Learning to play the guitar?

[manlytom1995]

Hi I've been thinking about learning to play electric guitar but don't how my dyspraxia will affect me. Has anyone found it difficult to learn how to play. I'd be grateful for some advice.

[manlytom1995]

I'm also left handed.

[Shadwell]

I learned to play the guitar when I was about 10, as the teacher was doing it in school. my main problems were spacial awareness, so things like knowing how far to move my hands, where to move my fingers without looking at them, and general things like I would be a chord to a word behind everyone else due to my reading speed, and if the word had 2 notes then I wouldn't be able to change fast enough.

I still remember most of the chords when handed a guitar, but couldn't tell you what chord they are apart from G minor, G major, D, and A and vaguely remember F,

but that was only on a basic level, and didn't put enough time into learning to play, so my fingers were really soar after the 30 minute lesson.

but also that is going back about 30 years.

[Shadwell]

also being left handed meaning that I had to have the guitar strings changed so that they were the other way around, but my main problem was the strength that I used to pluck at was a little too hard, so the teacher learned how to change loads of strings rather quickly by the end, a couple of times was because the knot wasn't done strong enough to hold.

[OneClumsyDragon]

I'm left-handed, but learned to play right handed, and I haven't found any extreme difficulty so far.
Bar chords are hell though
I did find changing chords _quickly_ enough difficult at the beginning. What helped was when I didn't actually play the song, but changed chords as if I was. I still do that sometimes, and it definitely helps, even if it's a little monotonous :-)
I haven't really gotten the hand of strumming yet either
Actually I dropped guitar lessons after a year when I was twelve and learned much more efficiently when I started again three years ago

[Tom fod]

I tried the bass when I was younger but personally I lacked the necessary coordination, patience and will to persist so gave up. (I wasn't aware of my being dyspraxic back then). If you're into it there's no reason why you can't, even if it takes you longer/ is more more personally challenging. Be kind to yourself as far as trying not to be too impatient with yourself.

TIP if you start a post and decide you need to/want to add more you also have the option to edit the post and add what you realised you'd forgotten after hitting submit 8-)

[ichiban-no-hime]

I've been trying to learn to play guitar for years. I can only manage playing very slow, simple songs, as I get very confused trying to switch between strings and frets quickly. Even playing Guitar Hero is a struggle for me

[skyebison]

I have a few guitars, every so often I sort of pick them up and strum a few chords. For me the hardest part is rhythm. The next hardest part is that my wrists get very sore very quickly. May be holding it super awkwardly?