Am wondering is there a cheap & effective alternate way to start learning guitar & bass?

Cheap like you don't need to buy a real guitar, or maybe a real guitar that can be connected to a computer, and you can use training programs on the computer and start to learn to play, the program might be a simulator, tutorial, or something like Guitar Hero/Rockband (never played). I know it will not be 100% same as real guitar but i am hoping it can provide an easy way to learn the basics so when it comes to a real guitar the techniques can be migrated to a real guitar.

i know the game guitar has buttons instead of strings but is there real guitar that can be connected to a USB? or is there a game guitar that plays closer to a real one?

i don't want to learn the theory i just need to know how to play and i want a program that shows you exactly what the pluck & press & when.

i know some folks who learn piano by just playing they don't know how to read notes or the theories but they know which keys produce what sound so they can play songs after listening to it.

For me passions must stay @ 100% I'm settled with cheap gtr+usb guitar link+computer and still using Guitar Rig 5 (Demo) lol. I could practice, record, replay my playing for improvement etc and such with RM20 speaker, headphones heheh

hi, so you using real guitar with usb link? that means the computer won't be able to tell what you played right? only transfer the audio signal to the PC like how people record to computer?

i want something suitable for starter so you can Play Along with the program.

however, the game guitars uses buttons i would prefer actual strings.

Yes, you can combine those method with any notation programs to play along

Install guitar pro for example and go to ultimate-guitar.com, search and download any music score file you like and start from there. It will show which string/fret to hit

you need to get a real guitar cause buying a cheap one is wasting your time, the skills wont migrate

generally that being said, you dont need simulators despite that they do exist cause they pretty much do the same thing as a learning program. you start slow, build up your bpm, then play. so its kinda spending more money to motivate

which comes to the issue really, if its that hard to motivate yourself to do the real thing, id say dont bother, youd give up on it when you start barre chords

the converter sends the sound signal or the key signal? or the program detects the sound signal to figure out what you actually pressed? IMO that means not many programs can detect the signal because it's sound signal instead of digital signal?

anyway do you know those USB electronic keyboard they send sound signal or key signal to PC?

If you going that direction you need to learn more about music tech

Honestly playing string instruments you need some basic foundation/theory like +3kk! said to move forward

i just need to know what to press after a while i should be able to remember how to play notes without the theory part. i'm not looking to become a tutor i just want to play. hope you understand what i mean.

Like i said earlier use any music notation/score/tablature programs, most of it will show the chord chart. Just download the song file that you want to learn

Actually there is no fast and easy way
Most people give up because they think it is easy
U need to practice and practice