Music lessons

[YMIR]

This will be a kind of musician thread

I know we discussed this before but that was for a very little time and I would make a thread a about this subject.

What is the best way to play an instrument? Right now I take guitar lessons but I had to read notes and stuff and I hate that. I know Vintersorg said that you must learn it yourself so get your own way of playing. What do think, are lessons better to learn how to play an instrument

 

[DeadWinterDead]

Well, lessons are good if you don't think you can learn for yourself. As for me, I learned to play myself. I used the book too, to learn the notes and what not. But it takes time my friend!

 

[YMIR]

Yah, but I don't see why I should learn notes and stuff. Okay you can write it on a paper or something. But you can also remember it. There are so many bands where nobody can read notes. I think that notes are only very important in classical music because it's to difficult to learn a whole part out of your head.

 

[DeadWinterDead]

Well, that's what you think, but it's easier for me to remember the notes rather than the chord. But whatever works for you!

 

[YMIR]

well, maybe I'm to lazy to read them, hehe. anybody else who want to say how he thinks what the best way is to play an instrument?

 

[Futhark]

I've never taken any lessons, but learned from own experiences...
I bought a solo-guitar movie, and I learned som exercises there, so I train my finger-muscles and get more tight and fast.

But I guess it's ok going to lessons and ALSO learn from yourself... Maybe you'll learn faster that way.

 

[YMIR]

btw how long do you play guitar now and maybe other instruments (I mean singing too)

And how long do you write your own music?

I play for two years guitar and for a couple of months mouth-harp

 

[Thorns of Sorrow]

There is something very imtimate and spiritual about learning an instrument on your own, so I'd say lessons if youre cluless..But if you feel a connection, stay with it and it'll come.

 

[Misanthrope]

Lessons are not to be taken as written-in-stone proved methods, they are just suggestions that could or could not work for you. I learned by myself, and i spend a lot of time looking at a lot of different guitar players and looking at their techniques and some of the techniqches i kept using some of them not. I took chucks ( schuldiner ) left hand position using the guitar somehow high but i do use my pinky a lot ( he barely uses it ). He also used to slide a lot but i like reaching some notes with my pinky, at first the songs were more challenging but when the solos kicked in i had an easier time ( some friends go nuts over reaching from fret 12 to fret 18 i do it while shredding, this is an example ) I looked at chuck's right hand picking technique and i hated it felt awkward for me. So while looking at carcass i noticed both Steer and Ammot use the full wrist/arm to pick, and i found this techique faster and it somehow it gave me more control. I KNOW that for a lot of guitar players, picking with just the fingers ( not moving the wrist and the arm ) feels more controled, not for me. I also noticedthat they never put their pinky down in the guitar and that also felt like a logical step in my technique.

I always watched guitar players tapping and i was having trouble to hold the pick correctly again when i ended tapping, so one day i just tried to do the tapping with the pick directly on the fret and it felt about right. Another odd thing i do.

These are just a few examples, you must really be comfortable with your technique, dont force yourself through lessons if you dont want to and if you do, DONT take everything as a law as i said.

 

[Sadistik]

I took lessons for a long time, and I'mn glad I did. You are free to pursue your own style, and it helps to have someone checking up on you when getting into music theory......I took alot of jazz stuff, which helped learn my way theoretically around the neck.
I have a very melodic, harsh style for my rhythms and a smooth, melodic, and fast style for solos....I don't think I could have progressed as far as I have without lessons, though they are definitely not the nswer for everyone....

 

[Futhark]

Yes, lessons are just a tool to create your own thingz..

 

[DeadWinterDead]

Originally posted by YMIR
btw how long do you play guitar now and maybe other instruments (I mean singing too)

I've been playing the guitar for 3 years, and in about 2.5 months, it'll be 4. I also sing in a few of our songs, my friend tried to get me into playing bass, and I tried that for about 6 months, but I quit because I couldn't get the hang of it, and I like playing the guitar more.

Originally posted by YMIR
And how long do you write your own music?

Umm, it depends... I don't get what you mean by this question.

 

[Gums]

Hmm well I think it all depends on the teacher.. I've had 3 and they all had very unique ways of teaching. I think that with the right teacher, its very useful, and definitely worthwhile

 

[Morgana]

I had a teacher for two years and then he was useless for me...

By the way, hello Gums

 

[yourdeadgroom]

I'm in favour of lessons, but I guess it depends on what you are looking for, and how good the teacher is. If you are starting out, then I'd definately get some, you need someone to show you what to do- and a good teacher will give you options, if some approach is not right for your hands, or your musical interests, then they should offer alternatives. I think, even when you get advanced, the occassional lesson can be good- they may introduce you to a few new ideas, or maybe make you play something that you normally wouldn't, because you think it's too hard. But then, if you are dedicated/ambitious enough, you can do that yourself.......
Being able to read music rules, it means I have no limitations to what I can do- if I want to play something that's written out, I don't have to screw around converting it to tab, and it's easier to read than tab (which doesn't have an effective rhythm indication). But I don't think note-reading is all you should be learning, if that's not what you want. I mean, I was a classical player, so it was essential, but even starting out, I was playing other stuff, makeing things up etc..., so if the teacher is any good they should also include scales and finger pattern stuff.

 

[Ziuwarian]

I suppose it's better to take lessons, at least when you're trying to play guitar, have experienced that once you've started to do something wrong, it's hard to alter that later, so better start it right away! And you get a more versatile education as well, I would assume And it's also good for lack of patience and such things, so you get your ass kicked to do some training or so