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Post subject: Guitar Lessons?
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:23 am
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I've taught lessons off and on throughout the years, but I've been trying to think of a "new" way to teach and also offer students a chance at having some say at what they want to learn.

In the past, I'd break a one hour lesson into parts and cover fundamentals, theory and reading music/tab.

So many guitar stores, music stores and general places offer lessons, however the quality of the lessons definitely varies. Today, guitar lessons can be anywhere from $20-100 and up per hour, which will definitely hit your pocket pretty hard. I found some places only gave 30 minute lessons for $20-$50 which is absolutely ridiculous. 30 minutes is barely enough time to give an eventful lesson.

So my question, for the newer players mostly, but not only, is what would you really like to learn when taking lessons and how long do you think a weekly lesson should be?

Thanks in advance for your input.

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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:29 am
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I pay $75 a month for 30 minute guitar lessons weekly. I find them extremely informative and very helpful, after all, I'm taking lessons from a professional!

Personally, though, learning some of the more difficult scales and some Carlos Santana is a good way to find your way around the fretboard, IMO. :P


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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:34 am
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Rocker_Gamma wrote:
I pay $75 a month for 30 minute guitar lessons weekly. I find them extremely informative and very helpful, after all, I'm taking lessons from a professional!

Personally, though, learning some of the more difficult scales and some Carlos Santana is a good way to find your way around the fretboard, IMO. :P


Are you learning to read music?

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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:37 am
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Miami Mike wrote:
Rocker_Gamma wrote:
I pay $75 a month for 30 minute guitar lessons weekly. I find them extremely informative and very helpful, after all, I'm taking lessons from a professional!

Personally, though, learning some of the more difficult scales and some Carlos Santana is a good way to find your way around the fretboard, IMO. :P


Are you learning to read music?


No, I'm taking a guitar course in school for that now... :roll:

Nah, my teacher, oddly enough, does not know completely how to read music, I think. Although, if you saw him play either the guitar or banjo, you'd be quite astonished... :shock:


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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:57 am
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Never took a lesson in my life . . . and it shows. :cry:


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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:21 am
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Hello Miami Mike,

!/2 hour lessons may be fine on
an elemantary level, but when things
start kicking in with a student a full
hour or more is where it's at.

Years back when I started bagpiping lessons
2 hours plus long, quickly thinning the herd
I learned more from my Pipe Major
than any other teacher of any kind.

Cheers.


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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:32 am
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I have taken lessons off and on over the years and I am taking some now. Im focusing on Blues style and I try to set aside what I feel I already do well. Sometimes the new things make me feel clumsy and like a beginner, but I still try to keep what I already know aside and just learn what we are doing on that day. I work on the lesson over the next week and usually have it pretty well down by the next lesson. I think technique like pulloffs, and hammer ons are important to learn, when and how to use, as well as reading tab. Until recently I played only rhythm, but am now getting into some lead. My teacher knows how to read music, but so far we have not gotten into that aspect very much. Lessons are typically once a week for 1/2 hr. Im pretty content with this arrangement.


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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 1:36 pm
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i agree a 1/2 hour lesson is useless.i did that for six months ,and was disapointed with the results .joined a community college course and had a great time ,7 -3 hour lessons 70$.now i take a 2 hour class and a 1 1/2 hour private lesson as well as attend all seminars and learning opportunities


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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:45 pm
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I took some 1/2 hour lessions on music theory a while back. The instructor would "cram" as much as he could get out in that time, and leave me feeling more confused than ever. I have picked up a few books such as The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory and Music Theory For Dummies, and have studied and read off of a few websites. I do not consider myself anywhere near educated enough in theory to offer any advice, but it works for me on my own. Hell, I probably got it all backwards anyway. I'm just a bass player. :twisted:


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Post subject: Re: Guitar Lessons?
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 3:00 pm
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Miami Mike wrote:
30 minutes is barely enough time to give an eventful lesson.


