Private Guitar Lessons

[Big Mouse]

Hi everyone,

I'm a beginner guitar player. I'm very excited; I'm taking my first guitar lesson tonight.

I want to ask all you guys who are experienced players about taking private guitar lessons.

How many in here actually took private guitar lessons? Did you enjoy it? Was it worth the amount of money you paid for for what you get out of it? The reason I ask is because I'm a little tight on budget right now but it's what I wanted to do a long time ago and don't want to wait any more. I want to be as good as I can as quickly as possible to save me some time and money.

Anyhow, how long did it take you to get where you wanted or get good at the guitar? Did you learn music theory/notations too, or not? What did you learn first, guitar techniques or guitar theory or both? Did you just learn one style of guitar playing or all styles? What would you do or recommend to a newbie like me to get the most out of private lessons? If you could go back in time, would you take private guitar lessons or would you not?

I apologized for asking so many unreasonable questions. I'm just very curious about something that I'm going to spend a lot of money on; and it's been so long that I haven't had any type of lessons. I took a short piano lesson a while back and I've been playing the piano for a little over a decade now and just wondering if it's any similar or different to piano lessons. And again I'm still very excite about my first guitar lesson tonight. Any advice or feedback would be much appreciate it.

Thanks for taking the time to read and anwer my questions. Have a great day.

[dante]

hey. it's my first post here btw.

i'm not good or anything but i guess i'll never be finished learning. as far as teachers go, i went thru 2 already and then decided to go on my own path (i'm more focused than my teachers when it comes to choosing what to do) but i still go back for advice and lessons every now and then. teachers are indispensible i think. but only as far as technique goes. (i've spent 7000e on gear this year and i feel like i got a 15 inch dick that doesn't get up: great guitar, amp, whatever. just no creativity under all this practicing). don't let your ambitions get in the way of your creativity.

as far as styles go, just try to learn what sounds cool. it's very important that your ears remains your guides. till the very end...

i buy guitar tecniques every month. but it took me a while before any of it's content were in my reach. i guess real progress begins when you start forgetting the instrument. like pat martino said "those of you who drive, how many hours do you practice opening and closing the door, turning the lights on and of or adjusting your seat?"

greetings, d.

[tatteredstudios]

Hey Mouse...I've been playing 40+ years, and I'm still not as good as I want to be...You may as well learn theory now, as you will have to eventually.

[brandondrury]

A buddy showed me a powerchord. About a year later, a different buddy drew out a scale on a napkin. Other than that I've learned everything from books, magazines, or the internet.

Private lessons definitely have their advantages if it's with the right guy. He'll save you a bunch of wasted time if he's good. However, that's the extent of it.

Anyhow, how long did it take you to get where you wanted or get good at the guitar?

Your not asking the right question. No one will ever say they are "there". The question you are really asking is: "How long did it take you to get where you dreamed of being the day you first got your guitar?". I'd say a year or two. The problem is the better you get, the harder stuff you want to do. To be pretty solid and playing your favorite songs typically takes a year or two depending on the songs you are learning and your apptitude.

Did you learn music theory/notations too, or not?

Nope. It never really effected me. I consider it an advantage and disadvantage to not understand theory with my producing gigs. It's a pain in the ass with harmonies, but other than that I really have no interest in learning theory.

If you could go back in time, would you take private guitar lessons or would you not?

Na. No need.

What is a private lesson going to teach you that you can't learn yourself through the sources I mentioned above? How you answer that question will depend on if private lessons are right for you.

[flesh_dog]

hi!

i guess i cant call myself an experienced player, but here are my two cents anway...
yes i took private lessons and i enjoyed it, though i dunno if it was worth the money.

Anyhow, how long did it take you to get where you wanted or get good at the guitar? Did you learn music theory/notations too, or not? What did you learn first, guitar techniques or guitar theory or both? Did you just learn one style of guitar playing or all styles? What would you do or recommend to a newbie like me to get the most out of private lessons? If you could go back in time, would you take private guitar lessons or would you not?

eeh ... im still very dissatisfied with my skills and theres too much to learn all at once... i second brandondrurys opinion, theres always something new to learn.
i first started with classical guitar concentrating on technique, now im trying to catch up with theory and e-guitar. i guess u cant do anything wrong with trying out all kinds of styles, but u should pick one as your main style.
how to get the most out of a lesson? well, that totally depends on u! how much time are you willing to sacrifice for the exercises your teacher will be going to assign to u each week? the teacher only gives some intial input, the final outcome lies in your hands.
unlike many other things, guitar is not about understanding, its about how much time you give your fingers to "synchronise" with the instrument.
if i could go back in time i would have switched to the electric guitar earlier, i really regret sticking to the acoustic for that long ... i really cant hear any classical music anymore! ^^
i learned a lot of things from my teachers that are nowhere to be found in books but theres also a lot of stuff in books and on the internet my teachers didnt know. i suggest not to rely on one source, but to compare different ones.
last but not least, your teachers human too! youll be able to make a new friend and since he probably is a professional he'll have connections in his branch, might be useful sometime later ...

