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Post subject: How do I find the right teacher?
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 6:54 am
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Aspiring Musician
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I'm looking for a guitar teacher, but not just any old guitar teacher. I want somebody that can teach me about blues and how to make an electric guitar sound good for blues.

I absolutely don't want a teacher that has me learning to play kumbaya or other "first five frets" campfire music. I can learn to play scales on my own and don't need anyone to teach me that.

How does a guy who knows exactly what he wants to learn find a teacher?


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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:23 am
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Professional Musician
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Make an apointment with a few and be totally upfront with them, its really that simple, you have to communicate your desires and be bold enough to ask the questions.

I wasted my time with a few in my past that wanted to show off their chops and didn't have a teaching bone in their bodies, great players do not allways make great teachers.

I found that most of my greatest advances in playing (after learning some theory, chords and scales) have taken place after being inspired by someone's playing and trying to copy it and then making it my own with subtle changes and by my personal playing style.

its a fun trip and the journey is where most of the fun is.

Have fun !!!!!!!

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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:36 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Location: South Oregon coast
I agree with the Bondsman.

Interview a few and pick the one that can teach you in the styles and with the knowledge you are interested in learning.

Treat it as a job interview, because that's exactly what it is. Find someone you feel comfortable with, you can communicate easily with and who understands what it is you want to learn.

Good luck!

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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:53 am
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Professional Musician
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Location: Deep in the Heart of Texas (San Antonio, y'all)
Boy, that is the $64,000 question. I'm looking for the same thing. I recently switched teachers because the first one wasn't taking me where I wanted to go. I told him up front that I wanted to play the blues, and he assured me that he could teach me that. We spent the first several sessions on theory, which I needed. But then the theory ended, and he was just having me strum chords. Whenever I would press him for the blues, he would say something like, "Oh, that's easy. You can learn that on your own. Now let's work on the chords for 'Hotel California.'" Aaargh!

So last week, I started with a new teacher. I told him up front that my goal is to participate in the Thursday night open jams at the San Antonio Blues Society. I told him I want to learn how to play rhythm with a blues group and do a little soloing. He's a performing musician, so I think he's going to be able to help me. Time will tell.

This whole thing is very frustrating for me. I have a Master's Degree in Adult Education, and I could very easily design a curriculum to get me from where I am to where I want to be. Now if only I could find someone is able and willing to teach that curriculum back to me.

Best of luck with your search!


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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:50 am
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Aspiring Musician
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RussianRaceHorse:

I feel your pain. I also have a recommendation:

I am studying and getting a lot of satisfaction from the following book:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Play-Electric ... 01&sr=8-13

How to play electric blues guitar by Alan Warner.

I have been using it since May and I am learning what I want to know. It is exceptionally well thought out. The basic format is that you are almost always learning an entire song, so you are not only learning the techniques, you are learning entire songs. This alone makes it unusual because most instructional books are about licks and tricks.

I feel I'm ready to move to the next stage of learning and find an instructor that can help me build on what I learned from Mr. Warner.

Mr. Warner also wrote a now out of print book called Power Blues, which I also have a copy of. It's an earlier book that is in basically the same format, but is less refined in the presentation. It's still excellent and my son is learning from that book. I'll eventually learn from it too.

The book comes with a CD that has not just the guitar music, but it is very thorough and includes a band backing track for each of the songs that you can play along with. It's great.

It's by far the best money I've spent on guitar instruction.

One good solid test of such a book is impressing a 16 year old. My son thinks its great. I started using it just after realizing that as a brand new guitar player I wasn't getting where I wanted to go with the Mel Bay approach. The first day with this book I started making music that had my son come running downstairs to hear what was going on.


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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:11 am
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Rock Icon
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Another good place to look is on bulletin boards at music stores and coffee shops. If you go that route, make sure you ask how long they have taught lessons, played guitar, been sober, etc.

I’m not saying these teachers aren’t trustworthy, as many talented teachers advertise this way, I’m just saying it pays to do some research.

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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:19 am
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On the subject of books, there is a book series called "Blues You Can Use"
it is one of the very best teaching series on the blues and I myself have used it to open up some areas of understanding in the Blues.

I have been using it to teach my son and a small handfull of friends I give private lessons to on occasion.

there are three or four books in the series and can be used without an instructor, however a good instructor will get you moving through it much faster.

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Keepn' the Blues Alive

2004 50th Ann. Limited edition AMSE Stratocaster
2017 50's Baja Telecaster BSB

1968 Bandmaster with 2X12 cab C-rex speakers
VHT Special 6 Ultra combo

Visual Sound Route 66
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Post subject: the right teacher
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:30 am
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Roadie
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Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2008 8:49 am
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Location: chicago il.
I teach guitar to a few peoples, if you're a know nothing I'll start you off with the basic note reading & cord strumming, but if you just want to learn how to play "hot licks & rat cords" and the basic blues progressions you better be able to play a little more then a basic guitar & be able to learn the monkey see monkey do system.
sparky


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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:36 am
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Rock Star
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Location: Vacaville, CA USA
Finding a good teacher can be a pain in the back side. I have talked to a few and thought I had found the right one. When the lesson started it was back to the crap I didn't want anything to do with. They got fired on the spot.
I had a conversation with one teacher and told him what I wanted to learn, and That was all I was interested in. He told me that he was the teacher and he would teach me what he thought I needed to learn. I told him he wasn't my teacher.........

Good Luck in your search.

Try the "Lessons" area on Craigslist.

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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:57 am
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Amateur
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Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 10:54 am
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Someone on this sight once said, "Never learn guitar from someone who hasn't gone through a Hendrix or SRV phase."


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 1:15 pm
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Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 11:30 am
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I've had a teacher for just about a month now. I've only been playing for about 5 months. First lesson I told him I liked Pink Floyd and he showed me the basic pattern for Money. He also showed me Sunshine of Your Love. Nothing crazy but enough to get me playing a few songs on my own. Next he showed me "All my Friends" by Gregg Allman and most recently Layla. He charges me for a half hour but usually runs long because we like similar music and he doesn't mind listening to it. I think I got lucky.


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