Internet Guitar Lessons-Blessing or Curse?

Are you improving your guitar playing by using the internet?

I have a couple new students who love surfing the internet to find beginning guitar information. The good news is that there's plenty of information out there, the bad news is that a lot of it isn't presented in a logical, understandable way. Consider how long you've been playing guitar and then decide how helpful some of these sites are. For example, if you've been playing for less than a year you probably don't need to work on complex scale patterns, barre chords or dig too far into music theory. A lot of it depends on what kind of music you'll be playing and how involved you want to be in the construction of the music. Some people love knowing everything about the theory while others just want to play.

Who's doing the teaching?

There are many good teachers out there, but there are even more that don't appear to have ever given a lesson. The fact that you can play well doesn't necessarily mean that you can teach. I've seen many flawed examples of teaching guitar from players who mean well but don't realize how complicated their simple explanations are. There's an idea called the "curse of knowledge". In a nutshell, I'm explaining something to you that I think is perfectly clear while you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Can the internet substitute for a live teacher?

In my opinion, yes and no depending on the student. The ease of understanding, the logical approach, and the ability to evaluate progress are the advantages of lessons with a live teacher. Your guitar teacher can spot bad habits, help with trouble spots, and most importantly, encourage you. A lot of progress depends on the feeling that you're getting somewhere. The guitar student who has played other instruments or who uses a combination of teachers can benefit from both experiences.

Pay Attention to Details and Improve Your Sound

Make your music more musical.

What makes a great guitar player sound that way? Attention to detail. No strings buzzing, no squeaks, no deadened strings, playing clean, clear notes. It's things like that you need to listen for. What's the best way to hear them? Record yourself. Recordings don't lie, they pick up every sound good or bad. When the strings buzz you need to push harder or play closer to the frets. A deadened string is almost always caused by something being in the way. Keep your fingernails short, push up your sleeves and arch your fingers so they don't bump into the other strings.

Listen closely to the recording and you'll hear the trouble spots.

A lot of times we get so intent on playing that we don't hear ourselves. I've had to tell students to listen to their playing and gotten blank stares in return. You need to hear what you sound like before you can  fix the bad spots. Once you pick them out, then you grab your guitar and start slowly and methodically making the song sound better.

Attitude means a lot.

Once you find the phrases that need work, practice them slowly and build up speed so you can play them with confidence. Saying to yourself: "here comes the part I always screw up" becomes a reality. I hear lots of negativity during lessons and it will definitely affect the student's performance. A positive attitude can make a big difference in helping you progress.


Put it all together, practice it and try again.

After you've eliminated the rough notes, cleaned up the chords and corrected the timing, record yourself again. If you've followed through and worked hard at improving your sound, the results should make you very happy. If not, repeat the above steps. 

Do I Have to Use the Pick?

Don't give up on the pick too soon.

Many times a beginning guitar student will play with a pick for a few weeks and then decide it's easier to play without it. While this is true in the early stages, if you get used to not using the pick it becomes much harder later on. How do I know this? That's what I did! I spent the first 6 years of guitar playing using just my fingers until a friend of mine convinced me that some songs just sound better with a pick. After deciding he was right I worked on using the pick on at least a few of the songs. It was very frustrating, especially when the pick would drop into the hole or go flying across the room.

Start out slow, hold the pick tight enough to not drop it but don't make a fist.

As I got better at using the pick, I found that using a pick that had grips on it, (Jim Dunlop nylon), made it easier to control. The thickness was also much more important than I realized. The best thing to do is to try different picks and see which ones work for you. They're extremely cheap and there are lots and lots of different sizes, shapes, thicknesses and materials. A very general guideline is that a lot of accomplished guitar players use thicker picks for solos and playing fast, and lighter, thinner picks for strumming. Ask your guitar teacher, or better yet, buy a dozen and experiment.

Gradually build up speed and don't get discouraged.

Pick single notes first, be very deliberate, and make accuracy your top priority. The most difficult thing about starting to use the pick is finding the strings. Since you have no feeling it feels like you're kind of swinging the pick at the strings instead of striking them. A good way to practice is to pluck a note and let the pick rest on the next string. That way you learn to judge the distance between the strings. Set your metronome to a slow speed and aim for clear, crisp notes. Once you've mastered a few easy songs, work on scales, solos or fiddle tunes to increase your speed and dexterity. Repetition is the key to learning to use the pick.

Cold Weather + Stringed Instruments = Be Prepared

Cold weather and stringed instruments don't mix.

Now that the cold weather has arrived, it's time to think about how you transport and treat your guitars and banjos. I've had a few students leave their instruments in their cars since they come in for lessons after work and can't or won't bring them inside. This can do serious, permanent damage and you need to avoid it if you possibly can.

The dangers of extreme cold.

Cold weather causes the wood to shrink, puts extra stress on the parts of the instrument and can result in finish cracks, and cracks in the back and sides of your guitar. If you need to leave the guitar in your car, be sure to let it adjust before removing it from the case. Bring it inside and let the case sit unopened until the temperature is about the same as the room.

Heated and unheated rooms, low humidity and fireplaces.

Even if you store your guitar or banjo inside, you need to exercise caution. Don't leave it on a stand that's near a heat vent, the fireplace or an outside door or window. Playing and singing in front of the fireplace can be fun, but don't let the instrument get too hot. A humidifier that you keep in the case or in the soundhole of the guitar can help keep the wood stable. When it gets cold and the heat is on in your house the air dries out. Storing your instruments in an unheated room like a basement requires the same care as bringing it in from outside. Try to find a place where it won't be subjected to extreme temperature changes.

Read the owner's manual if you have it.

While guitars and banjos aren't quite as fragile as the manual makes it sound, the information in it has good, practical advice. Taking care of an instrument in winter is mostly about common sense and being aware of what you should or shouldn't do.

