Anyone else have a favorite method of beginner instruction

[JasmineJammer]

Hello all!

I Have been practicing every day and learning to play guitar for the first time in my life. I am 52 years old and have always wanted to learn to play. I am very curious about the methods used by any other members of this forum who are new guitar players (or long time players who wanted to improve their skills) and what tools they have used in their quest.

I began with a month of live lessons where I was surprised by the methods of a variety of instructors. The common theme seemed to be "I will teach you to play guitar by teaching you to play songs... bring me in some songs and I will teach you how to play them." That approach was not what I was looking for. I wanted to learn to play the guitar... not just some songs on the guitar.

To save money (in the long run) I dropped the $30 per 30 minutes one-on-one private lessons from those instructors and sought out a course with a well laid out and carefully planned progression of learning notes, reading music, some basic theory and then getting down to playing songs once I had some real working knowledge under my belt so to speak. So I began to search elsewhere for a quality DVD based instruction set. I decided on the Gibson Learn and Master Guitar Series from Legacy Learning Systems. It cost about the same amount as 2 months of lessons and includes material that, if followed step by step, will take two full years to complete.

Steve Krenz is the course instructor as well as the host of a continuing, once weekly, free, live online lessons (including Q&A during the interactive broadcast) via U-Stream. I am very happy I chose that course to fit my style of learning and my schedule. I just entered Section 6 and am moving along nicely with the new material. So far I have learned all the notes in the first position and how to read straight-up sheet music, tabbed music, and chord blocked music for guitar. I have learned the way I had initially set out to learn in the in-person lessons.

So fellow forum members... what tools have you used to learn to play, or to improve your playing, outside of the realm of in person lesson and pure practice practice, practice?

Thanks

JJ

I learned by playing songs, by playing chords I didn't understand behind a melody I did. I later backfilled this exercise by learning theory and notation. I improved by continually reaching for material beyond my ability and mastering it. I did it all without an instructor and enjoyed every second of it. I would not advise this for everyone, but it was the perfect method for me and I would do it the same way again.

[EllaMom]

I have been playing for just over 2 years, and I, too, am in my mid-50s. I took piano as a kid, so can read music (if it's not too complex).

I started out trying to learn on my own. But I kept getting stuck. So I found a teacher. He was ok, but clearly bored by teaching newbies like me. I told him right off I wanted to learn fingerstyle, but he just kept giving me poorly reproduced and incomplete copies of songs like "Michael Row the Boat Ashore" to learn basic chords, which I strummed with a pick while he sang. That didn't last six months. What I got out of it: I learned the basic chords.

After another few months on my own, I started with another teacher. He was so much fun. But....he never gave me one sheet of material. He showed me some tricks and techniques, but I only learned one or two songs. Nothing stuck, even though it was fun. I did improve overall, but none of it was making sense, really. He also preferred playing with a pick over fingerstyle.

Another few months on my own, and on to my third, and current, teacher. He is the first to affirm my preference for fingerstyle, so started me working on The Christopher Parkening Guitar Method, Vol. 1. It's been GREAT, with his guidance. Last lesson I told him I wanted to figure out the fretboard, CAGED system, etc. So now he has me strumming the chords to "Hotel California"...the idea being that next lesson he is going to show me how to find those same chords elsewhere on the neck. I can't wait!

Oh, and I worked through the beginner's series on Justin Sandercoe's website. That was very helpful.

It's a journey, that's for sure!

[AlbertR213]

I learnt how to play my favorite songs first then theory.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by JasmineJammer

…So fellow forum members... what tools have you used to learn to play, or to improve your playing, outside of the realm of in person lesson and pure practice practice, practice?

Hi JJ…

My favorite beginner lessons from a teacher's standpoint are group lessons. When I do beginner groups, we do a 90 minute lesson at my house once a week for 6 weeks in a row, and I charge $50 a person and limit the class to 8-10 students.

We get just as far with a group as we do with individual lessons and they don't cost an arm/leg and friendships form during classes. Those who catch on quicker are seated next to those who need help and they help each other.

Also, about lesson 4-5 we learn to string a guitar. I have them work in pairs and help each other string their instruments (we have a big house). That way they don't fear string changing.

