Starting guitar - teacher/book and other questions

[malyo]

Hello,

First of all i'd like to say that I've finally managed myself to buy my own acoustic guitar, and so far it's really fun, but i'm learning by my own by some random youtube videos etc. I have decided to take my guitar and overall music education on a higher level.

I know some things need time, but best practices is something you want to be doing from the start, so my first question is, are guitar lessons really woth putting money into (i'm talking about one on one lessons rather than music schools). I also have big respect to any kind of (especially) art field, and i realise that learning music theory would benefit me greatly in a long shot, am i right about this? My final questions are about picking some good guitar lecture, it could be either music theory one (i'm kinda studying and working can't afford myself going to music school), or guitar learning ones. It's really hard to pick one, judging just from table of contents (btw I'm from Poland, so i'm looking for some books that went big and hopefully been translated into my language).

Thanks in advance,
Best Regards

[Alan Green]

Welcome to the party.

Yes, it is worth getting a teacher for one-on-one lessons. Talk to a few first of all and find one that likes the music you like - too many teachers who say they teach "all styles" teach them all poorly.

A good teacher will also be able to recommend a good book.

[Cat]

Yup...what he said! (^)

Cat

[MatthiasYoung]

Yes - get a teacher! And in terms of "style," that should not be the focus as a beginner. Technique and learning to play the instrument as a whole, regardless of style is what's important in the beginning.

[Sansmerci]

I'd say it's worth having lessons too; I wasn't going to bother but they were surprisingly affordable (I just have one half an hour session a week with my teacher) and it helps me a lot. I can ask questions and get immediate answers and he points me in the right direction when I'm either doing something wrong or could make life easier for myself.

[kpheard]

Yes I agree with the others. Unless you can already play another instrument, then having some lessons is the best way. Also an understanding of music theory is important too. Even if you just have a few one to one lessons and then move on to an online course, book or dvd method, at least you have a good chance of starting off correctly.
Good Luck.

[guitarforlife]

I agree with the others, a teacher is the way to go if you can afford it. A good teacher can save you a lot of time and frustration that is caused by practicing bad habits or skipping over basic techniques.

[sixstringmadness]

I may be a bit biased as I am a guitar teacher but having someone sit in front of you and provide instant feedback and point out things that you are not seeing is a huge benefit. Not all teachers are created equal though. Meet a prospective teacher first and explain your goals and interests and make sure they fit within that. I always like to meet potential students first to make sure that we would be a good fit for eachother. Its so important that you do that. Private instruction does not come cheap though. If you really think you can do it on your own (and you can. it just takes longer) there are some excellent course out there. Check out my blog in my signature for some ideas. And, of course, check out the fantastic lessons here at Guitar Noise. Good luck on your guitar journey!