I am starting lessons with my first one this evening. I saw the notice on the staff board just before Christmas and thought I would give it a go once the winter was past.
My tutor lives about 10 miles away. I phoned him and he was able to offer a choice of two half hour spots in the week. He is fully booked otherwise.
He specialises in Jazz but also teaches Rock.
After asking me lots of questions with regard to my experience, what I wanted to get out of the lessons, type of music I was into, etc, he agreed to take me on.
I just want something to stretch me and give me outside goals for my practise.
I will continue to post and keep you informed as to how things go and the content and format of the lessons.
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Comments
Dave
My tutor has a music room set aside in his house, with a waiting area in the hall outside this room. He has been teaching guitar, full time, for 25 years.
He had me play various bits and pieces of my choice - then started asking questions! Oh dear!!
The outcome of that was he reckons I need to fill in the gaps in the basics which, over the years, I have either never learned or avoided learning.
We started with rhythm charts and he had me counting and playing various rhythm patterns. He is also teaching me to read music as we progress.
He then started me playing scales. As I only play the pentatonic scale he explained that that limits the types of music I can play. So I came away with the C maj scale to work on as well as my rhythmn charts. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and intend doing the practise. After all, I am no less a guitarist than I was when I went in.
My half hour lesson stretched to an hour at no extra charge.
One other aside. He has fingers like ET. No wonder he can play jazz!
What are rhythm charts?
Graham
Hope I have made this clear enough. Seems confusing to me and I wrote it!
Does the teacher write the beat on the chart or are these charts pre-printed?
I've used something similar where the up & down strokes are shown beneath each chord. Remember finding one online, but usually these are created for me by my teacher.
Graham
I suspect that Jocko means a chart like this, although in this chart only the final bar has a different rhythm to straight 4 beats (or strums) to the bar. It uses all the timings from sheet music but no notes, hence the name rhythm chart. If you play it you will realise exactly why the last bar is written as it is.
This week I have mainly been playing the C major scale, both in the open position and up the neck. At least I have learned the alphabet, from G to A, backwards. Amazing how I got to 64 without ever having to learn that!
Each line was a different time signature. He started me on variations of 3/4 and then 4/4.
I am pushed for time here at work. Due to start now so I will post a full update tomorrow morning.
I ran through my C major scale to show him I had been practising and he explained that the same scale but with the root on A was the relative minor of C major, A minor.
He then had me play a couple of tunes, finding the notes from the scale. We chose “Groovy Kind of Love” and “Angie”. He then had me play harmonies using just the first four notes of the scale. This was all to show me the benefit of knowing scales.
We then had a jam on “Hotel California” and he added a capo to his guitar to show me that that we can use the scale positions I learned in the open position for C major, to play in a different key.
He then gave me next weeks assignment which is from the Berkelee Practise method. The piece of music is “Sweet” and we started on the basic accompanying riff and associated power chords. I have never ever used power chords, always considering them “cheating”.
He charged me £1 for the 5 sheets of music and course notes but as he explained, he has to go into town to get them photocopied and he is running a business. I thought it a fair price. After all, at £10 a half hour that only equates to 3 minutes of his time.
By the time I get 50 years experience under my belt, I'll be knocking 105 so I imagine by then I'll be a little slower moving up and down the neck
I'm paying £12 for half an hour, so all-in-all sounds like you've found yourself a quality teacher at a bargain price
Keep us posted with your progress
Graham
He does this thing where he gives a lesson to a group of people,I don't know how it works but it can be quite popular apparently.
I preferred these to giving private lessons as it gave us plenty of opprtunity in each 2 hour class to learn a bit (I usually limited my bit to 20 minutes) and then immediately put it into practice, splitting into groups of 3 or 4 people, all then heading off into empty classrooms. We'd then meet back 15 minutes before the 2 hours were up to give people the chance to play in front of the class, which some revelled in while others didn't because they were too embarrassed.
