Ziachild007 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Learning guitar has always been on my "to do" list as long as I can remember. Knowing this, my wife bought me a guitar (acoustic, folk) for my birthday. Now I have previously played around on guitar some, just doing some picking out basic tunes and stuff, but nothing real in depth. I know a lot of the notes and can read sheet music, but not guitar tab. I am just wanting to learn basic stuff right now where I can play for family and friends, not looking to go on a solo tour or anything. Several people have given me differing opinions on learning the guitar. Some have said that I can learn the basics by watching instructional DVDs. Others have said it would be better to take lessons from an actual guitar instructor. And some have said that if I put in the time and effort, I can teach myself a lot of the basic stuff. For any of you that play guitar, how did you learn and what would you consider to be the best way to get a good grasp on the basics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_bone65 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Learning guitar has always been on my "to do" list as long as I can remember. Knowing this, my wife bought me a guitar (acoustic, folk) for my birthday. Now I have previously played around on guitar some, just doing some picking out basic tunes and stuff, but nothing real in depth. I know a lot of the notes and can read sheet music, but not guitar tab. I am just wanting to learn basic stuff right now where I can play for family and friends, not looking to go on a solo tour or anything. Several people have given me differing opinions on learning the guitar. Some have said that I can learn the basics by watching instructional DVDs. Others have said it would be better to take lessons from an actual guitar instructor. And some have said that if I put in the time and effort, I can teach myself a lot of the basic stuff. For any of you that play guitar, how did you learn and what would you consider to be the best way to get a good grasp on the basics? My son plays around with the guitar and he learned on his own, he does get some lessons every once in awhile now but he picked everything up from just playing and downloading stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I have a few instructor friends. They generally recommend Alfred's Guitar Method for people. Make it through that, practicing daily, and you can start thinking about real lessons. Beginner lessons are just going to cover that kind of material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 My boys wanted to learn guitar (Thank you Guitar Hero). They've been going for lessons for about six months. I started taking lessons with them. The lesson help because they focus me on what I need to practice, techniques, thinking, etc. The key for me though is practice. Lessons are useless if you don't practice. In an ideal world, I'd average about 30 mins per day. The reality is that I simply can't do that at this point in time. My life becomes more mine in March. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 My son has been taking lessons for quite awhile through a music school. I think my wife and son considered this the best way because he was learning to read music and note just play cords. I am musically stupid so I hope I am giving you the right info. My wife plays violin and sings, my daughter is in college as a music major and an aspiring opera singer and my son plays guitar, drums, sax and writes and edits music. I just listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I have a few instructor friends. They generally recommend Alfred's Guitar Method for people. Make it through that, practicing daily, and you can start thinking about real lessons. Beginner lessons are just going to cover that kind of material. I would not agree that you should start on your own and THEN take lessons. a teacher will have valuable input that will help your progress immensely from day one. one of the worst things you can do it start yourself off with a bunch of bad habits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonorator Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I would not agree that you should start on your own and THEN take lessons. a teacher will have valuable input that will help your progress immensely from day one. one of the worst things you can do it start yourself off with a bunch of bad habits. i agree with this. plus, when you have that next lesson coming up, you know you need to do some practicing because otherwise you are sitting in front of your instructor and you have not progressed. which, as i have experienced, makes you feel like an idiot because you are paying the dude. a good instructor will motivate you to nail a lesson or some exercises so that you can continue to move on to new stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 I would not agree that you should start on your own and THEN take lessons. a teacher will have valuable input that will help your progress immensely from day one. one of the worst things you can do it start yourself off with a bunch of bad habits. i agree with this. plus, when you have that next lesson coming up, you know you need to do some practicing because otherwise you are sitting in front of your instructor and you have not progressed. which, as i have experienced, makes you feel like an idiot because you are paying the dude. a good instructor will motivate you to nail a lesson or some exercises so that you can continue to move on to new stuff. I found a local guy that charges $30 a lesson. Of course I know you get what you pay for usually, but does that sound about right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 I found a local guy that charges $30 a lesson. Of course I know you get what you pay for usually, but does that sound about right? is that for a half hour? it's probably about the going rate if the guy is a pretty well established and reputable teacher. local music stores will always have lists of teachers in your area. it might be worth your while to get a list and call a few people. then you can consider price, location, and most importantly how well you think you might like them as a teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 The guy we go to would usually charge $25/lesson, each lesson taking about 1/2 hour. Since we were recommended by one of his clients and our teacher is a wonderful guy, he started by seeing both of my boys for $40 for the hour. As I got interested and was clearly learning from sitting in on their lessons AND I began practicing what they were learning at home, I told him that I felt like I should pay a little more. He refused. He wouldn't take more money. So it usually works out that each of my children get 25 mins in the chair and I get 10-15. However, we're all in the entire lesson together. All for $40 per hour. And Ton is right--there are times I don't feel like practicing but I do anyway because I don't want to be in the chair looking like a moran (any more than I already do). