Do you go to a teacher?

[tapper mike]

I've been thinking of going back to mine. If nothing more than inspiration and encouragement.

[Forgotten]

I have never had formal lessons on guitar, but a year ago went back to piano lessons (went to one tonight).

Part of it is that I'm not really sure what I'd like to learn from a teacher. I don't sight read for guitar too well, but I could bring the level of that up pretty quickly if I practiced, so if I did go to a teacher I should probably spend some time working on some of those things that I could do myself first.

Maybe a good part of what I should focus on with a teacher is losing some of my bad habits that I've picked up over the years...

[tapper mike]

I learned to sight read notation with a little book. I'd go out and buy fake books by the mile. A Generally if I could find the first note of something my ear training would lead me the rest of the way. Of course knowing what I was reading was a big help. It took a long time trying to find sheet music I didn't know and working through them to become proficient to play "on tap"

I found one teacher (after going through quite a few) that helped me understand concepts of theory and arranging. As well as boosting my confidence. Eventually it lead to paying gigs.

There were quite a few methods for reading guitar music aside from tablature in the early days.
Much later on after studio work faded and my blues / rock days were put behind me. It was harder to keep my playing alive and in the direction I wanted to go. I went back to that same teacher.

Armed with a laptop and Band in a Box, We'd explore styles of the masters such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and on and on. I'd pull up a song in biab with three AABA sections. Take out the melody, Then he would try to work out ideas over it jamming, I'd have a turn and that was the song. It was an amazingly good time. Once I was trying out chord/melody arranging for tap and fingerpick. It was one of those hold the phone moments. I'd tapped in standard hair metal and Stanley Jordan methods for years but this was one of those..all my own stuff that I'd been dabbling in. He was shell shocked and kept on pushing me to explore my own path. These days I still do my own arrangements of jazz standards but I no longer jam with anyone. BIAB which was great fun has only gotten better but my interest in it wanes. BIAB acts like a band playing together rather than simply a midi file. The parts "react" to one another but they don't react to me. That's what jamming with Eric had going on.

I think of returning to lessons for several reasons. Mostly I get really pumped up performing for him because he's no slouch as a player and I can tell when I made my mark as opposed to simply going through the motions.

I've tried Piano Marvel. While I worked at it for a long time and got good scores I didn't feel like I was advancing beyond the material provided in the lessons. Everytime I tried to apply myself to something not in the lesson plan I was quickly reminded of how far I have to go. This was on the Linnstrument and not a piano. When I got a Korg Krome I fully intended to start playing the keys again. I have some ability on the keys but never felt it would come alive for me. With all the great sounds the Krome has to offer I still find myself going through the linnstrument as a controller when I do start it up.

I think a teacher is what I need for that extra push these days. I find myself doing less arrangements on guitar and struggling more with fingerstyle than I have in previous years. Sure I can work my way through the old stuff okay but I struggle getting new stuff down, be it conventional fingerstyle/ flatpick or fingerpick and tap. The old stuff I used to do, even the hair metal stuff I've done in the last year or so doesn't hold me. I don't care if I can do it as I won't be doing it live.

[samsam]

I had keys lessons as a kid and got really good. Tried to self teach guitar but never got any good.

Now I've started the bass am considering a teacher to speed up progress and stamp out bad habits from the get go. Not loads of lessons mind, just a bit of a kick start.

[tapper mike]

Yeah, I fought getting a teacher for a long time. I figured if I knew chords and understood scales I'd be able to take myself forward the rest of the way. Wasted years.

It's hard to get a good teacher (this is coming from a guy who used to teach on the side) Some guys get into a position based on their ability to play and ear. I know guys who never took a lesson in their life and yet had made a career out of teaching guitar.

The two things that I still have a hard time adapting to is Classical and Flamenco right hand technique. Perhaps because I only dabble in it.

[laurensarah925]

Wouldn't it be great if people of this community who are good at playing instrunments like guitars, pianos, etc could conduct some video teaching sessions from basic to advanced levels? What do you say?

[Teksonik]

I'm self taught which means I picked up every bad habit in the book and some you've never even heard of but at least I managed to form my own style.

That style might be utter rubbish but at least it's my own.......

[TITANAsx]

Never went all by myself. Learned a lot but it would have been faster with a teacher

[tapper mike]

Wouldn't it be great if people of this community who are good at playing instrunments like guitars, pianos, etc could conduct some video teaching sessions from basic to advanced levels? What do you say?

There are an unlimited supply of "how to play" videos on YT. Videos in and of themselves don't make viewers better players. What makes better players is commitment and human feedback / involvement.

[Forgotten]

I think videos help, but ultimately they are not going to correct mistakes or answer questions - that’s where a teacher really helps.

[BERFAB]

There are thousands of tutorials for all styles/levels/instruments already up on the interwebs. I will occasionally watch these to see what others do. I'm a good pianist and a hack guitarist, but I'm way too old and set in my ways. But I do pick up some interesting little tricks here and there.

BTW, developing your own unique style is not necessarily a bad thing. For me, Stanley Jordan comes to mind (guitar). Oh, and Chico Marx (piano )...

[ravasb]

I took guitar lessons for a couple of years as an adult. It was great to work with an actual person because he could help me articulate my goals and plan a map for getting there. Also, he was able to analyze my posture and way I held the guitar in order to make sure I could prevent carpal tunnel and other muscle related problems. Also, since I paid for the lessons, I made sure to show up and make time in my schedule.

[hivkorn]

Never had a single guitar lesson, i think a teacher can learn you how to shred, how to play like your guitar hero but he will not learn you how to translate your feelings into music, i look a lot of youtube video and there is a lot a of good guitar player who shred better than God himself but...damn it s so boring ! There is not soul in their song, always the same "shred" in your face with no soul...it s only my opinion..

[Forgotten]

a teacher can learn you how to shred, how to play like your guitar hero but he will not learn you how to translate your feelings into music

That sounds like a terrible guitar teacher. If all a teacher is giving you is how to mechanically reproduce music then it’s time to find a new teacher.

[hivkorn]

i had a lot of musician girlfriend who had a very high level on piano, guitar , they were playing very well the classic song but each one of them ask me to teach her how to wrote a song...