how many of you are self taught?

[hifi_killer]

I'm a self taught guitarist, did not take any courses, learn almost everything off the internet. The learning curve is rather steep, but after playing 1 or 2 years, i guess its ok now. But sometimes, it will be a very long long time before i realise played a technique wrongly for so long, and have to relearn it.

I have a few friends, they took courses, very few end up still playing the guitar.
Theory and the rigidness of these course syllabus killed their interest. You dont get to play what you like.

If you had a friend who wanna take up the guitar , bass or even drums, would you tell him to take up a course or learn everything by himself?

 

[mikemann]

HAhaha :lol: :lol: .... I no play any music instrument. But I self taught in electronics (amps, crt monitors.....etc) repair and guitar repair.

I did go through a basic electronics course in CC and poly diploma, but I can say the poly diploma is only as good as the paper cert only, just a piece of paper.

I always reccomend anyone to go for the basic course, very important as it sets you on a right track to your goal.

You might self taught and find yourself play quite well, but it's subjective, other people might think you play like crap.

You might work very hard and find that you are still lacking in many things yet to learn. But others might say you play fantastic.

It all boils down to which path you choose........

 

[vernplum]

I am almost entirely self-taught up until last year when I started taking Classical Guitar lessons. This I did more for the discipline of it really, as when you are learning to read music, you need to keep on doing regularly or you never get any better. Thankfully I am improving.

For the 18/19 years prior to that, I learned everything from books and magazines (we didn't have no fancy Internet in the olden days) and from listening to tapes. I transcribed things voraciously using a mono tape recorder that I had that I used for loading games into my ancient home computer. Rewinding again and again wasn't very good for the thing and it chewed up dozens and dozens of albums.

Everybody has to fly on their own at some point if they want to make an instrument a lifelong pastime. Taking lessons can give you a head start, or it can kill your enthusiasm as you say, depending on the teacher and the material. Few Metallica fans want to learn 'Michael row the boat ashore'. Learning on your own is better IMHO for deeper understanding, depending on the motivation of the person, but it is quite time consuming, and often very simple things that somebody could have shown you in 2 seconds might take you ages to work out (I could never figure out how the palm muted thrash downpick noise was made for years until a mate showed me...).

My advice would be to try lessons, but don't rely on the teacher to make yu good. Only you can do that.

 

[Newbie]

I'm so self taught. All the courses in Singapore, like those offered by yamaha are like so high lah. And heard they teach crap =/

I need teachers. Lol.

 

[Silencer]

almost everyone starts of self taught. and they get good at their instrument, and damn cocky.... then the next phase comes when they scoff and rebuke those that are taught under instruction by teachers.

but u can only be so good without instruction. If u wanna scale and be a truly versatile and capable player, having both technicality and feel, u need to learn from someone eventually.

sometimes ego gets in the way of learning, and that's bad. that only goes to show how far u'll make it. or won't make it. there's no shame in asking for instruction

and for me, better if its free too!

 

[gordonzz]

me loh :roll:

im not a person whos into studyin.. neither to those lessons..

i rather hands on and play myself.. learn every mistake and improve


















but i guess it's not working.. okay.. go get a lesson.. :lol:

 

[bodomchild]

I am a self-taught guitarist.

 

[vernplum]

almost everyone starts of self taught. and they get good at their instrument, and damn cocky.... then the next phase comes when they scoff and rebuke those that are taught under instruction by teachers.

I think it's a minority who would 'scoff and rebuke'. There's no shame in being taught by a teacher. In most cases I'd say that people teach themselves because they can't find a teacher that is convenient for them, or they can't afford one.

but u can only be so good without instruction. If u wanna scale and be a truly versatile and capable player, having both technicality and feel, u need to learn from someone eventually.

Actually I think it's the other way round.
A teacher can only take you so far and if you really want to be truly versatile and creative you have to start directing yourself. It's purely down to the player's personal inclination and hunger to learn, improve and explore. Having a teacher or not has nothing to do with it. Also, I'm not entirely sure that a teacher can teach 'feel'.

 

[Silencer]

hmmm vern let me put it this way. A child cannot repair computer hardware no matter how often you allow him to tinker with it. He might gain some insight, some knowledge, but that's all. Beyond that, it is a science. Only when someone directs him and equips him with basics, theory and advanced stuff and all, can he fully appreciate it.

similiarly, theory, instruction and guidance is required in the formative years. so abit like SELF->TEACHER.>SELF kinda thing. so we're both right!

try giving an aspiring pianist a piano and asking him to play jazz.

 

[Jayshen]

But if like lets say a friend teaches u, is that considered self-taught?

Anyway personally i was self-taught and i have reached a point where i think i need to go take a course or something. I mean there are like holes in my guitaring like certain parts of scales and progressions that i just cannot liao kai.

 

[penguin]

Im a self taught..
Learn by ear, and watch how others perform, jam...

 

[sanXp]

hmmm vern let me put it this way. A child cannot repair computer hardware no matter how often you allow him to tinker with it. He might gain some insight, some knowledge, but that's all. Beyond that, it is a science. Only when someone directs him and equips him with basics, theory and advanced stuff and all, can he fully appreciate it.

I learnt how to repair and build computers myself leh.. I built my own computer to use when I was young when my father banned me off the family computer

Crap aside, I'm learning guitar by myself. Although I feel it's slow, I think it's better than me going to a course and let the course kill my interest. Instead, I pick up some advanced stuff from a friend of mine that is taking up a guitar course haha.. for FREE

 

[nicky_rich]

8) hi,

i started taking classical guitars lessons at yamaha 2 mths b4 SARs..and then stop lessons when all classes are suspended due to the SARs. then i self taught for ard 1year plus...

you can only learn so much from the internet and from listening to songs, watch mtvs, live concert and etc, and you pick up all the bad habits.

so i suggest to take up lessons from a Pro...and start from there. however, the guru will not be able to hold your hands and looking at him play will not improve you at all unless you start to practise...and practise and practise.

well, anyway, i bought an electric and now trying to learn rock blues and stuffs from my guru...and he taught me so many techniques and stuffs and always pushing me to learn more^^

so for me, thats wat work best get a guru and practise more

 

[vantango]

self taught for about 1-2 years, realised it was getting nowhere, then started taking lessons half a year ago.

haha i think i've learnt more in half a year than in the period i was teaching myself...

 

[The-Warlord]

I'm not, but for my first 3 years of playing I had very bad luck with teachers- lazy, not turning up, canceling etc. I fell behind and now am 'behind' for the time I have been 'playing'

 

[Mr_X]

learn from friends, softies and internet. Wanted to be taught cause i feel that i aint improving much.

 

[singing_archer]

i will ask him what his budget.. and try to recommend him a good school.. unless he prefer to learn from me lah... i guess not all schools are the same... some teachers are really good and i think we can learn a lot of great guitar tips from them...but i kanna from bad and good teacher before.. spend a bomb before i found a good teacher to teach me guitar... it's basically at the end of day.. i guess each one of us just want to pick up the guitar and play the kind of music they like.. =)