How long does it realistically take to learn the guitar?

Hi Ellie, I believe that it all bottles down to the tutor's ability to identify the best approach for you and structure the lesson in a way that you, personally, would be able to grasp quickly, what is being taught. It is then up to you to build on that. There is no strict formula that one could use to achieve what you refer to as intermediate level of proficiency. Once the tutor has enabled you to discover your personal capability to express yourself through the guitar, you should be able to work it out on your own. You yourself would be in a position to realise which level of proficiency you are in. I hope it answers your question. Let me know if you have any further queries.

Although it varies from person to person, with disciplined practice one can play and sing in 3 months.

This is a question that will have varied responses from many different people and there is no absolute set answer.It does also depend on how much time you dedicate to practicing at home. To get past the beginner stage this can take around 3 to 6 months before you start really feeling like you can find your way around your instrument easily. But as mentioned above you will be making real music along the way!The intermediate stage of course takes longer and this could be, around 18 months to 2 years. It always varies from students to student!

This is a good question. The simple answer is whatever you put into it you get out of it. It's like riding a bicycle, the more you ride the easier it gets. I would say if you practice 1 hour daily you will get there in a year or two. If however, you practice 5 to 8 hours a day you could be a master guitarist in 3 to 5 years. Guitar is a wonderful portable instrument and it has a side benefit of helping you make friends and have fun. Some of my students want to master their instrument and the piano too so they devote 1 hour to each instrument and they love it. To me both are great to play but guitar is the #1 go to instrument. Cheers James Walsh

It depends on the quality of the lessons and the practice you put into it. It's a student-and-teacher-led variable. But in my experience, 12 sessions of 1 hr each is enough for students to learn basic chords and strummings.

It took me 2 - 3 years but I still am learning new things all the time. It does depend on you, your tutor and how much time you can put in and it may also depend on the genre/ style you want to learn

Realistically, with dedication and determination it could only take a matter of months. Practice is key!