Self taught or did you take lessons?

A

AICfan

New member
Are you guys self taught or did you take lessons?

I taught myself how to play the guitar. I can remember the first chords my uncle ever showed me was G and D, and from there, I went on my own. I was 8. Sure it helps to play with another guitarist, but I never really saw the point of taking lessons from teachers. I always figured all the money I would've spent on taking lessons could be spent buying better equipment instead. Everything I know I taught myself from ear. The only thing I need help understanding is reading tabs. I can read them a little bit, but I'm not very good at it yet. I'm getting there, though. My friend can read music good (he took lessons for a year), so I'm learning that from him. :13:
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

Lessons, starting about age 7 I think, but mom and dad had taught me some basics from about age 5...

Some years I had no lessons though...
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

I learned the bases of scales from my brother at 8 and taught myself from their.
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

Self taught, with the help from few books and experienced players I've run into over the six or so years I've been playing.
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

slef tuahgt. My uncle taught me a few chords on guitar and then i taught myself for a year. The a took a few months of lessons and quit. I learned afew tricks of the trade from lessons but alot fo it was on my own or from friends.
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

Started on my own, had music theory and learned how to write music in highschool, had
a few teachers where I learned more basic stuff, scales and such, chord structures rhythm stuff, I was always told to try to play in my own style.
So I did that, one teacher also told me that it would be a good idea to forget all about the things I have learned while playing, or I would become a machine that just plays without purpose, he was a fusion and jazz player;)
From that point I relied on my ears and learned to be patient about playing, no need to rush stuff, so I took my time and still does just that after 20+ odd years.
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

Self taught... of course I looked up the chords at websites... they are quite difficult to find out yourself ;)
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

I had lessons when I was starting out to get me going. I'm teaching myself now though.

I might start taking some more lessons soon so I can learn more about theory
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

Took one year of lessons from this crazy old hippie lady in town. Very cool year. Learned tons of chords, introduced to some cool music, no lead stuff. I was just 9 or 10. Ended up starting lessons with a guy that was going to teach this large class how to play lead and such , but he was using fractions to denote the fretboard position notes. 1/3 first fret, third string type stuff. I didn't care for it and that was it after one lesson.

Got tons of song books that had the chord notations on them and learned a ton of chords that way. Still can't play lead to save my butt, but I do love dem chords. :)
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

Self taught, my progress went extremely fast during the first 3 months of me teaching myself how to play so after that I had never found the need to get myself a teacher.
 
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Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

Self-taught...poorly!

Started in '78 (or was it '79?) by teaching myself a handful of chords from the chord diagrams in music books. After a few months a friend showed me how to play barre and power chords. I spent the next 25 years playing nothing but barre chords and a small variety of open chords (majors, minors, and the occasional 7th). After all of those years I finally got frustrated and bought a book on scales. Right now I know the major scale, and the major and minor pentatonic scales. But, I don't really practice them, so what little lead I can play (when improvising) is taken from the minor pentatonic scale. When I'm in a creative mood, I can actually write more complicated solos based around chord notes, but I can only do that by working at it one lick at a time.

I really wish that I would have taken lessons; I know that my technique is probably terrible. The worst part is that I can never relax, so I play with a "Kung Fu Death Grip" on the neck. This means that I can never "shred", but I have no interest in doing so anyway. When it comes down to it, I'm nothing but a mediocre rhythm guitarist with very limited soloing skills. At the moment, I'm playing in a 3 piece (bass, drums, guitar) basement band, and that is forcing me to play beyond my ability. It is tough, but beneficial; I'm getting better.

To anyone who is just starting: Take lessons!!!!
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

Yeah I'm self taugh... It has its advantages and disadvantages... good things are your forced to work on your technique and work things out for yourself which helps develop you as a player... the main disadvantage (for me) is that my theory knowledge sucks
 
Re: Self taught or did you take lessons?

I taught myself for about a year and then my grand parents offered to pay for me to take lessons.
 
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