How hard/easy is it to learn to play guitar if you alreayd have some musical experience?

Question

i play clarinet and would LOVE LOVE LOVE to learn how to play guitar. but i was just wondering if my experience with clarinet would at least help me a little bit with learning how to play guitar?

thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Well, you already know how to read treble clef, which is helpful. And you already have some idea of the commitment of time and effort necessary to learn an instrument well, so you're not as likely as some to buy a guitar and get discouraged and quit when you realize you won't be able to play well enough to join a rock band after a whole month of practice :-) You also understand and appreciate the usefulness and importance of learning scales and such.

Your actual playing experience on clarinet won't help -- playing a stringed instrument is a whole different physical experience and requires you to develop different musical muscles, literally and figuratively.  You'll need to learn chords and rhythm patterns and think as an accompanist rather than as a melody player.  You can also play melodies and solos on guitar but unless you choose to play solo instrumental classical or fingerstyle guitar, most of the time you'll be accompanying someone's singing -- either your own or someone else's -- and that requires knowledge of chords and rhythms and the sensitivity to back up someone's singing in an appropriate and tasteful way .

But I think you'll do well.  Go for it!

Answer 2

http://www.acousticguitar.com/lessons/no...

There's quite a few simularities but here's a chart that shows the notation.  

Answer 3

it will help plenty. you can already read music on treble cleft, thats a big one. knowledge of music staff is pretty important. i play sax and it took me a while to get used to guitar because things feel...opposite. thats the only way i can put it. it just didnt feel right for the first week or two. itsall good now. clarinet will help with guitar and guitar will help with clarinet. its pretty win win.