I have been playing guitar off and on (largely off until over a year ago) for several years and during that time amassed a range of "teach yourself" guitar books and CDs. Generally I have been pretty satisfied with my progress in as much as I have seen improvement and above all I get excited about the idea of returning home to pick up my guitar and play all evening. On a poor night I manage a couple of hours but when I can squeeze in extra I will .. oh and of course there is always time for a few hours on the weekend :)
Of course there remains a mass of questions for me but somehow ploughing through books and CDs alongside sweat and tears has always seemed to me to be the most rewarding route. However I do sometimes think to myself that as a beginner (for that is how I classify myself) maybe I have been wrong and should have got a teacher who could have guided me and thus moved my playing so much further forward. Maybe it's just the fact that I am now 54 and still dream of the day when I can sound truly competent, whereas I watch performances by 30 year olds that make my chin hit the floor. My wife always compliments me but she is biased .. hey she also says she likes my paintings!
Should I get a teacher and forego the struggle and reward of teaching myself. If I do any progress I make will undoubtedly be attributable to my hard effort and their teaching skills. Or should I acknowledge that I left picking the guitar up late in life and that if I want to achieve anything worthwhile I need help.
What do you think folks?
What did the guitarist do when he was told to turn on his amp?
He caressed it softly and told it that he loved it.
There is nothing wrong with either method and please dont consider it an "easy way out" to seek the help from a teacher. A good teacher can help correct many mistakes from the beginning.
BUT, I firmly believe that if you play your guitar every day for the next years to come and just make it a love.. then you will still end up playing the heck out of the guitar. SO.. Its up to you how you wanna learn.. Noone is going to tell you the best way to do that.. Just make sure you practice on a regular basis and you will be OK..
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
Hey Welshman,
I am 41 and picked up a guitar for the very 1st time a little over a month ago. I bought some books and noodled around with it for a week before I realized that I really needed someone to guide me.
Just knowing myself, and that I knew nothing about music theory and having never played any musical instrument, I know I need structure.
I've been to 4 lessons so far, and I love my guitar teacher. He keeps me on a steady path, reassures me when I get frustrated, and nudges me about things I didn't notice myself. Things like posture and thumb position and timing.
Each lesson has three parts to it: Lead, rhythm, and theory. I feel much more confident in my progress than if I'd have gone it alone.
As always though, everyone is unique. You'll have to decide what's best for you. I was lucky in that I found an experienced instructor who understood my concerns as an "older" student.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Cheers,
Landog
Welshman ...... I taught myself. I am stubborn. A teacher will help. In the end you teach yourself. A teacher is like a road map. You still are the driver. They can tell you what to do, but you have to make your fingers do it. A teacher sure would have sped up my progress. I just am not the teacher type. See what you think of my self taught playing. I dunno . maybe I suck? Listen to Some Place Nice
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=476208
I'm like a 2 year old. I like to do things my self. You gotta understand my personality. Teachers are no doubt good for a lot of people. Just not me. :lol:
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
A teacher can't hurt. If you just want to squeeze a few hours here and there, I'd find someone that teaches on the side. They are normally more flexible and can put you in whenever they have an open spot. Plus for whatever reason, every musical institute I contacted would not teach electric guitar....who knows why.
Ultimately, it's up to you and with or without a teacher works.
Welshman ...... I taught myself. I am stubborn. A teacher will help. In the end you teach yourself. A teacher is like a road map. You still are the driver. They can tell you what to do, but you have to make your fingers do it. A teacher sure would have sped up my progress. I just am not the teacher type. See what you think of my self taught playing. I dunno . maybe I suck? Listen to Some Place Nice
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=476208
I'm like a 2 year old. I like to do things my self. You gotta understand my personality. Teachers are no doubt good for a lot of people. Just not me. :lol:
Ha ha! Me too (except for the bit where I get to play as well as you. That was a great clip. 8) Where's the green with envy icon..... )
I have had a few lessons and one teacher in particular was excellent. very patient, and used to teaching schoolkids. So I fitted in just fine (at age 58... :roll: ). I tried a couple of others but couldn't really gel with them.
So I'm mostly 'self taught', although I do use 'invisible teachers quite a lot - i.e. the ones who write the books and the great people here.
But I agree with JIm
There is nothing wrong with either method and please dont consider it an "easy way out" to seek the help from a teacher. A good teacher can help correct many mistakes from the beginning.
BUT, I firmly believe that if you play your guitar every day for the next years to come and just make it a love.. then you will still end up playing the heck out of the guitar. SO.. Its up to you how you wanna learn.. Noone is going to tell you the best way to do that.. Just make sure you practice on a regular basis and you will be OK..
Jim
Good luck with whatever you choose. Keep at and you'll get there.
Cheers,
Chris
