This course is about the best thing for a beginner. It does cost some, but it's a well-rounded package taking you far ahead of basics and onto intermediate level, both in technique and theory. As a novice in playing you have no clue where to start. That's why the course is the best thing for you (besides a tutor), it will literally put you on a course so that you don't get lost in this huge world. The course alone should take you about a year if you're dedicated and do all the tasks, not to mention it can probably be a lot more if you have less time on your hands and/or if you spend a lot of time creating your own stuff from the things you learned.
Learning guitar only through songs will be detrimental to playing your own stuff as you'll have less to work with since all you know is other people's work and lack theoretical knowledge. However you can pick up a cool lick or two from songs and it develops your technique.
If you don't want to spend any money, here's a rough guideline that includes stuff from the course which you can look up on youtube and I'm sure someone put something of quality.
First off: string names, tuning, pick holding, etc. any intro to guitar video should do if there are positive comments and thumbs up. I'd also recommend finger exercises and some easy melodies.
Second: Learn the notes on the fretboard, actually pretty easy as you only need to learn the ones on the last two (thickest) strings because the first and last strings are tuned the same so you learn both at the same time and the two middle ones are tuned that way so that the same note is two strings down, two frets left, on one of the two strings you learned. You'll need this for scales, barre chords etc. Try to learn some easy songs like jingle bells, fur elise and such, they'll help with picking hand precision. Timing is everything so use a metronome and always start off slow until you can play something clean and in time, then speed up. Remember those two things.
Third: Chords, from basic open ones and barre on 6th and 5th string to suspended, minor 7th, major 7th, all other kinds to spice up your playing. Also look up what chords to play in what key so it all makes more sense musically because it won't if you just play all the chords you know. Bunch of popular songs use only chords so you can go ahead and learn some. Fingerpicking is also interesting and often uses chords.
Fourth: Scales, pentatonic is the easiest and leaves less room for error, then blues, major, minor etc. in every key. For picking style, in the beginning use downstrokes. When you get to scales, look up alterate and economy picking as they are two most common picking styles and you can't do without them. Economy makes more sense to me but to each his own. You'll also hear of tapping and sweep picking but I'd recommend you leave those for later. Throw in some hammer-ons, pull-offs, bends, slides etc. and develop your own licks. Practice on backing tracks, there are a bunch of them to download on internet and on youtube. You'll probably sound uncreative and same-y when you first learn a scale and practice but you'll do better in time.
Eh that should cover the basics, from there on you can try to learn blues, jazz, rock, metal, more scales, practice speed and soloing, all kinds of stuff, you'll figure out what you want by then. Good luck.
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