To be taught...or not to be taught

I was just wondering what everyone's opinions on having guitar lessons are. I have found that some people taking guitar lessons when they first pick up the guitar and it has produced a negative effect. It has actually shyed them away from playing the guitar because they believe they will never attain the level of their teacher. For me anyways, I didn't start taking lessons until I could already play Yngwie/Petrucci/Vai/Becker, on time and note for note. I believe lessons are great for learning theory because it is much harder to learn theory on your own, opposed to learning how to play a Metallica song on your own. I was just curious to see what others thought about lessons.

I give lessons for a living, and my students know what it took to get to my level... I actually give lessons to 2 or 3 people at the same time, because it encourages each of them to go on their path along the others...

I actually think that a lot of the lessons come from the student, from the questions he asks, what he wants to learn... Eventually, I'll slip what I judge necessary that he knows in one of the lessons...

As for 'a lot' that you mention, 90% of the people that pick up the guitar give it up in the first year of practice, and even though your argument is true, I do not think it's the only reason why people give it up... I tell my students that the instrument gives you what you gave him... You'll master it if you've put in the time and practice, and the discipline it requires... And it is known that people have no time, that practice is boring, and that lots of people lack discipline...

Depends. I think lessons for beginners is a very good idea so that people develop good technique and break bad habits. Not every is able to reach the stage of playing Yngwie/Petrucci/Vai/Becker without needing guidance on technique first. But many are. It depends on the person. If lessons take a very productive form than it is very beneficial. If you're just learning songs you could get the tabs for off the net anyways, then maybe not.

Regardless, everyone can benefit of lessons from one sort or another. Nobody is above learning.

Getting lessons is the best option for most people.

Even if its only chords, its the best place to start and develop. Then again, some people prefer to do it solo.

just as a house is only solid as it's foundations, so are your guitar skills...

I didn't got any lessons and struggle now. Even after ten years of guitar playing, most young player with good mentors are runnning all over me. Get lessons if you can spare the money, otherwise, use this forum in time of need :)

lalimacefolle, I agree with you completely...but I never said that that was the only reason they quit playing the guitar altogether. As for the "lot" of people I mentioned...

"I have found that some people taking guitar lessons when they first pick up the guitar and it has produced a negative effect."

I know there are teachers out there, such as yourself, that make it clear to your students what it took to get to your level, but sometimes the student can't help but feel frustrated or even intimidated at times. Although, that's only natural as well. Adding on to my previous post, technique is much easier learned without guitar lessons than theory.

Originally posted by albo
lalimacefolle, I agree with you completely...

My dear Albert,Lal is a teacher.You expect him to say anything else?
I'm kidding Lal,:)
But seriously,lessons are important.That bit about good foundations really is true.Anyone experienced enough to have picked them can testify how bad habits are bad to pick.And getting competent instruction helps you not pick them up in the first place.
Which is why when a dj at a local radio station asked me to teach him to play,and even ofered to pay me,not considering myself to be "competent instruction",I offered to teach him what I know for free.And to prove to you that I do respect lal,I asked him what I should do.

Originally posted by kingdavid
And to prove to you that I do respect lal,I asked him what I should do.

And I gave him a very confusing answer!!! :D

hehe, my real name isn't Albert, it's Alex...My user name is albo because I was given it as a nickname my freshman year of highschool.

I agree with James
Even Asvanced Guitarists sometimes can learn from a
Teacher or another advanced player.
But if your going to go to a teacher check him out
find out if he plays in a band then go listen to him.
What i mean is look into more than one teacher to find
the one you think will help you the best ect.
Another thing that can turn a student off is if your
teacher don't stay on your level of playing.
If the teacher starts ripping off licks in front of you
that your not ready to play this could really turn a
beginner off.The teacher should stay on your level.
Plus your first lessons should be about why you want
to play the guitar plus alot of talking to get to no
each other .If you already know how to play then you
should be checked out for bad habits.
As far as Tabs thier really for somebody that allready
knows how to use thier fingers and Picks or right hand
and left hand correctly.
Like James said some might do ok on tabs but i would
say 99% will not.
The tab way can take alot longer to learn to play plus
sometimes cause alot of bad habits.
If the Tabs don't explain which fingers to use thier
useless for some one starting out.

