Is learning to play the guitar through a teacher better than teaching yourself when first starting out?

Question

I have an acoustic guitar and have been aching to learn for some time. I want to play well enough to sit down of an evening and just play what is in my heart, so I am just wondering what experience everyone has in the learning to play field, and if anyone has any good pointers. Thank you! xxx

Answer 1

A teacher can help a lot, but you can learn yourself too.

do you know the open position chords and the basic scales? can you read TAB or sheet music?

Basic open Chords
http://www.guitarforbeginners.com/openchords.html

This site teaches some cool strumming patterns.
http://www.grouptherapy.guernsey.net/strumming.html

Music theory put in laymans terms
http://www.chordmaps.com/

You will need to learn some basic theory if you want to play what you hear in your head/heart.

http://www.chordmaps.com/part3.htm This page shows what chords will go together to write your own chord progressions and songs

Do you know the I IV V (1- 4-5) chord progression? basically in every key you can use the I IV V chords of that key to write simple
songs (hundreds of popular songs use this, called the 3 chord trick)

In the Key of C it goes----- C D E F G A B C =1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
So if C=1(I) F=4(IV) and G=4(V)
you now have the chords C-F-G to make your song with.

Email me if you need more help :~)

Answer 2

Like everyone else has said, the right choice depends on what sort of person you are.

Learning with a friend is a pretty cool way to share problems and successes. Also there are a bundle of free guitar tutors on the net too. To start off with I think I would recommend getting a book, a PC CD guitar tutor and/or looking at stuff on the web. Then when you have got some basics maybe think about some lessons. Just keep it fun to start with tho, learn a few chords, different fingerpicking and strumming styles dont,t get lost in scales and musical theory. they can come later.

The guitar really is one of the most rewarding and varied instruments to play. I taught myself from a couple of books and started playing with other musical friends and after a year or so some of us got a group together - thats a great way to learn.

35 years on I know bugger all musical theory, can't read a note and the only scale I know is the blues scale. That hasn,t stopped me from playing in several groups tho and just like you say you want to I can play from my heart.

Music is a great thing to share and learning with other friends makes it a lot of fun - as for teachers well its not for me but could be for you. Have a go on your own first then after a year or so maybe try a teacher and they can at least point you to different ways of learning, styles of playing and correct a few faults that you may have picked up.

Best of luck, follow the path that is the most fun.

Answer 3

I'm completely self-taught and I can play acoustic, bass and electric. It helps to have someone to guide you, but there is just as much bad advice as there is good advice out there. What works for someone else as 'essential' may not work for you.

My advice would be, stop looking at the poor thing, dust it off and pick it up and play it. The earlier you start learning the easier it will be. Okay you won't be amazing at first but everyone has to start somewhere! Grab some simple chords off the net and learn a nirvana or oasis song.

There are two types of learning the guitar. One is the theory, such as Em is 022000 on the fretboard, F is 133211, and so forth. The other is muscle memory. See when you watch a famous guitarist play at lightning speed, they're not necessarily very clever - they've just practised the same thing over & over again until they can play it! A lot of guitarists simply bluff their way through just like that!

I think going to a teacher is a great idea, or having a friend to bounce ideas off, if you're not very confident with it. It won't take a few hours to learn, I've been playing for 7 years and I'm still learning. But one thing I've noticed is that, while guitarists I've known who have got lessons know how to play covers really well, self-taught people know how to jam! If you want to play what's in your heart, pick up a discount book on a beginners' guide to a guitar, and work your way up, no-one knows you better than yourself!

Answer 4

Hi there, similarly to some of the people here I had a teacher when I first started out but when I was young I only wanted to play the simple songs that I was listening to (e.g Nirvana and the like) however my teacher was trying to teach me heavy metal techniques that, while be technically good, were not what I wanted to play.
Id suggest however that if you can find a good teacher that you get on with then learn all you can from them.
That said however I have taught myself all the chords and scale structures and this can be a fun and exciting way of learning. Just get a book and be prepared to practise (and get through the frustration!) Both ways however are rewarding just with a teacher you can probably pick things up more quickly. However By yourself you get to play how and what you want.

