The guitar really is a grrreat instrument. It doesn't take a long time to get the hang of it, and once you got it, you got it for life. Guitar prices range from $50 for a beginning acoustic to $300 plus for a nice electric or acoustic (much less than a big piano, no offense to all you people cause I admire you all who can play the piano!)

Classes don't cost that much either. You can get group lessons and join with your friends, or individual classes give you the one-on-one touch that really helps a beginner. Group classes might be free, but most of the time individual classes cost $10-$15 for a half an hour. (Tell me if I'm wrong, but this is what I've found)

I have been playing guitar for 2 years now, and I have both an electric and an acoustic.

Here's some pointers for the beginning guitarist:

Stay confident, no matter how hard it gets. Guitar goes in levels, and you might stay at the same level and then jump to the next really fast.

Find a teacher you are comfortable with. If you can't express your confusion in things, it's just not worth it.

If you are just beginning, you best start with an acoustic. They are less expensive and so if you decide it's not right for you, there will be no regrets as to that. Later, when you decide to buy an electric, it will be a

BIG fun treat!

Join with friends. It's always nice to have someone to be with, and once you get the hang of the geeetar, you can jam together.

Practice. The old saying "Practice makes perfect" really works here. The more you practice, the better you'll get.

Do what YOU want. I, fortunately, got a teacher that only teaches me what I want to do, and that's what works for me. Look around, though, find someone you like before jumping into the first one you want.

Learn riffs and chords first. Don't get into theory until you are relatively good at the guitar. It's not motivating at all! I'm learning lead theory right now, and it's not a piece of cake.

Learn fun songs. The best way to get over the chord blues is to learn songs that you can rock out to. Nothing's worse than having to play something you don't want to.