So how long did you take lessons for...

[Astrofreq]

Let's see, I started lessons at 14. Took all through high school and some in college with a bunch of different teachers. All taught me so much different ideas. Then some with Andy Timmons right after college and some with a friend about 3 years ago. Andy gave my playing so much confidence I had lacked. Forever grateful for that.

Now I pay my NYC rent by teaching.

 

[pauldogx]

Unless you are a total beginner---I would recommend trying to find a teacher whose playing you respect and admire--or ask around to see if you can find a teacher in the style you are interested who has a good reputation in your area. There are alot of fabulous players and teachers around---sometimes ya gotta search em out though.......... I tried teaching ---but I suck at it. I can play --but I cant teach. If things arent clicking with a teacher---try another. Student/ teacher relationships can reach a dead end---a good teacher will tell you its time to move on to someone else.

 

[Astrofreq]

Don't know if that is something you can get for $20 / hour at the local music store.

Actually $60/45 minutes, assuming you live in the city. Gotta love NY prices.

 

[GWDavis28]

I took lessons back in the 80's for like 3-6 months, but they guy I was learning from wasn't in tune with what I wanted to do, so I quit.

I just started taking lessons again from this great guitar teacher in my area, she won Best of Boston 92 and 93 and has her own band. I said look this is what I wanna do and she was like, hey you paying for it whatever you wanna I'll teach you. It's been working out pretty good, started them in January and I'll be doing them for a while I think. I think I really need to learn to play by ear, reading music isn't anything I'm interested in and I'm just doing it for fun and not as a job.

Wow, mine $20 for half an hour. My instructor is www.myspace.com/jodeefrawlee and her band is Starr Faithfull Home and www.myspace.com/starrfaithfull

Glenn |B)

 

[wired]

I took about 5 or 6 guitar lessons before deciding to learn on my own. I learned to read music & some music theory when I was younger (clarinet), but on guitar, I've always played by ear.

Damn, this is making me feel old. This year makes 20 years I've been playing guitar

 

[dwells]

never taken a lesson ever !!!
i cant listen adhd !!!!

 

[Plaschkes]

I took lessons for 6 years. I didn't take just guitar lessons, I also took music theory, ear training, harmony, history of music, singing and piano lessons.
All that was a part of the program in the music high school I attended.

Same for me. Exactly the same... Did you go to school in Israel?

 

[Spudmurphy]

Learnt Bb Tenor Trombone for a few years played in the school and Welsh youth orchestra, then took up Guitar.
Had some classic lessons but my short fuse kicked in and I gave them up - so I'm self taught after wearing out vinyl playing stuff all the timeto learn it- and like Candid I haven't a clue what I'm playing half the time !!

 

[phatduckk]

ive tried lessons... i think over the years ive had maybe about 15 lessons total.

work always gets in the way and i find myself not having enough practice time which embarasses me during lessons. eh

i really wish i could dedicate some time to learn some theory

 

[ivanmihaljevic]

Same for me. Exactly the same... Did you go to school in Israel?

No, it was in Croatia

 

[savannah_sean]

Does anyone remember the "metal method" series of guitar lessons by Doug Marks? When I first started playing guitar at 13, I sent away for three or four of those lessons. At the time, you got a cassette tape and a little booklet with tabs and stuff. I found some of the lessons to be really helpful...but the "advanced" lesson was just a big catalog of licks that you were supposed to memorize; I found that I didn't have much use for that.

I took jazz guitar lessons for about 9 months during my senior year in high school...I think I learned just enough to really screw myself up at the time because I got too worked up about theory and didn't concentrate enough on phrasing...

I took one theory class in college, and a piano class.

 

[ivanmihaljevic]

Actually $60/45 minutes, assuming you live in the city. Gotta love NY prices.

OH MY GOD, I'm gonna have to move to NYC
Here in Croatia, I'm charging about 12$ an hour and that's actually a bit above the average

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I had 3 or 4 years of classical lessons, but was not that interested in the theory and classical guitar that was being forced on me. The teacher was really good, and saw my interest so we used to chat and jam things out. I learnt most of my playing from jamming along to records though - and going out there and doing it!

 

[knj316]

Experience with Lessons

Hello All,

It's been a couple months since I last posted; hope everyone is doing well. Things have been pretty busy over here with work and other things.

Just thought I'd give my two-cents about taking lessons. I've been taking lessons from a instructor since I started playing again; a little over a year and it's been alot of fun. It was actually my wife that got me playing again as she was given a gift certificate for a local music store and suggested that I use if I wanted to take guitar lessons. Before that, I hadn't touched a guitar in almost 15 years. I don't play in band and don't really anticipate that I will. I pretty much play at the house for my own enjoyment and play along to various bands: Pantera, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Skynyrd etc...

I can definately say that taking lessons greatly helped my playing. I still struggle with things, but not nearly as bad as before and progress seems much quicker (to me anyway). I've also found that it keeps me more focused and motivated. I actually feel bad if I don't get a chance to play for a day or so. I also feel lucky that I've found a good instructor that is extremely knowledgable, patient and explains things very well. We generally spend some time covering theory, but, alot of it is just jamming on stuff that I want to learn.

I've also had the issue of not having enough time at home to practice, then showing up for the lesson without practicing. What I began doing is taking my cheapie Squire to work with me and practicing in my office during my lunch hour and after work while I wait for my carpool. This gives me anywhere from 1 - 2 hours a day and has worked pretty good. Although, I know this wouldn't work for everyone.

Take care.

 

[kbaim]

The first lesson I had was when I was about 10, and the last lesson I took was a workshop this past July with Laurence Juber (who's a fingerstyle player of amazing talent).

I think if I was a better student I would have needed/taken fewer lessons along the way, but I've been fortunate to study with some wonderful players/teachers including Leon White at Valley Arts, Randy Rhoads for a year (before Ozzy), Juber, Peppino D'agostino (another fingerstyle guy on Vai's label) and Dave Martone with National Guitar Workshop.

The best money I ever spent on guitar education was $30 on a Juber instructional DVD called "the guitarist". He plays 8 of his tunes and teaches you 6.

 

[Sub1 Zero]

I took lessons back in junior high but didn't learn jack. Didn't pick guitar back up until 19, took lessons for a couple of months. I've learned just about everything on my own, but those lessons I took when I picked it back up gave me a hell of a jumpstart, learned how to alternate pick right, use my pinky, etc.

 

[Nulph]

I took maybe 4-6 months of formal lessons when I was 14 years old. After that, I listened to everything and learned from jamming with as many musicians as I could.

Osmosis played a big part in my guitar education.

 

[unclerico]

I went into some lessons for a few months. I learned some basics. But I have come a long way teaching myself, listening to a guitar part and trying to play it by ear. I dont mean to brag. But I want to take some other lessons at a music academy like Berklee.

 

[Ponch]

i still remember at the 1st time I took a guitar lesson, the teacher told me to play a bit.. and in the middle of my playing he stopped me and said.. "Ponco, i think you'll not be able to play a guitar at all" (in seriously expression). man..I've never thought that he will said such a disencouraging words. Such cold blooded person, I'm just a kid at that time, damnit . I hate when people kill somebody spirits.

 

[73h Nils]

John Petrucci taught me.... through his awesome Rock Discipline DVD. Not to mention watching all those DT live concerts, G3 DVDs, Steve Vai's Live at the Astoria... You name it.

I've never taken lessons, but I really want to. There just aren't any possible locations within a convenient distance. I learned most of my theory from High School music class, but it's really hard to relate to guitar, I find...Since I play trumpet as well...