Specific Direction Vs. General Encouragement

We've all at least thought about taking private lessons before. Many of us have taken lessons or received unorganized instruction from other guitar players before. There are sooo many ways to approach learning guitar, books, videos, private lessons, skype lessons, computer programs, and alot of good players just work on it in their own intuitive way.

So, on the subject of teaching style do we prefer private lessons that are concrete in nature? Do this first, do this second because it's easier to learn a first before b. Kind of the Mr. Miyagi wax on wax off routine. Or do we like general discussion on the topic that falls more under the category of what I'd like to call "general encouragement"?

I once took private lessons from a guitarist before who was a very good guitar player. I enjoyed listening to the man talk about what makes good music, we listened to lots of music, we'd listen to a peice and talk about what was good/what we liked within the music specifically. Many important topics were discussed at great length and we did some jamming. But when it was all said and done, I didn't really learn how to play anything specific to play on the guitar. I can't say I regretted taking the lessons, because I did enjoy being there listening to the very kind and geneal man talk about guitar in general. And the loose jamming was fun, but what was the final outcome?

I just wonder if I would be a better guitar player if I had received a specific item to practice, worked on that item, took it back to the teacher next week and let him correct/critique the work I had done with the lessons. On a specific direction level...

I'm wondering what YOU GUYS prefer as far as private lessons? What's the recipe for the right presentation?

HR would want to play first, then talk about it. During the fun part (playing) he would do something that blew my mind, and I would ask him what he did. Then we'd work it. A good student will ask questions, a good teacher will respond to those questions. It's impossible to learn something unless you're inquisitive. And if your teacher doesn't answer those questions, it's time for a new teacher.:cool:

You should have some objective each week. I got a lot of benefit from being taught how music works as well as working on songs and technique.

When I was 20 I took lessons for a couple of years in a private school.The teacher asked me, what would you like to play, I like country I answered.He told me, country is difficult(I presume he didn't know to play country).OK, then he started giving me scales stuff, a couples of blues riffs, a couple of jazzy songs...Yes I learned the scales and such but I was discouraged because I wasn't learning what I liked.Does this answer your question?

There are very good and very bad teachers that just want your money, period.

Play the music/style you like and you will practice a lot more.

Learning to play the guitar, just like learning anything, requires desire, curiosity, and perseverance. That's it. All teachers will help, some by pointing you in the right direction, and others by allowing you to realize that they've pointed you in the wrong direction.

The answer (for me at least) is simple... You need both a GREAT teacher and a WILLING student!

I have had literally a couple of lessons with a brilliant teacher and in a couple of those lessons I learned more than I had in weeks of fruitless woodshedding! However the teacher is only there to provide a curriculum, to lay down the basics and provide insight! It is up to the individuals taking the lessons to ask questions if they don't understand (or are indeed seeking to expand their knowledge of the subject) and also to go beyond what is laid out in the lessons!

If you learn the G major scale in one position... Go home, memorise that, then learn all the other positions yourself! Why bother having a good teacher waste the time by drawing the dots?! If you are shown a chord, record yourself playing the chord (or sequence) and play over it using the notes of the chord to gain an understanding of how the notes work with the chord!

I personally in those lessons had my picking and fretting technique analysed and 'tweaked' to aid accuracy, fluency and efficiency. I also learned the basics of 12 bar blues and the minor pentatonic.

From that - I have been able to grasp the ground level basics of blues music. I took what I'd been shown, I learned the other positions of the Am pentatonic as well as the Cmaj pentatonic because I heard him mention the relative keys (got me onto circle of fifths). I attempted to transpose the stuff (blindly) until I found out about CAGED which has renewed my learning!

If I could afford a good teacher at the moment I'd go for it! You need to put the extra effort in though, go above and beyond the lessons... Always have a new question to ask each week - you should always stumble onto something you don't comprehend :wink:

I think alot of what makes a great teacher has to do with mixing up a challenging curriculum while never losing sight of what a student is interested.
I have a teacher who has done it professionally for the better part of 40 years.
He's basically a bluegrass player but over four decades, he's had to follow the fashion of shred, blues, grunge hip hop and lots of other styles.
He's got a great ear and an open mind for all of these types of music and uses them to teach sound theory.
He might not be the most accomplished player in all of these styles but I always feel like he points the student in the right direction to progressing.
If you are taking guitar lessons your time is best spent actually playing the guitar.

I think alot of what makes a great teacher has to do with mixing up a challenging curriculum while never losing sight of what a student is interested.
I have a teacher who has done it professionally for the better part of 40 years.
He's basically a bluegrass player but over four decades, he's had to follow the fashion of shred, blues, grunge hip hop and lots of other styles.
He's got a great ear and an open mind for all of these types of music and uses them to teach sound theory.
He might not be the most accomplished player in all of these styles but I always feel like he points the student in the right direction to progressing.
If you are taking guitar lessons your time is best spent actually playing the guitar.

HUGE +1

Guitar lessons can't be borin' like school :wink: