Wow you double posted. Who is the idiot now. (Still not me)

without going way back in this thread, what are some things you all suggest a beginner should use to learn to play?

i've got a friend who plays well but doesn't have the time right now to teach. he suggested learning chord shapes...just using a chord chart to learn.

would an actual paid-for lesson help?

Really depends on the tutor. A lot of that shit is just a scam.

Beginners need to just play. Build the callouses on your fingers. You're hopeless until you have that base. Just jam out at this point.

for a beginner, use an electric guitar because the strings are easier to hold down. go on youtube and learn basic chords. that's all i got for you dad

dad has already locked in an acoustic. Please pay attention.

ok then yeah you're gonna have some pain in the beginning but don't worry you'll have disgusting calloused finger tips before you know it

learn one power chord and just play around with yourself for a while. you could learn a lot of pearl jam songs from just power chords

okay, but i want to learn good songs.

Learn Wonderwall

try some nirvana or blue album weezer.. also mostly just power chords

learn Baby Bitch by Ween

Learn the basic E chord. After you have a good feel for it, slide your fingers down 2 frets keeping them in the same chord position. Then slide down 1 more fret. Then back to the original E chord position. Keep practicing that. After you have that down, you will have learned Not For You. (Except for the bridge, but one thing at a time, eh?)

hell yeah.

I want you on a fretless for a song of ours

There's so much out there now for learning guitar compared to the 90s. I've found JustinGuitar really helpful for free lessons that start from the basics and work up. YouTube's another great spot for tutorials on pretty much anything you can think of. If you're looking for a mix of theory and practical advice, https://faqaudio.com/ has some solid articles and guides. They really break things down for guitarists at all levels.