Do guitar lessons really help?

[I_am_the_smartest]

I was wanting to get guitar lesson since i started guitar and i wanna know if guitar lessons help you're playing. Do they help a lot? and also, what do the guitar teachers usually teach taht make you so much better.

[James8831]

Music theory and stuff like this

http://guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=4338

and then there is the complicated stuff.

Music teachers aren't the smartest,but they KNOW stuff.

[taylormarkow]

music lessons hela a lot. Its the best way to learn songs and techniques and stuff. plus it sounds cool when you say like "oh I cant come, because I have a guitar lesson" and everyone is like ooh aah.

[taylormarkow]

i meant to say help a lot but i am dumb

[mc9mm]

They've been an enormous help for me.

[^Chacron^]

lol @ taylor

Yeah the guitar can earn you some respect even if people dont know how good or bad you are at playing it.

[zigquigquag]

most of the guitarists whom I've met who have studied with formal lessons have at least improved. The ones who had the most lessons for the longest, seem to have taken off, and really smoked the self taught folks, though there are always exceptions to the rule. If you can afford it, why not go for it.

At first it can be a bit humbling though, to start from scratch.

[nechako]

Lessons are the best way, something about the person to person contact-the spark of music that gets past on. Example I had studied scales/chords/modes for years and it really didn't click for me, I was still playing powerchords and the same riffs over and over. Then I met up with someone, a bassplayer, an older mentor and after two years I have a solid command of these topics.

[BlackBox]

Dude, get your ass out there and get some lessons. I "played" guitar for 2 years before getting lessons and I'd prolly be a really great guitarist right now if I would have been taking lessons for those 2 years. As soon as I started lessons I found myself playing nightly instead of maybe weekly or bi-weekly. I have a great teacher who is just awesome... go find a good guitar teacher and let the licks fly.

[JohnEve]

I'd say guitar lessons are worth having, but then I've never had any lessons myself so perhaps that is a tad hypocritical. Basically all the people I know who have lessons are really good, and have been playing for half the time I have, while I'm still a bit crap.

Certainly they help you learn faster. Everything I know has been picked up from random discussions, sites like this on the internet, and from just trying stuff out.

Sometimes I just wish I had someone to explain everythin properly to me - I expect I have loads of bad habits that any decent gutairist would shake his head in disgrace at!

At the mo, I'm trying to teach myself some lead style - but it took me a couple years really to teach myself rhythm - learning everything the long way. However it's helped me develop my own style.

I think also with lessons, it's easier to see the improvement, and your progess is better regulated. I might try really hard for a bit til my fingers hurt and then not play for ages - I don't want to damage myself. Sometimes I get discouraged and think I'm gonna be rubbish all my life - one of those old men who thinks he can play the geetar!

So yeah - If you've got the time and money for lessons go for it. It also helps if you're a nice person as well. I tend to be a bit -'don't tell me what to do'!!!!

JE

[nechako]

A lot of times it is hard to find a "master/guru" to learn from, to show the ropes. In times like these I have turned to multimedia learning, thats what originally brought me to wholenote.com and then here. Software like "earmaster", "fretmaster",www.guitarists.net have lots of tools that work well as road maps. Also in the event of older technologies becoming obsolete videos can be found very cheap on sale everywhere, "songexpress.com" @ 15$ can, these videos are great. I pick these products up wherever I see them on sale or download trial versions on the web. Besides I have a short attentionspan and become board and complacent with the same materials or teachers so I regularily change things around. WE all know that book learning alone can lead to migrane headaches. The brain learns well subcounciosly by concrete realities,...relax watch a video and absorb.

[heelsy]

I have just had my first guitar lesson & I'd say..

YES!!!

I played for about 6 months on my own. I could play all the basic major/minor chords & a few barre chords. But had no clue how do play anything else, I knew an A chord was a A chord, but did not know WHY it is a A. I learned about the fretboard & the notes on it plus load of other stuff.

BUT MOST IMPORTANT!! Im learning the CORRECT way to play.

[guitarist101]

It all really depends on the teacher you have, and how diligent you are in learning from them and on your own. I had a teacher for a little while when I first started playing and didn't learn anything except a few chords and a folk song, which I dont remember anymore. Since then I've been playing different licks of people on this site and guitarwar.com, as well as, trying more and more challenging songs which are all helping me get alot better. Anyways, I'm just trying to say that it all depends on each individual on what's better to learn with. You just have to decide if you'd rather have someone sit over your shoulder and tell you exactly what to do to learn, or to try to and take it all at your own pace -- learning how you want to learn.. also usually helps to surround yourself with other great guitarists who can show you the ropes. :)