For starters, you need to forget every thought about how complicated playing music is. Many people fear to start playing and think that it takes a genius to be a good musician. To be a true master it might take a genius, but to play songs on the guitar, sound good and have a great time is really only a lesson or two away!

If you really set your mind to it you can get started playing songs on the guitar practically overnight. When you are dedicated enough and passionate about learning the guitar, it comes a lot easier than you may think. I hope to give you the kick start you need to get started rockin’ the guitar as well.

The First basic lesson of holding your guitar

Grab your guitar and we'll begin with how to hold the guitar:

Pick up your guitar and place it with the back against your stomach. The guitar neck should be pointing towards your left and the guitar body resting on your right upper tight, that is if you're right handed. For lefties, do the opposite.

Your left hand should now be placed around the guitar neck while your right arm goes around the body of the guitar so that your hand is naturally lying by the strings. Adjust your body so that you feel completely comfortable.

Remember if you do not maintain a upright posture, playing guitar for hour can strain your back.

Using your Hands with the Guitar

For left handed players you can do one of two things. Either use a right-handed guitar and re-string it, so that the order of the string is reversed or just make sure you buy a left-handed guitar that's already stringed the right way.

Right handed guitar players use the left hand to construct chords.

Keep the left hand fingers bent and pressed down on the string on the fret board. Your hand should mold into the shape of a neck as the back of the neck is curved. Keep your thumb arched over the top of the neck. If you want to construct chords, this is a very common thumb position.

Another way of constructing chords with your thumb is pressing it into the back of the guitar. However this is usually done when playing scales.

In the end you have to decide yourself which thumb position works best for you. Try them both out and choose the most comfortable.

Use the right hand to "strum" the strings and make the different chord sounds while resting your right arm over the guitar. To obtain the best results your hand should be placed directly above the sound hole in the guitar.

Now grasp the pick between your thumb and forefinger of your right hand and start playing.