Do you have trouble deciding whether to take guitar classes or teach yourself? Which road will get you to shred like a rockstar? Have no fear! So that you may make an informed choice, we’ve written this blog post.
The question of whether or not to learn guitar through formal instruction versus self-study has been hotly debated for decades, regardless of the player’s skill level. Choose your instrument of choice and prepare to embark on a musical adventure!
Guitar Classes vs. Self-Taught
Investing the time and effort required to master the guitar is a challenging endeavour with significant potential payoff. Although many people have learned to play songs with the guitar independently without lessons, others have benefited more under the guidance of a teacher.
Taking classes and teaching yourself to play the instrument are good options for beginners. Self-taught guitarists, however, have greater leeway in deciding what and how they study the instrument, while those taking guitar lessons benefit more from having a teacher guide their progress.
Whether you learn on your own or with a teacher, you’ll find that mastering the guitar involves accumulating a foundational understanding of several musical concepts and then cohesively applying them.
If you decide to teach yourself guitar, you can study at your speed and focus on the aspects of the instrument that most interest you. Still, you’ll also be without a supportive community of peers to share your progress with and receive feedback from.
Taking guitar classes provides a framework for learning the instrument, which can be helpful for some students but frustrating for others. Whether or not a schedule can help you maintain discipline during practice depends on how you learn best and how much you value that discipline.
Practising and pushing yourself is essential if you want to master the guitar. It will help if you put in the time and effort to learn something, whether from a person, a book, or the internet.
Advantages of Teaching Yourself Guitar
Individuals who opt for a “self-taught heavy” approach to learning the guitar are very self-motivated and driven individuals who are thrilled to study the instrument independently. They are likelier to be introverted and like working independently in a group or with a teacher.
Because of how much simpler it will be for these people to learn guitar with an online course, we frequently recommend them.
Self-teaching is a convenient option because it eliminates the need to locate a guitar instructor. Anybody can try to teach themselves, but only one person will succeed.
Keep in mind that learning on your own requires a lot of experimenting. A self-taught approach may not be the most excellent choice if you are the type of person who quickly loses patience when encountering difficulties.
In contrast, learning guitar alone can be up your alley if you want a good challenge and thrive on independence.
Inexpensive Cost
It doesn’t cost you anything to educate yourself much of the time, which is a huge plus. You can learn independently without committing to regular time with an instructor. In and of itself, this characteristic makes it so that practically anyone can start learning guitar.
To get started, you’ll have to gather the necessary materials. Books on guitar playing and videos of teachers teaching the instrument are among the finest tools available.
Manuals Availability
Find a technique book that’s appropriate for your skill level. Look for a book written specifically for newcomers. Choose a jazz manual suitable for your skill level if you wish to study jazz guitar.
Still, there is a great deal that you must investigate independently, but books are always a reliable and secure option for learning new material.
Books have the drawback of providing little in the way of supplementary material. Occasionally, but only sometimes, a CD with excerpts from the music discussed in the book is included.
There are some great method books out there, but they only sometimes come with the accompaniment of extra help.
There is no way to see anything done while reading a book, which is a considerable drawback. No audio-visual aids or live tutors are available. Photographs and diagrams are the next best thing to witness the process.
To get the most out of them, guitar method books are most helpful when used with in-person or video guitar instruction.
Video Tutorials
If you want to learn guitar independently, you can do it by taking a course online or watching tutorials on sites like YouTube. Videos uploaded to YouTube can be viewed by anybody, anywhere in the world, at no cost.
There is a minimal monthly price associated with online guitar lessons. There are likely many guitarists who have posted instructional videos on YouTube. There will be plenty of options available to you.
You can learn the proper guitar grip with the help of a tutorial. A lesson about fretting a note is available if you’re interested. A guide to developing an adlib solo in the Locrian form is available for those interested. But this is the first problem that arises.
How do you tell if a guitar teacher you find online is good? How can you determine if the information being presented to you is accurate? But what if they fail to see something crucial? You will be entirely in the dark as a novice guitarist.
You can do some research to learn about the instructor’s background and education. This will shed light on their credentials and status. If you’re looking for reliable knowledge, it’s best to go with someone with formal music training rather than informal study. However, there are also some fantastic informal guitar instructors available.
You must learn about the instructor’s history to be taught the right thing. This is not a purely digital phenomenon.
When Should You Start Taking Guitar Lessons
When we say “guitar lessons,” we mean in-person sessions with a teacher and video lessons taken through a website. While online and also in guitar classes differ considerably from one another, they have commonalities that make them superior to self-study.
