Experiences with Lessons

[Spivonious]

If you're really serious about learning theory, I'd drop the guitar for a bit and get a textbook on music theory. I tried many times to learn theory with the guitar, and never really got it. Then I took a course in college and everything fell into place.

If you just want to improve at guitar, practice, practice, practice. Find some challenging exercises, always look for new music that challenges you, be patient, and you will improve.

Oh, and that's cool about Trey Alexander. I took a few lessons from him a few years back.

[Freyr]

I've never had any luck with lessons. My best stretches of learning and improvement came from working on something that was way beyond my ability and keeping at it until brute force got me there. (An example of one of those big jumps was learning all of Bark at the Moon to tempo. Trivial for most here, but it completely kicked my ass. Afterwards I was better at a ton of things.)

Yeah, this is pretty much what I do too. Although my biggest improvement was probably from playing with acouple of my friends who where lightyears ahead of me in the playing department. Although I always felt inferior when we were jamming, afterwards it was amazing how much shit I learned.

[delt]

If you're really serious about learning theory, I'd drop the guitar for a bit and get a textbook on music theory. I tried many times to learn theory with the guitar, and never really got it. Then I took a course in college and everything fell into place.

So-called guitarists who don't even know (at least basic) music theory... are like writers who don't know the alphabet. Guitar is a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, remember?

[Spivonious]

So-called guitarists who don't even know (at least basic) music theory... are like writers who don't know the alphabet. Guitar is a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, remember?

I think you're agreeing with me, but I'm not sure. If so , if not And I'd liken it more to writers not knowing grammar. They can make words but they don't know how to put them together.

[delt]

^heh heh...

I agree with anyone who says you should know music before calling yourself a musician And not just "uhh... i think my brother told me this chord is a G, uh.. and this one, uh.....a C or a D, gosh i don't remember... uhhhh...."

[Super_shredder]

its like playing without theory or watever is like communitacting with people by rubbing your dick on them , while learning theory or having lessons is like learning to communicate with words

[delt]

^ haha, soooo well said! =D

[Brick]

lessions= good. But get the right one, find a dude that will teach u the shit u want to know.

[OnlineStageGear]

Lessons are good as well as learning stuff by ear or downloading tab. Anything that gets you playing something differnt than what you would normally have played is good. When I took lessons way back I would usually either come in with something I wanted to learn or just have my teacher jam some shit and when he hit on something that sounded cool, I would have him go back and show it to me.

However $50 an hour sounds a bit steep and might be more for advanced lessons which you might not be ready for yet if you are just starting to play some leads.

Matt

[UFORocks]

Well the first lesson went really well. We started with learning the staff and what all the notes mean. It was a pretty productive first lesson. The teacher is pretty patient and explains things really well. Its a little weird playing from sheet music though, but I'm already getting used to it.

Lesson two in two days.

[Sinistas]

So-called guitarists who don't even know (at least basic) music theory... are like writers who don't know the alphabet. Guitar is a MUSICAL INSTRUMENT, remember?

Yeah? People like the stuff I write despite me not knowing theory. More importantly, *I* like the stuff I write. Stick it.

[UFORocks]

Yeah? People like the stuff I write despite me not knowing theory. More importantly, *I* like the stuff I write. Stick it.

Music is a language. Just because you dont know all the gramatical theory behind a language doesn't necessarily mean you can't communicate.

I remember a line from one of my favorite movies, "The Fifth Element". The line was, "... I only speak two languages, english and bad-english...".

I think of music in the same way; someone who's taken a few english classes is likely to be better at putting a sentence together than somoene who hasn't.

I'm one of those people that needs to know how something is supposed to work in order to make effective use of it.

[Jem]

( jacksons in the UK are 2000 pounds.about 4300 dollars for a USA dinky)

Whoa!!!!

Where you been lookin? That's insane money. Try www.gak.co.uk or www.turnkey.co.uk or even ebay for more reasonable prices! USA SL1 soloists are about 1000 new and any Dinky I've seen is in the 200-600 pound range.

I thought about importing my SL3, or bringing it back on the plane last time I was over Stateside but it simply wasn't worth it once I took into account excess baggage charges or shipping & customs if I mailed it.

Think I need some lessons in OT posting :ROTF:

[Sinistas]

My general belief is that if you want to know theory, take lessons, whatever...More power to you. I've been thinking about taking lessons lately myself to expand my knowledge and not repeat myself. HOWEVER, I cannot stand when somebody posts their "if you don't know theory, you're an inferior musician" elitist bullshit. Leave it at the door.

[delt]

No, you didn't understand what i said. I never said if you don't know music you are an inferior musician.

I said that if you don't know music you are NOT a musician.