Guitar lessons?

Subject: Guitar lessons?
From: Cara
Date: 15 Apr 99 - 05:07 PM

I just got a guitar (a Fender), acoustic, and I am going to sign up for lessons. What should I look for in an instructor? Are lessons worthwhile? What else do I need to know? How long til I can book my first gig? I 'm a fast learner...

(KIDDING! Well, not about being a fast learner...)

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: Tony Burns
Date: 15 Apr 99 - 06:10 PM

Decide what and how you think you would like to learn and then interview teachers.

The best guitar teacher I ever had was one who took the attitude that it was my money and for the time I spent he was happy to do what I wanted. He did not take it personally if I didn't have a specific amount of practice time or if I decided to switch to something different every week. I loved the fact that it wasn't structured. You may want lots of structure.

It's much easier to find what you want if you know what you're looking for. (Pretty trite eh?)

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: Mudjack
Date: 15 Apr 99 - 09:12 PM

Cara, Welcome to the world of frustration and misery. My first teacher was a great teacher at a group class of about 30 potential pickers. All new and he said upfront that half of us would drop out. He was right. He was also right about attitude. He promised if any of us had the desire and could give it six months with out throwing in the towel,practice 1/2 hour daily, he'd have us playing enough guitar chords to play songs. Chording the guitar does require one to sing,hum or whistle the tune while the guitar supports the music. It serves to compliment the voice. I recomend learning chords as opposed to lead guitar. Lead guitar might be your nitch if you don't care to sing. If you have a knack to sing, guitar chording will be easier. Expect the normal pain of aching finger tips til' your fingers get acclimated to either the pain or caluses. If you are a fast learner, pull a guitar chord chart off the internet and start learning G,C,D7 then F and G7. Make your first song as easy as possible, like a 2 chord song because the degree of dificulty to change chords from one to another is a hurdle and causes many to give up. Don't give up.These are enough chords to get you started. After you become proficient with these, add some more. Inside each chord is little melodies waiting to sneak out and grab you.Once you come to terms with a chord, you can with little effort find scales with in these chords. Ah Cheese..I almost said (music theory). Desire, Perserverence, and FUN all equal=UKANDUIT Good luck and may you find success in your quest. Jack.....mostly folk...

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: MichaelM
Date: 15 Apr 99 - 11:27 PM

Look around for a teacher that suits your style of learning and that can teach the music you want to learn. This is where friends whose playing you admire can help. Find out who taught them or who they respect. Also use them as an unpaid coaching resource. Most of what I learned came from hanging around with people who were better players than I was and asking them to "play that again...slowly". Being able to see tunes that you want to learn being fingered in front of you is a great reinforcement for ear learning. One thing I might add is to take your guitar (even though it may be new) to the best repair person in your town. Have him or her set it up with light gauge strings and set the action at exactly where it should be. Even experienced players often neglect having their instruments set up properly and learn to live fighting the problems with playability. BTW there are many large profitable music stores out there that haven't a clue on how to set up an instrument properly so don't assume that your new guitar has had this done for it. If you want to switch to heavier gauge strings once your calluses have developed go for it. I would advise against starting out (as some of my friends have) with nylon strings and then switching to steel. You won't be able to properly drive a steel-string instrument with nylon strings and you will have a second bout of tenderfinger when you switch from nylon to steel. Why go through that twice? Good luck and keep asking questions.

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: DonMeixner
Date: 15 Apr 99 - 11:44 PM

Cara,

When I started with the guitar at age 23 I already had an idea of what playing was because I'd played AutoHarp for 8 years. I knew a lot of guitaristas and I already knew a lot of songs. I had aton of teachers around me. The best being my much younger brother. I would take a slightly diferent tack perhaps. Forst I'd decide what kind of guitarist I wanted to be. Rhythmn or lead. Chord strums or melody lines. I'd chose 6 songs I like. Look for the music and count the diferent chords in the song. I'd try to find songs with no more than three chords. If I had to have 4 chords I'd pick songs in the key of "G" so the minor was likely to be Em. ( G, C, D, Em, with a capo these chords played at different positions allow for several keys to play in.) Then I'd find a teacher willing to teach me those songs. You gotta like what you are learning or you won't stick with it. Then I'd add an "A" and "Bm" chord to the mix. "Bm" will be the hardest you thing you do but worth the work.

