So - you wanna be a Rockstar? Here's Vin's guide for beginners!

What kind of guitar do I need? Why do I need lessons? Do I need an amp? How long before I get good? Why are Bar chords so hard? Why can't I play fast? Why do I sound like an amateur?

A good way to begin is by making up your mind about what kind of guitarist you want to be. For example, you might want to...

• strum songs around a campfire with friends

• play some cool riffs from bands you like

• Join a local rock band

• play like your favourite guitarist

• make a living playing guitar

• become a famous guitarist

• become a session musician

• be a singer-songwriter

Whatever your aim is, it will help determine how you begin and what motivates you to practise.

As a beginner, your learning curve is steep and rewarding, but it can be demoralising to come up against something that seems impossible to you.

There are three different approaches you can take to learning the guitar, depending on what your goals are...

1. ONE TRICK PONY

Learn licks from YouTube and get really good at them - you'll be able to wow your friends and look like you have some ninja skills. The problem with learning this way alone is that you'll struggle to improvise or jam with friends and find it hard to rapidly and systematically improve. This can lead to frustration at the Intermediate stages, where you might give up playing altogether.

2. SHOW ME, SENSEI!

Get lessons from an experienced teacher to guide you through all the techniques and concepts you'll need to become a competent guitarist in the fastest time possible. Lessons can be designed to methodically teach you to play well every time and achieve many goals. This is where I come in - your best option for quick, satisfying results!

3. TEACH A MAN TO FISH...

Following your lessons or course with me, you'll better understand how to teach yourself...

Once you understand how to teach yourself, you become self-sufficient. Your progress will be dependent on your ability to correctly and quickly identify weaknesses in your technique or musicality, and design your own exercises to deal with them.

You can always pop back for refresher sessions or to help you get over a particular hurdle, but ultimately I'll be empowering you to become your own best tutor.