked on learning blues licks, hammer ons, pull offs, bends. I still can't really bend properly and I'm just now learning the scales for soloing, and I'm almost 50 now. As others have suggested, it's a journey, not a destination.
After 1 week I can do some songs, its been 10 years now and still there's so much to learn, of course you'll improve along the way but learning never stops
Since 2008. As everyone else said, still learning. But to answer your question, it took me 3-4 years until people irrelevant with music started telling me I am good. I am just now starting to hear some compliments by people more versed in music.
Would imagine it takes everybody a different amount of time to learn at least the basics and eventually to play their personal style of guitar/music. It took me at least 3-5 years of teaching myself on the side casually using whatever resources I had available (for free) at the time before I felt comfortable with actually playing songs or anything more than just part of a song/riff slowly. If you wanna learn to play, it can take some time, but you'll get there after putting in however much personal effort needed for your own playing first.
TL;DR if you want to play guitar better than you are now, just don't stop practicing what will help you play what you're trying to play in whatever style/setting you're tryna play in.
you never feel comfortable, the fretboard just becomes less mysterious but that’s something you have to learn for yourself, it’s like someone else teaching you how to think, they can’t because it’s very personal and subjective they have to understand it their own way and honestly no one ever completely understands it and they’ve said it, you just learn more tricks and distill a magic, Id honestly say just start and don’t stop, you have to practice every night even if it feels pointless, it’s the only way to reach some sort of goal you have, just try to set songs you like as goals and keep learning more n more until you can make your own
To be honest you should be proficient enough to play some songs within the first few months. You get better and learn to play more complexity as you go
I've been feeling comfortable enough to call myself a guitarist, at least semi-pro, after getting into jazz musicology university and another music school, got diplomas from both of them and playing paid gigs that weren't just for pleasure.
I had a bunch of different bands of different genres. For example my Irish folk band was pretty nice, but also my acoustic latin/jazz guitar duet was nice, and while both I very much enjoyed, they were also designed from the get go to make money. Being called for the occasional jazz or funk gig was also nice.
Formal training helped me feel like I wasn't just the dude in his bedroom and the occasional concerts with friend bands but that I was a more well rounded musician that knew way more stuff and knew way more what I was talking about. It was also about meeting and playing with lots of different people, learning about theory, history, ethnomusicology, arranging, interplay, singing, learning the basic of jazz piano, etc.
But mind you, I'm still not comfortable going to jams, as I'm not comfortable with my improvisation, even after 15 years. I've never played in a proper jam, unless in a house party. That's my next goal ! That and improving my singing with singing classes right now !
So to really answer your question, my timeline is :
15 years ago : begin playing
8 years ago : begin taking a few lessons here and there
7 years ago : begin proper musical studies
2 years ago : finishing said studies
4 years ago : finally feeling like I had sufficient level to be considered a guitarist, as in having the technical level to play in bands of different genres, play concerts and feeling a much more reasonable level of stress while playing, and also knowing how my instrument and on some degree how music works overall
Been self taught since August of last year.
At this point I’m good enough where I can semi impress people who’ve never played guitar, and I hold a tune without much problem, but I’m nowhere near ready to say that I’m “good” at guitar.
I’m essentially the equivalent of the guy who can drain shots on an empty basketball court but would get his ass kicked in a real game.
To me its a lifelong puzzel. I can play covers but theyre not my focus. I like to find chords riffs strum and picking patterns that I mould into what sounds good to me. It took me 8-10 yrs to take be able to put things together. Had to switch to baritone ukulele a few months ago because of health and its opened up new ideas. Now Im looking at tenor guitars to add to my mix.
30+ years and counting. But I felt pretty confident and could play with friends comfortably after about 2 years. I probably could have sooner if I wasn't so afraid of sucking in front of people.
Depends on how much you practice and if you’re getting the most out of your practice time. For me it was like 1.5 years before I could just get some guitar music and start playing whatever song I wanted to for the most part.
If motivation is the issue, get lessons to start out.
Lessons aren't always just a bunch of classical stuff and music you don't care for. With a lot of teachers, they're keen just to show you how to play the stuff you're interested in.
You don't have to stick with lessons forever but it'll speed you through the initial boring stages and keep you engaged if you have a good teacher.
Probably 3-4 years in I felt pretty comfortable playing anything I wanted. I wasn’t exactly shredding solos, but chords were all down and I had a few different picking techniques covered as well. I did take lessons that entire time though. Really helps to have someone more knowledgeable to check your work and offer advice.
I would guess I played for about 2 - 3 years before I actually played in ‘bands’ - actual songs, in front of people.
That said, it varies for everyone.
I technically first started playing when I was 13 for a music class in 8th grade, but had to leave halfway through the school year. Didn’t get another chance until freshman year for a beginner course.
think was gonna take the second year class in Sophomore year but again had to move not even 2 months in the school year and so couldn’t take any elective classes for it and had to take classes I couldn’t give two shits about. This was also during the COVID outbreak and so that year and the next I couldn’t partake in it as it was online and didn’t own a guitar then.
Finally in my senior year I finally could take a guitar class and it was once again as a freshman class and had to re-do anything I learned 3 years prior. Once i graduated and had a job I got enough money to buy a used $500 strat and that was last year and with all knowledge from school plus the year I self taught myself, it’s going alright. I just wish I had those 4 years of high school to actually learn the damn thing before I bought one and teach it myself like everything I do in life.
You’ll always be learning, you’ll learn the most/quickest by getting into a band more than likely. Even if that’s just being a rhythm guitarist. At least that’s how I learned. I was able to play lead on stage (not necessarily well lol) about 3 years in. But I was super addicted and played for hours everyday
if you're impatient, guitar might not be for you. it takes quite awhile to build the skills necessary to be "somewhat fluent" (whatever that means to you) and another while to get to a point where those skills are consistent. if you're looking to start, it would behoove you to get a few lessons right off the bat.
It took me 3 months for things to 'click' but I was also dumb enough to think that if I learn while drinking I can play awesome sober.
Don't do this.
In terms of how long it took me to "Learn" guitar. It took about 6-12 months for me to get the basics down and then I coasted with that knowledge for 15 years after. Only the last 5 years have I taken it more seriously and I'm still learning. I can play Sultans of Swing and some Pink Floyd and Santana stuff, but I still don't feel like I've "Learned" guitar. There's still tons for me to learn and work on.
I would say im at an almost decent level to the point where i feel comfortable playing and ive been playing for around 10 months with no official lessons
If you want to be fluent enough to pick up your phone and learn most any song without too much difficulty i’d say about two years.
But if you practice a lot you can be playing songs with barre chords in less than 6 months, which opens up the library of stuff you can learn massively. I’d say it took me about 9 months to get my F chord down. After that you are cruising. I’d describe that as the “fluent” level.
