Guitar Lessons and Teaching (Page 1 of 2)

There are plenty of free lessons on You Tube.  Give that a shot.  Lessons never hurt and lots of practice is always good.

Hey, thanks for the replies.

I practice around 2 - 3 hours a day but nothing in particular (no bleeding direction really) apart from playing songs over and over again or learning new ones. The problem, I believe, is a mixture of not having a clue about technique and not having a clue about music. I did have an understanding of music when I was between ages of 8 and 11 when I played the Cello but I can't seem to pull that back out of my memory. Which is very annoying considering I played in a youth orchestra (shocking and a total street-cred killer I know!)

So will seeing a tutor help do you think? I'll pick it all up again because playing guitar comes natural to me and I have a decent understanding from the year i've been playing and a friend who's been playing 10 years says i've made alot of progress in the year and a bit i've been playing now. I've gone from just about banging out "Seven Nation Army" to being able to competently bang out "Summer of 69", "Back in black" and "Highway to hell" without breaking a sweat and even bits of some more complicated solo's in the songs of Avenged Sevenfold. Just want to progress to a standard I could play live

Selecting a teacher that teaches in the same way you learn is critical.    Everyone learns guitar a bit differently.  I'm highly analytical, so I look for teachers that can express things that way.

Short story, though, is the right teacher can help you immensely.

Wibble try checking out your local colleges that do evening classes. Most places have a beginners guitar class. The great thing about these is you get tuition but also meet others who are struggling with chords etc. The regular weekly class helps give you something to practise for and knowing others are doing the same is a boost.

Teaching yourself is fine but to quote Jimi Hendrix it's a room full of mirrors. All you try are songs you think are worth doing. A tutor can surprise you and take you out of your comfort zone. Sometimes that's annoying but often they are trying to nudge you on techniques and bad habits you aren't even aware of.

I know some people who have been having lessons for years, but they only play what they're told to and don't really remember it that well until the music is put infront of them. And even then it takes them ages to change between chords. I am self taught and I've only been playing a couple of years but I find it really easy to swap between chords and remember chords and peices of music. I guess it depends on how good your memory is really xD

Unless you are a natural guitar player at some point you will need lessons.  Get the classes but don't be afraid to say I want to learn these techniques or these songs.

Wibble - View the Music Theory section on the message board.  Jerome is a good starting point.  I've used this section a lot and from there, I went and researched some sites online and started figuring out scales, keys, etc on my own.

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Help,  is it acceptable  to play the electric guitar as  a acoustic (ryhtum) guistic .  The electric sounds a lot better than my acoustic electric.  help me please.

Howdy Tophand75662,

  I would guess that the answer is yes!  After all, it all comes down to what sounds best to you..... and you don't see too many acoustic rythm players in rock music.  There are a few, but something like a Les Paul makes a nice back axe, for the SG to lead to.

I play acoustic and electric and have both wired and ready to change off as the playlist requires.  But I personally like the acoustic/electric for most everything and use effects to get the sound that "fits".

  Take Care;  Doug

I was lucky and found a great guitar teacher, right from the start.  He teaches me everything from scales, theory, tab, strumming etc.  We started out learning songs based on my skill level.  Now I usually take in songs I want to learn and we sit and learn them together.  It's great.  He always has something new to show me or throw in, so I'm always challenged.  There's stuff he's taught me that I'd never have learned on my own.  And because of that I think I've progressed much faster and farther.  And I always want to impress him the next week so I practise, practise, practise.  Good luck!

Agreed.

I've mostly taught myself everything I know on guitar and I hate my level of ability.
I wish that I would have taken lessons so that I can create music and express what I feel...instead of constantly playing other people's songs...badly.
Maybe I would understand more now instead of being depressed over my lack of understanding.

Dm

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.