Learn Guitar 1: First Steps for Beginners (FREE)

Learn How To Play Guitar for Free with this Sure-Fire 10-Step Method for Beginners

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Learn Guitar 1: First Steps for Beginners (FREE)

TrueFire

Educator

multi genre, rock

Genres

About this course

FREE! Your first steps along our Learning Paths are on the house! Download this entire beginner guitar course for FREE -- simply add to your cart and check out (no credit card required).

Welcome to Learn Guitar 1: First Steps for Beginners. Since 1991, we’ve taught thousands of people — beginners just like you — how to play guitar.

Our accelerated, hands-on method is specifically designed to get you up and running on guitar quickly and painlessly. No reading music, no boring exercises, and no tedious theory to struggle through.

You’ll be strumming your first beginner guitar chords, in the very first guitar lesson. In fact, you’ll play your way through the entire course!

"At 50 I finally decided to learn to play guitar. With my hectic schedule, I needed something that was ready and available when I had time. Learning Guitar 1 was a fantastic introduction to guitar basics. I love that it started with elementary, straightforward concepts and chords that I could grasp and learn. It even talks about HOW to practice. Then the course built on those simple things by adding other simple chords, strumming, and then working up to simple songs. I'm on my way!" - Daniel Rode, TrueFire Student

You’ll learn more guitar chord shapes, how to keep a steady rhythm on guitar, and how to change guitar chords smoothly. By the end of this free guitar course, you’ll also have a handful of guitar songs in your repertoire.

Our free beginner guitar lessons are presented in easy-to-digest, bite-sized chunks so that you’ll never feel overwhelmed or frustrated. TrueFire educators guides you through our unique playalong practice sessions every step of the way, unlike other learning methods that send you off to practice on your own.

Plus, you’ll be able to apply everything you learn in a musical context by playing along with jam tracks so that you can hear how your bass parts sound with a real band.

You will get a download of all the video guitar lessons, all the guitar tab, and charts, plus all of the jam tracks.

You can even take your guitar lessons on the go with our free mobile app for iOS or Android too! Access Learn Guitar 1 anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Ready to finally learn how to play guitar? Grab your guitar and let’s dig in!

What you'll learn

Strum a chord correctly
Check individual notes in a chord
Efficient chord switching technique
Consistent strumming patterns
Rhythmic accuracy

Release date: 09/14/2016 • 1h 15m runtime

beginner acoustic guitar guitar electric guitar rhythm

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Sample lessons

How Do I Practice?

Overview

Foundations

Demonstration

The E Minor Chord

Lesson 1: Demonstration

The A Sus2 Chord

Lesson 2: Demonstration

How Do I Practice?

Overview

Foundations

Demonstration

The E Minor Chord

Lesson 1: Demonstration

The A Sus2 Chord

Lesson 2: Demonstration

What's included

34 lessons • 14 charts • 9 Jam Tracks

LEARN GUITAR 1

Welcome to Learn Guitar 1: First Steps for Beginners! Glad you are here! Whether you have just picked up a guitar for the first time, or tried to play before but got frustrated and quit, we're going to get you playing now! So grab your guitar and let's get started!

How Do I Practice?

Here's how this course will work: first I'll show you something, then I'll have you play it along with me. You should go over the Practice Session video as many times as you need to get it down. Once you have it, then move on to the next Practice Session, or the next lesson. This way you'll make sure you're progressing and getting a solid foundation. Take as long as you need, and don't just skim over anything. These lessons are designed to take you step by step, so if you gloss over anything you'll be missing some valuable skills you'll need later.

Foundations

Here are just a few basic things you'll want to know about holding your guitar, the pick, and simple guitar knowledge. But don't worry too much about learning a ton of stuff before you get playing! Check out the info in this video and then get to the first lesson!

The E Minor Chord

The Em chord is essentially the simplest chord to start off with. Plus, it sounds cool and is used in a ton of songs! So take your time to work on this one, making sure it sounds clean before you go on to the next chord.

The A Sus2 Chord

Now let's look at a chord with a weird name (Asus2), but really simple fingering! It's just like our E minor but moved over a string. Don't worry if your fingers hurt after you practice - that will get better the more you play. Just keep at it!

Whole & Quarter Note Strums

Learning to play in time is really important! We're going to talk about whole notes and quarter notes here. During this course, you'll see the beat in numbers on the screen, as well as hear the metronome. This will help you hear and see the beat. Eventually you'll be able to tap your foot to the metronome or a drummer and know that you're synced up with the music.

Practice Session 1

Now let's use whole notes and quarter notes with the metronome. Keep a steady pace, and if you get off the beat or get a bit lost, just stop and count until you are back on and then start playing from there. Rhythm isn't easy, so don't get frustrated if it takes you a little while to get yourself in sync with the beat. It will get easier!

+ 27 more lessons

Reviews

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jeffreyacox

07/03/26

BOOOOM!

If you want to learn how to play guitar. . . you have to use this lesson. I was playing with other apps and feeling like i was getting nowhere. After 20 minutes with this. . I want more. . . . My friend talked me into purchasing this and I do not regret it. . . BOOM! "Write it like it happened. " The 814 Project Jeffrey A Cox

strFrank

Verified buyer

06/29/26

Excellent

Best course for beginners, a lot of tips on how to do things properly

samham_64b7b2fda1111

Verified buyer

03/23/26

I really like the play-along tool. A nice step by step beginner course that has inspired me to keep learning.

Hludwig

Verified buyer

02/20/26