Any experienced guitar players have advice on how to learn better?

I played very little in highschool and now, 15 years later, I have the urge to go back to it. I've been playing for an hour or so most days for the last month which I know isn't a lot but lets be honest, it's just for my own enjoyment, I have no illusions of being a middle aged rock star.

Anyway I was wondering if people had any advice, good resources, sheet music that isn't garbage?

In my position would you go the self taught route or is it really important to have a tutor? I'm particularly concerned about picking up bad technique and then practicing that, I feel like that was a big part of why I gave up in the first place - fucking up the same things no matter how many times I did them because I learned them wrong.

Thanks all.

  • Llituro [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    5 months ago

    are you playing on an acoustic or an electric? sound-wise, on electrics, it doesn't matter a lot and most people tend to find lighter strings more comfortable. i would say 9's are a pretty standard light string. billy gibbons of zz top puts 7s on a les paul, and he still sounds like himself, so for electrics it just really doesn't matter as much as some people think. it's just what you prefer. disregard if you're playing an acoustic, for those i can just say that i tend to prefer light strings.

    • AlkaliMarxist
      hexagon
      ·
      5 months ago

      Mostly acoustic, I think I have 12s - which is a light gauge in D'Addario's line up. No idea how that compares to anything else though except that I do have an electric and the strings are dramatically lighter.

      • Llituro [he/him, they/them]
        ·
        5 months ago

        that's a pretty light string gauge for acoustics, as long as the action (string height above fretboard) on your instrument isn't too high, those should be fine. it's definitely something to play around with though. i have one electric strung with 11s for example because it works better with the bridge system on it.

        • AlkaliMarxist
          hexagon
          ·
          5 months ago

          Ok, cool. No I think it feels good. This is one of the things I'm pretty clueless about though.