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Joined: Apr 2012
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This might be more appropriately posted elsewhere but here goes anyway.
I am a self taught guitar player starting around age 10. I am a formally trained trumpet player and was a top rated high school and college player.
I would rank my guitar playing skill as intermediate. I have played in rock and country bands in my early years and could handle most rhythm and some lead playing. It is many years later now and I mostly entertain family and friends with acoustic and vocals (and BIAB of course!). I do yearn to become a much better player and will have the time when I retire in September. I know that some of you are guitar (and other instrument) instructors. Reading today's post about how much time to practice lead to my posting this topic.
From my formal musical training I know how to and how much practice is necessary to obtain the goals that I have set: awareness and fluid use of chord variations in all positions; command of scales and scale modes; use of the aforementioned scales in improvisation; improve my use of dynamics and expression.
Do you believe that in my position you would seek an instructor if only to keep oneself focused? Or would you design your own practice plan and schedule and draw upon the vast amount of guitar instruction materials available on the internet?
I would love to hear your comments. I know that all of you have been where I am in your musical journey.
Todd
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Do you believe that in my position you would seek an instructor if only to keep oneself focused? Or would you design your own practice plan and schedule and draw upon the vast amount of guitar instruction materials available on the internet? I would definitely take the route of lessons by DVD/download accompanied by written TAB. Homespun is one of the best. The instructors are professional musicians in a wide variety of styles. http://www.homespuntapes.com/Most local instructors are just guys who can teach you a few songs but can't really give you an organized method of study. Good luck.
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Yeah Bob, that was what I was thinking. Matter of fact, I walked into my local guitar store to look around a few weeks ago and was noodling around on a couple of Stevie Ray tunes. The owner came over and asked me if I wanted to teach!
Todd
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Do you believe that in my position you would seek an instructor if only to keep oneself focused? Or would you design your own practice plan and schedule and draw upon the vast amount of guitar instruction materials available on the internet? I would agree with Bob on this. One big advantage of having DVD or Internet based lessons is that you can refer back to the lessons any time you want, and more importantly, as often as you want. In fact, I have lessons by Larry Coryell and Emily Remler that I bought years ago that I still refer back to from time to time. Go for it! New tricks are what keep us from becoming old dogs! 
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Hey LKMULLER, I wish I was there with you on the big island!
Thanks for the advice. BTW, I took a couple of slack key lessons from George Kahumoku at his house in Maui a couple of years ago.
Todd
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If you are really disciplined you might try the DVD/canned lesson route. I have a bookshelf full of how-to books and videos but sadly most of them are still in pristine condition!
But I find that when I sign up with an instructor I almost always move forward and learn more, faster! My preference these days is group classes. Been taking fiddle, banjo and songwriting most recently. Accomplished more in a year of classes than in many, many years of how-to books and recordings!
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Hey LoveGuitar,
Here's another Trumpeter who took up the guitar many moons ago.
I also had a lot of piano lessons at one time.
As for a live teacher for you, I would give a qualified YES to the question and that qualifier has to do with you finding the RIGHT teacher. Since you know the Trumpet, you should want a teacher who teaches from the notation staff if at all possible IMHO, not one who leans mostly on Guitar TAB, and that is because you very likely already know how to read, how to count and how to decipher rhythm figures on the fly or at least with a minute of study. The really neat aspect of that is the fact that the Guitar is written in the Treble Clef only (but the instrument sounds one octave lower than the written note).
There are also some really great guitar tutorial softwares available separately from PGMusic that I recommend without reserve. Here you have a system that is very much like having a live teacher, but at your beck and call as to time, just load it onto the computer and have at it. And the ability to go back and repeat whole lessons or parts thereof is sheer dynamite.
One thing about music performance that I love is that the "old dog, new tricks" bromide really does not apply. Matter of fact, the consummate musician should be always thinking about music, always working on something new, always running over old things to keep them shiny, well, having known some of the real greats in the bidness and seeing firsthand how they continued to keep on keepin' on with it well into their 90's as most do left a different impression on yours truly about that.
Welcome to the fun!
--Mac
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Mac,
I certainly agree with you about the right teacher. My first requirement would be enthusiasm. And yes, I would like to have a guitar instructor who reads music not just tabulature. On the other hand, there are many many great guitarists and probably instructors who do not have this skill. I just would like to learn from someone who recognizes my ability level and knows how to motivate me and get me to that next level and beyond. I want someone who knows the right place to start with me. I'm okay with baby steps. I think the instructor route might work out best because I kind of the like the pressure of demonstrating my progress with my assignments. My trumpet teacher was a well known symphonic player who had no patience for wasting his time because insufficient time had been spent practicing week's performance piece.
Todd
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