[Big Mouse]

So............................... I went to my first private guitar lesson.

Well................. I certainly did not learn anything at all. I understand that it's only the first day, but the stuff he have me do are the things that I already know how to do, like the pentatonic scales.

The things he taught me gave me a second thought about taking guitar lessons from him or any other teachers. I feel that if I work hard enough I can still get good at the guitar without having to take private lessons and save me some money for other gears. I know it might take longer but honestly, I think I learn more from watching Youtube and other music forums. To me, I didn't feel like we have a connection as teacher and student; maybe because it's still new....? Maybe I'll give it another try next week, but from reading from other people's post I feel like it's just going to be a waste of time and money.

When I asked him what he think of ear training he didn't seem to stress much about it. I tried to get interested but he didn't give me any motivations at all. He did most of the playing and we just chat and chat and 30 minutes went by like it was only 10 minutes. That's when I started to feel like I'm getting ripped off.

I have a question to anyone here who has taking private guitar lessons before. What does a good teacher do, how do they teach you or how do they treat their students? I need to know so I can decide whether or not I want to continue with the lesson or go without it. Any questions or comments are welcome and appreciated. I'll come back and tell you guys how it went after next week if I decided to continue with the lesson or not.

Later.

[brandondrury]

I know it might take longer but honestly, I think I learn more from watching Youtube and other music forums.

Why would it take longer?

What does a good teacher do, how do they teach you or how do they treat their students?

I think you are putting way too much responsibility on the teacher and not nearly as much on yourself. A good teacher gives you the info you need to become a better guitar player. That's the end of it. If you already know the pentatonic scale, it's up you to make music with it. What do you expect this guitar dude to teach you?

If I was to take a guitar lesson today. Well, I wouldn't. I have no need. Partly because I engineer / produce WAY more than I play guitar. Mostly because everything I want to do can be found in a Satriani or Master of Puppets tab book. From there, I'm on my own making my own noise.



Brandon

[flesh_dog]

Well................. I certainly did not learn anything at all. I understand that it's only the first day, but the stuff he have me do are the things that I already know how to do, like the pentatonic scales.

well, maybe u should have told him beforehand what youve already learned ...

When I asked him what he think of ear training he didn't seem to stress much about it. I tried to get interested but he didn't give me any motivations at all. He did most of the playing and we just chat and chat and 30 minutes went by like it was only 10 minutes. That's when I started to feel like I'm getting ripped off.

maybe hes trying to avoid that topic cuz hes no good with it either. ^^
did u really just chat or did he ask u question about your level of playing, what ud like to learn, stuff like that? thats the usual procedure in the first lesson, in order to know what hes going to teach u. but if u REALLY did nothing but chat,then somethings wrong ...

usually, u use some kind of book to have a guideline, i had a teacher who wrote the exercises down by himself though, but i didnt like him very much.

for many, its just a motivation thing. you know, "i paid for it, so i should continue."

What does a good teacher do, how do they teach you or how do they treat their students?

i think its not important how they teach u, as long as youre having fun learning, the results are your problem really. they should point out the mistakes before they become a habit. you could say, they are shortcuts in your learning process, they help you to avoid bad posture etc. thats all there is to it. finally, it also depends on your budget. private teachers are a luxury many people cannot afford.

[Sweet T]

This teacher may or may not be good. It's impossible to know just from your first lesson. Remember, most students are NOT motivated and practice only enough to get ready for their next lesson. Teachers become conditioned to this, and tend to take things very slowly. If he's GOOD, he'll recognize your ambition quickly and within a couple lessons will step up his pace.

BUT I actually agree with Brandon, though at first I didn't. He sounded cocky and almost disrespectful but then I thought about it a little more and he's right. sort of. Now this is all my opinion, and I'm NOT a good player. AT ALL. From what I've read, Brandon is WAYY more advanced than I. But I am a formally educated musician and a teacher and I can't resist this topic!

