Members PastorJeff Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 I am an average player, I know A,B,C,D,E, and G chords and many others (F still hurts my hand... ). I have really good strumming technique, and the Praise and Worship songs are sounding quite good...but I want to be great! I put in about 1-2 hours practice minimum, more if I can. I want to be able to play lead guitar and to be able to play for the church...should I be taking lessons?!? I want to get really good at fingerpicking too...(Eric Clapton - No more tears in heaven for example) What is your advice?!? Should I sign up for lessons?!? Thanks for your help! Jeffrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ralphster007 Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 I think that anyone with the drive to progress and the cash to finance it should take lessons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PastorJeff Posted December 27, 2002 Author Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 Thanks for the input...if I can find an opening that matches my day off I might go for it. Any other thoughts from anyone?!? Jeffrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members u6crash Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 Lessons can go either way. I had lessons when I started. Started with one teacher and he wasn't so hot, and switched to another that was great. They both played well, but didn't both teach well if you catch my meaning. I stopped because I was in an auto accident and by the time I recovered my teacher moved away. Now I'm in the position that I've been playing 5 years (does it sound like it? depends on who you ask) and I'd like more lessons to get better, but I live in such a remote area that finding a teacher is hard, and coming up with the money is just as hard. I'd say if you can afford it, go with lessons for a bit, see how it goes. If it isn't all it's cracked up to be, you might do just as well using books and instructional videos/dvds. I'm thinking about getting some videos for myself right now, so if anyone reading this has some suggestions, let me hear them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terje Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 Originally posted by ralphster007 I think that anyone with the drive to progress and the cash to finance it should take lessons. Yep, that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Roadstar II Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 To me, lessons are essential for building a good foundation on which to increase your playing ability. Just be sure to have a teacher that is patient and understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratKat Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 If you are the type who is agressive enough and disciplined enough to stick with something WITHOUT someone standing over yoyu then may i suggest any one of several available online tutorials/lessons. If you need alot of structured tidbit size tutoring then forget it and get a teacher. And dont think for a second that taking lessons is some kind of hangup for people who cant learn on their own. Ive been teaching for ages off and on and still take lessons now and then. But its a fact that alot of guys download things expecting to learn a TRICK or SHORTCUT and bang! They immediately will become a lead player. Doesnt work that way....First, to play lead of any kind you are limited by what your ears can identify and what your fangers can reproduce on the neck. That takes months to years to lifetimes... So the trick (if there is one) is to train your ears to identify what they hear and translate it to something you pick up in lessons. Mostly , that meand chords, scales, and technique.See, a solo is just a bunch of partial scales from some key signature with some bends and partial chords thrown in. So you train yourself to know them by their sound when you teach yourself (or take lessons for) all of the above. Same thing with the theory thang. Its not about being an egghead or some jazz cat with monster chops. Theory is nothing more than the minds explanation/translation of what the ears hear. This cant happen until the mind understands enough things like scales or chpords to identify them when heard.People been doing this through lessons and copying other peoples songs off records for ages. Its all part of a long term mental development of building up licks and sound recognition through repetition.So definitely go out and audition SEVERAl teachers/instructors and take lessons from as many as you can to find the right chemistry. There isnt much worse then a bad combination of teacher/student and ther aint much better then the right combination of the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cassius Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 If you have the money for it, do it. If you dont, you can progress fine with enough determination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thamiam Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 Lessons always.Unless you are broke (like me). Than just make sure you practice effectively, and pick up ideas from wherever you can. And hang out on this forum. A lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ralphster007 Posted December 27, 2002 Members Share Posted December 27, 2002 Originally posted by thamiam And hang out on this forum. A lot. I don't feel the the HCGFs have been a positive thing for my playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J the D Posted December 28, 2002 Members Share Posted December 28, 2002 I would think you need lessons, lessons and more lessons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stratcat Posted December 28, 2002 Members Share Posted December 28, 2002 Jeff, if you have the time and cash and can find an instructor that will teach you, then sure. Knowledge is power and you can never know too much man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members PastorJeff Posted December 28, 2002 Author Members Share Posted December 28, 2002 I think that I am going to start looking for a guitar instructor after the New Year... I really appreciate all your help! Jeffrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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