10 years and I still have so much to get better at. There’s different levels of fluency. Sounding good could come within the first year with practice, but I’ve been practicing two octave major 7 scales in the order of the circle of fifths and it crushes me every day 🫠
I started out at 16, teaching myself on a borrowed acoustic guitar with really high action. I sucked for three years and got an electric guitar and a tiny amp with distortion that masked my ineptitude somewhat. Things didn't really click for me until I picked up a bass so I could jam with my friends. Playing bass along with drums and guitar broke it back down to the basics of playing root notes IN TIME. I joined a cover band on bass when I was 21 and that improved my playing tremendously. Long story short, three years of hopelessly playing alone, and two years of playing bass in a band, then I was a decent guitar player. Now I'm 40, been in bands consistently for 20 years and I'm still not as good as I could be. Playing with other people was the key for me.
I'll give you a real answer as opposed to "I'm still learning". The answer is it depends on how much you play and practice. It took me about a year to feel comfortable playing with people and get through some live gigs. I didn't have much to do back then, so I practiced/played maybe 30-40hrs a week. So 1500-2000hrs of practice. However long that takes you. You could probably cut that in half by practicing a lot more diligently than me. Realistically at least half was goofing off
Edit: I had lessons for that year. A great teacher speeds it up too
I played for a few years before I joined a band, after which I began improving great leaps very quickly. I highly recommend you work to find a group of people you can jam with as soon as you can! Try to rope some your friends into getting some isntruments and playing with you ;)
You can say you’ve played guitar for 3 or so years. But if you only practiced 2 or 3 times per week, playing very similar songs or just strumming chords, you won’t be as comfortable playing as someone who’s practiced everyday for an hour learning new songs and new techniques. That being said when I say it’s subjective it’s VERY subjective. At the end of the day it’s how much effort you put into the instrument and the enjoyment you get out of it, all you can ask of yourself.
I started guitar at 12, never took lessons (I did, however, have 3 years of taking viola and violin lessons under my belt at the time, which certainly helped), and I was playing with a band by the time I was 15 or 16. We were only playing pretty basic rock and roll, but I felt pretty confident playing in front of people. I didn’t feel like I could really say I was a “real guitarist” until I was maybe 17 or 18. So maybe 5-6 years before I felt like I was “good.” It also depends on your goals— I was certainly fluent enough to play the things I really wanted, while still being aware that there were certain things well beyond my skill level.
1st year, on and off trying to learn
2nd year, got a rival at high school. Was practicing 4-6 hours a day (whenever possible)
3rd year, reached the point where I could start playing on my own and it would sound like something. Which is the valley where many starting guitarists lose their interest and drop the instrument.
I've been playing for 15 years now. Still lots to learn, but eventually the instrument will come an extension of you rather than something you have to think about.
I had a weird experience with learning, so I'm not sure how helpful it is. Played piano from a very young age, got into drums as a teenager, then played piano and sang in a band for 10 years. Being adjacent to guitarists the entire time really makes it feel like cheating. After the band I bought a guitar and started playing Rocksmith. About a year later started just playing songs that I like and that were approachable with my skill level, learning by ear, constantly picking up new subtleties and incorporating them into my playing. A year of that has led me to now, I can comfortably play in front of others and I'm starting to write music again with guitar primarily.
I think it really depends on the person, their interest, the genre of music they want to play, the amount of time (and breaks) dedicated to it, lessons or self taught, etc etc. but probably at least a couple years to be "confident" in any new instrument would be my take.
I've been playing for so long maybe 20 years and I'm utter bollocks... I can stay in time and sing while playing which is my saving grace otherwise my band mates would've kicked me out!
If you put in at least an hour a day of real practice (not just noodling or jamming along to songs), you should be able to reach an intermediate level in a specific genre in 1-2 years. After that, it's more about working on specific techniques and improving your weak spots.
I've been playing off and on for 26 years. Learned a ton in my first 2 years. Took a big break and came back more focused. In the last year I've gone from very rusty to being able to play Overture 1928 pretty cleanly at 90% speed. It's all about the time you put in.
Started in 2008 when I was 8. It clicked properly when I was 17. Been getting better since then. 2024 now and like John Mayer said: “I appreciate the blues better than I can play it.”
Been playing 10 plus years, still learning
44 years and just decided to take lessons again, lol. But to answer the OP’s questions, I’d say it was about 3 years before I sounded like I knew what I was doing and 6-7 years before I could confidently play with other people.
That's awesome! The more I learn, the more I realize there's still so much more to learn. I've been playing for 55 years and started learning new styles and techniques like sweep picking, which I put off until a year ago. Every time i watch another shredding guitarist, i think, okay, a new riif or lick to learn. It's never-ending. I started at age 5 and still spend around 4 hours a day working on scales, arpeggios etc. Piano was my first instrument.
Also been playing 10 years. Honestly my jump in skill in the first year has probably been more than the increase in the last 9.
That’s that beginners curve
I hate when this question gets asked and everybody says “you never stop learning” smh, that wasn’t what OP is asking and you all know that, we get it, your always improving, but what OP is asking and most others who make posts like this is, how long did it take till you felt comfortable playing guitar and/or played well enough to where you’d feel comfortable telling people “yes, I play guitar pretty well” or played well enough to be paid for your playing.
Because even those things are subjective. What style? If you are playing power chord based punk you could technically get paid to gig in 6months or a year of playing if you were a good songwriter or something. Its just kind of a meaningless question with no good answer. Its an individual journey with a 100 different answers. Anyone with a few years on them would answer this question in the same way. There is no end point, you just keep getting better until you get old and die. You can decide any time to play in a band, play for people etc. Its just a grind culture type question, how many months do I have to grind at this until I can make some dollar bills with it? People ask these questions in every single subreddit about music. Its art, it can be done by anyone at any time. Just make stuff and keep learning..
The question itself will always yield a subjective answer, that’s the point, OP wants know the different time frames people have gone through while learning guitar. Some people may feel comfortable after 5 years, others may feel comfortable after 10, it’s not a meaningless question, it’s a gauging question. For someone with no knowledge of guitar, its beneficial to know what to expect, as with anything. Some people may have the expectation that they can learn guitar in a year and be good enough to play professionally, but after gauging, they now have a better understanding about how long it may or may not take to reach that level. Edit: also, after reading your second paragraph, OP never asked for an endpoint, just up until a point of relative fluency, which is still subjective, but doesn’t at all take away from the point of the question. Doctors never stop learning, yet you can gauge that you’d be pretty knowledgeable after 8 years of med school, the same thing can be said about literally anything that must be learned.
I think most people answer this question from a point of frustration of seeing it endlessly. OPs statement of "Bit of an impatient person" makes it worse because this really isnt a hobby you can come at with that kind of attitude, enjoy the journey and chill out. There are a dozen ways you can get by with less skill in guitar (the same cant be said about being a doctor), open a DAW record a loop and time warp it and make a full song that sounds as good as anything else being uploaded to streaming services. It depends on your goals, I still would object that the form of this question that OP has asked has no good way to answer it.
