Seeking advise from all you guitar players.

mantis

I just got back into playing guitar after a 13 year lay off and I hooked up with a 83 year old guitar teacher who is completely into playing "correct" by the book if you will.
Basically told me I play completey wrong and should try playing correct. At first I was completly willing and he changed "everything" I do. holding the pick with closed fingers strumming from the elbo instead the wrist is a complete change for me. keeping my damn thumb under the neck in the 2nd frett position is also completely different. I have many you would call "bad habbits" but they define my playing and my style.
Honestly I want to learn correctly but It's killing me. I tried all night last night to play that way and it's like I can't play at all. I was fustrated to say the least. Disipline is my strong point so I know I can get past it.but my god I must have just re written the way the guitar should be played.

Here is a bit of history of myself.I started out playing guitar when I was 9.I'm 35 now. I went to lessons for alittle under a year. My guitar teacher also taught the correct way to play and by the book. Once I stopped going to lessons(parents couldn't afford it and I felt ready to go on my own)I learned by ear, stopped reading music all together and played Punk and Heavy Metal music.I did this in high school and into College. I played in bands, wrote some of my own music as well as played hundreds of covers. Once the band thing died out, my guitar and my life went into a different direction. I sold everything 13 years ago and the last 4 years been wanting to get back into it for myself. Once a guitar player I feel always a guitar player. It's a part of me.

So out I went and picked out a guitar and amp(which was crazy hard to do) a Jackson SL3 and a Vox Valvetronix AD120VTX. My playing is no where are good as it once was not to mention I can barely read music and I'm not a soloist. These 2 things I want so I can further my guitar playing.

My reason for this thead is to ask a few questions. Should I re learn how to play the guitar and start over? Should I contiune to play the way I do and learn more on my own or find a guitar teacher who can work with that I know?
Honestly I'm not sure what I should do.My brain says learn again but my heart says no.I'm sure I can gain a world of experience from this guitar teacher I just hooked up with but he wants me to completely start over from Melbays Modern Guitar Method Grade 1. I'm cool with it and I'm not. But I am very confused on what I should do.

Any help????

Dan

sda2mike

your teacher would've had a field day with hendrix....he played all wrong :rolleyes: whatever works in getting what's inside you out...

MrBuhl

I have had three guitar teachers in my life, all in my late teens and early twenties. One was a Jazz Instructor, who wanted me to read music, and play by the book, one was a Studio Guitarist who wanted me to read tablature and learn specific songs in a specific order (because each different one built on the skills of the last) and one who was the lead guitarist of the best local area band and who would teach me anything I wanted to learn if I was willing to put the work in. (but in repayment I had to do side assigments, practice running tonic scales, learn a new kind of picking, learn a new chord progression, etc) I always have (and still do) prefer the last of the three.

So it depends on what you want to get out of it I guess. I don't think it's completely necessary to relearn the guitar all together though, it seems rediculous to start from Mel Bay1 - I hope you weren't serious.

I say fit your teacher to your needs - not your needs to the teacher. You will get frustrated and that will do nothing for your playing.

JMHO and good luck.

Polkapops

Hey Danno - Am (was) a guitarist myself. Took like 3 or 4 lessons back as a teen then
continued on playing by ear. Did the local bar scene for a few years and basically life
happened and put 'er down. Used to pick it up now & then but haven't picked it up
in well over a year now. I KNOW my playing technique is all wrong but like Mike said,
whatever you can do to get your expression out. My favorite thing used to be to sit
down with a song that I felt I could learn and hit play/rewind several times until I could
figure out the chords and riffs/licks. And what sucks is half of the songs I worked out
are in my memory but I'll be damned if I could call them up. And to think of all those
hours spent learning the tunes. It'd probably take a month or two of getting
reaquainted with the instrument. If you have the ability to play by ear and can get
your feelings to come out, that's the route I've always felt comfortable with. But if
you actually want to fully understand music structure etc., then lessons or a book
may be in order. I guess I was immature in the fact of skipping the bookwork and
going straight for the fun! :cool:
And just to let you know I'm still enjoying the F*&$ out of that LS system!

mantis

Thanks guys,
Thants basically how I feel. I was able to listen and play songs all my life but I always lacked when it came to solos. I never learned and trying to but them together by ear was always very difficult.
Today I'm not in any band and play for myself. I want to learn from the beginning but changing my style is killiing it. I tried again today and man disaster. My wrist hurts from trying to play on the tips of my fingers instead of a nice relaxed wrist and able to play all notes clean.
I did however discover a former heavy metal Rock guitarist from my parents neighborhood. he is extremely good and I'm gonna talk to him about lessons. he teaches as well.

Dan

Pablo

There's a right way and a wrong way to play guitar. The wrong way; try to play for a career, the right way; play for fun. If you get it the right way, the wrong way just may come.

I took 5 lessons 20 years ago, and gave up (he was good but way to technical). I thought maybe a teacher can show me how to be good. But he wanted to take me 50 steps backwards, so I get it right. I gave up on that. Now I just play the way I feel comfortable. I suck, but I enjoy it.

Take the things he showed you and try to work them a little into the way you play (I try to play more with my elbow, and try to hold the pick correctly when I can). Then find someone to play with.

I played like crap forever until I got together with a couple of guys in my basement. Then my playing got much better (and I got into it a lot more). There is nothing like hanging with some friends, jamming away and drinking some beers. (Everyone I used to play with moved away, so I only pick it once a month. But my old friend is moving back from Buffalo, and I can't wait to get back into the jamming!).

P.S. I have a whole crap load of tunes in a book I made (It's called Paul's Big Book O Music. I use it when I get together with my cousin). If your interested let me know (assorted tunes I like from the Grateful Dead to Van Morison).

mantis

Pablo.
thats very cool of you to offer.

Dan