So how long did you take lessons for...

[Multiversal]

Best way to learn theory = piano.

 

[philiprst]

I took guitar lessons for about three years from a fabulous fingerstyle acoustic player in the Bay Area. I've been taking drum lessons for the past couple of years and that has probably improved my guitar playing more than the guitar lessons did!

 

[JeffreyB]

I took lessons for about a year...until I figured out that I could learn to play songs on my own....i grew up with Ratt, Van Halen, Motley Crue, etc....I actually learned a lot from recording myself playing rhythm chords on a little tape recorder and just noodling over it...later started playing in bands and eventually landed a gig on a dinner cruise ship....I got thrown into jazz standards, beach music, r&b, and you name it....I had to be quick on my feet (...er...hands....) and I learned more in those situations than anything.

 

[petruccirocks02]

How long did you or didn't you take lessons for?


I took them for about 3 years... I think I learned more on my own though than I did in lessons...

I took about 2 lessons when I first was 13. Its the same situation with me (learning more on my own that is). I love learning on my own and not having deadline's to learn stuff by and all that.

-Phil

 

[parker_bb]

Lessons for 3 years not really formal but just a mate that shreads. and i did some theory. now on my own

 

[Ponch]

Lessons for 3 years not really formal but just a mate that shreads. and i did some theory. now on my own

cool, i just remember when Mattias Eklundh told me once.. "Grow your own mustache !" , don't worry about music terminology etc.. just learn it and do it on your own style , I play guitar 20 years for now.. and seriously I still feel like I know nothing.. it's always amazed me how those giants out there that been playing music like 30- 40 years still improving and come up with something cool.. amazing..

 

[TonyEVH5150]

I've been playing for 15 years. I'm self taught, but I'm at the point where if I'm going to get any better, I need to take lessons. Or at least work with someone to improve my technique. My cable company has Guitar World lessons on demand. I've watched a couple, and the second they talk about Dorian, Penatonic, or whatever scales, they lose me instantly.

I can play rythm parts just fine, I can play VERY basic solos, but don't expect me to rip off a great version of "Cliffs of Dover" or anything.

I think I really need to just get together with some people and just jam. I've learned more from watching people and just asking . . . "wait, how did you do that???".

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

My cable company has Guitar World lessons on demand. I've watched a couple, and the second they talk about Dorian, Penatonic, or whatever scales, they lose me instantly.

Whenever people talk about this kind of stuff, I just switch off! No idea what they are talking about!

 

[shadowhunter]

I took about 2 months of lessons and quit-thought I'd be better off experimenting than learning how to play stairway and layla and so on...

Now I wish I would have continued 'cause I am running out of patterns and modes.
But, as long as I have fun I'm happy. It ain't a sport I don't have to be the champion of awesome guitar shred.