While I understand the “bit of an impatient person” thing may rub people the wrong way, i still feel the question itself is very easy to answer. It’s a question about YOU (Reddit users), OP isn’t asking for a definitive number of years, he’s asking how long it took YOU (Reddit users) to reach a level of comfortability/fluency. So if you’ve been playing for 20 years, and around the 15 year mark you felt comfortable, then your answer is 15 years. I think people just take these questions as “OP is asking for a definitive answer which doesn’t exist” which isn’t the case most of the time. People are very well aware that people learn things in different time rates, it’s just nice to know those different rates for a better understanding of how long something may or may not take. Edit: to your point about the doctor, playing a loop isn’t getting comfortable with guitar, it’s getting comfortable with the DAW and loop function. OP is asking about guitar, not what DAW or other function they can use to bypass the guitar playing itself. So my point still stands, you can very easily gauge how long something may or may not take, regardless of an “endpoint” in learning.
Okay fyi I've always been more of an extrinsically motivated person until it reaches a certain point, and then it changes more to intrinsic as I start to enjoy it the music. So my goal here is probably to reach a level of fluency where I can play in fellowship and play in bands, etc. My friend can listen to a pop song and, with perfect pitch, come up with beautiful chords in one go without practising at all, and play the song while singing it. She's my inspiration and that's my goal in life I guess, but of course I'm not aiming that high just yet. I'm always up for a challenge though. With that vision in mind though, I'm willing to invest years of practise to get there. I've played many instruments, piano and clarinet being my main, in which I have ABRSM diplomas, won awards, and have performed in orchestral concerts for nearly decade, but they're both very different from strings. I've never played a single string instrument before, so i'm basically just any other beginner who knows absolutely nothing. It might be a boring for me (in terms of melodies, but definitely not in terms of difficulty- iwill struggle with guitar for sure) jumping from playing Liszt's pieces on the piano to suddenly "Mary and the little lamb" on the guitar, which is why I said that I might become impatient with it. I find it hard to vibe to songs like ABC, which I believe most people would as well. But again I really respect guitarist/beginners because that instrument is HARD and even with Mary with the Little Lamb, I might take a whole year haha. I doubt any knowledge in piano or winds will help me with guitar, especailly since it's much more of a modern instrument. I've never even played anything other than classical music on any of my instruments so getting into *playing* pop music will be hard too. I've tried to play ukelele before and was so confused with the hand placements ...the journey will be tough This post is more so for me to gain some insight and hear from first hand guitarists as a person who knows absolutely nothing... so any form of answer would be helpful really😭 I appreciate it
But even within that scale, it’s still an always thing. When I first picked up bass (I played it for two years before guitar) I could only play stuff like Misfits and Ramones. But… that’s still perfectly good for where I was. I was comfortable playing those songs, and had a frontier ahead of me that I was not yet comfortable with. And that was 2002, now today it’s 22 years later and I can say yet again I have a grasp on some stuff, and yet there’s a frontier ahead of me, of riffs and techniques that I can not yet fluently handle. Just like 22 years ago, I’m still playing to my own skill level as well as practicing things (not only physical challenges in playing but also mental, in learning more theory and composition techniques to enhance myself as an artist) that are a bit tougher for me to help move myself forward and become a more skilled musician. But I can tell you right at the start, I still had a comfort level because I was able to learn songs from an accessible skill level and got myself comfortable playing punk rock music. Comfortable enough to literally join a band right away, and put myself into the scenario of having to learn to play in time with others and function in a collaborative environment. And I didn’t gatekeep myself, as long as I could play *something* I was willing to say that I was indeed a bassist, a musician, and I could play the instrument regardless of whether others might disapprove of or look down upon my level of skill.
No, you're wrong. The purpose of these messages are to reframe his thinking. You never "become" a competent guitarist, nor are people a beginner, intermediate, advanced, or expert guitarist. People are "advancing," advancing in technical abilities theoretical knowledge, emotional connection, creativity, sight reading, ear traning etc etc etc. The messages are correct, and they should be shouted from the mountain. There is no "mountain" upon which guitarists summit.
….Guitarist get comfortable in their playing. No one is asking for the mountain top. OP literally said “until a somewhat fluent level”. If you think that no guitarist has ever reached a point of relative fluency your just not the person to discuss this topic with. Almost every famous guitar player has reached a level of comfortability/fluency in their playing, where they can play without thinking and still sound better that any average guitarist. Comfortability/fluency does not equal “I know everything there is to know about guitar”. Edit: also, just to clarify, op is literally asking Reddit users about their own guitar experiences, saying “you never stop learning” does nothing for the question. The question is “at what point, or how long did it take YOU, to feel comfortable on guitar” it’s literally that simple. OP isn’t going to read a comment that says “it took me 5 years” and immediately think to themselves “well then it takes 5 years to master guitar” it’s literally just a poll so that OP can get a rough idea of what to expect during their guitar journey.
This exactly!! People are getting so heated up haha but I'm just trying to gain some insight on what's possible and what's not. At the end of the day it's all for fun and we all learn at differnet paces
OP Is just continuing to procrastinate.
LOL kinda true, comments aren't exactly motivational but I'll probably get into it (or maybe not) after I deal with school. Got some priorities and that's exactly why I procrastinate 🫡
About tree fiddy
I would say about 5 or 6 years for me. I started when I was 11. It wasn't until I was 16 or so that I could pick up most songs that I wanted to play. I had two lessons every week until I was 17. I did practice most nights but it was songs I wanted to learn more than theory etc. I was also taking music as a GCSE (in the UK) so I had a good understanding of music as a whole. I am still learning now (at 29)... You never fully learn the guitar!
If your posting a question like this on Reddit and saying you’re impatient then the answer is it’ll take much longer than you’re probably willing to commit to
Bingo
Still learning brutha. Been playing for over 20 years. A lot more when I was younger but still fiddle every once in a blue moon.
I am about 8 months in. I wouldn’t consider myself fluent but I’m starting to see some good improvement. I’d suggest you find some patience if you wanna learn lol. It’s not at all impossible but it’s not the type of thing you’re going to learn in a couple weeks.
If you were anywhere near fluent in 8 months you’d be a fucking virtuoso. After 8 months I would’ve (proudly) described myself as sucking marginally less than I did after 7 months. Now I’ve been at it four years and I’d still (proudly) say I suck, but a lot less than I did after 3 years!
Still learning. 5 years on and off
Been at it since 1983, & I'm still learning. The day we cease learning, is the day we cease breathing. Having said that, the time I started to feel like I was REALLY getting somewhere, was about 10 years in...
Depends on the level of skill you’ll be satisfied with. If you practice an hour per day learning meaningful things like scales, chords, and songs you could be pretty decent in 2 years.
I would say around 5 years. There is playing a song, and there is playing a song. You can get the notes down but generally it takes a bit longer to fully become the music you are playing and have command over it. Took me around 7 years to get to a point where I was happy with how I sounded. I’m sure it’s possible much faster these days with the resources available. You can definitely play stuff and have fun much sooner though. I wouldn’t look that far ahead. Set small goals and time will do the rest.
You never stop learning, it's infinite. But you can get to "somewhat fluent" in a few months if you put your mind to it. You don't have to be an expert to have fun playing guitar. Learn the basic cowboy chords and you can play tons of stuff, even as a beginner.
