The top 5 reasons to start having guitar lessons

So you're considering guitar lessons.  But with all the online resources and books available, are they really necessary?

Here are the top 5 reasons why people come for - and stick with - private guitar lessons:

1.  Efficiency



The main reason people take guitar lessons rather than teach themselves is the sheer amount of time they save.  

Sometimes by self-learning, some money is saved by using free or cheap resources.  However, the corresponding cost in terms of time wasted is not to be underestimated.

Self taught students can waste huge amounts of time through the following:

  • Not knowing where to find good resources for instruction or how to order them
  • Attempting pieces of music that are far too difficult and becoming de-motivated
  • Stagnating and playing the same music over and over without having any direction of how to progress
  • Struggling to learn the underlying systems of music that make everything start to 'make sense'
  • Being unaware of technique-related issues that will prevent them from making progress - for many self taught students, this can cause potentially years of stagnation and frustration, and the student is often totally unaware what the problem is let alone how to solve it

All this time adds up.  By contrast, a motivated and dedicated student with an organised teacher can make more progress in 1 year then some self-taught students can make in 10 years.  This is not an exaggeration.

The teacher acts as a live roadmap for what is essentially a very long journey - and with the student using the teacher as their guide progress is faster and a lot easier.

2.  Motivation



We all lead busy lives and we all carry around a big list of things we 'should' do.  When we take on a new challenge like learning an instrument, we add another to the list of 'should's.  We know we 'should' do our practice.  

But, from week to week, month to month, we also have the 'must's - things we absolutely must do, which increasingly get in the way.  

No matter how sincere our ambition and desire to learn an instrument, the everyday pressures of life can get in the way and make us feel guilty for doing something purely for enjoyment.  Maintaining this motivation to keep at it is difficult when

  • Distractions are everywhere
  • Sometimes practicing can seem trivial compared to more pressing matters
  • Progress feels slow
  • Our energy levels are in a lull
  • We don't have a clear path to follow
  • We don't have certainty that our efforts will lead to results

Private lessons can really help to get a student through difficult times when their motivations are low.  Sometimes this is the difference between someone who perseveres and learns to fulfill one of their dreams, and someone who quits and never makes it that far.

Lessons help by
  • Giving you a social commitment that keeps you on track and puts you in an environment which is completely dedicated to music, no matter what else is happening in your life
  • Allowing you to re-focus on the guitar quickly after periods of high-workload or stress
  • Helping manage your expectations, so that you don't become disheartened when it feels that you aren't making much progress when in reality you are making significant steps and improvements
  • Giving you clarity, confidence and certainty that the things you are practicing will give you results

3.  Challenge



Sometimes students come to lessons because they feel they have hit a rut with their playing.  They may have been playing for a few years, and they know they want to expand their abilities, but they just don't know where to go.

Often this can come about because a student's hardened likes and dis-likes have left them with no room to move.  They haven't tried anything new for a while, and consequently, they're bored but don't know how to proceed.

A teacher who is sympathetic to the current and potential taste of a student can often find a way to lead them into new challenges and styles which re-invigorate their guitar playing.  By setting some fresh challenges for a student, their interest for the guitar can be re-awakened, bringing a new lease of life in their playing for years to come.

4.  Confidence



Playing the guitar isn't just a solo activity - for many if not most of us, the prospect of playing with other people is a desirable one.  Maybe you want to accompany yourself singing at an open mic, maybe you want to learn to improvise and jam with friends, maybe you would like to one day play on a stage with a full band.

The transition from solo playing to ensemble playing is often a tricky one for people who are used to just playing by themselves.  There are new skills which come into play to do with listening and timing becomes even more important.

A good teacher who is also a professional musician will know which skills are needed to play confidently with other people and will start instilling the foundations for those skills in you from the very beginning.  

What this means is that a good teacher can give you far more preparation, therefore far more confidence, when it actually comes to playing with other people.

5.  Enjoyment



For many people, learning with a teacher is, simply put, a lot more fun than learning by themselves!

Guitar lessons are usually pretty light-hearted and a great source of pleasure for most.

Let's face it, music is one of the most engaging and absorbing art forms and getting some quality time each week to learn and to play your favourite songs is a good buzz.

For many students, as well as the progress they are making towards their musical goals, guitar lessons are actually a source of fulfillment and expression, and a chance to connect totally with music every single week.  

Want to find out more about lessons?