The New Year is upon us and no doubt you have set yourself a resolution or two. While we’re not going to judge your success in sticking to them – we know only too well the feeling of saying something on January 1^st and reverting to type on January 4^th – we are going to focus on an exciting resolution you could make for yourself.

Not to get all boring and into science, but as well as being fun, learning to play an instrument provides a multitude of health benefits. Playing an instrument can unlock the creative side of your brain, boost your ability to be flexible and learn in other areas – even if you start learning at a later age – and has been proven to improve mental health. In addition, learning to play an instrument can open new opportunities for you to enjoy your social life, meet new friends, and even build your confidence if you start to play live gigs.

Before you get to enjoy those, you need to buy the instrument and get to learning. What are the best ways for you to learn to play guitar in 2016?

Learn with Pro Music Tutor

Okay, so admittedly we’re putting ourselves forward as an idea first, but why not? If learning an instrument is a new thing for you, then the chances are you might not have even thought of online tutoring as an opportunity.

Instead of learning to play guitar in 2016 via one of the more ‘traditional’ methods that we’re going to explore next, why not give Pro Music Tutor a try and learn to play like a pro while you learn from a pro? We have some fantastic tutors including Whitesnake legend Micky Moody and ‘The Guitarist’s Guitarist’ Tony Remy. Even if you’re just starting out, many of our lessons are suitable for absolute beginners.

Check out our current range of online guitar lessons here.

We’re always in the studio recording other series, so be sure to keep coming back and sign up to the Pro Music Tutor newsletter to stay up to date with new releases.

Hire a Music Tutor

From one type of music tutor to another. To build your confidence when getting started you might want to hire a personal tutor. In the long-term, this might prove expensive as you may be paying £30 for as little as 30 minutes’ tuition.

If a tutor works for you then by all means continue with them, but think about simply learning the basics before moving onto other options.

Instructional DVD’s

An alternative to streaming or downloading our HD video lessons might be to buy instructional DVD’s. These will help you in a similar way to Pro Music Tutor, however if there is a downside it is that you’ll find yourself needing to transport DVD’s and a DVD player with your instrument wherever you go. With Pro Music Tutor all you need to do is take your laptop or mobile device and stream your lessons on the go.

Instructional Books

If you struggle with the interactive element of learning, or online streaming or DVD’s just aren’t for you, then another option is to buy instructional books. The beauty of learning via a book is that you can read it and not have to keep pausing and playing it as you’ll need to with a DVD or online lesson. You are also provided with both sheet music and tablature more often than not, so you can prop your book onto a music stand and easily play along. The final benefit of books? You can read it in the store before buying it, so you know whether you’re going to like it or not!

Self-Teach Yourself Guitar

For those who are already musically minded – perhaps you already play another instrument or have played guitar a little in the past – then self-teaching yourself guitar is possible. You’ll need some discipline to create yourself some useful practice routines, and ensure you have a way to make sure you’re always improving rather than just sitting down and aimlessly strumming, but if you can self-teach you can find it incredibly rewarding.

Learning to Play Guitar in 2016

Which option do you think will work best for you? Why not opt for a combination of several of these ideas and discover what works best before settling on the method that helps to improve your guitar playing the most.

If learning to play guitar is your resolution for 2016, give yourself the biggest chance of becoming a brilliant guitarist.