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I would like to learn guitar this year, just a few questions though. Is it very hard to learn and is the equipment really expensive. also what the best way to learn from a teacher a book or a computer program?
You can probably pick up some decent stuff at a pawn shop or go to a local music store and see if they sell used instruments. No need to go dropping alot of money when you are starting out.
Can you read music?
It depends on your learning style but I learned from watching my friends and it was pretty easy for me to pick up on after a few months.
You can probably pick up some decent stuff at a pawn shop or go to a local music store and see if they sell used instruments. No need to go dropping alot of money when you are starting out.
Can you read music?
It depends on your learning style but I learned from watching my friends and it was pretty easy for me to pick up on after a few months.
I agree with the answer above. You don't have to go spending major bucks in order to get started. You can even find decent instruments at yard and garage sales. Maybe someone might even be willing to loan you an instrument for nothing. When you get good at playing, then you might want to invest in some really nice equipment. If you want to play the electric guitar, then you will be looking at investing in an amplifier and speaker as well as just the guitar. If you are wanting to play the acoustic guitar, then you just need the guitar. Any maintenance things also need to be included with either electric or acoustic guitar.
From my many years as being an instrumental as well as vocal music teacher both privately as well as in schools, I would advise that the best thing to do as far as starting out learning, is to get yourself a teacher to learn the basics, especially concerning technique. There are a lot of mistakes that you can make as far as technique that need the watchful eye of an expert so that you don't learn mistakes in your technique. If you do learn mistakes, then you have to unlearn them. This can take some time on your part.
Once you have most of the basic technique down, then you can do some things on your own. Videos and CD's can then be helpful.
You asked if it is hard to learn. If you are playing folk or rock style, then that is not as hard to learn as classical style guitar. But, how good you get at playing in any style depends on how good you want to get and how much you are willing to practice. One of the first things that I ask my private students is, "How good do you want to get?" Then I play some things for them. I then ask them, "Do you want to be able to play that?" If they say "Yes." Then I tell them about how they are going to have to practice and the time that it will take them to be able to play that.
One very important thing to remember when undertaking the learning of a musical instrument, is that it's not practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect. There are many ways to practice badly. That is one of the reasons that it is so very important for you to have a teacher to guide you in the very early stages of your starting out.
what if i dont have enough money for a teacher, would the CD roms on the computer do just as good if i practiced everyday?
Like I said in my post to you, "There are many ways to practice badly." But, nonetheless, there are many guitarists as well as other types of musicians who have never had any formal training who do quite well. But, the styles in which they play tend to be in those that are the most popular, so the structure of the music is not very complicated.
I don't know what style it is that you want to play in. But, if it is in a folk or rock style, then you won't have as much trouble teaching yourself. I am only assuming things here, but If you do want to play in the classical style and haven't had all that much experience in music in general, then having a teacher really helps.
If you get a CD and/or a book from which to learn, I would advise getting those that have lots of pictures in them so that you can then imitate what you see. Also, if getting a CD or even a VHS video, please be sure to find out what the actual playing length is. The longer the better. You will get more information from which to learn that way. There are videos being sold in music stores that claim to teach the basics on certain instruments. The ones that I have seen aren't all that long. I'm talking about maybe twenty minutes to a half-hour in length. So, I would think that they would hardly be worth the purchase if you really want to get into playing.
Not all teachers charge a lot of money. I know that you live in CA and the prices for lessons out there are higher then around where I live. But, just as an example, in one of our local papers there is a person who charges only $5.00 for a half-hour guitar lesson. Maybe there is someone similar around where you live. Also, if money is a problem, and since private lessons are usually on a once-a-week basis with most teachers, maybe there is someone who will agree to you taking lessons once every two weeks or even once a month. Just for your information, lessons from people who teach out of music stores are usually less expensive than those who teach out of their homes. Also, in many places there are group guitar lessons available through community colleges, music stores and sometimes through park boards. The point that I am trying to make is that lessons don't have to be expensive and can be affordable if you shop around.
I wish you well in learning how to play the guitar!!
I would like to learn guitar this year, just a few questions though. Is it very hard to learn and is the equipment really expensive. also what the best way to learn from a teacher a book or a computer program?
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