Learning the alphabet is a great way to start, and only takes about 30 minutes. This video[1] should do the trick.
When you spell words letter-by-letter it's called "fingerspelling". Here[2] is the sign for it.
I recommend taking a class, though. I took classes at ASL NYC[3], and it was awesome. They started doing Zoom-based classes during the pandemic, I'm not sure if they still do that.
It's best to learn from a teacher, and in an environment where you can practice with other people (via Zoom is perfectly fine). Even with something "simple" like fingerspelling, there is a lot of nuance that a good teacher can help you with.
For example, in the alphabet video I linked, she does some letters differently than how I learned them (she shows her "C" to the side, I show it facing forward). She's not wrong, it just turns out that there are a lot of different styles and ways to do things in ASL. You don't want to learn the "wrong" way and then have to unlearn it -- your teacher will have a specific way they want you to do things in class.
A class is also a natural gateway to other resources. For example, I now do an informal, monthly ASL meetup with a couple people I met in class (we go to a bar and play sign language games). You'll discover a lot of avenues to get good practice and continue learning.
Learning the alphabet is a great way to start, and only takes about 30 minutes. This video[1] should do the trick.
When you spell words letter-by-letter it's called "fingerspelling". Here[2] is the sign for it.
I recommend taking a class, though. I took classes at ASL NYC[3], and it was awesome. They started doing Zoom-based classes during the pandemic, I'm not sure if they still do that.
It's best to learn from a teacher, and in an environment where you can practice with other people (via Zoom is perfectly fine). Even with something "simple" like fingerspelling, there is a lot of nuance that a good teacher can help you with.
For example, in the alphabet video I linked, she does some letters differently than how I learned them (she shows her "C" to the side, I show it facing forward). She's not wrong, it just turns out that there are a lot of different styles and ways to do things in ASL. You don't want to learn the "wrong" way and then have to unlearn it -- your teacher will have a specific way they want you to do things in class.
A class is also a natural gateway to other resources. For example, I now do an informal, monthly ASL meetup with a couple people I met in class (we go to a bar and play sign language games). You'll discover a lot of avenues to get good practice and continue learning.
Hope this helps, good luck!
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5BD8SjhPSg
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brp2RYS455g
[3] https://aslnyc.com/