If you could go back to your first year.....

[nowgypsy]

I agree with paleolith54. It seems I didn't really start learning until I started playing in a public situation.

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by sloar

What would you change? Would you change how you learned or certain paths you took? I’m heading into my second year and I’m on this journey by myself. I’m from a small town with very little opportunity to play or learn from someone in person and I’m always questioning my progress or how I’m going about it. What have you learned later on in your journey that you wish you would’ve done differently?

I'd have kept the guitar. This guy gave me a sweet Gibson B-25 and taught me 2 chords - Em and D - but I didn't realize how good the instrument was, because I was so new. This happened in early 1971, and I do not remember what happened to the instrument.

[jaymarsch]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

In my first year, 1970, I got about four lessons before my teacher basically gave up on me (he told me about it later) and then spent the rest of the year as a latchkey kid. I didn't have a lot of options so I spend hours learning guitar on my own. These days they call it "woodshedding."

Being that I didn't have a lot of options I don't have a lot of regrets. What the heck: I still have my first guitar!

Bob

This is kind of how I feel. As a girl, I didn’t get a whole lot of support for playing guitar. No one took me very seriously. I persevered but didn’t really thrive or improve until years later when escaped to that free-lovin’ California. LOL!!
So, not really regrets but happy when I finally just went for it.

Best,
Jayne

[TBman]

My first year I was about 9 and I just wanted to play with my friends. Looking back, I wish I would have started classical or at least finger style a lot sooner than I did.

[flaggerphil]

I would have kept taking lessons after a year.

[Tony Burns]

I would of not bought that 10 dollar guitar (poc) and got something decent from the get go -
but i wouldnt worry about that -so far they havent perfected time travel yet -

and if they did their would be a few more important things they would do first .

[gfspencer]

Originally Posted by sloar

What would you change? Would you change how you learned or certain paths you took? I’m heading into my second year and I’m on this journey by myself. I’m from a small town with very little opportunity to play or learn from someone in person and I’m always questioning my progress or how I’m going about it. What have you learned later on in your journey that you wish you would’ve done differently?

I started playing in the early 60's. I had a chord book and a bunch of Kingston Trio albums.

On the other hand, you have all kinds of opportunities. You can find teachers on Youtube. You can learn techniques on line. You can play along with some of the best groups.

[Oldguy64]

I had two first years.
I started playing when I was nine or ten. Stopped when I was around 12 because girls were more interesting.
I wish I’d stuck with it, and that someone had said something about girls digging guitar players.

I picked it back up when I was thirty.
I started learning faster when I was playing in front of people at church.
I was incorporating what I got from Mel Bay into playing out.

[musicman1951]

I started with some lessons and a couple of books (Mel Bay or similar) which I still think is a good idea.

But I didn't learn to finger pick until 9 years later. If I had it to do over I would have used at least the first half of the Aaron Shearer Classical Guitar book after the first Mel Bay.

[Rosewood99]

I would have skipped the lessons and gone straight to the youtube tutorials. Also would have skipped the cheap guitars and have started with a +$500 guitar.

[LadysSolo]

Good heavens, that was 50+ years ago - I started just strumming chords, and that's all I did for years before putting the guitar away for 30+ years for family/work/life. The good thing is that when I took it back out (still in tune!) I still remembered all of the chords. The bad thing is I now wanted to take it seriously, and there was SO MUCH about playing guitar I didn't know. I am not sure I would have done anything differently - I enjoyed the strumming chords and singing, and I have good memories of that time in my life.

[k_russell]

I would pay more attention to rhythm and timing (using the metronome).

I'd apply more effort to ear training. I waited way too long to understand how to be able to hear, internally, the notes printed on a page. Gaining the ability to recognize harmonica intervals, earlier in my music journey, would have also enhanced my progress.

[M Sarad]

My piano teacher, Jim Fleming, became my guitar teacher in sixth grade. If I had known Paul Raley instead, I would be far better.

Paul used the Mel Bay books to teach himself. He played fngerstyle Jazz. One day he realized his right hand was stronger, so he switched his playing to right hand fretting.

Total genius.

[RP]

Some folks do exceedingly well teaching themselves, but if I went back to my first year I'd definitely take guitar lessons...

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by sloar

What would you change? Would you change how you learned or certain paths you took? I’m heading into my second year and I’m on this journey by myself. I’m from a small town with very little opportunity to play or learn from someone in person and I’m always questioning my progress or how I’m going about it. What have you learned later on in your journey that you wish you would’ve done differently?

I started guitar about 44 years ago. I had a solid musical background playing violin which helped a lot. I was 13 and had lots of time to play and learn, but it was mostly by myself. I was a decent intermediocre player for 30 years.

Twelve years ago I took up mandolin and started going to local jams. In about two years I was better than I had ever been on guitar. But the funny thing was my guitar and fiddle playing improved too.

The number one thing that will lead you to improve and do so in the shortest time is PLAYING WITH OTHER PEOPLE. No amount of on-line videos, method books, Skype lessons, etc. will make as much difference.

There are people playing music within an hour's drive of wherever you are. Find them.