Self Taught?


laderswager
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laderswager
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12/03/2006 11:52 pm
I have ben teaching myself to play Guitar about over a month now. I admit it really hasn't ben the easiest thing in the world. So i have considered reciving lessons. Is it worth it? or should i just keep on the track i am on and try and teach myself?
Ibanez Rg 4 life... Word XD
# 1
hunter60
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hunter60
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12/04/2006 12:14 am
Welcome!

I think you'll find mixed thoughts on this from most of the folks here but most will probably tell you that lessons are the way to go. At least at the very start. Learn some good basic skills and then decide a little later on if you want to consider continuing lessons. I am sort of in the same position. Started out with lessons, switched instructors and then sort of dropped the last one too. I've been on my own for about 6 months or more now.

To be honest, I've learned a lot on my own but I know that I'll need to get back to an instructor soon. I have sort of hit a plateau now and I think I need some help to move on to the next level.

Either way, good luck and keep after it. You'll find tremendous help here at GT. A LOT of very knowledable folks here always willing to help!
[FONT=Tahoma]"All I can do is be me ... whoever that is". Bob Dylan [/FONT]
# 2
elklandercc
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elklandercc
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12/04/2006 3:02 am
I'm self taught (aside from the lessons I do on gt and any other online site or book) and going on 2 years. I'm happy how I've progressed and keep progressing, but thats me. Everyone is different, and I have no doubts that if I took lessons, I might have gotten farther that I have today. For any beginner, I recommend lessons, tryin never hurts unless your teacher turns out to be Billy Joe Armstrong :rolleyes: . Then again, for beginner lessons, he would do good.
"During this line, the kid acted like he was pushing buttons on a calculator in the air. The kid played ******* air-calculator!"

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jeffhx
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jeffhx
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12/04/2006 3:51 am
im self taught too...everything seemed fine until recently ive hit a road block...i havent been progressing lately...its bad...and i dont really know where to begin again...yep
[FONT=Impact]grooviest tunes ever [/FONT]
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wreckens
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wreckens
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12/04/2006 4:11 am
im self taught too
pretty much its hard in the beginning
its been 1 year.
and i pretty much like my imporvement
eventhough i suk
im only 15
still a long way to go
# 5
Kevin Taylor
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Kevin Taylor
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12/04/2006 4:12 am
Same here.. completely self taught except for maybe a few lessons here and there when I needed a kick in the pants to move to the next level.
I didn't have internet access to videos then though, so I don't know what the answer is now.
I guess it depends on how good the teacher is and how long you're prepared to keep at it.
With a teacher you might get a more structured approach but in my experience it's a very slow process (one lesson per week at $15 - $25 a lesson ain't cheap either).
Plus, you only get 1/2 an hour and for the rest of the week you're on your own anyways so really, you're mostly self taught even with a teacher, except you have somebody looking over your shoulder to guide you.
I also found that teacher based lessons were always very theory oriented.
Which is great if that's what you want, but if you just want to play in a rock band, you might not be interested in learning jazz theory or how to read music.
# 6
earthman buck
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earthman buck
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12/04/2006 4:31 am
When I first started playing, I just figured it out myself from a beginner level book. After that I took lessons for about 3 or 4 years. The last year I took them, I inexplicably hated them. I was getting a lot better at guitar, but something about it just disgusted me. I quit, thinking I could improve on my own like I did when I started.

To be perfectly honest, I haven't. For a while I sorta plateaud, just like hunter was saying, and now I find myself feeling like I'm actually more of a beginner than when I first quit.

If you can find a good guitar teacher, I'd go with lessons. Schmange is right, it's not cheap, but if you want to get good at guitar I'd say it's probably the best way.


......unless of course you think you have a strong enough will to keep at it every day and put down a steady practice regimen. In that case, I can't really help you, as I have serious issues when it comes to focus. :o
# 7
wreckens
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wreckens
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12/04/2006 12:50 pm
yeah i cant really focused anuf
with all the games
XD ps3 =O
i would liek to take lessons if its really good
but somesa rea really trash
4 time each month with 30minute each lesson
each lesson u only learn 1 chord and 1 chord for tat song >_>
pretty much gay leesons here
# 8
acapella
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acapella
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12/04/2006 5:04 pm
Um...yeah.

I personally never took lessons, and I don't really think I would take them...I would find them too boring, and they would take the fun out of it. Besides, I know what I want my songs to sound like, so I just have to figure that out. Maybe lessons would make that easier, but again...less fun...

Besides, we have a rule in The Greasy Knots: no lessons aloud. :D
You go outside and practice screaming. We'll play music while you're gone.
# 9
elklandercc
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elklandercc
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12/04/2006 5:59 pm
Originally Posted by: acapella

The Greasy Knots: no lessons aloud. :D

You just found yourself a Cd title :)
"During this line, the kid acted like he was pushing buttons on a calculator in the air. The kid played ******* air-calculator!"

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kafofkah
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kafofkah
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12/04/2006 6:48 pm
yeah im self taught. it starts out really hard and complicated ( unless your a prodigy ) but as you learn and study music it gets easier. i have been playing the guitar for almost ten years and i have to say im a hell of a lot better now than i was ten years ago!
# 11
acapella
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acapella
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12/04/2006 8:10 pm
Originally Posted by: elklanderccYou just found yourself a Cd title :)

Will you be my best man?
You go outside and practice screaming. We'll play music while you're gone.
# 12
laderswager
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laderswager
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12/04/2006 9:46 pm
Thanks alot for the advice, im gonna continue with trying to teach myself how to play, and if i do get stuck, ill guess ill just have to cave in and get some lessons. :)
Ibanez Rg 4 life... Word XD
# 13
Scotttaylor72
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Scotttaylor72
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12/04/2006 10:09 pm
I believe each person you talk to will give you different reasons as to why they're self taught or took lessons. I picked up a guitar, tried like hell to teach myself for about a month, playing every day for about 3 hours and learned about 10 songs. By luck, a guy came up to me while we were having a garage sale and asked if I had any guitars for sale. I told him "not yet, but check back in 6 months". We got to talking and he ended up offering me a free lesson. That lesson lasted 2.5 hours. I've taken about 10 more from him since then. Each lesson costs me $25 and isn't kept to any certain length, but the shortest one was still over an hour and a half. The guy doesn't even really need the money, he teaches because he loves the guitar. I've learned so much more from him than I could ever have learned on my own. He helps me learn "why" I'm doing things rather than just learning chords/riffs. It also helps to know exactly which fingers are supposed to be on what frets down the road, when you're trying to shred but can't figure out why your pinky can't get down to that last fret with ease. Practice doesn't make perfect... perfect practice makes perfect.


# 14
elklandercc
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elklandercc
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12/05/2006 12:43 am
Originally Posted by: acapellaWill you be my best man?

If I'm free for the weekend. :rolleyes:
"During this line, the kid acted like he was pushing buttons on a calculator in the air. The kid played ******* air-calculator!"

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# 15
dvenetian
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dvenetian
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12/05/2006 10:00 am
What was the reason for wanting to play the guitar? Have any friends that play even some? That would be the best start in my opinion. Private Lessons are very expensive when you're just starting out. It takes time building hand strength, form and dexterity to play something descent. This can be learned from a $10.00 chord book. I do suggest learning and playing the complete structure of something, for instance Barre Chords, not just their partial versions like Power Chords. When Barre Chords are played correctly, it builds strength in all fingers, a must if you really want to play music on guitar. Another is try memorizing the fret numbers and different notes on the neck, like 3rd string(G), 2nd fret = A.
Even crazy phrases work when starting out, like this one used for the notes of each open string: Low to high = EADGBE. Phrase goes: Elephants And Donkeys Got Big Ears. Well, I guess they do.
Use the $ on lessons if some value is gained from it and at your own pace.
# 16
hunter60
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hunter60
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12/05/2006 12:22 pm
"Low to high = EADGBE. Phrase goes: Elephants And Donkeys Got Big Ears."

I learned that as 'Elvis And Dylan Got Big Egos' :D
[FONT=Tahoma]"All I can do is be me ... whoever that is". Bob Dylan [/FONT]
# 17
Scotttaylor72
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Scotttaylor72
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12/05/2006 12:56 pm
high to low: Even Big Girls Dance All Evening
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elklandercc
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elklandercc
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12/05/2006 4:22 pm
I never did the sentences for learning the tunings for guitar, or in grade school music class. After tuning a number of times to a specific tuning, I just remembered it.
"During this line, the kid acted like he was pushing buttons on a calculator in the air. The kid played ******* air-calculator!"

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# 19
acapella
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acapella
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12/05/2006 4:35 pm
Yeah, same here. I started with bass and never found E A D G that difficult to remember. Then when I started guitar it was only a matter of remembering two more notes, and one of them was the same as one I knew already. For some reason I never had the problems some people have with it, it just made sense to me.
You go outside and practice screaming. We'll play music while you're gone.
# 20

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