Guitarists are an unusual breed: many are self-taught or, at most, have taken a handful of lessons from a friend. Not that there's anything wrong with formal training or getting regular guitar lessons from a teacher, but many aspiring guitarists do, in fact, learn to play acoustic guitar free. If you're interested in learning to play, there's no reason why you can't learn to play acoustic guitar online. There are dozens of websites available that can show you the basics. Admittedly, some are better than others. But the good news is that if you have good Internet access, you can take advantage of the ones that work well for you and your learning style. Some even feature video streaming, so you can watch the instructor. Others have audio clips that allow you to play along with your favorite groups and tunes. How cool is that?

Getting Started

Assuming you own or have borrowed a standard, six-string guitar, you're ready to begin. You'll probably also want a comfortable stool or armless chair to sit in while you practice. Most beginners videos start helping you learn to play acoustic guitar by freeing up your hands and arms: giving you the correct positions to use play most comfortably and naturally. You'll learn the parts of the guitar, the names of the strings (the note they make when played "open," or without you pressing on them), and a couple of basic chords.

Picking up Speed

Once you've learned just three basic chords, you'll be able to play dozens of songs that you already know. Most online instruction methods to help you learn to play acoustic guitar for free will begin introducing songs fairly early. It's fun, and it helps you stay motivated. And isn't that why you wanted to learn guitar in the first place?

Moving On

Once you've gotten past these basics, you'll probably keep going at a pretty good clip. You'll learn to play songs you're interested in, and you'll discover tons of Internet sites that have great tips, lessons, and guitar tabs (short for "tablature," a style of music notation used by guitarists) to help you learn to play songs on acoustic guitar for free. You can learn blues, pop, country-western… you name it! And you can learn it all free on acoustic guitar, just by mastering the basics and keeping up with your practice. Now get out there and get started strumming!