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted January 14, 2009 Author Share Posted January 14, 2009 The guy we go to would usually charge $25/lesson, each lesson taking about 1/2 hour. Since we were recommended by one of his clients and our teacher is a wonderful guy, he started by seeing both of my boys for $40 for the hour. As I got interested and was clearly learning from sitting in on their lessons AND I began practicing what they were learning at home, I told him that I felt like I should pay a little more. He refused. He wouldn't take more money. So it usually works out that each of my children get 25 mins in the chair and I get 10-15. However, we're all in the entire lesson together. All for $40 per hour. And Ton is right--there are times I don't feel like practicing but I do anyway because I don't want to be in the chair looking like a moran (any more than I already do). That is actually a lot like the guy I talked to. I originally called him to find out how much seperate lessons for both my daughter (8) and myself would be. He said since we were both essentially beginners, he would could teach us both in the same session for the same price. I haven't met him, but seems like a really nice guy. I did ask the music store guys and of course they said the only one they knew of was the guy that did lessons through the store at $70 an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whomper Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 i agree with this. plus, when you have that next lesson coming up, you know you need to do some practicing because otherwise you are sitting in front of your instructor and you have not progressed. which, as i have experienced, makes you feel like an idiot because you are paying the dude. a good instructor will motivate you to nail a lesson or some exercises so that you can continue to move on to new stuff. good point. I learned from taking lessons from 2 different instructors. You have to be dedicated and want to learn but I feel lessons gives you the best head start. After you get the basics down you will develop your own style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Holy Roller Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 And for God's sake don't start doing drugs with these "music" types. It seems a lot of them do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 (edited) If your driven by some inner demon to learn guitar, do it yourself. This site has every scale, chord and mode known on the guitar. Very cool. That site, some lyrics, and some chord sheets are all you really need. Oh yeah, and at least an hour a day or until your fingers bleed, whichever comes first. If you're not that motivated, then getting lessons by a reputable guitar/music teacher is well worth the money invested. It will help motivate you and you'll learn a bit about music in the bargin. One thing you may or may not have been told is that you should purchase a metronome or some other time keeping device. It is eminently helpful in getting you to play in time. hearing the beat keeps you from having to tap your foot, something that is not as regular as we'd like to think. Edited January 14, 2009 by Kid Cid Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballjoe Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I pay $95 month for my son's lessons. You sign up for a semester. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CowboysDiehard Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I pluck a little. This is one of my favorite sites for general info and tabs. http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ They have a series there for beginners who are thinking of taking it up. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brentastic Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 (edited) The question, IMO, boils down to what kind of learner you are in general. In my 15 years or so of playing experience I have taken exactly 1 guitar lesson in my life and it was after I had been playing for about a year or two. The lesson did help because at the time I had already established myself as a good rhythm guitarist and I was trying to move on to soloing. What I took away from the lesson was alternate picking which is very useful and cannot imagine my playing today without that skill. But I guess what I'm trying to get at is that for me I've always been the type of person who gets a little something from someone then take that on my own and explore. Steady lessons were not the way to learn for me. What worked for me is to learn a few chords from a friend or other players then take that knowledge and explore the fretboard myself. It's much more grattifying and makes guitar playing more of an art (which is what it should be). Again, maybe because it worked for me - but I'm a big advocate of learning by ear, afterall, music is an aural art. Once you get a few chords down and want to start learning some cover songs, I strongly suggest you try to figure songs out on your own by ear (not by tab). Only use tab if you are totally stuck. I've had to resort to tab from time to time but as your ear develops your need to look at tab will diminish and eventually not be needed at all. I can't remember the last time I've had to look at tab to learn a song (other than Django). Regarding rhythm. Some people may not agree but it's my experience that you can't learn rhythm (ie your strumming hand). At first it'w a little rough for everyone because you're trying to fret chords with one hand and strum with the other and everything is so new - but essentially, if you can't strum rhythmically fairly soon after learning to play, you probably won't ever be able to. Someone earlier mentioned using a metronome - can't say I agree because I've never used one myself. It just seems that most newbies that I've encountered that aren't very good, it's because their rhythm