Can I teach myself classical guitar/flamenco?

[IcyScythe]

I took about 4 months of lessons once a week last year in college but I just moved to cali and now I'm working to establish residency and then finish up school next year. Anyways do you think I can continue to learn on my own just by reading music/tabs and practicing? I have a friend who's a classical guitar major and I gather that technique is everything so I'll probably be learning some bad habits. BUT, I can't bear not continuing to work on classical guitar, especially the spanish, brazillian stuff I long to be able to play. I don't know why, but I just enjoy classical guitar so much more than electric these days.

[fmw]

Absolutely. As a personal recommendation I would stay away from tabs, though, and stay with standard music notation. Techical improvements can always be added. You need to be able to perform the music first anyway.

 

Nothing wrong with appreciating classical and Spanish/Latin guitar music. I love it too.

[riffmeister]

I would recommend lessons at first to get yourself situated, technique-wise. After that, have at it on your own.

 

Speaking for my own situation, I played steel string acoustic and electric guitar for ~10 years before picking up the classical guitar. I got started on my own, then took several month's worth of lessons from a good teacher. I think that was a good move......I've been on my own ever since.

[Cymro#1]

Lessons are absolutely essential when learning classical guitar. It is so important that you don't pick up bad habits .....simple things such as position of the thumb behind the neck and basic stance. Playing classical guitar takes a huge amount of self discipline and determination to do well and the techniques both musical and non musical need to be strictly adhered to.

[Gary Palmer]

Lessons can sometimes prove vital to technique, in fact many experienced players revert to lessons in order to polish their playing, but there's no need to stop teaching yourself if you enjoy playing. Especially if you're able to maintain your self discipline and avoid forming bad habits. Strike a happy medium between self tuition and taking lessons if at all possible.

 

As a cellist I took weekly lessons for eight years - moving on to include classical guitar - and these proved invaluable in terms of progress, improving my abilities and progression onto playing on an orchestral level, but so much depends upon how serious you are and whether or not finances will allow. Aiming high will get you further, but do you necessarily want to go there? The choice is yours.

 

There's nothing wrong in using both TAB and notation, but relying too heavily on TAB will tend to slow your sight reading development. It's great as a starting point and short cut, but fails to provide sufficient musical information unless you already know the tunes you're learning or have recordings of guitarist performances.

[Samilyn]

My budget is extremely tight, so I tend to work with books and DVDs as much as possible, then paying for the odd lesson here and there to make sure I'm doing things right.

 

If you're in school, be sure to touch base with the music professors/teachers. I'm sure they can point you to an excellent student or someone who can assist you with technique and other tips, pass along what they, themselves, have learned.

 

It's win-win - you get an inexpensive lesson, they get the extra bucks that every student always needs.

[Kaux]

 

Absolutely. As a personal recommendation I would stay away from tabs, though, and stay with standard music notation. Techical improvements can always be added. You need to be able to perform the music first anyway. Nothing wrong with appreciating classical and Spanish/Latin guitar music. I love it too.

 

 

That is something i have been thinking of...

 

Now that i am trying to learn guitar, i cant deny the usefulness of tab, when you know the notes... but, i keep hearing guitarist talking like, "e string 3rd fret", insted of G... Is that the way guitarist usually think about notes?

 

I am not being sarcastic by the way, i just want to learn the mindset behind guitar also.

[bali]

You can teach yourself anything that you have the patience to learn. Some say it's better to take one or two intro-lessons to get off on the right foot but I never have.

[fmw]

 

That is something i have been thinking of... Now that i am trying to learn guitar, i cant deny the usefulness of tab, when you know the notes... but, i keep hearing guitarist talking like, "e string 3rd fret", insted of G... Is that the way guitarist usually think about notes? I am not being sarcastic by the way, i just want to learn the mindset behind guitar also.

 

 

Standard music notation works for any instrument and any musician. You can pick up a piece of music or a lead sheet and it will have standard notation. It might also have guitar tabs but it might not since tabs aren't standard and aren't universal. When I was learning classical guitar the music I played from was written by Bach, Rodrigo and old composers like that. It was written in standard notation. There might be tabs available but there is always standard notation available. I've done some nice Bach piano pieces on guitar, as an example. There is no such thing as piano tabs since pianos don't have frets.