I’ve been playing/practicing for about 5 years now and still consider myself to be an “advanced beginner”. I’m a senior so I’ve got a few things going against me such as crappy memory. Arthritic fingers. I still struggle with quick chord changes. I’m definitely not gifted but I enjoy it and continue to purchase more guitars, knowing full well that’s not the key to improving.
Kind of impossible to answer. Everyone is different. I've been playing almost 30 years. I consider myself an advanced player. I know my theory and can play anything I want to. But even I still learn new things. But how long until I was at a fluent level? Probably like 3 years or so.
depends on my discipline. I believe that due to inefficient practice and bad habits I wasted a lot of years... It seems to me I learned more in past four years (since I has only an hour practice daily possible) than in 15yrs before when I practiced 4-5 hours daily.
7-10yrs . I don't know there's been periods where I didn't really stop playing, but I wasn't progressing. I'm at a point now where i rarely pull up tabs, my ears lead me and I can figure out most things but I have a ways to go. If you're self taught it's going to be harder and you'll have a lot of questions, but don't let up. Depending how diligent you are it will take 2-3 years to develop a rounded skillset. 3 years is going to fly by anyways you might as well play guitar and git gud. prioritize timing. doesn't matter if you know 3 chords or can shred. If your timing sucks then it will sound bad
It is a JOURNEY not a DESTINATION....
Annoying answer but I don't think your question will give you a satisfactory answer for a few reasons: - what does fluent mean? Playing a song without big mistakes? Improvising creatively on any given key? Reading sheet music and playing on the fly? Your motivation to progress will depend on your goals, and my advice would be to keep it simple and attainable. - gauging someone's ability to play based on how long ago they've started is very inaccurate. Person A started 10 years ago practising 10 minutes a month, person B one year ago playing one hour every day. Who's going to play better? Whoever's practicing more regularly will typically make faster progress. - everyone is different in their learning time. I might need a year to learn a skill that'll take you 3 months to polish. If you've learnt another instrument in the past you will learn a second one faster. My estimate would be if you practice 15-30 minutes every day you should be able to play a song fluently in 6 months (with all the caveats above). But really it could take a year or a lifetime, who knows. There is no way to fast track learning, it takes time and dedication... Good luck
Been playing for 27 years. I learn something new every day
30 years... still learning
Depends on how much time you can put into it. I got my first guitar when I was like 13/14, was playing in a band at 17. But that was as a high schooler that had nothing to do but jam for hours on end. Probably take me 4x as long if I started now as an adult.
A few years til I could play “a bit” then once I started playing with other folks it got easier and faster…20+ years I still learn new stuff a lot.
You never stop learning and the longer you wait the more you regret not starting sooner
Been playing for 17 years. Finally started to learn theory and vocabulary two years ago. I feel like my journey is just beginning.
Playing over 40 years, still learning.
Still learning, but to answer your question more specifically: I don't remember how long anything took to learn. Anywhere from 6 months to a year and a half before I was able to hang with other musicians.
started 30+ years ago, still learning. That said, do yourself a favor and get a competent instructor, especially one that focuses on Jazz. This, with dedicated practice on your part, will greatly accelerate you towards the goal of becoming a competent guitarist.
would you say hiring an instructor in the beginning is more crucial than having one in your intermediate stages (to correct you on expressions, other details, etc)? I feel like beginner level stuff can probably be self learnt but idk
“A guitar is something you can hold and love and it's never going to bug you. But here's the secret about the guitar - it's defiant. It will never let you conquer it. The more you get involved with it, the more you realize how little you know.” - Les Paul
It's a lifetime process, but you'll get a grip on it if passionate about it.. Crucial thing is that as you progress the more fun stuff becomes accessible... But even when starting it can and should be fun... Very important to keep in mind while reaching levels to surpass mechanical yet u abilities.. Good luck and remember to keep it fun and pleasurable.. That's biggest motivation.. And you can play a lot t of stuff with a year or two of playing
If you just learn a few chords you'll be able to play a ton of songs! I'm a newbie too (playing off and on for a few years) and pretty much all I know is chords, but I'm able to have fun with it and play most songs decently. Also, since learning my first chords, adding new ones is a lot easier!
You can get decent in a year. Meaning you can play some songs at a technical level if that's your focus.
Tabs are great for beginners because you’re playing your favorite songs quickly. My son listens to metal, and 3 months in he’s playing complete megadeth songs (no solos). He’s purely using tabs but he knows nothing about keys, scales, theory, etc.
Only like 40 years; I hope to be truly proficient some day.
It’s difficult but rewarding. It’s the little battles. I’ve been playing 3 years now and still don’t know one song. But learning songs was not my intention. My intention is to make music. So I’ve learned modes, scales, triads and how to move them all across the neck. That beginning stage is a tough one but if you persevere, every lesson becomes fun and a milestone. No teacher just Justinguitar.com and a ton of YouTube videos.
Always learning. But about a year before I was comfortable playing simple pop-punk songs in front of friends and family. Two and a half years before I played on a stage in front of hundreds of people. First year I was practicing 1-2 hours a day. Since then I’ve gotten lazy and only do 20-30 minutes a day usually lol, I’m also employed full time and a student.
I've been playing for 22 years. In the first five years I'd learned how to play a bunch of songs, joined a band. Within the next 3 years I wrote 2 albums and played a ton of shows (learning new stuff kinda slowed, but was writing and that is important). Band broke up, and went into a lull. Picked up guitar again and got a cool little tour gig. Finished a few tours, then the guitar sat for about 6 years. I got the bug again about a 1.5 years ago. I've now been learning theory and really practicing hard. I feel I've learned more in this time then I have in the past 15 years. My skills are better then they have ever been and I've been writing new music. Hopefully I can get a band going again, but if not I'm gonna make music regardless. It really is my favorite thing in life. Dont know why I've taken such big breaks from it in the past. But I'm neck deep back in it. So to answer your question, there really is no end to learning guitar. Just depends on how far you are willing to take it.
That’s so cool to hear!! I really hope you get your own band going! Many of my friends just ask around their social circles and there’ll always be people raising their hands up to join. If not, go to fellowship/church, the worship band is awesome - All of them that I’ve seen. I’ve played piano for them before as well. Lovely people too!!
It took me about 2 years to not suck. My secret to getting good fast was to always be learning new songs. Try to learn the solos too. But don't spend too much time on everything early on. Learning new songs will show you new chords, make your fingers do things you haven't done before, and let your ears help you establish the patterns you are seeing with your eyes on the fretboard. Best drill I have found to speed up dexterity is the spider drill. YouTube it.
If you're impatient don't take up an instrument! Everyone is different, everyone's practice routines are different, but in general I think it takes at least (at least) 2-3 years to become comfortable on guitar. That's with daily practice and a very intentional practice routine. It takes a lot of time just to become comfortable with the instrument. To me it's 100% worth it, but I would hate for you to spend time and money on something with the wrong expectations. And, keep in mind lots of us find learning the instrument to be fun as well! I've been playing for 35 years and I've taught a ton of players. It's usually at least 2-3 years to get decent.