is no good. You can always learn by muscle repetition how to fret chords and scales but playing in rhythm just seems to be the 'natural' part of playing that you either have or you don't. And finally - like many others have said - practice, practice and more practice. If it's meant to be, you won't be practicing, you'll be exploring and it will be fun. Your fingers will hurt at first but just grind through the pain. I wish you the best of luck. If you're thinking of going the 'learn yourself' route, you will still need to some other human to show you chords - I'd be more than happy to post some vids on youtube if you think it might help. Good luck, I wish you all the best in your new journey - I know for me, it has been life-changing. Edited January 15, 2009 by Brentastic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ziachild007 Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone. Right now I am just teaching myself a little bit. I have actually found a lot of good articles and videos on line so far that have gotten me a decent base. Since I can read music I have been looking at some simple songs and plucking them out. Still working on chords though. I am trying my best to learn the CAGED chords and making the transitions to each one. Since it is new to me it is a little tough for me right now. But I have been practicing at least little bit every night, even if its just just picking out songs like Amazing Grace and Happy Birthday. I really hope I can stick with it and see great improvement as I go. Thanks for all the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
untateve Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone. Right now I am just teaching myself a little bit. I have actually found a lot of good articles and videos on line so far that have gotten me a decent base. Since I can read music I have been looking at some simple songs and plucking them out. Still working on chords though. I am trying my best to learn the CAGED chords and making the transitions to each one. Since it is new to me it is a little tough for me right now. But I have been practicing at least little bit every night, even if its just just picking out songs like Amazing Grace and Happy Birthday. I really hope I can stick with it and see great improvement as I go. Thanks for all the help. The first things the teacher taught my children to play were the intro to "sunshine of your love" and the intro to "one" (metallica). His thinking was that if the kids learn songs they like, they'll be more likely to practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 The first things the teacher taught my children to play were the intro to "sunshine of your love" and the intro to "one" (metallica). His thinking was that if the kids learn songs they like, they'll be more likely to practice. This is what I was going to suggest. I've been playing trumpet for 24 years, drums for nearly that long, and recently started on guitar. I can read music, so I bought a few easy play books to start with. Someone said above to play every day, and I'll echo that. You'll need to develop those calluses and keep them there. I still can't seem to play a bar chord to save my life, but like Brent said above, you can find others with skills greater than yours and pick up stuff from them (like how to play an F by cheating if you can't bar it). I'm probably going to start taking some lessons with my daughters, and try to do something like unta is doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaxfactor Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 The question, IMO, boils down to what kind of learner you are in general. In my 15 years or so of playing experience I have taken exactly 1 guitar lesson in my life and it was after I had been playing for about a year or two. The lesson did help because at the time I had already established myself as a good rhythm guitarist and I was trying to move on to soloing. What I took away from the lesson was alternate picking which is very useful and cannot imagine my playing today without that skill. But I guess what I'm trying to get at is that for me I've always been the type of person who gets a little something from someone then take that on my own and explore. Steady lessons were not the way to learn for me. What worked for me is to learn a few chords from a friend or other players then take that knowledge and explore the fretboard myself. It's much more grattifying and makes guitar playing more of an art (which is what it should be). Again, maybe because it worked for me - but I'm a big advocate of learning by ear, afterall, music is an aural art. Once you get a few chords down and want to start learning some cover songs, I strongly suggest you try to figure songs out on your own by ear (not by tab). Only use tab if you are totally stuck. I've had to resort to tab from time to time but as your ear develops your need to look at tab will diminish and eventually not be needed at all. I can't remember the last time I've had to look at tab to learn a song (other than Django). Regarding rhythm. Some people may not agree but it's my experience that you can't learn rhythm (ie your strumming hand). At first it'w a little rough for everyone because you're trying to fret chords with one hand and strum with the other and everything is so new - but essentially, if you can't strum rhythmically fairly soon after learning to play, you probably won't ever be able to. Someone earlier mentioned using a metronome - can't say I agree because I've never used one myself. It just seems that most newbies that I've encountered that aren't very good, it's because their rhythm is no good. You can always learn by muscle repetition how to fret chords and scales but playing in rhythm just seems to be the 'natural' part of playing that you either have or you don't. And finally - like many others have said - practice, practice and more practice. If it's meant to be, you won't be practicing, you'll be exploring and it will be fun. Your fingers will hurt at first but just grind through the pain. I wish you the best of luck. If you're thinking of going the 'learn yourself' route, you will still need to some other human to show you chords - I'd be more than happy to post some vids on youtube if you think it might help. Good luck, I wish you all the best in your new journey - I know for me, it has been life-changing. Awesome post, Brent! When I was 14 or 15, I used to hang out in a friend's big brother's room listening