Do you take guitar lessons?

[Bluside]

I've been playing off and on for a long, long time. I'm turning 60 this year. For as long as I've been playing, I should be much better than I am. I focused more on my career than guitar. I would consider myself an intermediate player. I have always been better at buying and selling guitars than playing. Every time I visit the show and tell section, I'm amazed at the talent on this forum.

Anyway, I just found a good player and instructor at a local music studio. He plays lead guitar in a blues band and also performs in an acoustic duo with a woman who is a great singer and also plays guitar. They do a lot of originals.

In a very short time, he has really brought my understanding and playing up a notch. I am really enjoying our weekly lessons so far and look forward to them.

I'm just curious how many others on here are actually taking lessons.

[firelegend2]

I am taking lessons I enjoy them. I don't go every week its more informal. I am 36 and started uke last year. I've never played any instruments prior.

[s2y]

In my extended downtime away from bands, I've been working on True Fire courses. I learn very well with their methods. The downloaded courses are cheaper than most books I bought 10-20 years ago and significantly cheaper than some old "rockstar" VHS instructional tapes. My work schedule is a little too erratic for lessons.

[TheIntermediate]

I'm 35 and have been playing guitar pretty consistently for 20 or so years. About a year and a half ago I decided I'd take some lessons to get refocused.

It worked like a charm. I went once a week for about 3 months and made a ton of progress, simply by putting myself in the position to have to actually practice and not just play.

I highly recommend it, assuming one can find a competent teacher. It really does help even for advanced players IMO.

[Bingoccc]

I did. "69 -"71. I still have my books from then.

[ScottyV6290]

I am very interested to read more replies to this post.

I have been "playing" for just over one month. I subscribed to JamPlay.com and have really enjoyed it so far. I haven't missed a day of practice, and watch a little bit of a video lesson every day. I like that I can rewatch the same section 25 times if I need to. I also like the flexibility it gives me. I can "take a lesson" at 3:30 pm, or at 3:30 am depending on my families schedule.

Having said that, I feel like I'm missing something without someone actually watching and listening to me play, and offering specific instruction and suggestions. I also think it would be good for me to have someone push me. I enjoy the challenge.

I would think that no matter what level you have attained in your playing, it would always be good to have someone better than you provide feedback.

[trek1500]

Originally Posted by Bluside

I've been playing off and on for a long, long time. I'm turning 60 this year. For as long as I've been playing, I should be much better than I am. I focused more on my career than guitar. I would consider myself an intermediate player. I have always been better at buying and selling guitars than playing. Every time I visit the show and tell section, I'm amazed at the talent on this forum.

Anyway, I just found a good player and instructor at a local music studio. He plays lead guitar in a blues band and also performs in an acoustic duo with a woman who is a great singer and also plays guitar. They do a lot of originals.

In a very short time, he has really brought my understanding and playing up a notch. I am really enjoying our weekly lessons so far and look forward to them.

I'm just curious how many others on here are actually taking lessons.

I'm a big believer in taking lessons. Especially with a teacher you connect with. It makes a big difference in your progress.

I was fortunate and had a teacher who took the time to get to know me and what I wanted to accomplish in terms of my goals and we hit it off right away!

Plus I am fortunate in that I am an active member of a praise team and playing with a group of talented musicians makes a big difference!

[Arthur Blake]

Your experience may vary...

I could never find an instructor who played what I wanted to learn, but I paid for guitar lessons for my teen age son for a number of years, and talked with the teachers. Awfully nice guys. Taught me to humidify acoustics.

I wanted to learn to play like Blind Blake, and I think to faithfully duplicate his sound is a life long endeavor.

Turns out I also like some classical music on steel string, and I usually compose my own endings. Seems there is unlimited room for improvement there, and progress seems steady and upward, in perfecting technique and sound.

Today there is YouTube and it seems that everything one might wish to learn can be found there, although I often take several versions, and then by putting the pieces together find my own way to play.

[joelhunn]

I'm 52. I take a one hour lesson every other week. Half fingerstyle and half jazz. It took me a long time to find the right teacher but I am growing by leaps and bounds.

[Mdinterman]

I've been following Justin Sandercoe on line. I am satisfied with the content. Maybe I'll consider an instructor in the future but for now I think this is a good method. Most of improving is just plain ole practicing. BTW, Justin's lessons are free but he sells all his materials. I buy them regardless as I want to support him. He seems like a genuinely good person.

[RoosterX]

The most important thing about enrolling in lessons, whether with a physical teacher or with an online course, is that it forces the player into a routine where there are goals and expected outcomes.

Lessons get the player out of their comfort zone - and that's the only way to get better. Without this kind of impetus, one could play for 30 years - muddling through the same tired old riffs and songs over and over again - and still never get much better than they were in year 2 or 3.

[gip111]

Originally Posted by Bluside

I've been playing off and on for a long, long time. I'm turning 60 this year. For as long as I've been playing, I should be much better than I am. I focused more on my career than guitar. I would consider myself an intermediate player. I have always been better at buying and selling guitars than playing. Every time I visit the show and tell section, I'm amazed at the talent on this forum.

Anyway, I just found a good player and instructor at a local music studio. He plays lead guitar in a blues band and also performs in an acoustic duo with a woman who is a great singer and also plays guitar. They do a lot of originals.

In a very short time, he has really brought my understanding and playing up a notch. I am really enjoying our weekly lessons so far and look forward to them.

I'm just curious how many others on here are actually taking lessons.

I'm a lot like you, minus the lessons, turned 60, been messing with guitars since my teens and I know I'm not even close to the level you are. My only lessons were a few classical guitar lessons I took a few years back, taught me quite a bit about finger picking but I think it confused the heck out of me with the little bit I know since my love is steel string flat picking.

[JimB1]

I am taking fingerpicking Blues lessons every other week. It was my New Years resolution to get better this year
-Jim

[inadu ridge]

I've been playing daily for about 30 years. Never took lessons. And it shows.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Bluside

…I'm just curious how many others on here are actually taking lessons.

Hi Bluside…

I have taught acoustic gutiar for over 40 years locally, and a good share of my best students are players who played as kids, and then renewed their interest as mature adults.

And they understand the value of the bucks they invest in lessons more than the average teen (when mom/dad pays the bill).