Self-Taught vs Private Lessons

[BigMoney]

Who here is self taught and who here has studied privately?

On a tangent, I think now more than ever it is reasonable to be completely self taught. The internet can teach you so much these days. Online videos are a great resource as well.

On the other hand you can't jam with the internet like you can a teacher. They will also point out your mistakes way faster than the internet. Backing tracks are great, but jamming with a person teaches you much more.

What do you guys think?

[Silvereagles]

I think Both ways can work but it's different for everyone.

At the young age of 44 I bought a guitar and wanted o learn to play. The wife bought me a learning cd set and I started, but after a year I felt I needed someone to to help me verify I'm doing it correctly.. I found a instructor that I liked and went with him for 4 years. 6 months ago I decided to find a different instructor and found one and really enjoy his different perspective on playing and music in general......

There are many different avenues you can take with the internet, the only draw back is if it might be difficult to find the info your looking for.....

Justinguitar is the best free site I've found.....

I don't mind paying my instructors the money, I get instruction whorth every penny.....

Dennis

[DukeX]

90% self taught
10% private or group lessons

[DHillshafer]

From a former guitar teacher's perspective, I would say that many advancements have made the internet practical for learning a lot about the guitar and playing. BUT...
You don't get the immediate feedback that you will from a good teacher. You don't get that thorn in your side demanding you to play and practice to perfection: I demand perfect form from students which leads to better playing down the road. So, yes, you can learn to play guitar off youtube videos but, no, it is nowhere near the same level as a real teacher.

Full disclosure, I was self-taught for a long time before enrolling in college guitar courses and really making leaps and bounds in both playing and understanding music. One of the best resources I've found is using Bill Edwards' "Fretboard Logic" series along with a real teacher.

[RP]

For better or worse 100% self-taught...

[Jambi]

I used to wear 'only self taught' like a badge of honor but in retrospect I wish I had taken lessons and gotten a headstart toward my goal. It took me way too long to realize that lessons don't turn you into a cookie-cutter player devoid of originality but rather gives you tools that would take you far longer to stumble on to on your own.

[paulp1960]

I was taught to read music and play trumpet at school but my guitar playing is self taught. I've been down a lot of dead ends teaching myself that's for sure.

[Dwight]

16-50 no lessons, 50-52 lessons and a huge improvement in my playing. I would highly recommend it.

[Silly Moustache]

I tried one-to-one lessons ad none really worked.

I used to go to a week long bluegrass camp, studied guitar, mando, dobro, song-writing with some of the finest in groups of about 20.

Nothing really sunk in.

One tutor once said of me "you can't be taught, but you will learn".

That's me. I discover something that I wanted to do and sat at home and worked it out ..... mostly still can't really do western swing rhythms.

[Earl49]

I am mostly self-taught. When I began learning seriously it was the early 80's. The interweb did not exist back then. I got Stefan Grossman / Kicking Mule LP's (vinyl !!) and tablature books to learn repertoire. Later on it was DVD's, then finally some on-line resources. People here at AGF highly recommend www.justinguitar.com

I also read a fair amount from the local library about classical guitar technique, even though that was not my primary pursuit. I was learning to play finger style, and classical was the closest thing I could find regarding technique. I learned to pay close attention to guitar and hand position (reducing stress), proper picking technique, and using all three fingers to pick plus the thumb. Luckily I did not develop too many bad habits. I had been playing for 3-4 years before finding someone local who could give an adult lessons for acoustic finger style, not just electric guitar heavy-metal lead thrashing for teens.

You certainly can learn a lot from the interweb and the numerous DVD's from Homespun, Stefan Grossman's Guitar Workshop, and others. But only an instructor in the room with you can see subtle things about technique and position and hear your tone. There is no substitute for this. I suggest a hybrid approach where you start off with a live teacher and once you have a handle on the fundamentals, work independently to expand your repertoire from on-line sources. And go back every few months for a live check-up lesson.

Later in life I was financially able to start going to guitar camps for an entire week of intense group lessons with professional players and teachers. That really expanded my horizons in terms of trying new styles and other techniques like open tunings, soloing, and slide. Most camps have a beginner track, but few people go to camps until they are firmly at the advanced beginner / intermediate level. Camps are kinda expensive and overwhelming until you are at a certain skill level. It is essentially a year's worth of guitar lessons in a week, so really drinking from a fire hose. You cannot possibly absorb everything you see during that week.

[dhodgeh]

Mostly self taught, and really never got anywhere. Since I do not play out, I never really had any goals and wandered around.

For the past couple of years, I've been taking lessons over the internet using the video exchange format.

While lacking the immediate, real time critique of a live instructor the feed back I get from my teacher is very good. The lessons have given me focus, and I do think I have made more progress over the past two years than the previous 10.

As usual, YMMV

D

[musicman1951]

Except for my first two lessons I'm self taught, but I'm a music teacher so I don't know how that fits into the either or.

[brancher]

Mostly self-taught. Frankly, at the risk of offending folks (don't mean to), I got tired of hiring teachers who were either unreliable, not knowledgeable, or just plain nuts! I've hired three in my life - one was teaching but really wanted to be Lee Ridenour; one was a very nice older lady who didn't recognize I already could sight read/play with some effort; and one who basically lived in a cave and constantly needed affirmation of his musical omnipotence.

But I have come miles and miles thru various online resources - Justin Guitar as mentioned above is a great site. And although I have been contributing to his site, I'd rather find and pay a good acoustic teacher who is not insane...... and I am still, from time to time, looking.

Always good to find a great teacher that you click with!

I had some lessons when I was a kid, both private and in a class. I would recommend it, if only to establish a few good habits and stop some bad ones before they start.

Once you get the hang of the fretboard and the chords, you can learn pretty well on your own. But in my experience, playing with others always leads to improvement.

[brancher]

Originally Posted by Willie Voltaire

I had some lessons when I was a kid, both private and in a class. I would recommend it, if only to establish a few good habits and stop some bad ones before they start.

Once you get the hang of the fretboard and the chords, you can learn pretty well on your own. But in my experience, playing with others always leads to improvement.

Bingo! what he said....

You can pick up a lot of tricks, licks, and such playing out in open mics (if you don't mind humiliating yourself a few times) and finding folks to play with if you can.