Getting Started with Ruby on Rails can be an exciting journey for beginners interested in web development. This powerful framework allows you to build applications efficiently by following the Convention over Configuration principle. To kick off your Rails experience, you will need to ensure you have the necessary software installed on your machine, including Ruby, Rails, and a database management system like SQLite or PostgreSQL. Once set up, you can create a new Rails application using the command rails new myapp, which sets up a directory structure and default files for your project.

After creating your application, it's essential to understand the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture that Rails utilizes. The Model represents the data logic, the View handles the user interface, and the Controller processes user input and interacts with the model to render the appropriate view. As you begin building out your application, consider exploring tutorials and resources that can guide you through creating routes, controllers, and views. By focusing on these core concepts, you'll be well on your way to mastering Ruby on Rails and developing full-featured web applications.

As a Ruby developer, having the right set of gems can significantly enhance your productivity and code quality. Here are the top 10 gems that every Ruby developer should know:

1. Rails - The backbone of many web applications, Rails provides a robust framework for building scalable apps.
2. Devise - A flexible authentication solution, Devise makes it easy to implement user authentication with minimal effort.
3. Pry - An interactive shell for Ruby, Pry enhances debugging capabilities with a powerful REPL.
4. Ransack - This gem simplifies search functionality by easily creating complex queries.
5. Sidekiq - A background job processor that allows you to handle asynchronous tasks efficiently.

Continuing with our list of essential gems, here are five more that will elevate your Ruby development experience:

6. Capybara - A powerful acceptance testing tool, Capybara helps automate web application testing.
7. FactoryBot - This object generation library simplifies the creation of test data, making your test suite cleaner and more maintainable.
8. RSpec - A widely used testing framework, RSpec focuses on behavior-driven development, ensuring your code does what you intend.
9. ActiveAdmin - A great solution for building administration interfaces for your apps, ActiveAdmin saves you time with its customizable dashboard.
10. Paperclip - A file attachment library, Paperclip provides a simple way to manage file uploads in your applications.

Ruby on Rails is a powerful framework, but it's not without its common pitfalls. One of the most frequent issues developers face is the overloading of application files. When too many responsibilities are placed on a single controller or model, it can result in messy code that's hard to maintain. To avoid this, follow the single responsibility principle by ensuring each component of your application has a clear and focused purpose. Consider breaking down complex actions into smaller, more manageable services, which can help in keeping your codebase clean and organized.

Another common pitfall arises from improper use of database queries. Developers often fall into the trap of executing N+1 queries, leading to significant performance issues. To prevent this, leverage ActiveRecord's eager loading functionality by using include statements to fetch associated records in a single query. Additionally, be cautious with database migrations—improper migrations can lead to data loss or corruption. Always back up your database before making changes and thoroughly test migrations in a staging environment.