Lessons, or self taught?

[roadbiker]

Thankfully, when I was about 9 or 10 my mother gave me guitar lessons and made me practice 30 minutes every day, which sometimes didn't go over too well with me when I wanted to go outside and play. My friend/neighbor and I took lessons from the same guy and we went once per week for about 2-3 years. We used to get together and play all the time. It was a great start because I learned how to read music for the guitar. On top of that, I also played the cello all through elementary, middle, and high school and I was pretty good. Because of hat training, reading music was as second nature to me as reading a book.  But I stopped taking lessons before I learned advanced use of the fretboard. I also have a good ear, so I was able to teach myself almost anything I want to play. Over the years I got away from reading music because I was able to play almost anything I wanted to, but I never really advanced, so lately I have been embarking on learning new techniques and styles. I've purchased several books and even broke out my old lesson books as a refresher to reading music. I am now learning scales and notes in various locations of the fretboard, and I am teaching myself fingerstyle and alternate tuning with the help of some books that were suggested in various forums (I chose several from Mark Hanson). I also find YouTube a good source for learning new songs, and I have subscribed to Acoustic Guitar Magazine (including on-line), where they have good on-line instructions.

Jim

[jjrpilot-admin]

Lessons or not I am getting so discouraged at 64 yrs. ! I have had guitars for two years and could not afford lessons until now, however I got a chord book and just learned to finger chords from the book with no particular goals. I have started to take lessons now and have had 5- 1 hour lessons and  I feel so disappointed to date! After having guitars for 2 yrs. (but never played them much at all until now). I practice somedays hour or so and skip some days! But I can't move to different chords well at all. I feel I should be better along than I am now. try to play chords to some various songs and I can't even play at a slow pace. I have given myself til June and if I am not progressed enough, then I quit! But I love the guitar sound so much I do not want to quit now! What to do??? Woe is me!!!

Hi Kbob!  Welcome first of all!  Secondly, don't give up!!!!!!!!!!!  Changing chords will get better over time.  One thing that helped me move from chord to chord...was to figure out which fingers don't move at all.  For instance your depending on what type of "G" "C" and "D" chord you play your left hand ring finger can literally stay anchored to the "A" string on the 2nd fret.  I learned to anchor certain fingers etc...and pivot my hand around that one finger.  Hope this make sense.

I hope other will chime in with better advice etc.  Don't give up friend!  Kudos to you for picking up a new instrument at 64 years of age!!!   

[Terry]

I started out as a teenager learning on my own. Since I rarely played with anyone else, I didn't get beyond the basics. Over the years I have taken lessons a number of times.  Some teachers were better than others, but I learned something from each of them.
Lessons, for me, have shortened the learning curve and also helped fix some basics that I had overlooked on my own.  Most recently, I took several months of piano and voice lessons which helped me understand music and guitar that much better.
For a beginner, even just a few lessons, will make a difference in how your playing develops.
Terry

[cjd-player]

I'm a mix.  Started off learning on my own as a young teen.  Took a 6-weel group lesson at the "Y".  Then about 6 months of private lessons from the same teacher until he said he had nothing else to teach me - it was just basic chording and a bit  of finger to learn tab.  So I got some fundamentals form early lessons, but learned everything else on my own afterward.

[byrd]

I first picked up the guitar when I was about 22 when I was home from college one summer.  During that summer I took about 8 lessons with a local teacher that was recommended to me.  Looking back now, my teacher was really more interested in simply teaching songs rather than any theory or music fundamentals, but I did pick up enough basics and chords to allow me to continue.  After that summer I was on my own.  With that basic background, I pretty much continued on the same path of just trying to learn basic songs (well really just bits and pieces).  At that time, the resources on the internet pretty slim.  There was a tab site called OLGA back then that I used quite a bit.   I worked that way for a couple years, but never really put the effort in that I now wish I had.  I slowly petered out.  I got married in 2000, and shortly after that, I rarely played at all (I always missed it though).

About two weeks before this past Thanksgiving, I decided that I wanted get back into playing and get a bit more serious.  Once I began playing again with my old guitar, I was AMAZED at the vast amount of great resources now available on the web.  I quickly started picking up all sorts of new exercises, great lessons in theory, helpful concepts and instructions, etc.  It was overwhelming!  I've since purchased a new 714ce-SD (which I posted picks for in a separate thread), and have been playing for about an hour a day.  I've loving every minute of it!  I have a long, LONG way to go, but I think that the new resources available on the web now have already been a huge help.   

