John Bohlinger

Elle Cordova

Sean Daniel

Steve Howe

Jimmy Leslie

Brooke Ligertwood

Steve Miller

Zach Myers

Paul Riario

samuraiguitarist

Mary Spender

Ask the Experts | November 29, 2023

Q: If you could give one piece of advice to someone who is just learning acoustic guitar, what would it be?


John Bohlinger

It’s not a competition. Enjoy the journey.


Elle Cordova

Just make a promise to yourself to get past the fingertip callus stage no matter what. By the time you get your calluses, you'll be pretty much unstoppable, and it only gets more rewarding and enjoyable from there.


Sean Daniel

I would advise people not to be a hero and put some light gauge strings on. There’s no shame in .10s on an acoustic guitar and it’ll make the early days a lot easier. Then as you naturally progress and become stronger, you can start to gauge up, eventually working your way to .13s and arguing with people at music stores about the thickness of your tone, even though nobody in the audience will ever care.


Steve Howe

Besides actual playing, think about the fingerboard. Learn and try things in different places on it in your head.


Jimmy Leslie

Just play. Don’t worry about the “right” way or the “wrong” way. There’s plenty of time for that later, but you only get one chance to do what comes completely natural to you in blissful ignorance before people start telling you what to do.


Brooke Ligertwood

Your finger pads will never be the same, but they will adjust.


Zach Meyers

Just keep going. If you get frustrated, take a walk and come back. There’s so many advantages to learning guitar now as opposed to when I did. I didn’t have YouTube or even the internet for that matter. I had cassette tapes.


Steve Miller

Relax, take your time, and enjoy yourself.


Paul Riario

Stick with it, even if you play a few minutes a day. Also, find a friend who is also learning and jam together.


Samuraiguitarist

Make sure the guitar isn't fighting against you. If your action is sky-high, if it won't stay in tune, if it is hard to play, if it's grimy, then no matter how many good practice habits you implement, it isn't going to be fun. Learning to play on a guitar that is a mess is like trying to learn how to swim in quicksand.


Mary Spender

Leave it somewhere visible, like on the sofa, or in a guitar stand, so you’re always tempted to pick it up, even if it’s just for a few moments. Little and often works so well when you’re starting out, but out of sight is definitely out of mind, so keep it in view. It’s too gorgeous to hide away in a cupboard!