I'm starting lessons today

[AimHigh]

I'm excited AND nervous. I've been playing and self-teaching for about a year. While it's been fun and the learning curve has been very steep, I feel it's time to make that commitment to learning about how music works.

My instructor (who I hope will become my mentor) is a formally trained musician who has been playing and teaching guitar for many years. We've spoken on the phone and I feel like we will click as instructor/student. I have his course book (my husband started out with him). It's dog-eared and scribbled on so I guess I just need to add my own scribbles. He teaches theory. technique and application but also plays with you to teach you how to play with other musicians.

How many of you started out on your own then started lessons later? Did you have bad habits to unlearn? Are you glad you did? Did it advance your skills significantly?

I told him I was nervous to play in front of him. He said not to worry, we would have a lot of fun.

Off I go!

[Kerbie]

I bet you'll enjoy it... I hope so. I've been playing for decades, but I still enjoy lessons.

[Glen.]

Every lesson I ever took, taught me something. I took a few lessons after playing for a couple of years and learned lots which inproved my technique. I then took lessons again this year (10 years after the last lot of lessons) and have learn a lot and improved my technique even more.

When I next take lessons, I only imagine that the same will be true again.

Sounds like you have selected a good teacher, best of luck, I'm sure you won't regret it!

[indigomist]

Sometimes I think I need guitar lessons, know so little about theory...

[AimHigh]

This was a GREAT experience. I was only nervous for a few minutes. My teacher has a nice way of taking off the pressure and making it an enjoyable experience.

We spent time on theory, some review, some application. He asked and listened carefully to my goals, questions and ideas. I loved his approach to the mechanics of the exercises. Everything was made into little musical passages. He says music should never be rote mechanics. There is rhythm and melody in every passage. He kept his guitar in his lap the whole time and would back my exercises with a soft accompanyment. Gee...I felt like I could really sound decent!

Some problems I thought I had with difficult fingerings were really posture issues.

Got some good homework and exercises for expanding my fretting fingers, some unique rhythm and timing exercises and all customized for my style (fingerstyle).

We laughed a lot.

I'm feeling very motivated.

Sharon

[Glen.]

Its a great feeling isn't it. Glad you enjoyed it, maybe we'll get to hear you play some time!

[AimHigh]

Thanks everyone,

This was just what I needed to get me out of the rut I've been in and to correct some bad habits before they became permanent.

My challenge piece is Scott Joplin's Entertainer. I will start learning the opening today.

I have to give a shout out to Toby Walker for the inspiration I needed to start the lessons. I bought both of Toby's instructional DVD's on Blues fingerstyle "liberate yourself from tab". I already knew that I admired Toby's approach and style. This DVD was such an eye-opener for me.

I've learned a few pieces in that style in the past months by rote memorization of the tab. I've accumulated several DVD's and youtube instructionals that are pretty much the same....put your index finger here...now pick the 3rd string with your middle finger...next pinch 5th and 2nd....etc.

Toby's method is completely different (liberation is a very good word to discribe it). BUT...it requires some knowledge of the keys and which notes belong with them. I don't have that knowledge but I will. This is the way I want to approach this style of playing. So...thank you Toby for opening my eyes to this refreshing approach to acoustic fingerstyle blues. After watching those DVDs several times, I was inspired enough to pick up that phone and schedule my first lesson.

Sharon

[Kerbie]

That's wonderful to hear. Lessons have been great for me... I just wish I could go more often. Glad you've got a new motivation... keep it up!

[Knollhaven]

Sharon, I feel encouraged just by reading about your positive, motivating experience. Thank you for sharing the things you loved about your first lesson. I'm almost to that point myself. It's been helpful to me to practice regularly with a small group of varying ages & abilities, but the time comes when lessons are beneficial. Again, thanks for sharing your story.

Dianne

[JanVigne]

Good luck with your lessons! Finding the instructor who is right for you is 90% of the struggle. When I was young I had an instructor who was a friend of my father. We spent most of the lesson with he and my dad talking about ol' times. I picked up a few books on classical styles and taught myself what I thought I needed to know. My motivation was wanting to play. If you have that and can maintain that desire, you'll learn whatever it takes to reach a goal. Sounds as if your instructor has the experience to fire up that motivation in you. That's great! There should be more instructors around with that skill set.

The Texas legislature just passed a law which dumbs down our students. Previously, a student was required to pass 15 standardized tests to graduate. Now they will only have to pass 5. So, motivated teachers need not apply. Rather than raise the educational level of our schools, Texas - already near the bottom in school rankings and near the top in drop outs - prefers to dumb down the education system. That's how you get more instructors who spend most of their time talkin' about ol' times rather than teaching.



My only advice would be to stick closely to what your instructor has in mind. As a self taught student, most of us tend to bounce from topic to topic which leads to unsatisfactory results and bad habits no one corrects. Now you have someone with a lesson plan in mind for you. Follow their lead and you'll make great progress. Joplin's piece is a challenging entry to playing guitar, you should learn considerable amounts by tackling it a few measures at a time. And there's never any need to feel embarrassed by playing in front of anyone. Just keep in mind we all had to begin our future greatness on guitar one finger and one fret at a time.

And I'm glad to hear you got so much from Toby's lessons. Keep 'em coming, Toby!

[Davis Webb]

Let me quote from the I Ching here.

"Learning on one's own is one-sided and ponderous"

Glad you took the step. Lessons make a HUGE difference, night and day. Self taught guitarists are one trick ponies in my experience.

[AimHigh]

Thanks everyone for all the encouraging comments.

I plan to make the most of this partnership by following the path he has put together for me. I trust that he knows what he's doing after many years of teaching all levels of guitar students. It's obvious that he loves teaching and still finds it inspiring to instuct students who are passionate about learning music.

BTW...he thought my GS Mini was cool! I didn't want to bring my expensive guitar out in this heat. I love that traveling mini!

Sharon

[GHS]

My lessons do not follow the normal route most take.Somtimes I dont even take my guitar out of its case. I will bring up a question about a musical passage or riff and ask how this was done and why and where on the fretboard. I will watch while he re traces the steps and explains where we are musically and why. Then I will try. I will then take this home to apply to other songs and see if I could use it on them. I keep notes of key and location. It relly helps.