Guitar teacher--what now?

He also gave me a pick study to learn. I've got to admit it has improved my speed a little but it's also nothing I couldn't have gotten out of the billions of books that I have! So I just don't know. :?

Then why didn't you already learn it from the billions of books you have? That's what a teacher is for. They get you to actually do things, not just read about them in books and think "I must get around to that one day."

It sounds like you have two problems, and both lie with you.
1. Lack of communication with your teacher.
2. Lack of musical direction.

If you make the effort with no.1, your teacher will advise and guide you about no.2.

That's what he's paid for, and that's why a good teacher is worth more than the billions of books you have.

Have to agree with Fret on that one. I've taken lessons off and on and sometimes feel the same way, but hopefullt your teacher has a plan in mind.

But if you are concerned where it's going you need to tlak to him about it. Maybe when he gives you a song or practice piece you should discuss exactly how you are supposed to practice the piece and what is the skill he is trying to convey to you.

Reading a bunch of stuff in books and saying I could have done that is true but the reality is, would you without a teacher?

ok - when, or before, you went to your first lesson with this guy, what did you tell him you wanted to get out of having lessons with him?

If you didn't tell him anything, and you're getting nothing, then in a peverse way you're getting what you asked for.

You need to work out what it is you want to achieve out of having lessons. Then make sure you tell your teacher.

Best,

A :-)

I have to agree with Alan. The first lesson should have been predominantly a discussion about what you expect from him, what he expects from you and what your musical aspirations are. You should be in the driving seat as you are the one paying his wages.

Perhaps next time you see him you should talk to him about your concerns. Tell him the direction in which you want to go. If he's a half decent teacher he should tailor the lessons to each individual students needs. That's not to say he should skip over stuff because you don't want to do it. I quite frequently come home from my lesson with exercises that I wonder where the hell he's going with this stuff but it usually work out in the end. There's a method to his madness and I've come to expect that. If I'm asked to learn a particular thing and I don't understand why I now know that it will all become clear in a very short time. It's usually a technique or exercise that I would never attempt if I was teaching myself but is important in making me a better more rounded guitar player.

I also have to agree with the comment made by Fretsource. If you could have learnt the stuff yourself from books why didn't you. I had loads of books, CD-ROMs, web sites and magazines to try and teach myself. It didn't work. And I'm glad it didn't work. I am a better player for taking lessons than I ever would have been teaching myself. Some people can teach themselves and teach themselves well, Wes Inman on these very boards springs to mind. But for every Wes I would suggest there are several Chucksters who need the guidance of others.

Bottom line: Talk to your teacher. Spend the whole lesson if need be sorting out a strategy. It will be time well spent. If after the 2 month period is up and you are not happy with the progress walk away. Find another teacher. Don't be put off by the experience. Not all teachers are equal just as not all students are equal. The learning process is more of a partnership and both parties should be compatible.

HTH. And good luck. :wink:

8)

He also gave me a pick study to learn. I've got to admit it has improved my speed a little but it's also nothing I couldn't have gotten out of the billions of books that I have! So I just don't know. :?

Then why didn't you already learn it from the billions of books you have? That's what a teacher is for. They get you to actually do things, not just read about them in books and think "I must get around to that one day."

It sounds like you have two problems, and both lie with you.
1. Lack of communication with your teacher.
2. Lack of musical direction.

If you make the effort with no.1, your teacher will advise and guide you about no.2.

That's what he's paid for, and that's why a good teacher is worth more than the billions of books you have.

+1

Especially with the communication part. When he said "work on it" if that wasn't clear to you, you should have asked "what specifically?"

definatley a communication breakdown, talk to him and tell him what your goals are 8)

+1

Especially with the communication part. When he said "work on it" if that wasn't clear to you, you should have asked "what specifically?"

In addition to asking for clarification (in words) of what to work on, ask your teacher to play it for you (if he hasn't already), demonstrating dynamics and nuances to strive for.

Sometimes it takes a little while to build a rapport between teacher and student, to get to know each other's communication style and to get comfortable. I'd say give it more time to gel before jumping ship, barring any glaring reason to drop this teacher.

Margaret

Hi Puke,

+ 1 to exactly what Fretsource said. :)

Really learning the guitar well enough to play with some sort of quality, authority and confidence takes a great many hours of work. It can be a lot of fun to just fiddle about, but you can only get so far that way.