I also set up action, install strap buttons, and do minor adjustments.

Early lessons contain both information and formation (just getting all the info to settle into place). At the end of 6 weeks, I have some students well under a full head of steam and always one or two struggling (who likely didn't practice and discover they may not be as excited about guitar as they thought). And after teaching for 37 years in the community, we still see and greet each other in the stores, restaurants, theaters etc around town.

[balerman]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi JJ…

My favorite beginner lessons from a teacher's standpoint are group lessons. When I do beginner groups, we do a 90 minute lesson at my house once a week for 6 weeks in a row, and I charge $50 a person and limit the class to 8-10 students.

We get just as far with a group as we do with individual lessons and they don't cost an arm/leg and friendships form during classes. Those who catch on quicker are seated next to those who need help and they help each other.

Also, about lesson 4-5 we learn to string a guitar. I have them work in pairs and help each other string their instruments (we have a big house). That way they don't fear string changing.

I also set up action, install strap buttons, and do minor adjustments.

Early lessons contain both information and formation (just getting all the info to settle into place). At the end of 6 weeks, I have some students well under a full head of steam and always one or two struggling (who likely didn't practice and discover they may not be as excited about guitar as they thought). And after teaching for 37 years in the community, we still see and greet each other in the stores, restaurants, theaters etc around town.

Sounds like a very interesting method. Have you been using this method successfully for a long time? Do you get a high percentage of students who then continue in one on one private lessons with you afterwards?

[balerman]

Originally Posted by JasmineJammer

Hello all!

I Have been practicing every day and learning to play guitar for the first time in my life. I am 52 years old and have always wanted to learn to play. I am very curious about the methods used by any other members of this forum who are new guitar players (or long time players who wanted to improve their skills) and what tools they have used in their quest.

I began with a month of live lessons where I was surprised by the methods of a variety of instructors. The common theme seemed to be "I will teach you to play guitar by teaching you to play songs... bring me in some songs and I will teach you how to play them." That approach was not what I was looking for. I wanted to learn to play the guitar... not just some songs on the guitar.

To save money (in the long run) I dropped the $30 per 30 minutes one-on-one private lessons from those instructors and sought out a course with a well laid out and carefully planned progression of learning notes, reading music, some basic theory and then getting down to playing songs once I had some real working knowledge under my belt so to speak. So I began to search elsewhere for a quality DVD based instruction set. I decided on the Gibson Learn and Master Guitar Series from Legacy Learning Systems. It cost about the same amount as 2 months of lessons and includes material that, if followed step by step, will take two full years to complete.

Steve Krenz is the course instructor as well as the host of a continuing, once weekly, free, live online lessons (including Q&A during the interactive broadcast) via U-Stream. I am very happy I chose that course to fit my style of learning and my schedule. I just entered Section 6 and am moving along nicely with the new material. So far I have learned all the notes in the first position and how to read straight-up sheet music, tabbed music, and chord blocked music for guitar. I have learned the way I had initially set out to learn in the in-person lessons.

So fellow forum members... what tools have you used to learn to play, or to improve your playing, outside of the realm of in person lesson and pure practice practice, practice?

Thanks

JJ

Hi Jasmine, welcome to the AGF.

Sounds like we have a lot in common. I started at 52 as well, and am now into my 2nd year. I started out with Gibsons Learn and Master Guitar series as well. I think it's a very good series to start with. I got through it just fine until I got to the strumming part where I found that my wrist is made out of concrete and I think I may be a little bit rhythmically challenged. Someone suggested that I try some fingerstyle instead. So I skipped forward in the DVD's to the fingerstyle lesson's which I felt more comfortable doing. The fingerstyle lessons that are part of the series are very basic beginner's stuff as you would expect, so I moved on from the series without completing it. I moved on to Dan C. Holloway's web site where he teaches fingerstyle songs, not much on theory though. I've also been working with Pete Huttlingers Book and DVD where he teaches the songs of Jim Croce. It's been very entertaining but I know at some point I'll have to go back and work out the strumming part and hopefully complete the Learn and Master Guitar series.

I wish you continued success in learning guitar.