Personal Guitar Instruction Is A Good Choice If:
The answer to the preferable question will vary from person to person and circumstance to circumstance; you’ll likely have a slight preference. More heavily relying on guitar tuition is recommended if you:
- As a social learner or extrovert, you take in information quickly.
- You want to get a head start on the fundamentals
- You need to work on inattention and lack of drive.
- To improve your learning, nothing beats getting honest critiques.
As a result, hiring a real tutor may be more beneficial than using a software tool.
Use Your Own Study Time Or Look To The Internet For Tutorials If:
The flip side of this query is to determine what categories of guitar students would benefit most from independent study. I think the trend should go in that direction if:
- Your reading comprehension is excellent.
- In comparison, you tend to be an introvert
- When it comes to inspiring yourself, you’ve got it down.
- You can quickly and effectively draw up a plan.
- You can maintain concentration for extended periods.
If you’re this kind of student, it might be helpful to augment your guitar classes with something like Guitar Tricks so that you can still study independently.
Key Takeaways
Those who have taught themselves guitar can learn from lessons, while those who have taken lessons consistently can also gain from self-study. Finding your place on this spectrum can help you decide how much time you should spend teaching yourself versus taking guitar classes.
It’s not easy, but with any luck, the information presented here will help you find the proper equilibrium for your circumstances.
Conclusion
For decades, people have argued about whether or not it’s better to take guitar lessons or teach yourself. Guitarists who choose to teach themselves have more flexibility in terms of what and how they study, while those who enrol in guitar classes stand to gain more from having an instructor lead their progress.
Taking guitar lessons will provide you with a solid foundation for learning the instrument, but whether or not a timetable will help you stay disciplined throughout practice will depend on your learning style and how much you value consistency.
Those who choose to study the guitar through a “self-taught heavy” style are highly motivated and focused, and they enjoy practising solo as well as in a group or with a teacher. You can get much satisfaction from learning guitar on your own if you enjoy a good challenge and revel in your autonomy.
It doesn’t need a large financial investment or a significant time commitment from the student to the instructor. A couple of the best resources for learning guitar are books and videos with actual guitar instructors.
On the other hand, books have the downside of not offering much supplemental material, and you can’t watch anything being done while reading a book. Guitar method books are most beneficial when combined with either live or recorded teaching. Online video courses and resources like YouTube allow learning new skills at any time.
The most critical information is that in-person meetings with a teacher and online video courses performed at one’s own pace are superior to self-study and that it is crucial to check the instructor’s past and education to see if they are reputable.
Private guitar lessons are beneficial if you are a social learner or extrovert, want to get a head start on the basics or struggle with inattention and lack of desire. Taking guitar lessons may be helpful. Hiring a live instructor may be more helpful than using a software programme to speed up your education.
Guitar Tricks is a great supplement to guitar lessons for the shy student. Knowing where you are on this spectrum will help you decide how much time you should spend self-learning versus attending guitar lessons.
Content Summary
- For decades, guitarists of all skill levels have disputed whether they are better off taking lessons or teaching themselves.
- Choose your favourite instrument and get ready to make some music!
- Learning the guitar is a difficult endeavour with a potentially huge payout.
- While many can pick up guitar chords and strum along on their own, others would be better served by taking formal instruction.
- You can learn the basics of an instrument either by taking lessons or by teaching yourself.
- Yet, students who take guitar lessons gain more from having an instructor lead their progress, while self-taught guitarists have more freedom to choose what and how they study the instrument.
- Learning the guitar well requires a solid grounding in a number of musical principles and the ability to apply them consistently, regardless of whether you study on your own or with a teacher.
- When you teach yourself guitar, you can move at your own pace and zero in on the specifics that really grab your attention, but you also won’t have a group of peers to share your work with and get criticism and encouragement from.
- Some students benefit from having a structure to follow when studying guitar, while others find it frustrating.
- The effectiveness of a schedule in encouraging self-discipline during practice will vary depending on the individual, their prefered method of learning, and the significance they have on practising in a structured manner.
- If you want to become a guitar master, you need to put in the time and effort to practise.
- Dedicating time and energy to learning something, be it from a person, a book, or the internet, will assist.
- Those who go the “self-taught heavy” route to mastering the guitar are highly self-starting, goal-oriented, and excited to learn the instrument on their own time.
- If you want to learn anything, you can try to teach yourself, but only one person will actually learn it.
- Remember that a lot of trial and error is involved in self-directed learning.
