What is the easiest way to learn guitar?

The "ease" of learning to play the guitar is subjective, differing in perspective among individuals. However, there are basic techniques most guitarists should learn to help things go smoothly. Much of the early process involves learning the parts of the guitar, memorizing chord shapes and practicing to build muscle memory.

To streamline the guitar learning process, one should get to know the parts and functions of the guitar. This includes understanding how to hold it, the order of the strings and how each is tuned, how to use tuning gears, how to hold a plectrum, and fret positions. It is also important to practice depressing strings onto the different parts of the frets to gain a basic understanding of how to eliminate string buzz. From this point, learning the finger positioning of some basic chords, such as G, E, D and A minor, will move the process along. The process takes time, and some finger pain may shorten practice time.

After the student becomes comfortable with each individual chord shape, the next step is practice switching from one chord to another. During these processes, muscle memory will be built as the mind starts subconsciously to coordinate with body movements. Many well-known songs use only two, three or four of the most basic chords, so repeating them builds a foundation for playing complete songs.