I say take lessons until it comes to a point where you feel you can figure stuff out on your own. If there is a whole new genre that you don't feel like you know about once you've learned about whatever genre of music you thought you wanted to learn when you started... I say get lessons again from someone who knows about that genre.

Learn to read music. It'll make all the difference in the future.

Never allow yourself to stay with a teacher if you're better than you're teacher (I learned this the hard way). It was good that I got most of those lessons for free, but it was just a big waste of ****ing time.

Good luck.