lessons

korby

i finally dusted off the accoustic . last month . teaching myself off utube,

any tips , pointers, help ect ... ?

Pearl Jam and toast

Play songs you love. Start easy (long road... small town..) and get more advanced as you get better.

My personal opinion is that you should learn all you need from books/teachers.. the basics.. then just go on your own. Learn from experience, practice, etc. Too many lessons have a tendancy to suck the soul out of music.

ianvomsaal

Okay . . . I have a lot to say on this subject (apologies now for the undoubted lengthiness).
On top of everything else I do I'm also a guitar instructor (when I'm not sooo busy in the studio and touring) . . .
Taking this into account I'd recommend you getting yourself an instructor - it's the best way to learn: Guitar, Technique, & Music-Theory, and it's the best way to get where you want to go musically (it's difficult to learn music theory and proper technique on your own).
You may not learn exactly what you want to learn right away, but everything comes in stages (you gotta crawl before you can walk, ect).

REMEMBER:
There are definitely a lot of great guitar players out there . . . But just because someone's a good guitar player, or if they've been playing guitar a long time, or even if they work out of your local music store . . .It Doesn't Necessarily Mean that they're a Good Guitar Instructor
Make sure that you check ALL Music Instructors (any instrument) Backgrounds, References, and Qualifications before spending your hard earned money $$$ on Lessons!!!

If you do go the guitar instructor route, I'd suggest heading down to your local College/University (many of these instructors give private lessons on the side). This way at least you know you're getting someone with a real music background and qualifications (a Music Degree) to match.
I've had students come to me with two or more years of prior instruction (from local music stores and other guitar instructors), yet they still couldn't tune their own guitar, they still didn't know the names of their strings, they didn't know "ANY" music theory, and they couldn't even tell me the names of the chords that they were playing. Yet strangely enough these students couldn't even play an entire song all the way through (only fragments of a few songs), which then makes me wonder what these instructors were actually teaching. Sadly I credit this to poor instruction!!!
**Try To Keep This In Mind:
MANY Instructors that ONLY Teach Popular Songs and Tablature, typically can't read music notation, and usually don't know much Music Theory . . . . . . By only teaching popular songs and tablature, many of these instructors are able to stay away from the Essential Fundamentals of Music, thus slowing down the learning and understanding process, therefore keeping the student coming back over and over, which basically means a lot more $$$ for the instructor and/or music store they for . . .
And sadly the student never really learns to understand their instrument, only how to play fragments of a few songs!!!
. . . So how do these instructors teach music??? Well, unfortunately many people that take lessons don't know any better, and the majority of people (as a whole) don't know much about Music or Music Theory. Regrettably, many people forget to check their instructors background, references, and qualifications (especially if the instructor teaches out of a local music store - remember, this doesn't necessarily make them a qualified instructor).

Also remember that learning to play a few songs is NOT always the best way to learn the guitar (largely because you end up not really understanding the instrument, or what you're playing).
However, if popular songs are your main goal, why not start with a beginner's book -- this will certainly get you started quickly, you'll see what learning guitar actually entails, and it'll save you quite a bit of time and money. From there you can decide what direction you might like to take musically.

Friends are always a good start, but ultimately (IMHO) a GOOD guitar instructor is the best route.
Again, sorry for the lengthiness.

Cheers . . .

- Ian C.T. vom Saal

DOSW

ianvomsaal wrote:

There are definitely a lot of great guitar players out there . . . But just because someone's a good guitar player, or if they've been playing guitar a long time, or even if they work out of your local music store . . .It Doesn't Necessarily Mean that they're a Good Guitar Instructor

I've been taking lessons the past few weeks, and I absolutely can't stand them. My instructor has been playing guitar for like 30 years, and he knows more theory than I could ever hope to comprehend... but his teaching skills are nonexistent and I can tell he couldn't care less if I succeed at playing or not. He doesn't have any method to teaching... he just basically expects me to come in there and ask him questions for the entire half hour. And it sucks because I run out of things to ask fairly quickly, then it's just a mixture of awkward silence and me asking whatever pointless jibberish questions I can think of. It's gotten to the point where I don't even ask him ANY theory questions anymore, because he just bombards me with theory and terminology like I've been playing as long as he has. Ugh. I can't wait to get these last two lessons over with.

So yeah, you'll be able to tell if the teacher is right for you or not. If he's not right for you, don't hesitate to leave and try another teacher.

Pearl Jam and toast

Definetly gotta find a good teacher. Right on.

Switch

http://www.cyberfret.com

Go to their first frets section, learn the 'basic' chords described. Try using an online metronome and just using a slow beat swap between chords 'till you get 'em. Once you got these chords nailed (Hopefully A, Am, B, C, D, Dm, E, Em, G - took me one night of solid playing to a metronome, and maybe F, but if you play it barre it does take practice) you will have enough to start playing simple songs (Many songs use primarily these chords / variants that are very similar, or power chords)

From there, try playing some simple punk (Bouncing Souls are good) to build strenght, and use some of the simple lessons on cyberfret to build dexterity.