I think that maybe in your case, you need to take control of your lessons. ap1345 was right, you are paying this teacher, and it is not wrong of you to say "I know this, let's skip it and move on". If the teacher is the type to say "that's not how I teach", then make this the last lesson you take from him. Find another teacher, do your homework, ask questions and find someone new. Because it sounds like you are already much more motivated and ready to take this thing alot faster than the average bear. Learn basics. YES, LEARN THEORY!!! I do disagree with Brandon on that. You need theory, and even Brandon said himself sometimes it's a pain in the ass because he doesn't know what he needs to know. Tatteredstudios is right, you are going to need it eventually. If you don't get the basics behind you now, while you are a beginner, you may find yourself in the same position as Brandon... needing it, but not being willing to start at the beginning once you are an advanced player.

To Brandon, you should get off your high horse and learn some theory, it ain't hard dude! You're going to be PISSED when you find out how EASY it is, and realize you've wasted HOURS trying to figure stuff out that would have been a piece of cake. I'm not telling you to waste years, just give yourself a week. Seriously. It'll come quick because you already know more than you think you do.

Back to Mouse: You would not BELIEVE the stuff a player can do that knows basic theory! Just because he knows some simple concepts, he will be able to surpass other players who have more experience, and I definately think you will get more gigs. Good bands are looking for well rounded musicians. I really can't stress this enough, hun. You are in the beginning, learn all the beginning stuff, and I PROMISE YOU, you won't be sorry.

Get yourself a good guitar method book. I recommend getting a book that is NOT style specific. Why? Because MUSIC IS MUSIC, and the fundamentals are the same no matter what style you play. Learn on an acoustic, if you can stand it. If you just HAVE to crank up the sound, try to avoid effects and pedals, at least for a couple of months. LEARN the basics. Precision and quality musicianship can be acheived MUCH FASTER using an acoustic, OR using an electric but keep the volume low, so you can hear everything. Too much sound will distort the quality and masks problems that you will either have to deal with later, or will always be a mediocre player because you never mastered the basics.

Now, all that being said, I'm not "up" on all the latest guitar method books. There's probably 20 that are newer and possibly better than this one, but I REALLY like this book. I am using it myself... The title is GUITAR BEGINNINGS, an introduction to the guitar, by Brent Block. In my opinion, it's a great book for a very motivated adult because it teaches FAST, and touches on all the things that are important for beginners. Ask around, but I really don't think you can go wrong with this book. That is, if you can even find it, I've had it for 10 years or more. I only got the motivation to really learn about two months ago so I have tons of beginner books from each of my "whims", but this one is the best of them all.

So, once you have a good book, go home, and get to work. First, get a 3 ring binder, some plastic inserts, and put a few pieces of paper in it. When you have questions, write them down. When you have a breakthrough, write it down. When you print out lyrics/chords off the internet, slide them in your inserts. Keep everything together and organized. That way, every time you practice it'll be very easy to flip through everything you are working on, and will maximize your practice time.

Keep your binder, pencil, and method book together, and keep your guitar on a stand, not in it's case. I'll bet there will be five people to say "NO, DON'T do that! Put it away, take care of it blah blah blah, but if that guitar is in it's case, you aren't going to pick it up when you've got 10 minutes to spare.

When you have a few questions written down, and you feel a lesson would really help, THEN go take one or two. Sign up for an hour or more, pay the teacher whatever they charge. You'll need more time, if you are as motivated as you say you are.

[brandondrury]

To Brandon, you should get off your high horse and learn some theory, it ain't hard dude! You're going to be PISSED when you find out how EASY it is, and realize you've wasted HOURS trying to figure stuff out that would have been a piece of cake. I'm not telling you to waste years, just give yourself a week. Seriously.

It's not a high horse. It's an issue of time. I don't play by the average human's rules. Every single second of my life is booked up indefinitely. This is the path I've chosen. I could have went to college and got me a 40 hour per week job that would allow such time luxuries. I did not.

I'd love to have the free time to learn music theory, travel to Hawaii, or build a small rocket in my back yard. However, I'm not convinced it would make me a better engineer, producer, or webmaster. It would be more for the sake of learning it. Again, I seldom play guitar anymore. It sucks that I don't have the time for such interests anymore.

Maybe I should have learned theory when I was 16 and playing guitar 4 hours a day.

he will be able to surpass other players who have more experience,

That's like saying you'll make more money if you go to college when we all know that Bill Gates dropped out. I guess it depends on how you define "surpass".

I've recorded a lot of bands. Some of them have been VERY technical in terms of their musical understanding. Others have been brain dead in terms of music theory. I've never seen a correlation between the quality / intensity of the music. It seems to be random.

In my experience, music theory makes communication between musicians easier. That has it's place, I guess. I still like to keep the "innocence of ignorance" in regard to music. My nature is to get bored with things I understand.

Brandon