For those of you that are guitarists or play any other instrument...

[Mm1066]

Was wondering about the whole having a teacher verses being self taught debate. I've always had a teacher but there has been some independent work done on my end as well. Here are my thoughts:

Pro teacher:

- Can underline problems in technique, therefore removing any chances of injury related to it
- Common problems are relatable to the teacher most of the time, therefore solutions can be easier
- Learning is easier with face to face contact rather than to a screen or book
- Techniques can be explained in a more relatable way
- You can gain a second perspective on song transcription or writing


Against teacher

- No teacher I have ever been to has been free. Both teachers have been above £20 an hour, and with no sustainable income it can set you back if you go regularly
- Having someone tell you what to do can be annoying to some and can discourage you from playing
- Being self taught is much more rewarding if you get up to a reasonable standard, which you can take credit for
- Some teachers will only teach you stuff that they like
- Some teachers can be arrogant pricks and will spend the lesson playing and showing off, whilst you are left twiddling your thumbs and watching the clock

Obviously these points are incomplete and have just come from my own experiences and contacts, but you get the idea.

 

[bryan_kilco]

I took guitar lessons before I even knew how to use my fingers and my muscles in my hands/arms. On an acoustic guitar. The guy basically spent a decent chunk of time showing off and playing other bands' material. At the time it was very frustrating for me and I look back and realize that I should have learned to actually physically play the instrument before diving into music lessons. Here I am, 15 years later, with no knowledge of music theory and not being able to play solos and leads because I can't improvise or just bust stuff out without it sounding like shit.

 

[Notuern]

I took guitar lessons before I even knew how to use my fingers and my muscles in my hands/arms. On an acoustic guitar. The guy basically spent a decent chunk of time showing off and playing other bands' material. At the time it was very frustrating for me and I look back and realize that I should have learned to actually physically play the instrument before diving into music lessons. Here I am, 15 years later, with no knowledge of music theory and not being able to play solos and leads because I can't improvise or just bust stuff out without it sounding like shit.

Ive been playing for 6 years, i have no knowledge of music theory(Well, some..), and i can improvise over pretty much any type of music.
Its all in training your ears to move your hands, and not so much the other way around.

 

[colton]

Depends. What style are you looking to learn? I was self-taught for about 4-6 years on electric guitar, but I was playing metal and I think that's something you learn on the streets, you know? When I made the move to classical guitar, I had to change my entire technique and outlook on the guitar, as well as music itself. I had never finger-picked before, so I had to learn how to plant, rasgueado, etc. I also had to fix my left hand because I had "rock guitar" syndrome... Basically, it's a completely different instrument to play and the corrections I made with my left hand, not to mention my ear and musical knowledge went through the roof once I started to pursue this academically. It also helped me realize just how much time one has to put into this in order to get really good at this stuff (3-5 hours a day, everyday). I would think the same goes for jazz guitar, where you spend more of your time starting out by applying the theory you know or are learning to your instrument. I've seen so many other guitarists come in with a poor attitude and technique and give up in less than a year. I don't blame them though, it's a hard thing to swallow when someone tells you, "hey, you basically have to re-learn how to play guitar". But for some perspective, Ron Jarzombek had to do that at one point in his life too.

What I'm getting at is there is no substitute to having a great teacher. But you have to find that certain someone first, someone you can trust. Then shut up and do what they say because they are looking out for you. I was lucky enough to find mine at a community college. $160 for a one hour lesson once a week for an entire semester. Of course, you have to be enrolled in other music classes in the program, but that's a steal and I have, imo, one of the best guitar teachers in my city. It's up to you to take the help they give you and practice/apply it though. But again, there's no substitute for a great teacher imho. Put it to you this way, a great teacher won't teach you anything. They'll show you how you can teach the teacher within you to teach yourself. At least that's been my experience so far. Hope this helps you in some way.

 

[Mm1066]

Great read! Although the thread was meant to just be a discussion on the whole facade regarding different methods of learning to play. I probably wasn't that clear. I've been playing about 5 and a half years but I've always had a teacher when I was learning. In a way I think that I would have been worse off without a teacher as I was taught a method which I can apply to a range of things which I hadn't known before. Even though its obvious, I was taught the importance of using a metronome to practice on. It really challenged me but looking back on it now it was probably the most valuable piece of information I'd ever learnt.

 

[RedDog]

Personally, I'm self taught. Entirely. I took marching band, concert band, and jazz all throughout high school in order to better understand music in general and apply it to its creation. I'm heavily versed in music theory because I take pride in working and studying my craft. I can't stand hearing self taught guitarists brag about their speed to deduce that they don't know a simple fucking scale because their hubris gets in the way of that. Thee amount you can learn, in my honest opinion, depends on the drive of the person. That said, I'm not saying my playing is superior because I learned on my own. I've learned so much just sitting around with other guitarists, it's expanded my playing a great deal. Naturally, having am instructor will have its advantages. I'm for pushing myself as hard as I can to learn as much as possible. Teacher or not, the level at which you progress depends on you.

/2¢