Mark
Note:If you do get a teacher that is if you
can afford it try to get a teacher that teaches one on one!



[Edited by skee1 on 04-24-2002 at 11:52 AM]

I have taken lessons from the day I picked up a guitar for the first time and I think they have given me most of the things I now know and I think it's quite a lot, perhaps.. :)

I was actually very surprised when I heard that many guitarists like some of you have not taken lessons, because I thought that eventually everyone must have taken lessons somewhere..

The third thing, I am still amazed every time I at someone's homesite the words "I have learnt everything my teacher knows, and I have only played for X (usually 3-4) years, what kind of teachers do you have???
I have taken lessons from three different teachers, for a quite a long time and I still can't say that I have learnt all the things my teachers can do because they are so highly trained, an example:
My new teacher can play Petrucci, Vai, Di Meola, Flamenco, standard Jazz, and classical music. And actually all of my teachers have played all of these, so I wonder, how can someone learn everything his/her teacher know in so short time, are the teachers not so good in some countries, or have I just got perfect ones??

My opinion is you think you know everything when you still suck... The more you know, the more you are aware of what you need to learn... Only self sufficient people think they have mastered something...

intresting...
I'm self taught... I've had 1 lesson... I learned A D E major chords.... forgot them... bought a guitar 8 months later and started again...
I'm not sure... FOr me being self taugh has worked out very well.. I've not learnt any whole songs, yet my technique is head and shoulders above the poeple i started wtih... and i dont practice that much... and i corrected alot of my own mistakes with out noticing when how or why.. I just did.
Having said that, there are some MAJOR drawbacks

your on yer own... no other musicain to exchange ideas with, or to watch, or to just chit chat. True you develop a more unique sound, but the music you listen to plays a bigger part in your "sound" (IMO anyway)

You can get seriously bogged down with thoery, just because you missed one small point, you cannot progress.

NO disciplin what so ever! Which is not a good thing, I spend 20 minutes learning something, and i just get up and do something else... to this day, I've never played guitar for more than an hour in one sitting.. I also have weaker hands, because i've never bothered to repeat progressions, or stick to exercises.

You can hit major problems, and a year and a half later, still will be siting there trying and trying, not knowing where it's possible for you or not... like me.. I STILL cant sing and play at the same time, I can do EITHER but not both... If i had a music teacher he'd tell me where i was going wrong, or how to fix it, or to just give up or whatever.

you'll have huge gaps in your knowledge, cos your learning wasn't systematic, and well thought out.

So yeah you CAN learn without a teacher, but it's a hell of lot easier with a teacher.

only problem is, that everyone who has taken guitar lessons and quit because of it...won't be able to give us their opinions becauase they won't be at this site lol...

I must have been typing my last reply the same time educatedfilm was writing his. Well, a guitar teacher can't make you disciplined either. I know alot of self taught guitarists who are very disciplined..I think its all the player.

oh well, looks like i'm just not diciplined.
ponyone: :), lol, I know poeple like that... and i pretty much believed they were some amazing guitar players till i picked up a guitar myself, and realised for some one playing for five years, Eddie Van halen isn't really the most difficult thing... These bastards also get a kick out of saying who's crap, and putting poeple down, as if they're trying to say "look, did you see all those guys, well none of them is even worth the poo on my shoe, that's how i good am"... grrrrr... :mad:
sorry...

[Edited by educatedfilm on 04-25-2002 at 04:31 AM]

Consider this legend:
"There's always someone better than you"
Considering this,I suppose this someone who's better than you can do stuff you can't,they can always teach you something.
Btw,this guy Someone who's better than everyone else,I'm sure you've never met him.He never leaves his house.We're neighbours.:D
And Albo,I thought you might be Kenyan or have some affiliation,coz of your nickname.We do a lot of nicknames like that too.
Albert-Albo
James-Jamo
Dennis-Deno
etc.

I learn from my students, not in sheer technique, but tunes they wanna learn etc...