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Question: What is your guitar teacher like!? How fussy is he/she!?
I've had 3 guitar lessons now, my first one we did the Key of C, 2nd one we did 3 notes on the e string and some more chords (time of your life/good riddance by greenday), today we did 3 notes on the B string!. At the end of the lesson we went back to time of your life n he was obviously not happy with it (k i only practiced an hour or so between lessons, the rest was the other stuff he taught me)!. it doesn't look like I'll be doing any basic songs for a few months at least, going on what he's said and whats in the folder he gave me (i don't desperately want to learn songs, more learn how to learn them on my own!. Anyway though are all guitar teachers like this- he makes me do everything exactly his way, even though I know there are some other ways!.

How long did it take you to get good at the technical stuff like chord transitions!? I'm good at single string notes, not chords!.

I guess my question is how long does it take to get better, like good enough that my teacher will move on each lesson!. I've already taught myself about 20 songs but that doesn't help with what my teacher's doing!. I sort of feel like I'm playing a bit for my teacher not just myself!. I think a problem I've got is that I don't fully love playing, like I still practice in all my spare time but I wanted to play drums (still do) and I have tried once and found it a lot easier, the guy that showed played something that he took a few hours to learn but I could do it straight away!. I used to practice with some pens or something and just hit my legs or something :) it worked too I improved by doing it!. But my parents wouldn't let me get drums, they've got a huge list of vague reasons why, mainly coz they're too loud and our house is small and we cant soundproof at all!. Still hoping for a chance to learn them, I wont be getting them coz we've already payed nearly $400 for a Squier Strat and an amp!.

So yeah thats not really one question but I'm not sure how to put it!. Just wanna know if everyone starts off lessons like that!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Everybody learns at a different pace so you shouldn't judge yourself based on how fast somebody else you may know does!. All I can tell you is to play that strat everyday and don't always practice every time you play!. Learn some songs you like instead of going over a scale!. that's how I got betterWww@QuestionHome@Com

Hi Tom:

Im going to answer from a teachers standpoint on this!. One of the most discouraging things I see is a student who waste their time as well as mine!. The lessons are given for a reason!. I see that he has you playing notes on the E and B string!. (3 notes is what you said!.)
I would assume that if you follow the lesson plan, hes going to have you playing notes on ALL the strings, then expand it to ALL the fretboard!. Sounds like a good teacher to me!. Nothing wrong with fretboard mastery!.

Its very obvious to me when a student hasnt put ANY effort into practicing!. And yes, some do learn faster than others!. But its also easy to tell who has practiced and who hasnt!. I would rather teach someone who doesnt learn as fast as the next person, but committs fully to practicing every day!. I have been known to eventually drop a student if they dont want to practice, as its a waste of my time, their time, and!.!.!.!.!. someone elses money!. I can easily find another student who is willing to learn!. An hour a day is the minimum you should practice what he has given you!.

You also say you "dont fully love playing"!. Then why waste his time!? Drums CAN be an option, as that seems to be the instrument you really want to learn!. There are electronic kits that sell for about the same price as your guitar and amp combo!. Headphones is all thats required for those, and no one else has to hear it except you!. And from my experience over the years, an instrument that someone is forced to learn and not chosen willingly will eventually in time become a dust collector!.

I started taking lessons in 1963 at the age of 4 on piano!. By the time I was 10, I was still playing piano, had taken violin for 2 years, oboe for 2 years, and then switched to Upright bass!. A few years later, Organ, while still playing Upright and Piano!. I still remember one thing to this day that my teacher used to tell me all the time!.!.!.!. "Its my job to teach you an instrument as well as to teach you to love music!." A funny thing happened!.!.!.!.!.!.!. I became a very good pianist, organist, and bassist!. I played classical music for the first 15 years of my music training!. By following my teachers lessons and PRACTICING daily, I was able to switch to electric bass with no problem when I started playing rock and roll!. Synthesizers were big at the time too, and I had no problem with those!. Years later, I taught myself guitar, as my years of music theory training and the ear I had developed made it pretty easy!. Right now at almost 50 years old, im teaching myself drums!. I will probably never be a drummer who can play live, but my goal is to be able to at least play drums on some of my original music!. Thats the only instrument right now to where I either program a drum machine, or have a couple of drum playing friends write the drum parts for me and record them!.

I really hope you learn to love music!. Its been a very rewarding part of my life!. Ive played all over the United States since the late 70's as a bassist, keyboardist, and on occasion, guitar player!. The guitar is a wonderful instrument!. Hope you stick with it, and follow the teachers lesson plan!. Who knows, down the road you may get your chance to learn drums!. Might even pick up a bass and learn that to in years to come!. Nothing has been more rewarding for me than writing my own music and being able to play all the instruments I know how to!.

Hope this has helped, and KEEP PLAYIN!Www@QuestionHome@Com

It appears you are not following the teachers instruction, You are more interested in trying to skip the basics!. (I hope you are not one of those who thinks they know more than the teacher)
Spend the next few weeks doing what the teacher asks for!.
Keep your guitar out where you can get to it!. 3 or more times a day pick it up and go through your lesson material!.
Less than that, I would say, You are not ready to learn the instrument!.Www@QuestionHome@Com