to music. He had an old accoustic and I picked it up while listening to "Seasons Of Wither" by Aerosmith. I started playing the right notes to the chorus and in time. My friend's older brother noticed as he played and was in a band. He said he could see that I had a good ear for music. He taught me the basic rock and roill bar chord and I was on my way. It's really a shame that my journey did not progress very far from there, but that was my own doing. I did, however, make a point in learning the complete song that inspired me to play. Sometimes it would get frustrating as i would only learn pieces of songs and couldn't complete them. I would sit down and play a record(yes, I'm an old fart) over and over till I got it down. Some chords were hard to figure out, some were easier. I can't read music and don't even know how to read tab. I wish someone could tell me if there's a book or website on how to do this as I'd love to be able to "cheat" and learn to play certain songs. But strumming a guitar was something that came very naturally to me. As Brent stated, you can't teach Rhythm. Although it can be learned with enough repetition and practice. Case in point, after I learned the basic bar chord and bought me a cheapo electric guitar, another friend was rather jealous of this and took up the guitar for himself. He had absolutely no rhythm and it was very painful to watch him try and play/strum the guitar. I lost touch with this guy and met up with him quite a few years after I moved to Florida. Wouldn't you know he looked like a rock star and played like one too. Here's the clincher. He was now GIVING guitar lessons. I have to give him props as he was relentless in his effort to learn and by God he did just that. I can only wonder if I'd have stuck with it like he did. But I'm still wanting to learn and I can't pick up my guitar for a few minutes. It ends up to be an hour or two at least as I still enjoy what little I do know. Keep practicing and stay with it. Who knows? You may end up a real Guitar Hero. This is what I was going to suggest. I've been playing trumpet for 24 years, drums for nearly that long, and recently started on guitar. I can read music, so I bought a few easy play books to start with. Someone said above to play every day, and I'll echo that. You'll need to develop those calluses and keep them there. I still can't seem to play a bar chord to save my life, but like Brent said above, you can find others with skills greater than yours and pick up stuff from them (like how to play an F by cheating if you can't bar it). I'm probably going to start taking some lessons with my daughters, and try to do something like unta is doing. Amazing is that the bar chord was the first thing I learned thatnks to my friend's brother. It was difficult to place my fingers in the right spots at first, but now it's a piece of cake. To each his own I guess. I too am thinking about taking lessons as I wish to learn to play the blues. A guy who works part time in a music store on my route is in a band that tours internationally. He has a blast and he is super good. He told me he doesn't give lessons anymore but would do so for me. I'm seriously thinking about taking him up on his generous offer. So stick with it Zia! Even if you end up a casual player like myself, you'll still have alot of fun with it. 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Brentastic Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 I would like to add that, IMO, you should concentrate more on rhythm than fretting. In other words, if you're playing a simple song (3 chord changes), it's better to miss a chord completely than to stop your rhythm and correct your fretting hand. I guess what that means as you begin the learning process is you should start slow. What I used to do was play a single chord for hours - changing the rhythm, experimenting with placing fingers on different strings/frets all while keeping the same chord structure going. So I guess, to me a good way to start is learn a single chord and play the f*ck out of that chord. Then learn another chord and play the hell out of that. Then implement both chords and play the sh1t out them etc..... Even if your goal is to be a shredder, I think it's crucial to have chordal rhyhtm as your foundation. One more thing I saw in a recent post is 'cheating'. I think it's best to NOT cheat as often as possible. If someone teaches you an F chord (barre or first position), learn to play it the correct way(s). The only thing a shortcut does is limit your potential. Again, good luck and have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Azazello1313 Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 One more thing I saw in a recent post is 'cheating'. I think it's best to NOT cheat as often as possible. If someone teaches you an F chord (barre or first position), learn to play it the correct way(s). The only thing a shortcut does is limit your potential. Again, good luck and have fun. that's one reason I say the best policy is to start taking lessons from the get-go. let me give you a case study from my wife's studio (she teaches harp). two different adult students. both in their 50s/60s, both with strong musical backgrounds (I think both studied keyboard in college; one piano, one organ). both started playing harp around the same time, about two years ago. one of the two started taking lessons with my wife right away. the other rented a harp and figured he could teach himself. he only started taking lessons last summer, and even then only once every two weeks. so, right before christmas my wife put on a studio recital for her and all her students, and I saw the two play. the one who started lessons from the beginning was so much further along -- it was obvious even to a non-harpist like myself that her technique was fluid, consistent, and allowing her to get the most out of her ability. the self-taught guy played fine too, but his technique was poor and it clearly affected his sound (inconsistent attack, muffled at times), his dexterity, even his concentration. the degree is different with different instruments, but in general it's just so much easier to progress when you have a solid technical foundation. as you start building practice habits and muscle memory, it's important to build good habits and muscle memory -- and the best way to do that is with a pro coaching you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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