Anyone learn how to play the guitar off the internet?

[Syringer]

Doable? Tips?

 

[Platypus]

Tip: take a few lessons from a pro to get some good fundamentals, then use the internet or listen by ear to teach yourself.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I learned what I know nearly 100% by looking at tabs from olga.net and comparing them to the songs. I'm sure this resulted in suboptimal technique, but I got so I could play pretty well anyway. I also got so I could figure out songs on my own without them once I learned the most commonly used chords and had a basic idea of how chords were constructed.

You'd almost certainly make faster progress under the tutelage of someone who already knows what they're doing, but it can be done. All this would do is teach you how to play though, you wouldn't be getting much of the theory behind making music out of it.

 

[pyonir]

Another question, do you need to know how to read music to play well? Is it a necessity or will it just help a lot? Make no difference?

 

[SunSamurai]

Typically you don't really need to read music after you memorize the song. Basically becomes hand memory.

 

[Jesusthewererabbit]

I taught myself bass and guitar with a few instructional videos and tabs, before the internet was a big thing. I wish I had had some of the information that is out on the internet then, it would have made the early days much easier. It is definitely doable.

I can't read music. I can fumble my way through tabs, but most of my learning is done by ear. It would be a huge advantage when learning a song, but not really necessary. I wish I had learned when I was a kid, it would be much simpler than now to pick up.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

I used chordie and simply practiced chords with songs I liked. It definitely would have been better off with some classes, though. Considering that I am already musically inclined I'd say it is kind of tough to do this without pro help.