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If you've wanted to learn to play guitar, you are not on your own! Understanding guitar can make you a popular commodity anytime people are gathered together. Nothing is quite as much fun as a sing-song. Besides, as musical instruments go, it's very easy to learn to play a guitar. Here are the five top tips.

1. Decide on the sort of guitar instruction you need.

What sort of guitar do you want to play? There are basic similarities, so if you learn on an electric or an acoustic, you can swap a lot of what you know over to the other of guitar. If you want to learn how to play bass guitar though, you really need guitar lessons meant for for the bass.

2. Don't expect overnight sucess.

In many ways, a guitar is an easy instrument to learn, because if you learn 2 or three chords and easy strumming rhythm, you can accompany yourself on many songs right from the beginning. On the other hand, you could spend your whole life learning how to play a guitar, because there is always another skill for you to learn. So don't get disillusioned in the early stages.

3. Get yourself a guitar "teacher."

Perhaps you would learn how to play the guitar better with a flesh and blood teacher in the room with you. On the other hand, your best teacher could be you! Many fine guitarists taught themselves to play using only a book of chords or a few lessons from a friend. The computer has made it even easier though, because now you can get access to a teacher any time of day or night, and have those techniques demonstrated visually and audibly with video. We who get worried and frustrated trying to perform in front of a live person really appreciate a virtual teacher.

4. Force yourself to get past the initial soreness

If you are learning how to play electric guitar, this may not be as much of an issue. Electric guitars are less stressful on the chording fingers than acoustic guitars are. Anyway, your first hurdle will be sore fingers. If you practice your chords every sigle day, however, you'll build calluses that makes playing guitar completely painless. Do be aware however, if you don't play for a while, you'll lose those calluses and get sore fingers again when you pick it back up.

5. Practice, practice, practice!

When you've learned a few basics, find a band or other musicians that you can jam with on a regular basis. Playing with other musicians forces you to improve as a guitar player and is a way of getting valuable guitar lessons. On the other hand, if you practice on your own, you'll create your own unique style. Whichever is right for you, just take time and practice!