I typed the sheet music into Guitar Pro 5 so I know what it should sound like. I also typed in the Melody line so I can practise my part with the lead playing over the top. Makes a difference. Quite handy being able to do that.
I will let you know, tomorrow or Wednesday, how tonight's lesson goes.
I think that's what my friend wants me to do in the class,to help the people who are struggling a bit keep up with the others.
Came away with Em Pentatonic scale, in 3 positions, to work on this week. He also guided me into playing harmony over a chord progression. (at present only over Em, Am and D)
Another valuable lesson.
We had a quick run through what I went away with last time then went back to our "song". Last night we added the chords and a call and answer sequence as a harmony part. The idea behind this is we are looking at and building the "arrangement".
Hardest things for me is getting my picking direction correct. He wants me to play every down beat with a down stroke, but after 50 years of mixing up and down strokes to suit myself it has kind of become hardwired.
One big improvement he made was in getting me to change the position of my left hand, with my thumb more behind the neck. This has got my fingers moving a bit more freely. Like golf, the grip can make a huge difference for a slight adjustment. It also meant I could make better use of my pinkie which sadly has not seen a lot of use in my guitar playing previously.
The business is folding and I'm in need of another teacher.
Part of me was disappointed because I've had the same teacher now for the last 9 months, but part of me thinks that a change may be for the better ........ new ideas etc.
Someone has been recommended to me so I'll be contacting them tomorrow to see if they can squeeze in a new pupil.
Today I've learnt a new way of playing E major making to easier for me to move to barre chords F & A (Oasis:Cigarettes & Alcohol)
Graham
What's your new way? Using fingers 2,3 and 4 instead of 1, 2 and 3?
Today though I've discovered its easier for me to use my thumb on bass E string rather than my finger.
I realise these discoveries for me may be old hat for most of you guys but I feel Ive got to share my experiences, so bear with me.
For the last 9 months I've been learning on an electric guitar practising largely unplugged.
My current teacher is now moving on and my new teacher prefers students to learn on an acoustic, so now I have a new challenge
Occasionally I've picked up my sons Crafter, which whilst making a lovely mellow sound, I find it really difficult to handle.
I find the Crafter so "wide" that I struggle to hold it in a comfortable position making it more difficult to play.
I've not measured the width of the Crafter's body but I'm wondering whether all acoustics are the same width.
I'm aware that the semi-acoustics are much thinner and that might have to be the way I go if I can't find an acoustic that's thinner than the Crafter.
Any pointers chaps would be appreciated.
I have posted a copy of this post in the Acoustic Forum.
Cheers,
Graham
Personally I would recommend persevering with playing a full barré instead of using your thumb even if it means sometimes playing only the top 5 strings until you master it.
I use my thumb on some occasions for difficult shapes (for me!) but it is not the best way to go.
I have answered your questions on the acoustic thread.
As as someone who teaches guitar I have a pretty tolerant attitude to 'thumb over' chord (and indeed lead) playing. I always teach the full barre first, but some peoples hand size, and even the styles they want to play require thumb over. My own playing started very classical (thumb in the back of the neck etc) but as I got into Mick green and Wilko Johnson I realised that an independently muting 5th and 6th string could only come via the thumb. In later years when I studied SRV I realised the same element was vital to his style too. I stress to students that ... as proved by Jeff Healey ... there is no 'proper' way to play guitar. There are guidelines, sure, but we all find our own compromises ... and they help shape our style. I had an inspirational friend who was born with one arm. He plays his Les Paul horizontally on a stand, tapping and bending with his fingers while strumming, muting and tapping with his thumb. His playing is stunningly original and dizzyingly fast.
This discussion gives me the excuse to link to one of my favourite guitarists, Mr Barney Kessel, who was certainly not afraid to employ his thumb...
Barney Kessel Blues
Makes it difficult to accurately play SRV and Hendrix stuff.