11 Ways Guitar Is A Great Hobby | Why You Should Start!

Learning to play guitar is a great hobby that will give you more in return than you realize when first starting out.

When taking up guitar as a hobby you will begin to define what styles of music you personally like, and build your playing style to emulate your favorite artists.

The guitar is an amazingly versatile instrument that lets players express themselves in virtually any way they desire, from classical melodies through to screaming metal solos! You will learn to play some of your favorite songs, and also embark on a journey of fulfillment and appreciation of music.

If you’re a technically minded person you could also become interested in guitar building, modification, and repair. This can be a great way to earn money from your hobby.

If you’re wondering what guitar has to offer you, then check out our 11 reasons below…

See you on the other side of the guitar!

Why Would You Choose Playing Guitar As Your Hobby?

There are loads of reasons that people choose to learn playing guitar, and for many the number one reason is usually…

#1 Learn To Play Your Favorite Songs

Let’s face it – when you’ve just seen a clip of Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, or Eddie Van Halen playing an amazing song on guitar you want to play it too!

Although some songs and astounding guitar solos are beyond the skills of a beginner, many famous and well-loved songs are relatively easy to learn on guitar.

If you take up guitar and learn a few basic chords it won’t be long before you can play a few songs, and you’ll be surprised how quickly your skills will build with regular practice.

This is probably the main reason people choose to learn guitar as a hobby.

#2 Find A New Appreciation for Different Styles of Music

Once you start getting some songs under your belt, you will start listening more closely to songs and start hearing little things you never noticed before.

You might notice the interactions between the instruments – the guitar being quieter when the singer sings, the way the guitar interacts with the drums, or even when the guitar is completely silent in a section of the song.

Before you know it, your new guitar skills are leading you to like other artists and songs that you didn’t listen to before. Your appreciation for music grows as you start listening with a musically aware mind.

#3 Boost Your Self Confidence & Build Great Friendships

Many people who take up learning guitar find themselves jamming with friends, and over time they continually improve.

Before long, you could end up playing in front of an audience, whether it’s just at someone’s private house, a party, around a campfire, or maybe a small gig.

That’s when you realize that your hobby has led you to increase your confidence level, especially as others are watching and listening to you play, and probably enjoying it.

When you put in some practice and finally nail that riff you’ve been wanting to learn, you will temporarily turn into a self-proclaimed guitar God, and your confidence will soar!

#4 Meet New People Easily

You know that time when you saw someone play guitar live, and afterward you really wanted to tell them how much you liked the music.

Or maybe you wanted to find out how they learnt to play that song, that style, or how they got their guitar to sound that way?

Yep, you know it – guitar players can be popular, because giving others the gift of music makes them want to find out more about you.

Most cities will plenty of jam sessions going on where you can just turn up and play along – with no pressure. People don’t have expectations of your playing ability, and you will easily meet a bunch of great people who enjoy playing and listening to music just like you.

Meeting new friends becomes easy when other people already want to know you. Ice ….broken!

Discover if guitar really is still a popular instrument

#5 A Great Way To Spend Spare Time By Yourself

Sometimes it’s just great to get away from everyone and everything, and create some mental space around you.

Playing guitar can transport you away from the world for a while as you enjoy getting lost in that new song you’re learning.

If you have a guitar lying around, you’re never bored!

#6 Improve Your Dexterity

Playing guitar is a fantastic way to improve your fine motor skills. You’ll learn how to move your arms, wrists, hands, and fingers with a much greater precision than before.

When you are learning a new playing skill on guitar you will encounter that familiar thing that all guitarists go through, where your fingers don’t want to do what your brain is telling them to do.

After some practice your fingers will easily do what seemed impossible before, and that’s your dexterity improving.

This happens because the primary motor cortex in your brain builds new paths to tell your body how to move in new and highly controlled ways.

#7 Guitar Is A Portable & Cheap Hobby

Guitar is a great instrument for easily traveling with, like taking over to a friend’s house, jumping on a bus with, and you can also take them on many airlines.

Ever had the urge to go backpacking?

The acoustic guitar is a classic backpacking instrument because it’s lightweight, reasonably robust, and can be easily thrown in a car.

Campfire jams are awesome fun and a great way to build friendships.

Acoustic guitars can be found really cheap almost anywhere, and you don’t need any electricity to play one.

Guitars are available everywhere, in 2019 alone there were 2.8 million guitars sold in the US, so there are literally millions of second-hand guitars available at low prices.

#8 Get A Deep Sense of Satisfaction

Even when noodling away in your bedroom on your own as a beginner, playing guitar as a hobby can bring you great inner satisfaction.

Getting that bend just right, or feeling the vibration of the guitar body when you play the blues can bring a visceral feeling that has been dubbed ‘Flow’.

Flow can also be called ‘in the zone’ and playing guitar can place you right in this state of mind where you are intensely focused, energized, completely absorbed, and totally enjoying it!

Both playing guitar by yourself or with others, you will often find moments where the feeling of satisfaction washes over you after a good session, it’s great for your mental well-being and for deepening your friendships too.

When you reach the point of being able to express yourself more fully with guitar through deeper knowledge and technique

#9 Guitar Can Become More Than A Hobby

Although most people play guitar as a part time hobby for their whole lives, many choose to take it to the next level and become professional players.

With guitar playing there are no limits to how far you can take it and you could eventually decide that you want to play guitar for a living, or just make some extra money.

There are a few ways you could do this such as:

Become a luthier.
Become a street busker (Ed Sheeran did it!).
Teach guitar privately or in a music school.
Work as a studio guitarist.
Be a sideman – hire out your guitar services for:
- Weddings, parties, shows, tours.
Perform regularly in bars, restaurants, festivals etc.

#10 Be Seen As An Expert And Mentor To Others

The further down the guitar rabbit hole you go, the more other people will se you as an expert.

Even with guitar being just one of the hobbies in your life you can still become quite accomplished after a few years.

When people hear and watch you play they will wish they could play like you.

This is something I’ve had personally experience with many times, with people approaching me saying “how can I learn to play guitar, I’ve always wanted to learn”.

You may not see yourself as a very experienced guitarist, however to other beginners you can be seen as an expert and they will seek your advice.

Even if you have only played a couple of years there will be others who would take the opportunity to learn guitar with you mentoring them.

#11 Become A Guitar Gear Junkie

Once you get into guitar for a while it’s easy to become a guitar gear junkie. There is so much gear available it’s crazy, and there’s always another guitar, another amp, or another pedal to try.

Collecting guitars and equipment can become a hobby all by itself.

Once you start developing your musical ear you will start to notice how a cheap plywood guitar doesn’t sound as good as a solid top acoustic, or how a Strat feels different to play than a Telecaster.

You could well end up endlessly collecting the next best thing, and yes you will love your collection, and it’s then that you realize you have become a gear junkie!

Guitar Is An Awesome Hobby

Learning guitar is a fantastic hobby that builds musical skills and fine motor dexterity. Guitar can become a life-long companion that keeps giving you deep satisfaction over and over.

Find out if guitar is easy or hard to learn on your own

Sometimes learning can be frustrating, but every time you make a breakthrough with a new technique or song your confidence will soar.

If you decide to take up guitar as a hobby there’s one thing for certain – you will have loads of fun and meet many like-minded friends.