Is It Possible to Learn How to Play Guitar Without Taking Lessons?
Posted in learn guitar on 14. Sep, 2011
A learn guitar question that should definitely interest you all this week
Of course if you know people who play, who will come over and show you a few pointers, that would also be good. Much of guitar ‘lore’ is passed on from one guitarist to the next.
If you take lessons (I did for a while) the teacher will teach you to keep your left thumb on the middle of the back of the neck, which gives you more freedom to move your fingers over the fingerboard. But self-taught guitarists wrap their thumb over the top of the neck to get a tighter grip. Watch guitarists on TV, even famous ones, and you see most of them wrapping their thumbs! These people are self-taught.
The hardest thing in starting to learn is that you have to develop strength in your left hand to hold down the strings against the fingerboard. At first your hand gets sore after only ten minutes or so. So you can’t practice longer than 10 or 15 minutes (but you can do this several times a day). It takes a few weeks to build up strength in your hand. So be patient. If it’s a steel-string guitar you also build up callouses on your fingertips.
A LOT of people are self taught, especially on guitar.
You can use YouTube videos, you can save pictures of music notes from the internet to learn what each note means (when you’re really good at playing you can just look at these notes and know exactly what they mean), or you can buy guitar books (beginners editions would be good for you) from music stores. Or Ebay. Depending on how much you want to pay.
As long as you’re dedicated and practice everyday, you’ll learn in no time.
GO WITH THE FLOW BRO.
…too cheesy? Okay then.
OH! Or if you really want to learn and are confused but don’t want to pay much, ask the buskers on the streets with their guitars to teach you. Make friends.
Yes there are numerous books on the subject. Many professionals taught themselves to play the instrument.
I’m self-taught up to a point. In August 1956 a friend drew 11 chords on a sheet of paper, then assisted me in forming them and playing rhythm techniques. Those lessons were the only ones I had except for jam sessions with other guitarists. What improved my playing greatly was learning how to read and write music notation and learning music theory.
I have routinely wrapped my thumb over the neck to capture the bass strings of a chord because that’s what I saw Merle Travis and Chet Atkins doing. The method works well for me, even after 55 years of playing. I imagine both Travis and Atkins were self-taught too.
Is it possible? Yes
Is there any benefit to it? No
Personally, I find the whole idea of being "self-taught" to be a crock. Right here you’re talking about watching videos and stuff on YouTube, so are you really "self-taught"? No, you’re not. It’s a BS term that people use in hopes that I’ll be more impressed with their skill. But guess what! I’m not. If you’re good you’re good, if you suck you suck.
Private lessons with a good teacher is the oldest and still the best way to learn a musical instrument. The end.