I think it's coming pretty easy... advice?

I've been playing for 8 months...

6 weeks ago I read part of a music theory book, about the chromatic scale, etc. Then I bought a couple little books on major and minor pentatonic scales, now I improv those bluesy riffs over alot of my favorite songs..

WHere do I go from here? I would think an instructor keep you from learning more about your OWN style, but I do think I could benefit...

Any advice?

Thanks!

[Edited by NotWelcome on 12-26-2003 at 03:50 AM]

I would learn some chord construction and then various modes, atleast that was the route I went when I started, and unless beginning guitar has changed drastically in the last four years, I think that is the way to go.
also maybe learn contruction of more difficult chords like sevenths and so on.

A teacher will NOT hinder the development of your own personal style. Some people have the misconception that learning and knowledge can be bad.

Your own style is the result of running everything that you have learned through the filter that is what you like, assimilating what you like into your own style, and rejecting that which you do not like.

There is no harm in learning everything that you can, and that is in fact best for your development. Let's say you like rock and blues. You DON'T like country. On your own, you might never even try to learn any country. Your instructor forces you to learn some country. In the process, you realize that you still hate country, BUT you have learned some cool double stops and bends that you use in your playing... see what I'm getting at?

Was it just me... or was that random. :(

I'll give my usual advice.
Go to the home page here at GuitarTricks and check out some of the hosts.
I still find it unreal that people who've been on this site for months or even years aren't aware that there's free lessons.

Yeah...uhh...I've had a teacher my whole guitar life before about two weeks ago. It never "affected my style" save to make my playing cleaner and better. Really instructors do nothing but help, and having one will almost never hinder you. I have my instructor to thank for every skill I have on the guitar, but he and I have different soloing styles because...well mainly because he's better, but also because we're different guitarists. Every guitarist has his own style of playing, no matter how much he tries to clone another guitarist's style. It's like a fingerprint, man. Get an instructor and learn to fret like me...well, not like me...like someone good preferably.

Thanks everyone for the advice!

Now, what's the best way to find a good local instructor? I live in the area of a major city (Portland, OR), so there shouldn't be a shortage... how do I start looking? Yellow pages? There's a major guitar store (Guitar Center) in the area, should I go there?