Good luck anyway, and enjoy it!

Answer 5

Swings and roundabouts... a (good) guitar teacher will ensure that you work on a good habits, and give you some pointers so that you know where you're going wrong.

However, of three different teachers I went to when I was 14 (about 12 years ago now) one was useless and never knew where we'd got to in the course or anything, and the other just tried to force on me his own jazz influences, when all I wanted to do was play along to Metallica!

I ended up teaching myself, initially using a fantastic magazine called Total Guitar, which comes with backing track CDs to play along to, which is a big help.

The best thing I think I'd advise is to go to a teacher, but not be afraid to tell him/her if you're not happy with what they're doing, and move on to another. Decide exactly what you want from the instrument and go for it, one step at a time. I started off small, with a few riffs and such, and slowly but surely moved through acoustic stuff, and now I am playing along to... Metallica, just like I always wished.

Whatever you decide to do, dedication is the main ingredient. Even when its getting boring or even a bit tedious, stick with it, and the results will speak for themselves!

Sorry to ramble, and good luck!

Answer 6

You should definitely think of having a few lessons, even if it's just to get you going. I have played the guitar for many years, both in a band and in my bedroom, and I never had any lessons (although I did for other instruments which I never got into). Recently I was given a portuguese guitar for xmas and had a few lessons because the tuning and music for this guitar are completely different to what you play on a standard guitar. I was amazed by how much you can get from a teacher and I'm now kicking myself that I never had guitar lessons all those years ago when I was more active musically. I could have been pushed so much further than what i taught myself by ear...
Go for it and enjoy yourself!

Answer 7

Finding a teacher to guide you is highly recommended. You will understand things so much better then. The feedback a teacher can give you is invaluable. You won't be left wondering things, like am I playing that chord right? Am I holding the guitar alright? And all those niggling little questions you have when you begin. You can ask your teacher. This will lead to having more confidence with the playing the guitar.
I think people who say they taught themselves, actually learned from people they live with or hang out with, and so aren't realising so much that they are learning from experience, and others.

Answer 8

I used to be a drummer in a band and asked my friend to teach me guitar because I wanted to be able to just mess around and sing.

He showed me a few simple chords which I was able to practice and find songs on the internet which used just those chords.

As I went along I added more and more new chords which I found on the internet and now I can do exactly what I wanted and have had many nights sitting around singing with friends.

To take it to the next level I feel as if I either need to spend tons more time practicing or go for lessons but of course that does not negate the need to practice.

Basically I am saying that you can do it yourself but it also depends on how much natural talent you have. I have a very musical family so it's always been in my blood.

You could try the same approach but if it gets you no-where in 6 months I would suggest some lessons.

Just remember that you do need to spend about 3-5 hours a week practicing if you want to see results fast. You will probably also find yourself floating around at a certain level for a few weeks/months and then something clicks and takes you to that next level.

Good luck and enjoy the music!

Answer 9

I took a few lessons in a group setting when I was starting out to learn the basic chords and such. Then I went on to a smaller class and got discouraged because the teacher was a jerk. After that, I went on my own and taught myself everything else: Barre chords, lead guitar, etc. I taught myself every song I know. I play by ear but I also wish I could read music better. If you can find a good teacher, I would try to learn everything I could from them. Good luck and have fun. Guitar is a great instrument. I love it.

Answer 10

ive played guitar now for 10 years and i would say that you should definatly get a teacher until you're comfortable with the basics. i had a teacher for 1 year and she taught me chords and songs and from there i was able to pick up the rest on my own. learning guitar tabs is a good way to start too. a lot of older guitar teachers will tell you that its important for you to learn to read music, this is not the case as tabs are a million times easier. once you've grasped the concept of tabs you can find most guitar songs on www.ultimate-guitar.com