Good luck and warmest regards

Don

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: campfire
Date: 16 Apr 99 - 01:01 AM

I'd agree that you have to find a teacher that wants to teach what you want to learn. When I was 14 I took my only "real" guitar lessons. The teacher was into jazz; I wasn't. I took the minimum number of lessons and quit. Later I started hanging around with a bunch of people who played the kinds of music I wanted to play. With the minimal background I had, they were more than willing to let me play along; they tolerated my mistakes and I learned more than I ever did in those private lessons. I'm still not what I would call a "musician" - as much because I don't make the time to practice as anything. But I have fun when I do play. Isn't that what matters most?

Dawn

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: mountain tyme
Date: 16 Apr 99 - 01:44 AM

Jack mostly folk (above) is right on the money. You don't need a teacher. Learn G C D F and forget the 7ths for awhile. You will be glad later if you learn right off that C and F use all five fingers (the thumb for the 6th string). Learn the feel and sound of each chord and always practice in the dark like Doc Watson and Pete Cassell. :-) Remember they never look at their hands when they play. :-( Learn to play happy birthday...you can always use that one. :-) When you have that down post again for more advice an just gloat on all the money you saved on lessons. Happy pickin!

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: Sam Hudson
Date: 16 Apr 99 - 03:08 AM

Cara, I can't endorse Michael Miland's comments enough - I've taught a number of complete beginners and every single one of them arrived with a guitar that was verging on the unplayable. You can imagine how much THAT helps their development! It's painful enough getting through the first couple of weeks without adding to the misery... heaven knows how many potentially fine players never make it through that hurdle because of the instrument's deficiencies.

When you practise, it does help to have a certain aim in mind for that session - to be able to finally play that D chord cleanly, for example - but for God's sake remember to have fun!

Good luck.

Sam

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: John in Brisbane
Date: 16 Apr 99 - 03:33 AM

Cara, on behalf of all Mudcatters I feel downright insulted. You've got the best guitar teachers right here, and the rates are very reasonable!

Seriously though, whichever way you jump you are likely to get more out of your learning if you play the stuff you really enjoy. I really like the advice above about learning to play in the key of G (Major). How do you know whether it's in G? Usually the first and/or specially the last chord will be G.

Got a song you love but you think it's in some other bewildering key? Just ask here! I know that someone will give you the chords in a key that's more suitable, or someone will send you a handy dandy calculator so that you can do it yourself.

Finally - buy a capo (one of those mechanical corset things that wrap aound the neck of the guitar to make the notes change key). They only cost a few bucks and should be in every beginner's kit.

Enjoy, enjoy!
John

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: hank
Date: 16 Apr 99 - 08:54 AM

What I did was call the music store that sponsers the only bluegrass music radio show here (sponsers cause it is public radio and the comercials are a little shorter therefore) Asked about instructers. they have several, so then I picked the one that I've heard playing on that show. It worked, but they did have other avaiable, so that I could switch if we didn't get along.

Practice is very important. There are two big advantages to an instructure: keeps you from learning the wrong way to do things, and gets you to practice. This latter one could be more important then you think. I know my familly would tend to tell me to do chores when I should be practicing if I didn't have to get the practicing done. Self tought doesn't work in my family for that reason. (I moved back home after college, which isn't all good. Sometimes I consider moving out just to avoid the above mentioned additude)

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 16 Apr 99 - 10:02 AM

There's a book and 2-cassette set that I heartily recommend to anyone starting out with acoustic guitar:

"Country & Blues Guitar for the Musically Hopeless," by Carol McComb. You can order via Amazon.com right through the Mudcat link (to benefit mudcat).

The book starts you right at the beginning with tuning your guitar, and takes you through all kinds of things like hammer-ons, pull-offs, bass runs, etc. Even though it says "country" most of the songs in the book are folk. This Carol McComb has a great manner, easy-going, clear and encouraging.

The best thing to do, after learning a few chords as suggested above, is to play with other people. Sit yourself across from another guitar player and do what they do. Change chords when they change. Practice and study with the book or with an instructor, but PLAY WITH OTHER PEOPLE for the most benefit and quickest progress.

Good luck and have fun!

Subject: RE: Guitar lessons?
From: suzanne
Date: 16 Apr 99 - 11:49 PM

wow! I too just bought an accoustic guitar, and lo and behold the answer to Alot of my questions. Thanks guys!( and Gals) I'm gonna bookmark this page to keep checking back. And by the way, MY FINGERTIPS DO HURT!!! Thanks again!