Words of wisdom

Ive been playing guitar for about six months. I dont take lessons or anything I just learned really from watching people and learning basic chords like G,C,D,E,and A. Thats really all anyone ever taught me. The rest I just picked up by watching other people and playing around 4 to 6 hours a day. Im trying to put a band together. Could anyone give me some advice on how to learn songs faster cause mainly I just read tabs and listen to the song. But tabs are usually wrong. Everyonce in awhile u find a good one. Well any other words of advice are welcomed and I thank you very much for all ur help. Thanx guys. ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!

hmm, well I found it really hard to learn without a teacher. I played guitar for 2 years by myself. I got absolutly nowhere, when I was trying to do what your doing. Now I have a great teacher who I can bring the cd in and he'll pretty much show me how to play it, WITHOUT TAB! I find that insanly cool. But anyways If I were you, I would (1)find a teacher (2)Get good (3) make a band.

I have a band now that is pretty much in the making. We all are pretty much new to the musicain world and the bassist doesn't even have a bass, lol. But ya, I would totally recommend getting good before you try and make a band. It just doesn't work when all the band members totally suck, lol.

How far did u get without a teacher. I mean im pretty far. I want to take lessons I just dont wanna have to go through learning theory again cause I learned it at school.

If your teacher is a smart guy, he'll take you where you want to go, not where he thinks you should go.
A teacher is one who has walked the path once, so he can SHOW what's next, it's YOUR call to say if you want to go there or not.
Now, he might say it's the most stupid thing he's ever heard, but that's not what my students say...

I want to take lessons I just dont want to learn theory over. I may try and see how it goes. Although I think im advancing pretty quickly without lessons. I wonder if the greats like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, BB King, and other such spectacular musicians had to take lessons???

i dont thnk any of them did

Well if the greats didnt have to take lessons then I dont think I want to. Its one thing to say someone taught u how to play guitar but its greater to say u taught urself. ROCK ON.

NOOOO, thats not what I meant.

Besides, BB King cant playa nd sing at the same time and Clapton has a pretty lousy technique. Its there melodies and musical knowledge that put them ahead.

Well maybe BB King cant play and sing or Clapton has lousy technique. But they are still THE BEST. We all have our week points. So if they can do it. I can do it. Maybe I wont get anywhere. Or maybe I will. U know that old song if it will it will and if it wont it wont. And if its their melodies and musical knowledge that got them where they are today maybe I need some of that melody and knowledge. Or maybe I already have it and need to reveal it or find it. U never know. But u can only go as far as ur dreams. So I think ill stick with my plan and ROCK ON!!!!!!

well, BB used to sing every sunday in a choir at church, and he has played the guitar for them after a while. It's not really 'lessons' but I guess you can consider that he has been taught by everyone in this choir.
Last time, I have played with a full organ for a wedding, and dude, that taught me a lesson in 'spectrum placement' cause if you play with a rock band and nobody can hear you, you can turn it up or play harder... That doesn't work with a church organ (cause it's so loud. You have to find the spot that the organ isn't filling...
After a while, we have played an improvised Fugue, that was so cool... Every musical experience is a lesson, to me...

thats incredible dumb philosophy, and its ignorant to think that 'THE BEST' don't take lessons. Any great guitar player would (if possible) tell you that they would have taken lessons if they either (A. Had the money, B. if there WERE any places that had lessons, they were really rare back then).
Another point - is it your goal to be 'the best'? you must obviously (if you dont already) find out that there is no 'the best', and its an art, not a sport, and the only champions are the people who play exactly what they want to play, and not what somebody says to play.
aanoooother thing - although optional, its probably not the best idea to end every post "ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" since really we already know.
however- if you have such an ego to think that you can be 'THE BEST!!!!!!!' by doing everything yourself, good luck to you.

EDIT - meant to say "didnt have the money", not "had the money". Alot of guitarists were poor when they started playing.

[Edited by Incidents Happen on 06-02-2002 at 07:31 PM]

If you have the money to get lessons - why not? y'know..

It cant hurt, your only argument not to get them is that youll have to learn theory again - I dont get that, if you knwo theory why would you learn it agin, or if youve forgotten it youll relearn alot quicker - whats the problem?

