Is having a teacher worth while?

I think a teacher is worthwhile. I started teaching myself, but have made considerably more progress, faster since I've been taking lessons.

Either way, enjoy the journey!

I am new too. Currently have a teacher and things are going pretty well with him. I plan on alternating. Using a teacher for a few months, then a few without. This way I can get the structure of a teacher and then the creative study of learning all on my own. Hope it works. :D

JIm

Hello and welcome,

I actually have TWO teachers.

It started mostly because I go to unviersity pretty far away from home and didn't want to miss out on the 6-8 months of lessons, but it has actually worked out really well. My one teacher is more "Hey let me teach you this cool thing" or "Lets learn this awesome song" and then he just teachers whatever stuff pertains to that song. Where my other teacher is very more conservatory. And I get theory "homework" and have to do note reading and practice the little things over and over, and scales scales scales. So it's very nice because with the alternating I won't get too sick of conservatory, but I don't feel like I'm missing out on too much of the meat either.

Hey cherish198, welcome to guitarnoise! To make it short, IMO yes. :)

YES. By all means, find a good teacher.

But it is also important to develop the ability to learn independently. This site will help you there.

A good teacher is worth more than you can ever pay them. A bad teacher will damage you more than you can imagine.

A good teacher will:

1) have lesson plans (if not actually written up, at least discussed so that you and he know and agree to the direction of your lessons).
2) focus primarily on technique, mechanics and musical knowledge. They'll make sure you're doing every little thing right, even if it means you only get through 2 bars of a song one week.
3) be ruthless when it comes to making sure you know what you need to know -- particular around areas of theory and reading music.
4) Will teach reading music
5) Listen to your goals and make sure that they are part of the trip you are taking together without sacrificing your development as a musician.

Well may I say I would pay a teacher to show me how to make the following chords when you can that info for free off the net :

A , C , D, E, G

all majors , when you can do them really well then off to teacher you go

cheers
L.K :arrow:

I had been self teaching for about 2 months and making some progress. I managed to get myself a teacher 3 weeks ago and to be honest it has made a world of difference. Having set lessons and objectives set by someone is a great thing as it gives you focus. Also when I am paying out my hard earned cash I want to make sure I am getting my monies worth. So my advice is to get a teacher if you can afford it.

Thank you everyone for all your wonderful insight, I will definately go out and start looking for a good teacher to help me progress faster. Thanks once again. :D

I have the feeling the longer I go to my teacher the more I learn exponentially.
He has really the feel how to keep me going, even when I sometimes think "uhoo, that's too much" or "well that isn't much to learn"
The first imressions can be deceptive.
In reality it's always well paced with a healthy portion of driving force and a lot of things to learn that otherwise I wouldn't do or had no idea they existed.
And it's always fun 8)

So IMHO: if you find a teacher that fits to you, it's a good synergy!

I have to agree that I have made lots more progress with a teacher. Just last night he showed me something I was doing wrong in the approach. Now I have to work to correct a bad habit, but it is worth the effort

I never had formal lessons or for that matter lessons of any kind which is probably why it took me from the age of 17 to the age of 45 to get anywhere.....since I discovered Guitarnoise though, I've improved at least 100% in the last 12 nmonths...although I think I discovered self-discipline about the same time.....

All I can suggest is, yes, take lessons from a private tutor....if you come away from the first lesson with a feeling that you've learned something, and he gives you something to practise till the next lesson, then stay with him/her....

But while you're at it, try some of the easy songs/lessons on this site...you may pleasantly surprise yourself!!!!

Vic

Its good to have references like this site, but as you get into playing more and more you may find that what a teacher can show you in 5 min can save you 5 hours of trial and error working by yourself or trying to decipher a post. Lots of stuff is much easier to understand and apply by being shown, not explained. (ie pinch harmonics; "what do you mean you hit the string with the pick and the flesh of the thumb at the same time??") :wink: Plus a teacher can catch and correct mistakes as you make them versus having to go the trouble of unlearning bad technique.

Matt