 

If you become dependent on tabs you will not be in the standard and universal language of music notation. If you you use standard notation you will be. Personally, I've never heard an accomplished guitarist refer to a G as E string 3d fret. G means the same thing to a guitarist as it does to a pianist or a saxophonist. E string 3d fret means nothing to a pianist or a saxophonist.

[pop tarts]

you can find scores all over the place, free on the internet or in libraries, or you can go pay for it if you feel the need... in my opinion, as long as you're learning and playing new songs, you're doing ok. if you want to be a classical guitar player at the highest level, working with a master would obviously be the route to take, but if you're just doing it for yourself, go ahead and learn on your own. most teachers aren't that great anyway.

[Maximum]

 

That is something i have been thinking of... Now that i am trying to learn guitar, i cant deny the usefulness of tab, when you know the notes... but, i keep hearing guitarist talking like, "e string 3rd fret", insted of G... Is that the way guitarist usually think about notes? I am not being sarcastic by the way, i just want to learn the mindset behind guitar also.

 

 

A guitarist who has only learned with tabs might think of it that way. But generally, no.

 

However, unlike piano and most other instruments, there is more than one way to play any given note on a guitar (with the exception of the 4 lowest notes). So when talking about how to play a particular riff or chord, it can be useful to specify where to play a note, since it could make the next note easier to get to, or another note in the chord possible to reach. Some people say tabs are good for this reason. However, many or most arrangements for classical guitar will include a notation for hand position where necessary, so that you have the necessary information anyway.

 

There are good teach-yourself-classical-guitar books/dvds. If you can't afford classes, get one, and work your way through it.

[pop tarts]

there are 43 ways to play a G on your average guitar(741 if you include alternate tunings), so high e 3rd fret is probably a time saver. plus, you don't always know if the other person you're talking to knows music theory.

[Kaux]

I see guys, thanks for making it clear to me... i play keyboards.

[pop tarts]

stfu n00b. no one cares what you think.

[Kaux]

 

stfu n00b. no one cares what you think.

 

 

Wow, a nice guy...

[riffmeister]

Wow, a nice guy...

 

No, you're the nice guy for that kind of reply!

 

.

[mister natural]

Icy - short answer to your question posted is : nope

 

classical technique is so . . . strict that, in order to play most efficiently, you really should have a teacher/classes for at least 6 months before venturing out alone

 

by "strict"; I don't mean stuffy or all that difficult. Many of the lessons you'll learn in classical training will help you enormously later down the road. Proper thumb/neck training and sight reading alone worth a million $$

[rfazano]

I took classical lessons for my junior year in college. Learned to read music, proper form..all the good stuff...Put the classical down for a couple of years and lost most all of it. Unless your real disciplined, instruction from a teacher is the way to go IMO.

 

I remember practicing for a week, thinking I was bad ass, only to come in and get humbled by her pointing out what I was doing wrong..

[boxorox]

Hard to believe it's me speaking, but YES, if you want to play classical, and especially Flaminco, you should have a teacher. There are so many subtlties that cannot be conveyed through written music.

[barneyc4]

Yes, you can learn, but you can also learn poorly.

 

Classical guitar is very 'delicate' and you should take some lessons first.

[IcyScythe]

So do you think I'm alright playing for a year for a few hours a day without instruction? Like I said I had some basic instruction from a good teacher (world class music professor/performer) for about four months. Once I get back into school I should be able to get lessons fairly cheaply from either profs in the music department or music majors.

[Gary Palmer]

In truth the vast majority of players learn without taking lessons - with quite a few learning alone - and one common thread among most who practise this way is lack of feedback via either a mentor or playing partner. This impacts progress to quite an extent, with problems with technique or other aspects - normally easily resolved during tuition - taking much much longer to work through. Solo and tutored learning and can in many cases be a little like the comparison between slow motion and normal speed / crawl lane and fast lane.

 

Taking lessons doesn't suit everyone and it's up to the individual which route he wants to pursue, so...........

 

The question is;

 

Are you happy with your present rate of progress and skill level?

 

If the answer is yes, then follow your present regime, but if no I'd recommend you take lessons.

 

Much depends upon how you measure success, but lessons - or sessions practising with a more experienced player - will genuinely speed your playing, technique, musicality and (Most importantly) enjoyment. If classical guitar is your forte, I'd suggest you try to find and take classes with a good classical guitar tutor.

[Lacoste]

[Aenima_0]

 

While I like this book alot, I wouldn't recommend to someone who's just starting out flamenco.

 

I recommend this: