Best place for Guitar Lessons

[morty]

Hey guys, in your opinion what is the best way of learning guitar

self teaching from internet/ DVDs or teacher

any recommendation for dvds for lessons

[morty]

thanks!

[Artie Owl]

I used to go to a music store/school to take lessons from a teacher there, but the place went bankrupt, so I called my teacher and now I take lessons at his place and he takes in more profit since he's not renting a room from the school. I learned/progressed exponentially with my teacher in the 2-3 years I've been studying from him than I ever did from books or dvds, but they still make great practice tools for me. I'm not saying that it's the BEST way, but it's the best way for ME.

[zigzag]

I tried to teach myself for a long time, but when I got to the point where I couldn't understand what I was trying to learn, I decided to take lessons. The teacher I've got is a real pro, not just some hack that knows a little theory and just wants to teach songs and play along. My playing got so much better once I refined my reading skills, learned a little theory, better understood chord structures, and learned and practiced scales. Also, paying for lessons helped motivate me to practice, my instructor taught me how best to practice, and the pressure to perform for my instructor helped give me the confidence to play for other people.

[Artie Owl]

+1 zigzag my teacher has a couple albums and his love of playing rubs off on me. Damn it's frustrating sometimes, but the rewards you get from playing with someone and surpassing your own limitations are awesome.

[milod]

Back when I started, there were a few teachers around, but not really. On the other hand, with 60 guys in my college dorm, roughly 45 guitars or other stringed instruments were in the place and more than a few guys actually could play. There was pickin' around all the time.

 

So... I've had 2 lessons, two short sessions with Christopher Parkening on classical guitar - but that was some 35 years ago. Otherwise, and at that time, I've gotta confess I'm self taught but I always watched others to get ideas.

 

On the other hand, I'd been playing music one way or another since before I went to school and had some of the basics of theory already. So for me it was a matter of learning the chords and working from there. Then when I taught guitar in the 60s and 70s, I considered that the basics of theory and transposition were pretty important.

 

But I never was really a "single string lead" guitar player. Mostly what I've done was fingerstyle, first from the folk and "folk blues" side, then a bit of classical and Flamenco, then just playing that way for whatever kinda tunes I wanted to do and figuring my own fingerings to make it happen. I did some bluegrass stuff at one point, so I do know how to hold a flatpick; it's just not my thing so much.

 

In fact... I'm not sure I could say what "my" music is like because I like an awful lot of stuff and enjoy playing it.

 

I think some of the lessons on the Gibson site are super. I know that, and some youtube type of stuff, can really give some good ideas.

 

The problem to me with "lessons" would come in that I never wanted stylistically to feel like I was in a box. I've had great fun playing so many styles both solo and in bands over the years. But I guess too that description kinda hits my personality overall. I dunno what to say other than when you quit learning, make sure somebody's ready to plant you.

 

m

[pete c]

for me the guitar pro program has been best for me. i had a hard time finding an instructor that was on the same page as me. but i had 8yrs of classical piano instruction so i already have theory and such. dvds seem to be 50/50 shot on beeing worth the money to me, they seem to be the same material just different person playing. i would say look at utube and if you like their style of teaching, search google and see if they have a dvd or a web site.

[DAS44]

Teacher, hands down. My guitar teacher is the best teacher I've ever had, I wouldn't be nearly as good (ish) as I am if I wasnt learning from him. He graduated top of his clas at Berklee so I'm in good hands. But make sure the teacher you choose will let YOU pick what YOU want to play, otherwise you'll probably lose interest. Nothing kills ones inspiration like a bad teacher. Maybe just go for one or two to try and "understand" the guys methods. If it clicks go for it, if it doesnt, back off. Never settle for a mediocre teacher, how you learn is far more important that what you play (gear wise), so invest the extra few bucks for a good teacher if you have to, and settle for a cheapish guitar. You will regret it if you settle for a mediocre teacher, end of story.

[morty]

thanks for the replies guys!

[morty]

i will take a look into learning from a teacher, any tips in what to look for when choosing a teacher thanks

[zigzag]

I also think that it is good to take long breaks from instruction. Gives you a chance to apply what you learn to what you want to play. Where I got much better was not just learning many types of scales, but learning how to see where they fall over the entire length of the neck. That got me out of my box and opened up my playing.

[pete c]

DAS44, well said, i dont want poeole to think im bashing teachers, i just coudnt find one that clicked with me. just dont go too cheap on the guitar that will hinder you playing also.

[Artie Owl]

This thread reminds me of my grade twelve year when I was still in Concert Band, we had this old hippie named Jerry come in and give us a few lessons on jazz and freestyle like playing, here's an excercise anyone can do, but it's more fun if you have 3 or 4 people.

 

1.)Get a peice of paper, chalkboard, whiteboard, and a couple different coloured markers, pens or pencils. Bristol board is good because not everyone has to crowd around the smaller sized paper.

2.) Draw a line, any kind of line, with jags, loops, ups and downs, forwards and backwards, etc. Be creative,

3.) Get one of the people you're playing with to "play" that line. There are no notes, but play how the line moves, if it's quick and jagged, or slow and wavy or whatnot.

4.) Repeat with lines intertwining, or above or below eachother with different colours to tell them apart

5.) Each person takes a line and you play along together to get a rhythm, it's crazy how one just becomes born out of a bunch of lines

 

Try making different lines, keeping posters of lines you had fun playing and switching who plays what lines, it's a lot of fun if you're frustrated and feeling stuck musically

[DAS44]

i will take a look into learning from a teacher' date=' any tips in what to look for when choosing a teacher thanks[/quote']

-How technically "skilled" he/she is is not as important as how much legitimate knowledge he has on the topic, he cannot transfer his acquired or natural talent in technical wizardry to you magically, it takes your practice.

-Look for a guy who is energetic, a boring teacher makes his subject boring too

-Make sure he lets you choose the songs you want to learn.

[lespaul339]

You can learn a lot off of youtube.

[milod]

Well... As I said I've taught far more than I've had lessons.

 

What did I try to teach? I tried to get a student to know basic theory, chords and how they relate to each other; transposition was part of that. Then rhythm and very basic - folkie if you will - flatpick and/or thumb-finger stroke playing.

 

I would tell them that the idea is to get the basics of music, timing and having the fingers used to doing different things on the fingerboard and on their right hand.

 

Once they got that, and I'd let them bring in their own "sheet" music of the time, they already knew from lesson #1 that they had a choice of staying with me as a fingerpicker or "leave" and get into more specific types and styles of music.

 

That may or may not be a "good" way to teach, but it helped put a few kids into careers.

 

One reason I do not, nor have I taught in years is that it appears today's HS-young adult student wants a greater degree of specificity to play like this or that artist than in the late 60s and early 70s.

 

My personal belief is that I prefer teaching some very basics, teaching concepts of music and how to play different styles - then the "student" with talent can take off and fly to his or her musical future and the student with lesser talent can have something fun to do the rest of their life with a functional degree of technical ability and a basic understanding of music and the instrument.

 

And perhaps the one thing I always hoped to teach, as much by example as anything, was a love of playing music regardless of style and an understanding of what they were listening to in styles they preferred.

 

m