Playing guitar should be fun, and learning to play the acoustic guitar is a good way to start. Acoustic is bit more difficult to learn than electric, but to begin learning acoustic all you need is a guitar and a pick, or plectrum, so most people start with acoustic, and then go on to electric if that is what they want.
However, there are some things you should know before you start, and this applies to any type of guitar playing, not only acoustic. Some of these might sound designed to put you off playing, but they are not intended that way and are things that every player should know and come to understand in time.
The first is that if you are the kind of person that starts something and then loses interest or gets bored and tends to go onto something else, then guitar playing is not for you. It requires dedication and long hours of practice, and unless you are committed to it then you are likely better trying something other than guitar. In order to be any kind of guitar player you should be prepared to set aside at least an hour a day for guitar practice, and never deviate from that. Sometimes you might not feel like it, but keep it up or you will never make it. Learning to play the acoustic guitar involves a lot of practice, and practice is the main way to become a decent player.
Be prepared for pain. Guitar strings cut into your fingers and it will hurt at the start. Every good guitar player has to go through this, but eventually you will develop calluses on your fingertips and you will suddenly find guitar playing comfortable and fun. You should also strengthen your grip so that you will find it easier to hold the guitar. When you start playing you will be using muscles in your hands that you hardly used that way before, and that too will hurt at first. The stronger your fingers and your grip the better it will be for you, so take a tip and buy yourself one of these grip strengtheners or use a tennis ball to squeeze on regularly. You will soon be able to run your fingers up and down the fret without any discomfort at all.
If you are prepared to carry on having learned these facts then you are ready to start learning. If you have not bought your guitar yet, you have two choices. Either purchase a cheap one, or better still, borrow a spare one from a friend and use that until you find if you really are suited to the guitar, or just go ahead and purchase the best you can. You should buy the best possible guitar that you can afford, because with guitars you get what you pay for. However, if you aren't sure if you want to continue with it, it could be an expensive purchase, hence the cheapo to try out first.
Now pick it up and have a good look at it. Get to know the function of each part of it. Understand the purpose of the soundbox, check out the strings and how they are constructed. Find out how the notes change as you go up and down the frets. Try out two or three different types of plectrum, or pick. Not the difference between a soft and a hard pick, and try to determine which gives a sound closest to the one you like best.
Once you understand how your instrument is constructed, and how it makes the sounds that it does, then that is just about all you need know before you start learning to play the acoustic guitar. One thing that has not been mentioned: music. We can all get so engrossed in the instrument itself that we can lose sight of what an acoustic guitar is for: to play music. That is something that you have to understand - playing the guitar might seem like a cool thing to do, especially if your buddies all have a guitar, but if you are not really interested in music much then there is not much point in you starting lessons.
By music I don't mean listening to the latest chart stuff, but real music. The music that you read and play, and the type of music that inspires you. It takes a musical inclination to play it rather than just listen to it, and that is why the vast majority of people who buy a guitar never actually get far with it. They think it a cool thing to do, but aren't really interested in music other than the latest by Leona Lewis or Ray J.
So there you are: the things you should know before learning to play acoustic guitar. If you still want to learn after reading that then you likely have what it takes to become a good player. The key is practice, and if you practice enough then you will eventually get where you want to be.
Learning To Play The Acoustic Guitar: What You Should Know Before You Start was originally published at http://www.guitarlearningcourse.com
80's dance music