So... need help getting started?

[Daemon Gildas]

I've always loved music, but never really pushed myself to do anything besides playing for the sake of playing. Well, OCR here has inspired me to take a stab at it, and really try my best to make some music of my own. Problem is, I got no idea where to start.

First off, what's the best route to get started recording a guitar (both electric & acoustic)? It's really the one thing I'm pretty comfortable with. I can't really afford to drop a ton of cash, but this is the one area, more than anything, I'd be willing to consider it.

After that, what's a decent "music program" to start with? Like I said, I've played before, but never touched a computer musically, so not sure what to expect. Do you just kind of play it by ear, and if you hear imperfections in the sound, start the whole thing over? Or is there maybe a more efficient way of getting the sound "just right"?

I think that's probably all I'm capable of wrapping my head around at the moment, lol. Maybe some advise for a keyboard, but mostly just want to perfect recording the guitar at the moment. Any help is appreciated

[Rozovian]

For guitar, you'd best get an audio interface to get a good recording quality. You can plug it straight into the computer soundcard (with the right cable), but you might end up with all kinds of electric noise and stuff that way. For recording, you could probably use Audacity.

For writing and mixing and stuff, there's other free software to use, like LMMS, and commercial music software is pretty cheap these days. Expect to not be awesome tho, learning new skills and perfecting your skills takes time.