Not necessarily--it depends on the student--I used to teach and for one on one lessons they were mostly 30 minutes. Newer, younger kids would be overwhelmed by 60 minutes, for example.

Group lessons and band practices were at least 60 minutes--in order to get to everyone & all the things you needed to cover.

In 30 minute lessons you just need more of a focus--not try to teach everything all at once.

As a student I've had both--and at certain times the 60 minute lesson was just right--other times 30 minutes worked better.

I'd say start with 30 minutes for one on one & 60 for groups and adapt from there.

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Post subject: Re: Guitar Lessons?
Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:02 pm
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zontar wrote:
Miami Mike wrote:
30 minutes is barely enough time to give an eventful lesson.


Not necessarily--it depends on the student--I used to teach and for one on one lessons they were mostly 30 minutes. Newer, younger kids would be overwhelmed by 60 minutes, for example.

Group lessons and band practices were at least 60 minutes--in order to get to everyone & all the things you needed to cover.

In 30 minute lessons you just need more of a focus--not try to teach everything all at once.

As a student I've had both--and at certain times the 60 minute lesson was just right--other times 30 minutes worked better.

I'd say start with 30 minutes for one on one & 60 for groups and adapt from there.


Thanks for the input from all and I agree, zontar, that it really depends on the student, the lesson, the goals, being prepared and many other factors.

Do most find theory and reading music helpful or do you prefer techniques and learning tab? I've spent a lot of time with a few students who only wanted to work on technique (Trills, hammer-ons, pull offs, tapping, raking, bends, etc.).

I appreciate your input. :wink:

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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:48 pm
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I'd say 1/2 hour is good to begin, but after a while they may want to move on to hour lessons. I think it's good to pick some things that will show the students something new, but also to give them the chance to pick a song that they want to do now and then. Even if it's easy they can still enjoy it and can say that they know how to play it. I think it's good to give a good knoledge of theory and all, but it's also important that it's not being pounded into their heads so much that they don't like it. After all, it's doing the actual techniques that is the most fun, so that maybe should be more of a first priority. I guess it's just finding that happy medium. But that's just me...i'm more of a layed back kinda person, so different people could have different views.

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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:14 pm
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i've been taking a half hour class at my local music store for a couple of months now. the basic cirriculum is start with the basics, learning the strings and notes on the strings, reading tabs and music, and basic music theory. after you get through that part wich is based of of the progressive rhythm guitar method, you can chose many different paths to travel. also, for about 10 mins. a week you work on a song. most people might not get much out of a 1/2 lesson but my teacher who is one of the best guitarists i've ever met can teach me the same amount of stuff in a 1/2 hour. also i pick up on things fairly quickly and i've always been a natrually good musician.

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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:45 am
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To start, 30 minutes would work well for me, then move up to an hour when there's more material to cover and work on.

I mean, thinking back to when I started playing every day 7 months ago, my hands would tire out quickly and it didn't take long for the hand fatigue to lead to more mistakes.

Now, I'm learning a simple blues lead and a 1 hour lesson wouldn't be enough to cover all the nuances of this 12-15 measure lead and my hands are plenty strong now to play for 60+ minutes.

bottom line: too much, too soon would turn me off to the guitar.

To give you an idea of what i've been teaching myself with, I've been using the Rock House Beginner guitar dvd/book. very good, lesson wise, for someone who might try new material once every 10 or 14 days due to their work schedule (full time job and 2 hours of commuting each day :( )


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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 12:01 pm
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All the music shops around here have gone to the same method of booking lessons.
You come in and book the time you want in 30min blocks, If you want an hour lesson you book 2 blocks of time for one day. I think it is averaging around 15$ for a 30min block, and there is some kind of discount if you book multiple blocks like 5 across a month for the same day & time each week.

They also have structured lessons for beginners teaching all the rudiments like music theory and basic playing. As well as specific lessons (work on a learning a desired song, or technique) for the more advanced,

I don't think short lessons are bad, if you pick up what is being taught then go home and really practice it.

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