There are many different types of musical instruments in this world. In fact, every culture, even those that have not evolved to higher levels of sophistication; has their own musical instruments.
Musical Instruments are broadly divided into percussion (you hit them), strings (you strum a string to make the music) and wind (you blow into it). The guitar belongs to the string instruments.
One of the most appealing feature of the guitar is the fact that it is so very easy to learn how to play the guitar. In fact, some people are able to start playing a tune on the guitar in as little as an hour. Yes, it is possible to learn the guitar in 60 minutes.
Why is it so easy to learn to play the guitar? The guitar has six strings. Each of these strings are tuned to a specific pitch. Just by strumming your fingers over all the strings in a downwards or upwards motion produces a mixture of sound that is at the same time, pleasant and complex.
It is the harmonics created by the six different strings sounding at the same time and vibrating that gives the guitar its distinct sound. Also, just one strum can produce a full chord. If you have learnt the piano before, you will know that you play full chords only after some point at the Grade 3 (ABRSM) level. Children take 2 to 3 years to reach there, while adults take about a year. For the guitar? Well, you can sound off your first chord within minutes.
The fact that you press the strings in a specific manner to sound off a chord and you strum to bring out the melodic sounds of the guitar, means that this simple skill can be learnt quickly and easily. There are only eight notes in music. But to play a complete song, you might only require as little as 2 or 3 chords.
It is no wonder therefore, that people have been known to learn how to play their first song accompaniment on the guitar in less than 60 minutes.