I've been playing for 10 years sporadically on an acoustic which is what I like. I can play all major cords proficiently and listen to a song pretty much figure out the chords and rhythm. I've had focus issues going back and forth between playing and singing and learning lead. I've finally figured out that I'd like to do both, I can play and sing and don't have a great voice so getting better at guitar is the main focus. I play mainly country or "Texas country". I'd like to make the guitar part less boring and I don't do well with books or reading music.
The teacher's in the past (5 years ago) have had me bring in songs and taught me how to play the basic version of the rhythm. How do you approach a teacher and tell them you want to play better and more advanced, or do you just have to shop teachers until you find one that sells what you are looking for?
How do you approach a teacher and tell them you want to play better and more advanced, or do you just have to shop teachers until you find one that sells what you are looking for?
Well its your dime... If the teacher is not showing you what you want, tell them. Its your lesson, not theres. If thats not somehting they will/can do for you, you need to keep shopping.
Paul B
Shopping teachers is always good advice.
Let me add, expand the types of music you play. Try jazz (Charlie Byrd does it well, so did Django) on an acoustic, or classical, or blues. Anything you are not familiar with.
The cross-pollination from other styles of music will most likely improve both your skills and your "Texas Country" playing.
Also start seriously listening to other types of music that you are not familiar with. Listen until you understand them. Your ears are your most important musical instrument.
One of the nicest things about music is that even if you live to be 100 years old and learned something every day, there will still be something else to learn.
'Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.' - Sergei Rachmaninoff
Insights and incites by Notes ♫
Bob "Notes" Norton
Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com Add-on Styles for Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft SongSmith
The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<
play all day.
disclaimer it may take time to work up to playing all day, watch for signs of rsi or carpal tunnel, consult your physician before playing all day, never lift anything over 5 pounds, and always wear your protective headgear.
A tourist walked up to a street musician busking on a corner in New York city and asked the busker, "How to I get to Carnegie Hall?"
The musician answered, "Practice man, practice!"
Notes
Bob "Notes" Norton
Owner, Norton Music http://www.nortonmusic.com Add-on Styles for Band-in-a-Box and Microsoft SongSmith
The Sophisticats http://www.s-cats.com >^. .^< >^. .^<
I'd like to make the guitar part less boring and I don't do well with books or reading music.
1st, I would tell your teacher this. 2nd, I would definitely look at playing a variety of styles. This will improve your overalls skills. 3rd Analyse your practice routine. How much time, how often do you practice. Do you focus on specific areas etc. If you let us know, maybe one or two here can give you some suggestions.
With regards to changing your teacher, well it is your money, so if you fell that would help...
i never had a teacher make me better, they just decided what i'd play. i was lucky enough to have a brother who played, that i could watch, but he never actually helped me beyond a few chords, mostly just kinda snarled at me. i just did the work myself, and now i'm good. so yeah, practice, man. you wanna be good, nothing else will get you there. and now i know why he snarled at me, it's not rocket science, just diggin a ditch. pretty much everything is just basically play the white keys or barre it, and the rest is no secret. i learned more music theory than i'll ever use in my life in one semester. it's just music. everyone in the world does it. at best, a teacher can be a road map, but bo diddley made music with one chord and the best teacher in the world won't make you good if you don't make yourself good.
if i want to get better, i just play for hours on end for days and i can do something i couldn't when i started. i don't know what it'll be before i start. inventing a song with lyrics on the fly, pop and thump, two hand tapping, some incredible music... all of these just sort of happened spontaneously for me from practicing.
and a lot of people who've achieved great things in music have also busked. dylan got his start playing the harmonica all night for a free cheeseburger and pass-the-hat. lots of people. even josh bell, who's probably played carnegie hall plenty of times, tried it. nobody but kids stopped to watch, which says something about people and prejudgements.
time's different when you're busking than when you're playing for the walls, too, and less responsibility than putting on a show.
try to find people to play with who are just a little bit better than you and you will come up to their level in no time.
IMHO, it's really important to develop a practice routine that works for you. A really good teacher (I've never took a lesson) might get you started, but you're really on your own. Trust me, a teacher would of NEVER showed me what I'm doing/did.
opinion.....we are what we are...the best 'teacher' you can ever have is your own ears...a basic technique that means you can hit notes you want to hit, when you want to hit them will equal 'talent'...time/practice/dedication/desire...all of your own control,will without doubt make you better. If you want to be the best at one style, then you need a teacher who plays that way...if you want to be good at being YOU...well the only one that can teach that is yourself. Not the best advice maybe, but trust your heart. Time spent doing anything = results