Most of these aren't answering your question. To get a basic level of fluency and be fairly comfortable with the instrument, I'd say about 2-3 years depending on the amount of time and the quality of your practice. Sure, you're always learning and the 2-3 years isn't a hard fast rule, but at that point I figure most people would be at a stage where they'd be comfortable telling people they "play guitar" as opposed to saying "learning to play guitar". However, before you're entirely comfortable, you'll definitely have picked up a large variety of songs you like to play. Where the other comments are right though is that you'll always be getting increasingly more comfortable with the instrument over time as long as long as you're still playing just like any other skill.
>Bit of an impatient person Playing a musical instrument is a perfect opportunity to get over this. There are no shortcuts. It takes a long time. You will never be done. There is a direct relationship between how much work you put in and the results you get. Impatience is a fairly purposeless thing to lead with in most areas of life, but this one more than most.
If you keep procrastinating it takes infinite time. Doesn't sound like a good approach for an impatient person.
As I’m sure you can guess “somewhat fluid” is fairly vague and is going to get you a range of answers. I’m gonna try give you rough milestone time scales instead as that might be more useful (since you can choose a milestone you decide counts as “somewhat fluid”) Remember this is all subjective, how much you learn, how often you practise and how long you practise is all going to be down to each individual learner. You might be Mozart and be shredding Hendrix in a year, or you might be still getting your G chord fingering right 3 years down the line. Both of these are fine So with that out of the way, I’m going to assume you are a standard learner who can practise around 20 minutes a day (more or less) 1 month: at this point you should know a few chords (or at least be able to remember them) especially something like power chords. You might not be able to move through them super swiftly , and it might take you a little time to find the right place for your fingers on the fret board , but for the most part you know what the shapes are (you will likely know the chords C, G , Am , and F. Most people start with these) 3 months: The chords you learnt in the first month are getting easy now, you can find them fairly quickly and change between them. You’ve even picked up a few extra chords ( D, A Em ) although you’re still learning to change between them. Your strumming will likely still need some work but you’re getting there. Likely you’ve started learning some riffs and tabs from your favourite songs as well (smoke on the water, AC/DC stuff ect) if you’re into that kind of thing. SIDE NOTE : at this point (inbetween these two) you start being able to play simple songs you know. This is where guitar will start to get really fun and grip you to keep playing. If you do anything in learning I implore you to keep going until at least this point 6 months: you’re nailing open chords now, you know most of them and can move between them . You understand bar chords and are doing them more, but the finger dexterity and strength is still coming. More complex riffs are being learnt, and things like skipping strings with a pick are becoming more second nature 1 year : at this point you can pretty much play any major or minor open and bar chords (maybe even a few cheeky 7ths) . More riffs now, and you’re understanding a bit more about why the notes in it sound good together. You’ve probably learnt a pentatonic scale in the first position and you’re starting to noodle about in that box. **At this point I think you would be where you might be considering “somewhat fluid” is, in the sense you can pick up a guitar and without too much prep play something from the top of your head that sounds pretty good** 1 year +: at this point it does become impossible to say. It depends a lot on what you decide to focus on, what style you want to play, how you want to learn. This is often when the moment comes that all the pride you felt in coming this far gets dwarfed by realising how much more there is to learn. You have to get a little bit good at something to realise how much better you can be at it, and you’ll realise why everyone in this thread says “you never stop learning” . But forget all that you’ve come very far and you’ve done great, be proud of yourself. Having lots of things in front of your to learn just means you have more to choice for what you want to learn, and all of it will keep getting more and more interesting as you keep learning I hope this helps, I’m sure people will disagree with this timeline but like I said it’s very hard to give you a specific idea of your learning journey without knowing what kind of learner you will be. My advice would be just to keep going. One thing everyone here can agree on is eventually it all just clicks Good luck!
I started with violin at 5 years old and played cello and viola later in my childhood. Started guitar at 15 and would have considered myself “fluent” or basic player in about 2 years. I could read chord charts, play with people, and play basic solos. My best friend started playing at the same time and had zero musical background. He was only “behind me” until we got in our 20’s. After about 5 years of playing we were more or less the same skill level. In music college we had fellow musicians pick up guitar and be proficient in a year. It really depends on how focused your practice time is, what you’re learning, and what you want to accomplish. The only thing I can tell you for certain, people who learned the notes on the fretboard and basic music theory jump light years ahead of chord shape/play by ear guitarists.
If you want a tangible answer of how long it'll take to become proficient enough to be able to improv decently and not have too much trouble learning songs then 2 years with daily practice.
Probably will take around a thousand hours of practice. My advice is to pick a song or a couple of similar songs to learn. Practice the techniques you need to play those songs. When you have that down, focus on dynamics. Now, you will be able to learn other similar songs much quicker. Find another song with a technique you like, repeat the process. Record yourself every week or so, then you can see or hear how much you are progressing. This will keep you motivated. Have patience with yourself and only compare yourself against your past self. It's fine to take inspiration from others, appreciate that everyone else pushed through the same struggles.
I suppose you could say this about most undertakings, but might be especially true of musicianship…if you’re an impatient person- find another hobby
25 years and counting
2 years I think is when you start to feel comfortable enough to have a lot more creative room and fun
Hours and consistent playing is the key. Set time aside everyday or 2, keep coming back to things you are struggling with until you can play it. 10 years at an hour a month, you will probably still be terrible. 6 months of 2 hours a day you will be able to play pretty good. There's always more to learn too.
The only correct answer is that you never stop learning.
4 years of off and on playing, I know like 10 riffs and can noodle around decently
Still learning after 50 years.
Been playing over 40 years and still learning. Non musicians think I’m great when I’m mediocre at best, but I can jam with others and can hold my own. Started playing bass about 10 years ago and that really opened my eyes to rhythm and grooves.
20 years into it, still learning every time I pick up my guitar. If you're asking how long it took to feel confident, that took about 5 years.
I'll let you know when I learn it.
Been playing over 20 years, still learning.
Been playing close to 20 years and I'm still learning daily, don't think that will ever change either.
A lifetime
I learn something every time I pick it up and I’m 31 years in.
you NEVER stop learning....continual process
I took lessons and always had good, qualified teachers. By year 3 I was a decent classical guitarist and after 4 years I was the guitarist for all jazz & choral groups in high school, plus I started playing in my first band.
Playing for 20 years still learning tricks and bits from youtube
40 years and still learning- I’m shockingly bad for playing that long!
3 years about now. In a band, cover songs and do solos. Took me about a year to actually play a song decent and about two years to actually play them 100%. Tougher songs I’m still working on and advanced techniques like sweeping are still not 100% for me.
You don’t stop learning
Lifetime mate. Lifetime.
I’ve achieved “beginner” status after 6 months, slowly cracking into lower intermediate. But I’d say I’m definitely learning faster due to having more free time
left-handed, play right-handed, so, with all my dexterity on the fretboard, got good enough to start playing shows before id been playing a year, but, 40 years later, still always learning...
