What to Expect in Your First Few Weeks of Playing Guitar

If you just started playing guitar and everything feels awkward… good. 😄

Not because you’re doing it wrong , but because the first few weeks are basically your hands learning a new language. It’s clumsy at first, and then one day you realize you’re doing things that felt impossible two weeks ago.

(And if you’re currently thinking “Wait… is it supposed to feel this hard?”, I wrote a separate post about that here: “Is it normal for guitar to feel difficult at first?”)

The Big Idea: Your First Weeks Aren’t About “Sounding Good” Yet

In the beginning, your job isn’t to be impressive. Your job is to build the coordination and finger control that eventually makes everything feel natural.

So instead of judging yourself by “Do I sound like a guitarist yet?” try this:

Am I getting slightly less confused than last week?

That’s progress.

5 Things Almost Everyone Experiences Early On (and Why They’re Normal)

1) Your fingertips hurt (at first)

This is the classic one. The strings feel like they’re made of barbed wire.

What’s normal:

• Tender fingertips after playing

• Mild soreness that fades when you rest

• Calluses slowly building over 2–4 weeks

What’s NOT normal:

• Sharp pain in your wrist/forearm

• Numbness/tingling

• Joint pain (especially thumb/wrist)

If you get the “not normal” stuff, stop and adjust. It’s usually a technique or posture issue, not “you being weak.”

Tiny tip: 10 minutes a day beats 60 minutes once a week.

2) Notes buzz, mute out, or just don’t ring

Buzzing isn’t a character flaw — it’s feedback.

Most early buzzing comes from:

1. Pressing too far to the left of the fret

2. Not enough pressure (or pressure in the wrong spot)

The good news: this improves fast once your fingers start learning the correct angle.

Reframe: buzzing means your guitar is giving you a clear “adjust here” signal.

3) Chord changes feel impossible (and slow)

Your brain knows where the fingers should go. Your fingers do not.

Chord changes are hard early because your hand doesn’t have “default shapes” yet. You’re building a new muscle-memory map.

The fastest way to improve chord changes✔

Pick two chords and switch between them slowly, even if it’s ugly, until it becomes less ugly.

4) Your right hand and left hand don’t sync up

This is super common: you can form the chord, but the strum hits at the wrong time… or your hand freezes… or everything collapses.

That’s just coordination.

A great beginner rule: Keep your right hand moving (even softly) and let your left hand catch up over time.

5) Your timing feels wobbly

Even if you’ve got “musical taste,” your hands are new. Timing is a skill.

Try this:

• Count out loud

• Tap your foot

• Use a metronome to help you

And remember: steady and slow beats fast and messy every time.

A Simple Roadmap: Weeks 1–4 (So You Know You’re On Track)

Week 1: Getting sound

Focus:

• Holding the guitar comfortably

• Basic pick grip or fingerstyle feel

• Simple single-note exercises

• 1–2 easy chords

Goal:✅ “I can get clean notes sometimes.”

Week 2: Your first chord-switching world

Focus:

• Switching between two chords (slowly)

• Simple strumming (downstrokes first)

• Keeping the rhythm moving even if the chord is late

Goal:✅ “I can switch without completely melting down.”

Week 3: First real “music moments”

Focus:

• Add a 3rd chord

• Play along with something slow (drum loop / backing track)

• Start learning a simple riff or song fragment

Goal:✅ “It sounds like music in short bursts.”

Week 4: Control starts to show up

Focus:

• Less tension in both hands

• Cleaner chord shapes

• More consistent rhythm

• A little bit of speed (only after clean)

Goal:✅ “I’m starting to trust my hands.”

The 15-Minute Practice Plan (That Actually Works)

If you’re busy, this is the routine that gets results without burning you out.

15 minutes

1. 7 min — Warm-up Single notes song or exercise.

2. 7 min — Chord changes Two chords only. Slow and clean.

If you do this 5–6 days a week, you’ll usually notice real change within a month.

Beginner Mistakes That Steal Weeks of Progress

Try not to:

• Death-grip the neck (tension kills speed and accuracy)

• Restart every time you mess up (learn to keep going)

• Only practice what’s easy (you need a tiny challenge daily)

• Chase speed too early (clean first, fast later)

Quick Progress Checklist (Your “I’m Not Crazy” Test)

If any of these are true, you’re progressing:

✅ Your fingers hurt less than week one

✅ You can form a couple chords without staring forever

✅ You can switch between two chords slowly

✅ You can strum in time for 20–30 seconds

✅ You can play a tiny recognizable piece of a song

That’s the real early-game win.

Still Feeling Stuck?

If the first few weeks feel harder than you expected, you’re not alone. It’s not “lack of talent”, "too old", "small hands", or "can't learn an instrument" (yes, I've heard all of the excuses a billion times 😂).

It’s just one tiny thing (hand position, tension, chord setup) that needs a quick fix.

If you want, I teach one-on-one and group lessons in Takadanobaba (Tokyo), in English or Japanese, and I’m happy to help you get over that first awkward hump.

And again, if you want a bit more reassurance and context, here’s that related post:“Is it normal for guitar to feel difficult at first?”

👉 Check my availability here to book a free trial lesson!