Guitar Lessons

[Bad Karma]

I have decided to pick up another hobby besides the "Hobby". I want to start taking guitar lessons. Are there any recommendations or suggestions on resources to find a good technical guitar teacher?

 

[Pandora Tomorrow]

Hey Kirk. It really depends on your criteria and what area you're in that best suits you.

I've been an amateur musician for almost 25 years and still play in a band and do gigs and run in to guys like you all the time (sorry, didn't want that to sound derogatory), but I always ask them "what do you want to do with your new found passion?" . Do you just want to play for yourself? Do you want to entertain your friends around the campfire? Do you want to join in a jam session every once in a while? Or do you want to take it all the way and try your hand at being a professional? This is what you have to tell the Instructor and they will gear your teachings to it.

All Instructors will teach you good mechanics and technique, well, they SHOULD anyway. Riley gives you a good start with L&M. When you call up a prospective Teacher, interview them. I searched out Instructors for my kids (drums, guitar and piano, yep, I have the complete Partridge family in my house) and I got the school or private Instructor to give me one free half hour lesson to see if the match between student and teacher was good. I actually went through about 3 each and finally found a good match that the kids were comfortable with.

BTW, after playing drums and percussion since I was 9, I picked up the guitar about 5 yrs ago and taught myself, but being around my musician friends, they taught me good technique and I took it from there. It's really cool performing in front of people and my band mates and I all play other instruments and we rotate during shows and gives the band a whole new dynamic, I have actually done an unplugged session where all the guys left the stage and I did 3 Eagles tunes...wow, was that nerve racking (and still is) but what a rush!!

Good luck, and you'll never regret it. Music is universal and a great way to get the ladies :

 

[TheRightInfo]

None can help the Brother here?.

 

[Im a girl]

Thanks all for your time in responding to my question.

Riley - Thanks for the links. I checked out L&M and it seems that music lesson is not offered at the Bloor location...but I will call them to confirm for sure. As for the RCM, there is a class for beginners, but starts in July. I would like to start sooner though.

iceman - Thanks for all the advice and very helpful considerations to keep in mind. I really just want to learn so I can play by myself. There are times when I here a song on the radio or tv and wish that I could do an acoustic rendering of that song...just for my own personal enjoyment.

This is great advice that I can start off in my search for guitar lessons!

 

[jim a]

Guitar World subscription. Why listen to some jazz playing junkie blather on a about modes of the Lydian scale when you can get video lessons from the working musicians that inspired you in the first place? Theres also youtube where many of these video lessons get uploaded. A video can be rewound and played back without eating up the hour you just payed for. There are tons of free lessons and "tabs" on the internet. Tablature is a guitar specific way of scoring music that makes it possible for anyone to learn new songs, which is the goal here not understanding how to transpose a blues scale into different keys. Focus on the enjoyable aspect first and the theory side will become more interesting as you go along. I have seen way too many people get burned out by some boring teacher who can't hold a candle to the self taught players that get guitars named after them. Don't buy a piece of crap guitar either, giving a disaster with strings and making them play that for a while is a good trick with kids, if they can get something similar to music out of it then they are really going to be motivated when you get them that proper guitar. But for an adult I wouldn't suggest a "beginner guitar" because it will make it too easy to quit. Spend the maximum that your budget allows and make sure you get something that speaks to you and feels "right" when you're holding it. If that instrument is quality and represents a higher level of investment I've found it to be a better motivator for adults as there is more to lose should they quit. Whereas a $100 knock off usually ends up on kijiji in like new condition in a few months. They end up there because life gets in the way and getting rid of junk is easier than justifying a loss on a quality instrument. The quality instrument may sit for a while, but more often than not you'll go back to it when you have the time.
Treat yourself, you only go around once.

 

[xmenarutofan]

Try the Twelfth Fret on Danforth Ave.

 

[AFR-CAM]

Thanks Hung and AJ for the additional info.

Hung - I will give your advice some thought. The reason why I think a live teacher is better than video is that I get motivated dealing with people...but I will give your idea some thought.

 

[Y Y]

Right I hear ya. Picking up some videos or just watching some on youtube in conjunction with seeing a live teacher is always a good idea too. My issue with a lot of teachers is that they can tend to be fairly anal about the theory aspect and that can burn out a new player quickly. No one plays air guitar scales after all do they? Just make sure he/she knows which side their bread is buttered on and that it's your time to learn what you want.

 

[angel619]

Kirk...this is one of the best virtual teachers out there... http://justinguitar.com/ and best yet, he is totally free and a really decent humanitarian to boot. give him a looksee, I used him exclusively to learn about scales, technique, songs etc....

Good luck buddy.

 

[livewire9]

Wasn't going to say anything but there seems to be a plethora of misinformation in this thread!

I've been playing a long time so if you need some advice feel free to ask. I don't give lessons but can point you to some serious teachers!

Remember it should be fun and A major is your friend....

 

[Pompal 09.]

Right on KL. Great hobby, I dabbled in that for a bit and may pick it up again going electric.
I unfortunately do not have enough knowledge or resources to help.
i just wanted to wish you the best in that endeavor and hope it all works out.

Perhaps start a massageplanet band and have SPs as groupies...live the dream bro,

 

[GenderS]

Thanks for the encouragement CT...and that's a great idea about starting a massageplanet Band! :::

 

[daxica]

If you are "going electric" think Dean or Ibanez, they are poly necks and don't produce that nasty "clunk" sound Fenders do that drive beginners nuts. Also remember a quality amp is nearly as important as the guitar. Oh and remember thick picks mean broken strings.

 

[bushisajerk]

Online sites can get very confusing for beginners in my opinion. They are fine if you don't have access to a teacher I guess. I taught myself to play with an instructional book and picked up some very bad habits which were difficult to correct.

 

[Trekinsinia]

Don't know about Long & McQuade in TO, but the shop we have here in Cambridge has an AWESOME teacher.

 

[unoriginalady]

They have a decent reputation. They don't sell Dean's so don't really know anything about them.

Speaking of which the Db Floyd Razorback Lightning are available here now.

http://www.deanguitars.com/dimebag_series2010.php#rzrdblightning