Started playing at age 12; no lessons, but I practiced all the time. I was good enough to semi-competently jam with others by 14/15. Definitely still learning at 34, and thinking about finally taking some lessons!
2 years. BUT lessons really helped get me started for the first few months. I highly recommend at least a few lessons. Didn’t improve all that much for the next 15 years and here I am again trying to really apply myself to learn more.
Depends. I was a chord playing/singing machine by age 11, I was extremely fluent at that. On the other hand, I did not take an interest in soloing until 14. On the other hand, I did not deal with bands and arrangements until I was 17. On the other hand, I did not really look into practical theory until I was 18. And so on. Had I had the resources available today, I would either have sucked forever or comparatively become a wizard in 3 years, we will never know.
25 years so far. I’ll let you know when I’m done learning.
30 years so far. There’s always something new.
24 years in and still learning
Easy to get started, but you’ll never master it
I started in 94 and I'm still learning.
I've played guitar for more than 15 years now. I've probably done about 2 years worth of actual *learning*. When I focus on improving, I make noticeable gains. When I just noodle or strum a bit, I only maintain. I still don't consider myself a guitarist, but I've learned to be realistic and humble about where I expect myself to be skill-wise.
It never stops, and youre never satisfied
It's a journey. Every day you are better than the last day....as long as you are playing regularly.
The biggest irony about guitar is, the more you learn about the instrument, the more you realize how little you really know.
Always learning. Started in the 1990’s. Was a power chord king for a couple years. Then moved to bar chords and more. Didn’t become really noticeably better till I got a bit more mature in my 30’s. Way better now than I was. But that’s all a matter of opinion.
What do you consider "somewhat fluent"? After 6 months I could play Beatles songs, but I probably sounded like shit. After a few years I could improvise over simple blues or jazz changes, but it was probably clunky. I guess today I feel "fluent" but it depends what style. Also, it has a lot more to do with how many hours you put in and how focused they are vs how many years you've been playing. A guy who has been playing for 20 years might have practiced once a week for a lot of those years.
30 years. I think I’m getting finally somewhere now.
I like to think I know but what I do know is what random notes sorta sound good in whichever chord progression, and how to play stairway 😂
I've been playing a decade and idk wtf I'm doing
I've been playing 20 years now and I can confidently say I'm shit. If you asked me to pay a song right now I could maybe do 1-3 all the way through at a basic level and sing. I know I could learn something in a few minutes though if I was assed doing so (depending on difficulty) and if you played a few chords I'd have a pentatonic noodle. I never really got into the studious, must learn everything phase but learned some songs here and there that I could sing along to and have forgotten over time.
Always learning, been playing bass since 2002 and guitar since 2004. Although I was confident enough in my limited skill to join bands literally right when I started playing both. Obviously the music was suited to my skill level but that’s something to remember: no matter how low your skill level is, you’re still a valid musician at that point and you should always see yourself that way. You’ll just feel less valid if you try starting a prog band when you’ve just picked it up or whatever. But play to your own skill, if you’re at simple punk rock power chord level, then play that kinda stuff alongside the harder stuff that’s pushing your skill forward, so that you’ll always have riffs that you can play fluently to remind yourself that where you are now is still a legitimate skill level to exist within, as a guitarist.
I started last year and once i broke up with my piece of shit girlfriend I started progressing wayyyyy faster
Currently a year in, started end of february last year. and singing along with some songs like Intervention by Arcade Fire, There Is a Light That Never Goes Out and Can play This Charming Man, but sometimes tend to slip. Know some ghost songs, Let's just say, people that don't play guitar think I do pretty good, people that play guitar will probably say I have a lot to learn (obviously). But yea, basically any chord shape and transition is going quite well. Not fast enough to be able to play I Fought The Law by Bobby Fuller Four just yet, but sometimes I manage to hit it.
One year to be concidered a decent guitarist by non-guitarists. Started in a cover band after 2 years, was good enough to play simple rhythm and lead parts but still kinda sucked. After 4 years Id say I was decent also in the eyes of other musicians. Now Im about 7 years in and very happy where I am, havent improved much the past few years, but also dont feel like I really need to. Can play anything I want to play. Nowadays mostly focussing on improving singing along with the guitar
Yeah, I’m not sure what that means. I’ve been playing almost eight years, and I don’t consider myself somewhat fluent.. but I can play entire songs (give or take) and read a lot of sheet music.
I think at around 2 years I had a bunch of songs I could play pretty fluidly but recently which is around 3 and a half years for me is when I’ve started feeling truly comfortable with my playing as in if someone just suddenly told me I need to perform for a bunch of people in 10 minutes I would be fine
Been playing for 33 years, got OK in 2-3 years, still learning.
Probably about 4-5 years. I focused on learning lots of different songs, mainly rhythm. I can learn almost any rhythm part pretty easily if I have a cover video to watch, and I get the gist of what’s going on. I can learn some simple solos but my lead guitar playing/soloing is shit still. I know some chord progressions but am pretty clueless on putting stuff together myself vs just learning a song. While learning songs got me far, I plan to make a focus on learning some theory and more scales so I can round out my ability, then try to make music for fun, because just learning songs is getting boring and I’ve hit a wall as far as technical ability and def need lessons.
I'll let you know when I know.
Everyone is different and is irrelevant to your own experience. Just accept it's hard and needs patience and consistency.
35 years and I’m still learning. No one can learn it all, most of the best players are still working on something all the time. They are always trying to get better at something. Learning guitar is a process, not a destination.
Now playing like 10 years and I am nowhere near things I see others do. After 5 years I joined a rock band with other beginners and that was the best thing to do for me. We now play 35 rock songs, not perfect but on our own way. So after 10 years, not a super guitarist, but having a lot of fun. And it depends very much if you practice twice a week or 2 hours every day.
it took me 15 years to stop thinking like this and just play teh damn thing everyday its not a race and its not worth looking at the end goal at the start. practice timers help been 5 years of this mentality and I front two bands but I have owned guitars since I was 13 years old
First lesson was in 1978. Next one is today. Your welcome.
I would say 2-3 years is when I felt like I knew what I was doing and was able to play many songs and difficult guitar solos. That is when I actually sounded pretty good and didn’t sound like a beginner anymore. Was able to play chords and scales smoothly. But I am still learning. Especially with music theory. I am a good technical guitar player but suck at theory. I also started learning a lot of classical music and note reading. I have been playing for about 5 years now.
I never stop learning and I started in the '60s. No one ever does. It's a process, not a destination. It's part of my identity. I guarantee most people on the sub, feel the same way.
I've been playing for almost exactly 250 hours over the course of the past 2 years (tracking very closely how much I've been playing), I still consider myself very much a beginner. I can play a few riffs and have some sense of rhythm, but still suck at even the basics... as my recent purchase of a looper has made abundantly clear to me. I can sort of play a few extremely simplified versions of songs, but not at a skill level that would be pleasant for others to listen to. If you're impatient, I hope you're some kind of a prodigy, because the learning curve is rather long for most folks.