It may seem to you that it's a waste of time or whatever, but it will come as long as you practice, and enjoy the practice. If it's boring the crap out of you learning one song, don't bother, 'cus it won't stick.

Personally, unless you want theory, i wouldn't use a teacher. I guess ianvomsaal will go nuts over this, but i think if you teach yourself, you develope your own style and feel, rather than the style you are being taught. Technique will come with time; different people have different ways of playing, and trying to play the way your teacher shows you may not fit you, and finding a teacher who plays in the exact style that feels right to you is unlikely.

The only 'instruction' i would recommend is from friends who can play half decent. They will give you some guidence, and you can take it from there.

That's all i can think of for now. If you want some pearl jam songs to play to (Just basic riffs and maybe choruses obv., no solos etc) try Alive, Not For You, maybe Save You, and maybe Corduroy.

unemployable22

Start with Corduroy...and Satan's Bed. Nothingman, Not For You, Spin The Black Circle...basically the entire Vitalogy album is pretty simple. And any song is twice as good acoustic.

Lukin and World Wide Suicide...also really easy tracks to learn and play.

korby

i kinda learned eye&mind and change by blind melon

Switch

'Kinda' learning songs...no problem. Assuming you got the determination to keep playing, play that song again in a few months. You'll be surprised how much you have improved.

Pearl Jam and toast

Switch wrote:

Personally, unless you want theory, i wouldn't use a teacher. I guess ianvomsaal will go nuts over this, but i think if you teach yourself, you develope your own style and feel, rather than the style you are being taught. Technique will come with time; different people have different ways of playing, and trying to play the way your teacher shows you may not fit you, and finding a teacher who plays in the exact style that feels right to you is unlikely.

The only 'instruction' i would recommend is from friends who can play half decent. They will give you some guidence, and you can take it from there.

I agree completely, though intitially a few lessons aren't a bad idea.

Switch

If you want a few lessons to get started, like the above poster said, i'd recommend getting a friend who plays to get you started. A teacher (Unless he is damn good at teaching, as well as playing) will probably have a lesson structure, over a period of weeks, that he may well stick to, so if you only have a few lessons you might miss out. With a friend you can learn some stuff, then if you think they missed anything you can go ask without paying for it.

Pearl Jam and toast

Switch wrote:

If you want a few lessons to get started, like the above poster said, i'd recommend getting a friend who plays to get you started. A teacher (Unless he is damn good at teaching, as well as playing) will probably have a lesson structure, over a period of weeks, that he may well stick to, so if you only have a few lessons you might miss out. With a friend you can learn some stuff, then if you think they missed anything you can go ask without paying for it.

I agree with this too - although you should find a friend who can actually teach you.

who's_pearljam?

I think it depends where you want to go with the guitar. If you want to plink out a few songs around the campfire, then maybe just go with Cyberfret.com and learn some chords and songs. That's a pretty good site.
Like Switch says, learn the open chords and also,,,, how to Barre the A and E chords first. Then you can play along with songs that you hear and soon, you'll know what the chord is in that song, instantly. I think it's also great to sit and play along with everything you hear every once in a while, be it a jingle on tv, or a lead. Try to play along. You'll suck at it,,,, but slowly,,, it'll come to you. This frees you up to play what you want to play.

Most of the time I try to get people to mix it up. Have fun and play songs you like, then throw in a little theory here and there, and some ear training, too.
People learn in different ways. Some people are visual and need to see those notes and play exactly what they see.
Some are more ear oriented and want to play what they hear. Next thing you know, you'll be able to play things that come to your head.

If you want to seriously pursue guitar, you would do well by taking some lessons from a good instructor. You want to at LEAST get proper form to hold your hands and arms properly, and learn how to make the best use of your time when practicing. Some time and money spent up front with a real human to show you how to play and how to do things gives you a good base to work from.

If you want to play jazz or learn to improvise, or play varied music, you would do well by learning at least SOME theory. Learning the notes on the guitar, and the notes in the major chords is a good start.
Make sure you learn to finish songs! People tend to sit with the guitar and boinkity boinkity boinkity into their default licks that they know, and never finish songs, making their spouse or roommates crazy! .

Theory, chords, notes, form, are all tools to use. You can build a house with a hand saw and a hammer, but the better and sharper and advanced your tools are, and the more knowledge you have will get you there faster!

^ Haha,,, that probably has nothing to do with anything, but it sounded good at the time,,,,

Pearl Jam and toast

I learned thoery and all sorts of advanced mumbo jumbo from listening to music and playing with the work ethic Bob Dylan had during his meth days... I know it's not right for everyone but it worked wonderously for me.

korby

Switch wrote:

'Kinda' learning songs...no problem. Assuming you got the determination to keep playing, play that song again in a few months. You'll be surprised how much you have improved.

My friend tuned my guitar. WOW what a difference. I been trying at least 10-20 minutes practice a day. Im improving. Not to preforming status... yet...lol