http://www.pressies.org/simple-gifts-guitar-tab/
how hard is it to be a self taught guitar player?
I already have a guitar, it was a gift to me and originally had no idea to play it but now I have been inspired by my favorite rock musicians and want to be able to play along with some of my friends. Problem is guitar lessons are kinda steep in cash and I dont wanna ask my parents about lessons.
Now my dad on one hand can teach me as he knows very simple chords but in the end his teachings are very limited.
I was thinking of looking up on how to play tablature, its not chords but eventually if I learn I can move on to something more complicated like chords but how far will this take me? I dont plan on being in a band or anything but if a time or some similar scenario comes up I want to be able to read notes and not just rely on tabs.
How far can one go in being a self taught guitar player? Would it be a deadend later on?
Any tips/thoughts on what I should/shouldnt do?
I’m self taught. I’m good, I could be better…
There’s a lot more you can pick up from tabs than you might imagine. Since tabs became more popular, sheet music for guitar has become a bit of a rarity. The only problem with them, really, is the lack of note durations. Timing’s tricky to pick up on in tabs, it helps to be able to hear the song as you read it.
You can go far, if you’re one of those people who can teach themselves. I did, I’d say I have a fairly advanced knowledge of music theory and technique.
Most people, however, do better with lessons. Me, I’m stubborn, and I am very reluctant to let a teacher directly influence my art. Even though there’s a bunch of things that I’m sure would have come easier with a teacher, I have a certain sense of pride that I fought through it myself.
All I had to start on, 16 years ago, was the poster called Guitar Chords and this guy who stopped by my porch as he was walking by to teach an 8 year old the Pentatonic scale (although he didn’t tell me its name, I figured that out later.)
The fact that you’ve got friends who play is a huge bonus. Learn what you can from them; in fact, learn what you can from anywhere you can. Music is everywhere, and while it’s not easy to teach yourself, it’s not impossible.
Good luck, dude.
Simple Gifts (Lord Of The Dance) – a lesson by Ken Middleton