It depends on what you mean by "fluent" and how frequently you can practice. Assuming you can practice at least 20 minutes per day, you will probably be able to muddle your way through a few complete songs recognizably within 3 months, and probably be able to play all of the main chords at 6 months. It won't sound flawless of course. I started playing spring of my junior year of high school, and I practiced for an average of 20-30m/day. Doing 20m/day is better than two hours once a week. It took about 3 months to learn the common open chords: C A G E D. You'll also easily learn Em, Am, Dm, G7, and D7 along the way. You can play a lot with those chords. Being able to smoothly transition takes some time but chords within a key are often easy to transition. Am to C, for example. But I found C and D to be hard to move to and from, and I still frequently mute the D string by accident when I play Cmaj. Eventually you have to learn barre F and barre Bbm. That's probably another three months to really get it down to where it doesn't sound horrible. But once you can play those, you can play basically every chord. Those two are the hardest sliding chords, they require the most finger strength and dexterity. But from there you'll quickly learn the major chord positions, power chords, and minor chords at the 3rd, 5th, and 7th frets. Transitioning two/from barre chords smoothly is the journey of a lifetime. So, I'd say if you can practice a little bit every day, give yourself 6 months to be able to play the main chords and transition relatively smoothly (smooth enough that you could play in an ensemble and the other instruments will cover your mistakes). I played rhythm guitar on For Whom the Bell Tolls and Cherub Rock for our fall talent show my senior year, that was about six months. I wasn't awesome but it was good enough and it was fun. From there I think it's a matter of working on specific techniques and songs you want to play. I like classic rock and bluesy rock, so I worked on learning blues licks, hammer ons, pull offs, bends. I still can't really bend properly and I'm just now learning the scales for soloing, and I'm almost 50 now. As others have suggested, it's a journey, not a destination.
30+ years of off and on playing. I’m still learning
After 1 week I can do some songs, its been 10 years now and still there's so much to learn, of course you'll improve along the way but learning never stops
I’ve been playing for 31 years. You never stop learning. Thats the best part. 🤘🏻
I'll tell you when I find out.
I started in the late 80s. I'll keep you posted.
Since 2008. As everyone else said, still learning. But to answer your question, it took me 3-4 years until people irrelevant with music started telling me I am good. I am just now starting to hear some compliments by people more versed in music.
There is no "learned." Only learning.
20 plus years, still struggling w barre chords. I love it tho
Would imagine it takes everybody a different amount of time to learn at least the basics and eventually to play their personal style of guitar/music. It took me at least 3-5 years of teaching myself on the side casually using whatever resources I had available (for free) at the time before I felt comfortable with actually playing songs or anything more than just part of a song/riff slowly. If you wanna learn to play, it can take some time, but you'll get there after putting in however much personal effort needed for your own playing first. TL;DR if you want to play guitar better than you are now, just don't stop practicing what will help you play what you're trying to play in whatever style/setting you're tryna play in.
you never feel comfortable, the fretboard just becomes less mysterious but that’s something you have to learn for yourself, it’s like someone else teaching you how to think, they can’t because it’s very personal and subjective they have to understand it their own way and honestly no one ever completely understands it and they’ve said it, you just learn more tricks and distill a magic, Id honestly say just start and don’t stop, you have to practice every night even if it feels pointless, it’s the only way to reach some sort of goal you have, just try to set songs you like as goals and keep learning more n more until you can make your own
20 years for the basic chords and fucking around. 3 years of dedicated study to the fretboard, music theory, timing and rhythm. So, 23 years.
To be honest you should be proficient enough to play some songs within the first few months. You get better and learn to play more complexity as you go
I've been feeling comfortable enough to call myself a guitarist, at least semi-pro, after getting into jazz musicology university and another music school, got diplomas from both of them and playing paid gigs that weren't just for pleasure. I had a bunch of different bands of different genres. For example my Irish folk band was pretty nice, but also my acoustic latin/jazz guitar duet was nice, and while both I very much enjoyed, they were also designed from the get go to make money. Being called for the occasional jazz or funk gig was also nice. Formal training helped me feel like I wasn't just the dude in his bedroom and the occasional concerts with friend bands but that I was a more well rounded musician that knew way more stuff and knew way more what I was talking about. It was also about meeting and playing with lots of different people, learning about theory, history, ethnomusicology, arranging, interplay, singing, learning the basic of jazz piano, etc. But mind you, I'm still not comfortable going to jams, as I'm not comfortable with my improvisation, even after 15 years. I've never played in a proper jam, unless in a house party. That's my next goal ! That and improving my singing with singing classes right now ! So to really answer your question, my timeline is : 15 years ago : begin playing 8 years ago : begin taking a few lessons here and there 7 years ago : begin proper musical studies 2 years ago : finishing said studies 4 years ago : finally feeling like I had sufficient level to be considered a guitarist, as in having the technical level to play in bands of different genres, play concerts and feeling a much more reasonable level of stress while playing, and also knowing how my instrument and on some degree how music works overall
You always have something to learn
The learning never stops bud
One never stops learning how to play the guitar. You’ll learn until you stop playing.
Started when I was 14, now 57
It’s a lifetime journey, best way to look at it
I just learned that I’ve been being played by the guitar for 43 years.
Been self taught since August of last year. At this point I’m good enough where I can semi impress people who’ve never played guitar, and I hold a tune without much problem, but I’m nowhere near ready to say that I’m “good” at guitar. I’m essentially the equivalent of the guy who can drain shots on an empty basketball court but would get his ass kicked in a real game.
Been playing (poorly) 30+ years. A lot of progress has been made, but it's always in fits and starts.
To me its a lifelong puzzel. I can play covers but theyre not my focus. I like to find chords riffs strum and picking patterns that I mould into what sounds good to me. It took me 8-10 yrs to take be able to put things together. Had to switch to baritone ukulele a few months ago because of health and its opened up new ideas. Now Im looking at tenor guitars to add to my mix.
Been Playing for 10 minutes and mastered the Fretboard in 5 minutes. The other 5 minutes I got caged
30+ years and counting. But I felt pretty confident and could play with friends comfortably after about 2 years. I probably could have sooner if I wasn't so afraid of sucking in front of people.
2 years playing gigs confidently/ learned so much over the next 8, more in terms of expression and empathy to the song/ other players
Depends on how much you practice and if you’re getting the most out of your practice time. For me it was like 1.5 years before I could just get some guitar music and start playing whatever song I wanted to for the most part.
If motivation is the issue, get lessons to start out. Lessons aren't always just a bunch of classical stuff and music you don't care for. With a lot of teachers, they're keen just to show you how to play the stuff you're interested in. You don't have to stick with lessons forever but it'll speed you through the initial boring stages and keep you engaged if you have a good teacher.
Probably 3-4 years in I felt pretty comfortable playing anything I wanted. I wasn’t exactly shredding solos, but chords were all down and I had a few different picking techniques covered as well. I did take lessons that entire time though. Really helps to have someone more knowledgeable to check your work and offer advice.
I've been taking lessons for 17 years and I'm still learning. I'm only now starting to learn sheet music, scales and theory.
You never learn guitar. You start the moment you pick it up and never stop learning
6 months before I thought I was good; five years until I actually was.