I've debated on trying to take a few new lessons, but what I would really like, is to simply have a friend that I can play with.  In all these years, the only person I've ever gotten to play with was the instructor I had for my first few lessons.  I don't know since I've never had the opportunity, but I really feel like playing with other people in a casual setting would be VERY helpful.  Now I just need to meet someone else who plays, and has the patience put up with me. 

[byrd]

Lately I have tried to catch up on oldtime flatpicking and found this great platform called TablEdit.  It's free, you can download the player and the files.  The tabs and notation are fine, run it at different speeds and prints nicely too.  Works great for me.


http://www.kimandmikeontheroad.com/music.htm

http://www.tabledit.com/tefview/index.shtml

These are great links dangrunloh!  I've been working quite a bit on flatpicking recently.  In the past I've always had the habit of anchoring my pinky when picking.  I've been working on breaking that habit, and have been looking for some good flatpicking tunes to practice with.  I downloaded the TablEdit player and have been learning Wildwood Flower.  It was the only song on the list that I immediately recognized.  Plus, it's a fairly short number that I could tackle pretty easily (plus it's a fun tune to play and a good solo tune). 

Any other tunes on that list that you think are particularly fun solo tunes?  Any other sites that provide .tef files that you know about?

Thanks again!

[Steve]

I'm self-taught.

Really wish I'd taken lessons, though.

[Roseadi]

I took a few lessons at 13. There was me and a 16 year old girl with one instructor. He liked the girl, so he stuck me in a corner (literally) to figure out some cow boy chords. After 3 or 4 lessons (?) I said to heck with that, bought a chord book and taught myself.  And now I'm the worlds greatest noodler!!!

In the 70's I started playing in duos and trios. That's where I got my real education. I'm now considering taking lessons after 46 years. Looking to just keep the learning curve moving along. Would really like to truly understand blues instead of just playing the tunes if you know what I mean.

Moral to my story: It's a life long journey, so find a good teacher! It will make your journey more productive, more fun and rewarding.

[Strumming Fool]

Self taught - I listened to the radio and tried to duplicate what I was hearing - I had to learn quickly before the song was over, but the playlist was always short with lots of repeats. I didn't find out the names of the chords until years later. I don't know the names of many of the chords I use today!

[not darth]

...And now I'm the worlds greatest noodler!!!
....

 
That made me chuckle!
-K

[Igniten]

Lessons or not I am getting so discouraged at 64 yrs. ! I have had guitars for two years and could not afford lessons until now, however I got a chord book and just learned to finger chords from the book with no particular goals. I have started to take lessons now and have had 5- 1 hour lessons and  I feel so disappointed to date! After having guitars for 2 yrs. (but never played them much at all until now). I practice somedays hour or so and skip some days! But I can't move to different chords well at all. I feel I should be better along than I am now. try to play chords to some various songs and I can't even play at a slow pace. I have given myself til June and if I am not progressed enough, then I quit! But I love the guitar sound so much I do not want to quit now! What to do??? Woe is me!!!

Hang in there Bob. It will get better. When i started out, i found the guitar-in-a-nutshell lessons quite good for absolute beginners. He has several free lessons posted on youtube.

Keep up the spirit. Just watch this guy. It may be old, but it`s  a classic.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DbUPjEbIvA

[BlackCats]

Self taught so far. Getting close to two years now. Open chords and basic strumming pattern. Picked up a few easy song/chord books and been having lots of fun. Trying Travis picking now.

To Kbob, don't give up!!! I feel your pain. Slow and steady, practise, practise, practise.

Free advice from a guy who's got no rhythm, no theory and can't sing a note.

[CDNLMA]

my friend just show me some chords after that i learn everything on internet.

[Captain Jim]

No lessons, just a burning desire back when I was a kid.  Being in a band with another guitar player who was better than I was really upped my learning curve around age 12.  A few years later, I gave group lessons.  Put myself through college playing in bands.  Fed the family until I got off the road and got a "real" job.  Always played, but since then, mostly to woo my wife.    Here's a couple samples, PT (Pre-Taylor)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOfvD2MxMG8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQIe9qSs_3o&feature=related

Easy, 3 or 4 chord songs.

Find another player (who is further along in playing skills); practice together; play in public - that will make you better, faster.

[tnfiddler]

I watch a LOT of youtube videos showing the breakdown of a particular song I am trying to learn.  I try to watch all of them for each song because I have noticed different people play the same song different.  I also pick with other guitar players every chance I get and ask lots of questions if there is something I want to learn.  Our bands lead guitar player has played in Nashville professionally for years, so he shows me lots of things.  I would like to take a few lessons just to learn things such as cross-picking, so I could actually play some music instead of just strumming along as a rhythm player.