Menu
Hey, everybody:
I've had some recent experiences with guitar instructors and I
thought y'all might be able to provide me with some advice.
First off, let me say that I've noodling for about 20 years; I've had
some theory at the college level, and some band/gig experience, a few
years ago.
Ever since I first picked up the guitar, I've never really played
covers. Sure, I learned some standard guitar store licks (Smoke on
the Water, Stairway to Heaven, etc), but the vast majority of my work
has been original. I would much rather play my own stuff than other
people's, and frankly, I'm pretty good at it. This has left some
pretty big gaps in my edumacation (especially with leads) and I've
sought to fill those holes with formal training.
However, I'm a little soured by the experiences that I've had. Of the
last three instructors that I've tried (who have also gotten the
above introduction), not a single one has asked me to play for them
or requested a recording before beginning instruction. This seems to
be an utter waste of my time. In addition, they all told me that if I
want to improve, I have to start learning covers. I have to say that
I think this is total BS. I'm pretty well set in my ways, and I know
I hold the pick funny, and that I should probably change my right
hand position, but the days when that kind of stuff mattered to me
are long gone.
So, my questions to y'all are:
Do I really need instruction or should I consider collaboration
instead?
Should I seek out mentors instead of instructors?
Am I an unusual student and therefore need an unusual instructor?
What's your feeling on learning covers as opposed to working on
original material?
Are there any instructors (or students) out there that could provide
some guidance as to what to look for (and look out for) when choosing
teachers?
Is there a point in the learning process where "traditional"
instruction is no longer going to provide good results?
Would I be better off getting instruction with song-writing as
opposed to technique? Do people teach that kind of thing?
I would appreciate any responses... feel free to respond directly to
me, but I would prefer if the group had a chance to participate.
Thanks!
Blue
Albuquerque, New Mexico