- Taking a self-taught approach might not be the best bet if you’re the kind to lose your cool easily.
- Yet, if you want a challenge and thrive on autonomy, playing the guitar on your own may be right up your alley.
- One major benefit of educating yourself is that it usually doesn’t cost you anything.
- It is possible to educate yourself without having to schedule frequent meetings with a teacher.
- On its own, this quality makes it possible for just about anyone to pick up the guitar.
- The first step is to acquire all the supplies you’ll need.
- A couple of the best resources for learning guitar are books and videos with actual guitar instructors.
- Look for a method book that suits your current level of expertise.
- Choose a book that explains everything in simple terms for first-timers.
- If you want to learn jazz guitar, pick a jazz handbook that is at your skill level.
- There is still a lot that you need to find out on your own, but books are a safe and dependable approach to expanding your knowledge.
- The problem with books is that they rarely have any supplemental information.
- Very rarely does the book come with a CD with samples of the music covered within.
- Although supplementary materials are often included with excellent technique books, this is not always the case.
- A major problem with reading a book is that you can’t see anything being accomplished.
- There are neither live teachers nor visual aids available.
- As close as you can get to being there in person while still learning via photographs and diagrams.
- Guitar method books are most beneficial when combined with either live or recorded teaching.
- Various resources are available online, including courses and video tutorials, that can help you study guitar on your own time.
- There is material available to help people interested in developing an improvised solo in the Locrian form.
- As a beginner, you will not know what you’re doing.
- It is possible to learn more about the training provider’s experience and credentials by doing online research.
- Their qualifications and standing can then be better understood.
- A person who has had professional music training is preferable to one who has learned the instrument through self-study since their expertise is more likely to be solid.
- There are, however, some wonderful informal guitar teachers out there as well.
- To be taught correctly, you need to know the teacher’s background.
- In other words, this cannot be reduced to the digital realm.
- When we talk about “guitar lessons,” we’re referring to traditional in-person classes with a teacher and online video tutorials.
- Although there are many distinctions between online and in-person guitar instruction, both have features that make them preferable to self-study.
- One of the best options is private guitar lessons. The answer to the issue of which option is better depends on the individual and the specifics of the situation, but even so, you probably have a little preference.
- If you are a rapid learner, rely more on guitar lessons if you are an extrovert or someone who learns best from interacting with others.
- It’s important to get a good start on the basics.
- Your lack of focus and motivation need to be addressed.
- The best way to learn is to get constructive criticism.
- So, hiring a live tutor could be more useful than using a software programme.
- The converse of this question is to identify which types of guitar students would gain the most from engaging in self-directed learning.
- I agree that the tendency should move in that direction if you have exceptional reading comprehension.
- Your introverted tendencies stand in stark contrast to theirs.
- You have it down pat when it comes to motivating oneself.
- You can make a plan quickly and efficiently.
- You have the capacity for sustained focus.
- If you’re the type of learner who learns best while working independently, supplementing your guitar lessons with Guitar Tricks could be a good idea.
- Even students who have taken guitar lessons regularly can benefit from teaching themselves the instrument.
- Locating yourself on this scale will help you determine the optimal balance between self-study and formal guitar instruction.
- Finding the right equilibrium isn’t simple, but maybe the material offered here will assist you in doing so.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Expect In My First Guitar Lesson?
Your first guitar lesson will typically focus on the basics of playing the instrument, including proper posture and hand positioning, tuning the guitar, and basic chords or scales. Your teacher will likely also ask about your goals and musical interests to tailor the lessons to your specific needs.
How Often Should I Take Guitar Lessons?
The frequency of your guitar lessons will depend on your goals and schedule. Some beginners may benefit from weekly lessons, while others may choose to take lessons every other week or once a month. Consistency is key, so it’s important to establish a regular practice routine in between lessons.
What Should I Bring To My Guitar Lesson?
Be sure to bring your guitar and any necessary accessories, such as a tuner or picks. Your teacher may also recommend instructional materials or sheet music for you to bring to the lesson.
How Long Will It Take To Become Proficient At Playing The Guitar?
The amount of time it takes to become proficient at playing the guitar varies depending on individual factors such as natural ability, dedication, and practice habits. Some students may begin to see progress within a few months, while others may take several years to master the instrument.
Can I Learn To Play The Guitar On My Own?
While it is possible to learn to play the guitar on your own through online resources or instructional books, working with a qualified guitar teacher can help you progress more quickly and avoid developing bad habits or incorrect techniques. A teacher can also provide personalized feedback and guidance to help you achieve your musical goals.