#1
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Questions About Instructors and Learning
I've been learning from "the University of YouTube," for the most part. Lots of good links here, I've used JustinGuitar, Marty Music, Paul Davids, pretty much the usual suspects I suppose. I've split my time between strumming, strum-picking (not quite flat picking but a bit more than strumming), and fingerpicking. I've started using Mark Hanson's book.
I've started with a local instructor, and although it's only been a short while, it feels like he's just giving me stuff I can replicate with what I've been doing. How long should one stick with a teacher before realizing that the match isn't a good one? I feel like the areas I'm concentrating on are good and reinforce each other. The fingerpicking is good for precision, the strumming for faster chord changes, and the strum picking for a little of both. My teacher seems to agree, but mostly what he's doing is giving me a new song to strum, which I can kind of pick out on my own. I'm not sure the reasons he's picking for giving me the songs he's picking. I guess my frustration is he doesn't seem to have a coherent strategy to actually help me learn guitar. What are some questions I can ask him to try to tease out the method to his madness? |
#2
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Unless a teacher is offering a specific curriculum which you have explicitly chosen to study (i.e. Beginning Bluegrass, Piedmont Blues Fingerstyle, Chord-Melody Bossa Nova, etc), a good instructor should begin by having a conversation with you about what your goals are . . . what do you want to learn or get better at. If a student is somewhat unclear, the teacher can make suggestions and hopefully come to an agreement with the student assuming they have the desire to learn.
I'm guessing by your description that you have some ideas about where you'd like to take your playing. Assuming that, I'd have that conversation with the teacher and if you're satisfied with his suggested curriculum for you, pursue it and see if you're getting what you want. If any of these steps produces a negative result, it's time to find another teacher. |
#3
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A good teacher helps you set goals, then goes after them with you.
Your new teacher might be "figuring you out" a little bit. Sorry to tell you this, but your a guitar teacher's nightmare: An adult who already knows a bit. I'd be happy to help you set good goals, that you can go to this teacher with or another teacher. A good goal is "SMART" (This is corporate world/education BS kinda, but it really makes sense and it works) Specific Measurable Action Oriented Realistic Time-bound. So " I want to play bluegrass" is a weak goal. "I want to learn these 10 bluegrass standards so I can go to my first jam this upcoming summer" is a good goal. |
#4
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Regarding goal setting, how do these seem: Short(ish) term: - Get "Here Comes the Sun" down completely and smoothly, - Learn to smoothly strum two songs chosen by my teacher that include some licks between chords (Brown Eyed Girl is one he has me working on currently), and - Learn Malaguena and Fleur de Lis fingerstyle (he has me working on those). Mid-term: -Work all the way through the Mark Hanson Travis style book, I'm going to bring that to him next week, he hasn't heard of it but is willing to take a look. Long-term: - Develop my ear so that I can learn fingerstyle and "strum-picked" songs with basic chords on my own (e.g. Ripple, Needle and the Damage Done). - Develop a repertoire of cool bluesy fingerpicked instrumentals. Thanks for your response. I must say this board is incredibly kind and patient with noobs. |
#5
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Some of your longer term goals will require some working knowledge of music and the fretboard too, which is good! |