Well ive ready everyones reply and I thank you for all the USEFUL information. BUT I do have an ego and along with that ego comes respect. Respect for not only other peoples opinions but for music itself. So (incidents happen) learn to respect other peoples opinions also. Maybe it is a dumb philosophy to think that there is a best at something but its my opinion. And if u think about it, in my opinion I dont think legends like BB King and such would have taken private lessons. Whats the point of going somewhere and learning something when everyone else can go learn it to. So if ur showin off to some friends ur like "I learned how to play that new song on the radio with my guitar." So they come back in a week and their like I learned to play it to. Theres no point in it. But if u teache ur self how to play guitar and u use ur own method and technique then you are original. You came up with it. A hundred and fifty people cant go take lessons and learn the same thing. And if they do u will be noted for creating it. Just like they did when the guitar was invented or whatever. Thats what keeps music fresh and unique, not boring and all the same. And if I wanna end every fu**ing post or reply with ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!! I will. So, fu**ing ROCK ON.

While i would agree that taking lessons does in fact give way to tranmission of the guitar teachers own person style to the student, if you already have some playing habits that are a bit off from the base standard for "how to paly guitar properly" most gutiar teachers will give youpointers on how to improve your playing with what you are currently doing, especially if your technique already works fine for getting the sound you want.

My advice is consider this, lessons are good for two or three basic things, learning to play in general, learning to play a differnet style that perhaps you don't know already, and learning theory for the gutiar.

If you want to explore and learn a new style on the guitar finding a teacher that specializes in that style would be to your adantage.

As for the Tablature, seriously if at all possible find a tab book. Tab books are usually excessively thorough and done by people with really good ears for music not the bands themselves. Tabs on the internet are usually crap and done by someone who had some free time and in most cases little to no talent for the guitar in the first place trying to play a song they liked. Also work on developing your musical ear, it should come fairly natural after a while. Though if you have an ear for music just figure a song out for yourself and train your ear more by doing so.

Also if you are gonna get that band together find musicians that are at a similar stage in their skill and development as you so that the technical skill levels are about the same. Though with stict practice for more thatn 2 horus a day one can improve dramatically over a few months.

Anyhow i'm done rambling on and on, hope that helps out a bit.

As a guitar teacher, I know that lessons multiply the potential of improvement greatly for any students. Of course, talented ones, that have a good ear, great rhythm, and talent, won't need a teacher to express themselves on the guitar. But with a teacher, they'll be able to express themselves in a lot of ways, and better.
I have been self taught and I have taken lessons quite late in my playing, and I guess I know both ways. I know I could have never reached the level I have reached without my teachers (but I wouldn't be as bizarre if I weren't self taught...)

I must have missed something, at what time did respect become a God given gift and not something that was to be earned ?
signed,
just curious

I'm afraid I don't get your point?

Respect is earned. But not showing the least bit of respect for something you have no idea about doesnt earn u any. I know a little about everything I talk about otherwise I wouldnt talk about it. Hell i dont know what to say right now im in the middle of writing a song let me get back to ya on this.

Originally posted by Seiko_Hejiro


As for the Tablature, seriously if at all possible find a tab book. Tab books are usually excessively thorough and done by people with really good ears for music not the bands themselves. Tabs on the internet are usually crap and done by someone who had some free time and in most cases little to no talent for the guitar in the first place trying to play a song they liked.

Not always....

I've found tab which is exactly what you describe there but some net tab I've used has proven invaluable....although I have to wonder sometimes how many people have copied tab straight from the official book to try and make themselves look good....some tabs seem too good to be true....but who cares, it saves money :)

Originally posted by pickin4life
Respect is earned. But not showing the least bit of respect for something you have no idea about doesnt earn u any. I know a little about everything I talk about otherwise I wouldnt talk about it. Hell i dont know what to say right now im in the middle of writing a song let me get back to ya on this.

I'm self taught too (have been for eight years) and I think you're talking out of your butt. Ever read an interview with BB King? He wishes he was a better technician. He also learned by imitation. That famous style of his was conjured up by imitating the sound of slide guitar - something he loves the sound of but could never do himself.

Incidents and lalimacefolle both hit the nail squarely on the head - teaching yourself may make you sound more unique, but a teacher will accelerate the learning process. On the other hand, Frank Zappa was highly schooled in music yet he also had a very unique sound and style. Arguably the most brilliant composer of our time, and definately one of "The Greats."

Chances are that if you've really got it in you to come with something original you'll do it with or without the benefit of lessons. In the mean time you want to learn faster yet your ears and the tablatures you find aren't enough; I say that the solution to your problem is very clear.

"I was self taught for thirty years. That means that I spent thirty years learning from somebody who didn't know squat."
-Poorly quoted from Lordathestrings