How NOT to Practice

Does this sound like you when you practice?

I practice while the TV is on. I've had students tell me that they practice while watching television or "have music playing softly in the background." Are you kidding me??? There's a difference between practicing guitar and just noodling around. What do you think you'll accomplish by not devoting full attention to guitar playing?

I try to concentrate but I keep getting text messages, emails or phone calls. Turn off the electronics, set up a practice room and buy yourself a cheap kitchen timer. Make it clear to the family that you're not to be disturbed until you come out of the room. Setting the timer for 30 to 45 minutes, deciding what needs work, and setting practice goals will improve your playing. Beginning guitar players may not be able to practice for 45 minutes at first, but it's a good target to reach.

I practice but don't seem to get anywhere. Are you really practicing or just going through the motions? There's a big difference between practice and playing the guitar for a while. Concentration is huge factor in making significant progress. Find a method that works for you and stick to it. Some guitar students play through a song over and over, some practice one or two small phrases at a time, and some have no idea of what works for them.

Don't practice mistakes. If you make the same mistake in the same place, fix it! Slow down, play each note so slowly that you can't play it wrong, and do that until your fingers go where you want them to. After you can play the trouble spot correctly several times, get out the metronome and very slowly pick up the pace. Trying to play faster without the metronome is much more difficult because it's hard to play a tiny bit faster. With the metronome you can adjust the tempo so you're only adding a few beats per minute.

Don't lose sight of the fun factor. Having said all of the above, there should still be time to play for fun. Depending on your level, spend some time trying new things, playing faster, and experimenting with different sounds. Play closer to the fingerboard then the bridge and listen to the change it makes, play louder, then softer, slide into strings, bend notes and see what you come up with. Try to make up a solo using a pentatonic scale, play some chords and see what they sound like together and pretty soon you'll have a very clear idea of all the ways you can play a guitar.

Meeting the physical demands of playing guitar

Playing guitar is harder than you think.

Every day we hear the same complaints. My fingers hurt, my wrist hurts, my shoulder hurts or my arm hurts. Playing guitar is more demanding than most people realize. In the beginning you're going to have aches and pains, much the same as if you were starting an exercise program. Let's take a look at what the causes the pain and some solutions.

• Posture. Whether you play sitting down or standing up, the correct posture is important. When sitting down, put both feet on the floor, don't rest your fretting arm on your leg, and try to relax the muscles. Standing requires having a comfortable strap with the guitar positioned where you an easily reach the strings. Again, be sure you're comfortable and can reach the strings easily.
• Warming Up.  Before you start working on songs, do some stretching and picking exercises. Start out slowly and work your way up. 
• Pressing too Hard. In the early stages of learning guitar you pretty much have to use lots of pressure to hold the strings down. Once you've been playing for a month or so, you'll find that since the tips of your fingers have toughened up you don't have to press as hard. This is a common mistake and it can cause pain in the fretting hand wrist as well as fatigue in the fingers.
• The Wrong Strings or Even the Wrong Guitar. Guitar strings come in different gauges or thicknesses, and one way to not have to push so hard is to try some lighter strings. There are also silk and steel strings which have a softer core. A classical guitar has nylon strings which are softer, but the trade-off is usually a wider neck. Guitar bodies also come in different sizes, so try one out before you buy.
• Spending Too Much Time Practicing. While it's a good idea to practice every day, keeping the practice sessions short in the beginning is a good tactic. You don't want your fingers to be so sore the next day that you can't practice. Usually 10 to 15 minutes at a time is a good guideline until you get used to playing.

Follow these suggestions and you should get off to a smooth start. Feel free to leave comments in case you have any questions.

Frequently Asked Questions and What You Should Ask.

The most frequently asked questions:

1. How much are lessons? Probably the top question and the one that should be much lower on the list. As with any other purchase, you get what you pay for. Do you really want to take lessons or have your child learn from the cheapest teacher? While price is no guarantee of quality it's certainly wise to be leery of someone with ridiculously low prices. 
2. At what age should my child start guitar lessons? Most guitar teachers will start a beginner at age 7 or 8. There are some programs, Child Bloom and Kindermusic that start them younger. The critical decision here is how you as a parent will react when your new student doesn't practice as much as you think they should. The most important part of learning guitar at this age is for the child to enjoy the lessons. Nagging, reminding, and scolding them does much more harm than good. 
3. Am I too old to learn guitar? In most cases, no. As long as you have desire and time to practice, you'll do fine. Setting realistic goals, being patient and finding time are the biggest obstacles adults face. 
4. What guitar method do you use? Most teachers will start you off with a book of some sort, get you moving around on the guitar, and then gear the lessons more to the style of music you'd like to play. Be wary of the teacher that uses the same approach whether you're 7, 17 or 70. 

What questions should you ask?

1. What kind of music do you play? Lots of teachers advertise that they can teach you any style of music you'd like, but be aware that it doesn't mean they're equally good at all types of music. This is most important if you have a specific style of music in mind. While there is some overlap, there are different techniques, licks, (small musical phrases), and sounds that define the music.
2. Have you worked with children before? Some teachers can't or don't want to teach younger students, so be sure you ask if you have a young child. 
3. Are you comfortable or qualified teaching my special needs child? There have been many instances where we've had parents register their child and then almost as an afterthought mention that they have ADD, a learning disability of some sort, or an emotional problem that we'll have to deal with. It's very awkward for the teacher to find this out after the fact.
4. What qualifications do you have? While a college degree is nice, it shouldn't be the only consideration. When I hire a teacher I look for a combination of education, teaching, performing experience and a genuine interest in teaching. Our students trust that we know what we're doing and we can't let them down.