this is how my favorite guitarist on youtube learned to play. in his words...
"I started playing when I was 15. My dad showed me a few of the basic 6-string chords: A, C, D, E, G, etc. I practiced these chords until I had them down. Then, I got some "easy" series tab books for Metallica. I'm not sure if they still make them, but these tab books showed very basic ways to play the songs, i.e. they weren't 100% accurate in terms of detail, but they got the main points across. I also got a Nirvana - Nevermind tab book and some Megadeth tab books. I basically learned to play the riffs from these bands that were relatively easy for a beginner. I absolutely loved playing, so I would practice as much as 5 hours a day during my first 2 years (while I was still in high school and had the time!).
After about 8 months of playing, I decided to take a couple of lessons. My instructor showed me that I was using improper form--I learned to play everything with my thumb wrapped around the neck, instead of resting it against the middle of the back of the neck. I also held the pick improperly (I didn't correct this until recent as you can see in my older vids). This set me way back in my learning--I basically had to re-learn how to play and I was so frustrated that I almost quit. Based on this experience, I feel that it may be worthwhile for beginners to take a couple of lessons to develop proper form. After that, it's up to the individual to decide if he/she should continue with lessons. Personally, I found the traditional approach of learning scales and doing exercises to be extremely boring compared to playing along with songs and writing my own music, so I quit after about a half dozen lessons.
So, basically, I taught myself how to play by simply practicing A LOT and playing the music that I wanted to play. The "easy series" tab books helped a lot, and I gradually progressed to the "real" tab books. Eventually I could transcribe songs by ear.
Late last year I purchased John Petrucci’s “Rock Discipline” instructional DVD, and I’ve been practicing many of the exercises he suggests. It is definitely working, as I can tell my dexterity is improving the more I practice those drills. I highly recommend the video for anyone looking to improve his/her shredding skills. You can get this DVD at any online music store (musiciansfriend.com, guitarcenter.com, zzounds.com, etc.)."
btw his name is KillrBuckeye on youtube...check him out.