Whenever you play any musical instrument, it is necessary that you learn to play the muscial notes on that instrument. Since your interest is in playing a guitar, it goes without saying that you will have to know the notes on a guitar. The "fret board" is where you play notes on the guitar. So your first task will be to conquer the fret board.
First of all, don't let the fret board scare you. Initially it will be difficult to learn the guitar's notes but you must be relentless and not let it's difficulty stop you.
Knowing the notes on the first string will make playing your first songs easier. On the first string there is the first fret (E, F) and the 3rd fret (G). Next in line is the second string. Here you will find notes B and C, your first fret, and D, your third fret. Since you now know these notes, you got to put that knowledge into some actioon and practice. Play these notes slowly and deliberately so you make sure you learn the notes perfectly.
Mentally vocalize the notes as you play them while practicing. Don't get into a habit of saying them out loud. Also concentrate on learning not only the name of the note but also its sound. You've got to make the sound and the note one in your mind. Start out this quest by play some simple songs or rhymes.
Once you are comfortable with these notes on the first wo strings, go on to the third string. G is the open string and A is the other note, otherwise known as the second fret. Work on getting comfortable with these new notes. Once comfortable combine these notes with notes learned on the first two strings. Like before practice using a simple song or rhyme. (If necessary practice them separately) You've got to concentrate on mastering each note and learning them by memory. Following these steps religiously will get you knowledge and comfortable the notes on a guitar.
If you don't have a guitar of your own, it will make learning guitar notes that much more difficult. Don't depend on knowing the sheet music. You've got to get your mind and your ear tuned to the notes coming from the fret. Guitar newbies fail because many of them don't have guitars to play which aids in learning. And once you've learned these notes, you can move on to more advanced sheet music.
Once you know what to do and how to do it, learning guitar notes is easy. Expert teachers are not necessary when it comes to learning notes. You can teach yourself using software on DVDs or instruction books. But if you've got the bucks to spend, you can also hire someone. But remember, no teacher can teach you dedication. Only you possess that ability. So go do it and learn how to play guitar notes. You've got the power to do just that.