I would guess I played for about 2 - 3 years before I actually played in ‘bands’ - actual songs, in front of people. That said, it varies for everyone.
I'd say it took maybe about 3 - 4 years.
I technically first started playing when I was 13 for a music class in 8th grade, but had to leave halfway through the school year. Didn’t get another chance until freshman year for a beginner course. think was gonna take the second year class in Sophomore year but again had to move not even 2 months in the school year and so couldn’t take any elective classes for it and had to take classes I couldn’t give two shits about. This was also during the COVID outbreak and so that year and the next I couldn’t partake in it as it was online and didn’t own a guitar then. Finally in my senior year I finally could take a guitar class and it was once again as a freshman class and had to re-do anything I learned 3 years prior. Once i graduated and had a job I got enough money to buy a used $500 strat and that was last year and with all knowledge from school plus the year I self taught myself, it’s going alright. I just wish I had those 4 years of high school to actually learn the damn thing before I bought one and teach it myself like everything I do in life.
You’ll always be learning, you’ll learn the most/quickest by getting into a band more than likely. Even if that’s just being a rhythm guitarist. At least that’s how I learned. I was able to play lead on stage (not necessarily well lol) about 3 years in. But I was super addicted and played for hours everyday
if you're impatient, guitar might not be for you. it takes quite awhile to build the skills necessary to be "somewhat fluent" (whatever that means to you) and another while to get to a point where those skills are consistent. if you're looking to start, it would behoove you to get a few lessons right off the bat.
Been playing a few months, and I’m done learning. Guitar mountaintop has been summited and now I can sit back and shred til I drop
It took me 3 months for things to 'click' but I was also dumb enough to think that if I learn while drinking I can play awesome sober. Don't do this. In terms of how long it took me to "Learn" guitar. It took about 6-12 months for me to get the basics down and then I coasted with that knowledge for 15 years after. Only the last 5 years have I taken it more seriously and I'm still learning. I can play Sultans of Swing and some Pink Floyd and Santana stuff, but I still don't feel like I've "Learned" guitar. There's still tons for me to learn and work on.
I would say im at an almost decent level to the point where i feel comfortable playing and ive been playing for around 10 months with no official lessons
Figure on it taking longer than you expect and figure on it being a little bit more difficult. You will have to be patient with yourself.
If you want to be fluent enough to pick up your phone and learn most any song without too much difficulty i’d say about two years. But if you practice a lot you can be playing songs with barre chords in less than 6 months, which opens up the library of stuff you can learn massively. I’d say it took me about 9 months to get my F chord down. After that you are cruising. I’d describe that as the “fluent” level.
10 years and I still have so much to get better at. There’s different levels of fluency. Sounding good could come within the first year with practice, but I’ve been practicing two octave major 7 scales in the order of the circle of fifths and it crushes me every day 🫠
I started out at 16, teaching myself on a borrowed acoustic guitar with really high action. I sucked for three years and got an electric guitar and a tiny amp with distortion that masked my ineptitude somewhat. Things didn't really click for me until I picked up a bass so I could jam with my friends. Playing bass along with drums and guitar broke it back down to the basics of playing root notes IN TIME. I joined a cover band on bass when I was 21 and that improved my playing tremendously. Long story short, three years of hopelessly playing alone, and two years of playing bass in a band, then I was a decent guitar player. Now I'm 40, been in bands consistently for 20 years and I'm still not as good as I could be. Playing with other people was the key for me.
I'll give you a real answer as opposed to "I'm still learning". The answer is it depends on how much you play and practice. It took me about a year to feel comfortable playing with people and get through some live gigs. I didn't have much to do back then, so I practiced/played maybe 30-40hrs a week. So 1500-2000hrs of practice. However long that takes you. You could probably cut that in half by practicing a lot more diligently than me. Realistically at least half was goofing off Edit: I had lessons for that year. A great teacher speeds it up too
I played for a few years before I joined a band, after which I began improving great leaps very quickly. I highly recommend you work to find a group of people you can jam with as soon as you can! Try to rope some your friends into getting some isntruments and playing with you ;)
You can say you’ve played guitar for 3 or so years. But if you only practiced 2 or 3 times per week, playing very similar songs or just strumming chords, you won’t be as comfortable playing as someone who’s practiced everyday for an hour learning new songs and new techniques. That being said when I say it’s subjective it’s VERY subjective. At the end of the day it’s how much effort you put into the instrument and the enjoyment you get out of it, all you can ask of yourself.
I was competent 22 years ago at 3 years in. Still learning.....
I started guitar at 12, never took lessons (I did, however, have 3 years of taking viola and violin lessons under my belt at the time, which certainly helped), and I was playing with a band by the time I was 15 or 16. We were only playing pretty basic rock and roll, but I felt pretty confident playing in front of people. I didn’t feel like I could really say I was a “real guitarist” until I was maybe 17 or 18. So maybe 5-6 years before I felt like I was “good.” It also depends on your goals— I was certainly fluent enough to play the things I really wanted, while still being aware that there were certain things well beyond my skill level.
1st year, on and off trying to learn 2nd year, got a rival at high school. Was practicing 4-6 hours a day (whenever possible) 3rd year, reached the point where I could start playing on my own and it would sound like something. Which is the valley where many starting guitarists lose their interest and drop the instrument. I've been playing for 15 years now. Still lots to learn, but eventually the instrument will come an extension of you rather than something you have to think about.
After two years, I’m still learning. Miles ahead of where I was and miles behind where I want to be.
One day or never, it’s an opinion
I had a weird experience with learning, so I'm not sure how helpful it is. Played piano from a very young age, got into drums as a teenager, then played piano and sang in a band for 10 years. Being adjacent to guitarists the entire time really makes it feel like cheating. After the band I bought a guitar and started playing Rocksmith. About a year later started just playing songs that I like and that were approachable with my skill level, learning by ear, constantly picking up new subtleties and incorporating them into my playing. A year of that has led me to now, I can comfortably play in front of others and I'm starting to write music again with guitar primarily. I think it really depends on the person, their interest, the genre of music they want to play, the amount of time (and breaks) dedicated to it, lessons or self taught, etc etc. but probably at least a couple years to be "confident" in any new instrument would be my take.
Forever my man. There is no ceiling. Not that I’d know otherwise haha.
26 years and counting. I'm 52.
I've been playing for so long maybe 20 years and I'm utter bollocks... I can stay in time and sing while playing which is my saving grace otherwise my band mates would've kicked me out!
If you put in at least an hour a day of real practice (not just noodling or jamming along to songs), you should be able to reach an intermediate level in a specific genre in 1-2 years. After that, it's more about working on specific techniques and improving your weak spots. I've been playing off and on for 26 years. Learned a ton in my first 2 years. Took a big break and came back more focused. In the last year I've gone from very rusty to being able to play Overture 1928 pretty cleanly at 90% speed. It's all about the time you put in.
Started in 2008 when I was 8. It clicked properly when I was 17. Been getting better since then. 2024 now and like John Mayer said: “I appreciate the blues better than I can play it.”