Guitar Lessons

[daerious]

How much do guitar lessons cost in your area? Are lessons important for getting over the "hump" once you understand the basics, or are they primarily for gaining an understanding of the basics, and practice and self discipline takes you the rest? I am starting to feel the same way as when i played years ago... like i have reached a point where i am just not getting better anymore... though I am far from being a good guitarist. I am trying to determine if lessons would be worth it, or if i would do better, with your advice, to find some practice drills found online, and also what is reasonable to pay for lessons.

 

Thanks for your help.

[Homz]

I don't know about guitar, but my son's violin lessons are $35/week that includes a private lesson and a group lesson.

 

You talk about cool instruments. She as a violin that she plays all the time that was made in 1789 and a Steinway and Sons grand piano that was made in 1913. I digress.

[Carbonite]

Lessons around here are 15 dollars per half hour. You can get hour lessons for 28 dollars.

 

Anyways, I got my guitar two days before my first lesson. I was messing around with some things and when I got to the lesson I learned a lot more and a lot faster than I did trying to read and watch videos and follow along online.

 

One major thing I think lessons do is set you up in a structure. I have things that I must practice this week to be prepared for next week. I think if I was just sitting at home I would be trying so many things and never really truly mastering anything. Because I have defined set of practice material from my instructor it keeps me working towards my goals and I can throw in some of my own interests along the way.

 

Getting lessons also allows you to ask questions easily. You cant do that as well online, since you must wait for replies on forums and such. Plus your instructor can point things out to you that you could do better on.

 

At your first lesson the instructor will feel you out and see where your at skill wise and then start your lessons from there. Of course lessons also are guided by you. If you want to learn something they can stick with that.

 

If I were you, I would go in talk to an instructor, get a feel for how he would teach you. Be up front with what you know and how well you can do it and I think you will find, having someone teach you is better than teaching yourself all the time.

[dem00n]

Nothing over 50. Ive seen guys doing 90 for half an hour.

[hellion102792]

$19 for a half hour over where I go.

[Gitfidl]

A guitar is a musical instrument so you can make a lot of choices. You know people who are content to play "chop sticks" on a piano? Well similarly you can learn 3 chords c-f-g (or c-f-g7) and play MOST of the country and folk songs ever written. You can use a capo and turn those three chords into 6 or even 12 chords. But if you want to play a guitar well then you will need to *work** at it and practice a lot. The word *work* is where most guitar lessons cease. Most guitar owners do not want to work. So about 90% of the guitar owners know 3 to 6 chords and that's it. A few more have learned the 12 bar blues (same three chords in 7ths) and can play blues songs (5% to 8%). The remaining 2% learn to read music and to play guitar as a musical instrument.

[Tim Plains]

daerious, give this a try...it worked for me and I got extremely lucky. Go to kijiji.com, there's a section under services for music lessons. Place an ad there that you're looking for private (or group) lessons.

 

A while ago, I placed an add there looking for an instructor. I also wrote what I was willing to pay ($25/hour). I found a great instructor that's been playing professionally for over 20 years and I used to go to his house once a week for a lesson. Those hour long lessons never lasted for less than 2 hours..and I never paid him more than $100/month. Now I still jam with the guy once a week for a few hours but he doesn't take money anymore.