Taking First Lesson Tomorrow

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by reeve21

You can do this, Mike. We all started at the same place.

This should be framed and put on the wall for anyone picking up guitar (I wish I knew this when I was starting out).

No matter who you are, or how long you've been playing, you have to progress through the same fundamental challenges (chord fingering, changing chords, rhythm, picking/plucking control etc). There is no true shortcut. If a technique takes an average of a year to master, then even [insert guitar idol here] had to spend close to that time themselves. There is no YouTube video anywhere that will turn a year task into a week.

Of course, when I was starting out, I bought into the belief that my heroes somehow had beaten the odds on mastering fundamentals. This was a destructive belief and contributed to many years of frustration and feeling like I was 'behind' where I 'should' be.

[rick-slo]

The teacher should also play your guitar a bit to make sure the guitar's playability is good to rule out problems - action setup, neck profile quirks, intonation problems, whatever.

[Riverwolf]

Originally Posted by Whitey#1

And he gave me a couple of chords to work on - G & C. He told me to practice them and try and get them down as quickly as you can.

When I started I would sit in front of the TV and do slow sets of 2-300 reps like this.
G, C and D.
Every single day.

Crimson and Clover over and over.

[Blueser100]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

When I started I would sit in front of the TV and do slow sets of 2-300 reps like this.
G, C and D.
Every single day.

Crimson and Clover over and over.

Yes indeed. That’s how I learned Mark Hanson’s Travis picking patterns.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Blueser100

Yes indeed. That’s how I learned Mark Hanson’s Travis picking patterns.

Being relentless does wonders for technique.

To the OP, take it slow, don't rush. Practicing too fast just teaches you how to make fast mistakes. Slow motion practice builds muscle memory which is the foundation of playing the guitar.

[Whitey#1]

I am going to take my 2nd lesson this week. I still don't have the C & G Chords down yet. My fingering isn't that great and I cant go between them very fast. Those were the two things that the instructor wanted me to work on about three weeks ago.

Will my instructor be disappointed? Should I call him and tell him before I go over for the 2nd lesson? Would he tell me to just keep working on those two before I come back to see him again?

r/Mike

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Whitey#1

I am going to take my 2nd lesson this week. I still don't have the C & G Chords down yet. My fingering isn't that great and I cant go between them very fast. Those were the two things that the instructor wanted me to work on about three weeks ago.

Will my instructor be disappointed? Should I call him and tell him before I go over for the 2nd lesson? Would he tell me to just keep working on those two before I get them?

r/Mike

It's not about the instructor, its about you. He is just there to guide you. If your progress is slow due to lack of practice because of responsibilities, that's the way it goes. Guitar is just a hobby for most of us and its suppose to be relaxing and enjoyable.

When I was very young (and I still do this now with new chords) I would put my fretting hand on my lap, then reach for the chord, strum it to check it, then repeat. I would do this countless times until I grabbed the chord and it rang out clean. Starting with your hand on your lap gives yourself a clean slate sort of, free of other chord position influences. Once you can grab the chord and strum it cleanly, you can add moving from another chord to the chord. This worked really well for me and speeded up the muscle memory process.

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by Whitey#1

I am going to take my 2nd lesson this week. I still don't have the C & G Chords down yet. My fingering isn't that great and I cant go between them very fast. Those were the two things that the instructor wanted me to work on about three weeks ago.

Will my instructor be disappointed? Should I call him and tell him before I go over for the 2nd lesson? Would he tell me to just keep working on those two before I get them?

r/Mike

Mike,

I doubt he will be disappointed, you won't be the first student not to flawlessly execute an assigned lesson--it happens to me most every week

Go to your lesson, no need to call first. No need to worry about your progress after only 3 weeks. I'd say if you are practicing enough to start developing callouses then you are on the right track.

[6L6]

Originally Posted by muscmp

he wants to know what you do and don't know. also tell him what you want to learn otherwise it may be mary had a little lamb. do some stretching exercises of your shoulders, arms, wrists and fingers prior. you'll notice a difference.

you'll probably eventually move to an hour.

above all- have fun!!

play music!

+1

Get him to show you chords to easy songs YOU want to play. That will get you hooked and then you can go on and pick up whatever you want. And remember, YouTube is your friend!

BE SURE you've had a GOOD setup done on your guitar so it is very easy to play. More people have quit guitar because they didn't do this than for any other reason.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

The teacher should also play your guitar a bit to make sure the guitar's playability is good to rule out problems - action setup, neck profile quirks, intonation problems, whatever.

I think the most important advice in this thread. You need to listen to, and work with, your teacher. But, first you have to make sure your guitar is optimized for easy play. If you don't already have one, get local recommendations for a good set-up person and have your guitar professionally set up. It could speed your learning by 50%... or not.

[Whitey#1]

Had another 30 minute lesson today. The instructor mentioned three things to me:

1) I should let the pick slide/fall downward. Not try and be wristy with it.
2) I should let my other three fingers just hang down and let my thumb and index finger handle the pick.
3) When I practice the C & G Chords he didn't want me doing four strums at a time. That was not efficient. He wants me to go back and forth, just one strum at a time.

r/Mike