If you have a ton of motivation and self discipline then that can carry you through - there are many ways to find the information you need. But a good teacher can provide advice, guidance, structure and a range of other useful things, apart from just the mechanics of playing. The bottom line though is that it's not that quick - it takes a good chunk of time and money to make progress.

You may not have found the right teacher, but it's also possible that you may not be ready in yourself to get the most out of the whole student/teacher thing right now. When I've been to a teacher I didn't just sit there and expect to somehow be filled up with talent, like refuelling my car. I squeezed everything I could out of the situation - by asking lots of questions and by putting as much practice in as I could between lessons.

You're obviously feeling very unsure about your goals at this stage, but don't let your doubts about your long term musical future lead to wasting your money. You've paid for the lessons, so try and make the most of them. In the process you should be able to learn more about music and the guitar, but also a bit more about how you really feel about making a longer term commitment to playing.

Good luck. 8)

Cheers,

Chris

Firstly, I really appreciate all of your replies. I would never have expected so many replies, so quickly! :D

Anyway, I shamefully have to agree with what most of you have said. It's probably either a big communication problem or the simple fact that I'm in an utterly confused stage--I was recently decided on music college and now, suddenly, that doesn't seem to be my plan anymore! So my musical goals probably need major refining. I also agree that a teacher is really helpful in the sense that they kinda make you feel like you HAVE to practice some stuff that you otherwise wouldn't or would keep putting off (of course, you don't HAVE to but there's that kind of feeling a little, anyway).

However, another thing is that my current teacher is mostly knowledgeable in the jazz area. That was an advantage for me when I wanted to go to music college (because you have to study jazz there, amongst other things) but now that I'm thinking about NOT going to music college, I wonder whether I should seek a teacher who revolves more around the kind of music that I like. But on the other hand, jazz certainly teaches helpful things, no matter what music style. So SHOULD I seek a teacher who's more my style, music-wise? :?

Anyway, technically speaking, what I'm really wondering at the moment is this: Should I stop taking lessons once my prepaid ones are over, try to refine my musical goals (or actually create some concrete ones), perhaps try things out with a new teacher or just stick it out with this teacher, try to get the most out of it and see where it gets me? I just don't know if I'm spending my money wisely, for the time being! :?

What music is your style?

Jazz is really important for almost any style. Blues, rock, funk, really; any time you want to jam, and you've been trained by a jazz player? Damn, you're gonna play some great stuff that NO ONE else would have thought of. You'd be sitting next to me, I'd play something stupid out of my pentatonic box, the box my guitar playing survives on, look over to you, and you'd blow my mind, as I realize you've truly mastered the fretboard.

But, if your not into jamming, or solos or improvs, then maybe you don't need jazz. Well...

You will learn some great chords, chords that you will be able to mix into your own songs and give them a totally different feel than what you are hearing today, make your music sound much more complex and interesting.

Just letting you know what jazz offers you :)

Taso

i agree with taso, jazz is where its at man, i went and seen this jazz band last weekend, the guitar player blew me away, i want to learn jazz 8)

my first teacher was a jazz musician. I wanted to learn rock and roll. he taught me well.
years later I am kicking myself because I realized what a missed opportunity.

sometimes it takes a while to know what the question is . nothing wrong with that.
you seem to be still in search of the question.

Yea, I'm definitely still in search of questions, answers and practically anything you can think of! :P

You guys seem to be really supportive of being taught by a jazz guitarist! I'm not totally against the idea either because I know it could help me a lot but sometimes, it's hard to practice a little jazz tune my teacher gives me when I'd really want to be working on a new Guns n' Roses song, you know. So I guess it's just a matter of motivation.

Still, me and my teacher are really working on improv now and I'm happy about that because that's what I really wanted to improve on. Surprisingly enough, I seem to have improved! :D

Maybe I should give the teacher a bigger chance after all...

i can only answer from my own experience. i've taken lessons off and on the the five years that i've been playing and it's mostly been off. at this point in time, i've started again and have resolved to keep taking lessons. you don't get very far without them. there are good teachers and there are not so good teachers but even with the not so good ones you'll learn something just because they know more than you. if you';ve decided not to go to music school then you probably need lessons because where, then , are you going to get your knowledge from? if you decide to go to music school then you can quit the private lessons because you'll be learning in school. in any case, i'd stick with the lessons. i don't think they're a waste of money.