how do you improvement in guitar learning?

cciesec2006 · #1 02-14-2020, 12:32 PM

Hi Everyone,

I've been away for while. Went back to Vietnam for the Luna New Year and things are crazy over there, well Asia in general, due to the corona virus. People over there are really freaking out.

My son has been taking guitar lesson like two to three times a week just before 2019 thanksgiving and he has been practicing like two hours everyday. I am working from home today and I listen to his guitar practice since he does not have school today. He can play the following songs well now:

- Viva La Vida by coldplay,
- Heart of Life by John Mayer,
- clock by coldplay,
- daughters by John Mayer,
- House of the rising Sun

From my untrained ear, he seems to improve a lot from where he started three months ago but how would one determine how fast he has improved over that time period? Get a second opinion beside his instructor?

TIA.

TDavis · #2 02-14-2020, 12:35 PM

i only started improving when I began to discipline myself to practicing...not playing...but PRACTICING every day. Some days, I practice an hour or so at a time...other days, I grab my guitar and practice 3-4 times at half that time span. But, I practice every day on purpose.

mr. beaumont · #3 02-14-2020, 12:48 PM

If he's taking a lesson 2-3 times a week and practicing 2 hours a day, I'd be willing to bet he's progressing faster than about 99% of people who pick up the guitar.

cciesec2006 · #4 02-14-2020, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozarkpicker

i only started improving when I began to discipline myself to practicing...not playing...but PRACTICING every day. Some days, I practice an hour or so at a time...other days, I grab my guitar and practice 3-4 times at half that time span. But, I practice every day on purpose.

Hi,

He PRACTICES two hours everyday. School is very much over for him at this point since the first semester ended a few weeks ago and grades are submitted to colleges. He heard back from all the colleges he wanted to attend and will decide before May 1st where he wants to attend. In the mean time, he has lot of free time.

In his normal routine, he practices guitar an hour in the morning before school and another hour after school. He also practices piano an hour every day. He has been playing piano for over ten years and he is not ready to give that up yet even though he loves playing guitar more.

Deliberate1 · #5 02-14-2020, 02:07 PM

May I humbly suggest that you ask your son how he feels he is progressing, and, equally important, where he feels he is not.
David

HodgdonExtreme · #6 02-14-2020, 02:16 PM

Speaking only for myself...

I can not make good use of lessons multiple times a week. Maybe I'm just a slow learner, but it takes me a week or two to process what was taught during a lesson.

DesertTwang · #7 02-14-2020, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cciesec2006

From my untrained ear, he seems to improve a lot from where he started three months ago but how would one determine how fast he has improved over that time period? Get a second opinion beside his instructor?

TIA.

How does he do when you jam with him? That would be a good indicator of progress in my mind.

joeld · #8 02-14-2020, 02:31 PM

It sounds like your son is doing great. If he is having fun and getting along with his teacher, why change the arrangement?

cciesec2006 · #9 02-14-2020, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesertTwang

How does he do when you jam with him? That would be a good indicator of progress in my mind.

Unfortunately, I don't know much about music

Conomor · #10 02-14-2020, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cciesec2006

Get a second opinion beside his instructor?

What is his instructor's opinion?

DaveKell · #11 02-14-2020, 02:46 PM

To this day the best, most impressive guitar player I ever heard was when I was a kid decades ago. I asked him how he got that good and he said "kid, it's easy. You have to practice 6 hours a day." Aside from no time for homework, movies, chasing girls and general fun time, I didn't see how that was possible in reality so I never did it. Believe me, it shows!

cciesec2006 · #12 02-14-2020, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joeld

It sounds like your son is doing great. If he is having fun and getting along with his teacher, why change the arrangement?

I am not looking to change teacher. or the arraingment I am just interested in knowing that he keeps improving each week. When he starts college in September, he will not be able to practice guitar two hours everyday unless he wants to fail college classes

cciesec2006 · #13 02-14-2020, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GroovyException

What is his instructor's opinion?

The instructor's opinion is that he is doing well. Then again, I don't know for sure because he is getting paid

cciesec2006 · #14 02-14-2020, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveKell

To this day the best, most impressive guitar player I ever heard was when I was a kid decades ago. I asked him how he got that good and he said "kid, it's easy. You have to practice 6 hours a day." Aside from no time for homework, movies, chasing girls and general fun time, I didn't see how that was possible in reality so I never did it. Believe me, it shows!

LOL... My son will be going to college in September. He is also an athlete so he will not have time to practice guitar two hours everyday due to sports and academic. He is also "very" interested in chasing girls

.

He wants to practice guitar as much as he can because this is down time for him. His guitar skill and because he is also an athlete, according to him, will help him with college ladies.

Oliss · #15 02-14-2020, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cciesec2006

Hi Everyone,

I've been away for while. Went back to Vietnam for the Luna New Year and things are crazy over there, well Asia in general, due to the corona virus. People over there are really freaking out.

My son has been taking guitar lesson like two to three times a week just before 2019 thanksgiving and he has been practicing like two hours everyday. I am working from home today and I listen to his guitar practice since he does not have school today. He can play the following songs well now:

- Viva La Vida by coldplay,
- Heart of Life by John Mayer,
- clock by coldplay,
- daughters by John Mayer,
- House of the rising Sun

From my untrained ear, he seems to improve a lot from where he started three months ago but how would one determine how fast he has improved over that time period? Get a second opinion beside his instructor?

TIA.

Why the need to quantify his progress? The world we live in already puts way too much emphasis on performance... If he is playing that much, his enjoyment is probably quite high, and that feels to me like the #1 priority, unless he wants to make a living as a professional musician.

I think more than one lesson per week is overkill, as the real learning process takes place in the time BETWEEN lessons.