New Instructor wants to teach on Classical guitar

[WWDIII]

Looking into taking lessons from a different insructor. I will be turning 62 in March and started late in life as far as learning to play guitar but I am commited. I did have elbow surgery, nerve tunnel issues and wrist surgery in 2015 which really slowed down my learning, weak 3rd and 4th finger. But the more I try to play the better my hand gets.

I've been taking lessons from someone for over two years and can't seem to get much better. Most of which my be me, but some of what I have learned I've learned on my own from a book. To the point I started taking the book to my lessons and get my instructor to help me with what I don't understand in the book. Recently I started taking some online Guitar Tricks lessons, I've been traveling a lot with my job and not always in town. Guitar tricks seems to be good stuff for the most part but haven't spent much time with it yet.

I spoke with another instructor today trying to figure out my best options to learn. He suggested Nylon Classical guitar as the best way to learn noties and how to read music. His idea not mine, but if that will help me learn I'm willing to try anything. I made it clear I want to be able to play open cord country on my acoustic and someday some blues on my Electric.

The new instructor today plays all different styles of music and etc, but wants to instruct me on a Classical guitar to get started using Aaron Shearer Volume 1 classic guitar Technique as basis which he claimed to have instructed many students over the years in this method. He say that is a very good way for me to learn notes and how to read music. Which will greatly help with my playing any style guitar, acoustic, electric, country rock etc. He has been teaching for quite a few years. He said I can still practice with my steel string or Electric or whatever. He seems convinced his methods will help me have a much ricker and complex understanding of music/help my playing no matter what I want to play.

He said I do not have to make playing classical guitar the style i stick with, but he feels thats the best way to learn. He feels I need to get past Tab and learn notes and read music.

He is a very interesting to talk to no doubt and seems like he know what he is doing, studied in both Russia and France. He is Russian by birth. He instructs during the day and play music at night.

I am so new to this not sure if this what I want to do or not.

I do not want to take a step back with a wide neck guitar. It was hard enough to learn open cords with my large hands.


I droping a few hundred on a nylon string classical guitar and a few months lesson is a good option.

I just wnat to learn to play. I have another option or two for instruction, Houston in a large place and other options just want to make sure I am open minded and weight all options.

Comments please,

Thanks, Billy

[mr. beaumont]

It's a great method...

It also...isn't going to give you what you want.

How much do you practice now? Are things not "clicking?" My guess is your instructor is looking for something with some discipline for you...discipline is not fun, but gets results...

Everything you'll learn in a classical method is useful...helpful...but it's not the most direct route to what you want...tough to say without knowing you, teaching you...

I'd like to help you...can you post a video of where you're at?

[Cameleye]

Your instructor has one point of view, there are others.
If your goal is to play open chord country songs on acoustic and eventually electric there are other valid avenues. For example, you could just learn basic chords and how to strum them.

[sdelsolray]

Your teacher is not listening to you. Specifically, he is not listening to your goals, or does not know how to help get you towards your goals.

The Aaron Shearer method books are quite good for developing classical guitar technique, particularly for the right hand. But they will not help much with your goal of playing open chords in country music or blues on an electric guitar. Indeed, they will be a diversion, in essence a waste of your time.

[TKT]

I'd suggest checking out classical guitars in person to see how you like the fit. Also many older models have a bit longer scale. Classicals are great, I have four. My favorites are a Cordoba C10 Parlor with a 25" scale and a hair under 2" at the nut, and an old 60's Favilla, also about 25" scale, but a bit wider than 2" at the nut. My guess is you're being pointed that direction due to hand issues, and your teacher considering classicals the "best" nylon string guitar perhaps, since Willie Nelson plays one... ?

Another option to consider for the benefit of your hands and elbow, etc. might be a good crossover that has nylon strings but a radiused fretboard and standard scale length like on a steel string acoustic. They usually a little wider neck, maybe 1 7/8, which is a bit easier to get around on than 2" plus. Also they generally have more of a standard C shaped neck profile. I like 1 3/4 nut width on steel strings, but 1 7/8 works better for nylons for me.

If all you want to do is learn how to play, with an emphasis on country and blues, just from my own (limited) experience I'd think tabs are fine to start. More important is correct positioning as far as how you are holding the guitar, fretting hand and finger positions, and right hand dexterity for fingerpicking. Also helpful is learning the fretboard note positions, and a little theory to understand the interrelationship of notes in a chord, and chord progressions. If you were learning guitar coming from another instrument, then I could see learning sight reading. That's just me though, and one side of my family was almost all musicians (not that any of them ever wanted to teach me anything).

I had my start on an old classical using the Shearer book and a couple of others, and learned to read the treble clef for the most part. I don't remember any of it 35 plus years later picking up a guitar again a couple years back from where I left off in my 20s. Tabs are way more intuitive for me, I think they are also a lot older historically. There's tons of music for guitar available in tab form now.

[mercy]

NO, I would stop there but this program wont accept one word.

[WWDIII]

Thanks much guys, I appreicate the comments. Most of what I thought. I felt like it would be a step back and would have been the right path for a guy starting out at a young age with a great voice that wants to take things to a really high level. I know what I want to get to, just have to figure out the best way to get their.

I need to look at my options. I do think face to face is the best option. I just need to get to the right person for my goals. I also need to make sure I keep up my end. I work a lot with my job and it gets in the way, but it pays the bills.

Very good input guys, I really appreciate the comments. I don't post much, but I read this forum a lot and have learned a lot of good information. Never to old to learn.



Thanks, Billy.

[TKT]

Maybe check out Toby Walker for lots of tasty, well taught small courses, and Griff Hamlin's Beginning Blues Guitar for the blues in a larger course. I'm working on his Acoustic Blues Guitar Unleashed course.

[Guitar Slim II]

I'm a classical guitarist and teacher in Southern California. I don't want to criticize your teacher without knowing the whole situation, but I don't understand why he wants you to start on Shearer's classical method when you don't even want to play classical guitar! Did he give you some kind of rationale for the suggestion?

I am formally trained, and classical guitar is my specialty, but I don't try to force or persuade students to study styles they're not interested in. Just the opposite, in fact. I will sometimes discourage students from getting too far into classical unless they are really committed to it, and have clear achievable goals. Otherwise you could end up wasting a lot of time ... and still not enjoy playing the kind of music you love.

Well, regardless -- I recommend that you find a teacher who is enthusiastic about the styles you want to play, with experience teaching beginners and those with physical challenges.

Also (and I hope nobody takes this the wrong way) you're in Houston, right? Why study country and blues with a European-trained classical guitarist? Find yourself a good-ol' country/blues musician who can teach you how to play some chords, read some charts and play some lead. It's Texas, for cryin' out loud.

[Pitar]

Originally Posted by sdelsolray

Your teacher is not listening to you. Specifically, he is not listening to your goals, or does not know how to help get you towards your goals.

The Aaron Shearer method books are quite good for developing classical guitar technique, particularly for the right hand. But they will not help much with your goal of playing open chords in country music or blues on an electric guitar. Indeed, they will be a diversion, in essence a waste of your time.

This.

Choose another instructor.