Guitar Lessons and Teaching (Page 2 of 2)

The question cannot be answered. The wisdom of the ages is: when
you are ready, the teacher will appear. How will you know? You will
know when you achieve the motivation to learn to play  the 12 major
scales in the first position; i.e., using fingers 1-4 on frets 1-4, and
to master the technique of sight reading basic melodies and
rhythms in all keys from the student book. Your goal is to learn all
the notes up to the 22nd fret. (The first 12 can be the hardest.)
At the same time, you will be picking up and adding chords along
the way, including the common barre chords, the major triads,
and their inversions.
Following this advice, you will select your teacher on the basis
of his or her willingness to guide you through this process, and
watch your progress. This is what is meant by the age old wisdom:
when you know what you want to learn, the teacher will appear.
I suggest saving time by learning the theory (chords, scales, and
rhythm) on piano. That teacher is almost impossible to find, but,
hark, the personal computer to the rescue. If I were to do it
over again, I would fully explore computerized teaching of theory.
After a couple of years, you will know all the scales and how to
sight read them. But that does not stop you from applying your
knowledge to the entire neck right away, so that if the challenge
was to play the pentatonic C starting from the 10th fret of the
D string or from the 14th fret of the A string, you are on it.
(You have been keeping  yourself  interested, breaking the
boredom of rote practice, by learning the neck in your spare
time. When the assignment was the A scale, you went ahead
and located the A notes wherever they appear on the neck,
because you are passionate about it.)
Saving money is important, but, more important is to not
waste money. One thing: make the notes with your finger
tips. The impression should go basically straight across
the end of the finger, near the tip. A teacher will make you
do this. Until that time, do not risk permanent injury
(bone spurs) by poor hand position. Also, the flat pick:
don't death grip it. Feel the pressure change on up and
down strokes, which you alternate, as a rule.
Sorry to sound pedantic. I'm not. But I have to write
this quickly and hope it helps. Only my opinions.