Bad Lesson Experience

[axslinger]

So I've been wanting to take some lessons from a different teacher than my last...I wasn't progressing skill-wise with my last teacher. Learned plenty of theory but still wasn't happy with my skill level.

So I took a lesson from a different teacher yesterday. Let's just say he tore me from limb to limb. He criticized everything that I was doing, from the way I fretted chords, to the distance between my left elbow and my side to where I put the heel of my right hand and even criticized the fact that I like Jazz III's.

He also pointed out that when Les Paul designed the LP, he did so to accommodate a messed up right arm that had been broken and didn't heal properly. The suggested I try a Strat or Tele because LP didn't balance well.

He may have been right on much of it, but I don't think the idea is to piss a student off and discourage them to the point that they want to sell everything and quit...but that's pretty much what I felt like. I don't even want to pick up my guitar...it's that bad.

Thanks for listening...just needed to vent.

[JasonC]

That sucks! It sounds like you went from one extreme to the other... from a teach who you felt wasn't coaching you enough, to one that was trying to rule your life.

I can't remember, was it you who was complaining about your last teacher on here? If so, I don't think we ever established how much of your personal time you're putting into practicing outside of lessons.

[axslinger]

Originally Posted by JasonC

That sucks! It sounds like you went from one extreme to the other... from a teach who you felt wasn't coaching you enough, to one that was trying to rule your life.

I can't remember, was it you who was complaining about your last teacher on here? If so, I don't think we ever established how much of your personal time you're putting into practicing outside of lessons.

No, it wasn't me. I didn't mind my last teacher, I just wasn't getting any better...I really can't criticize him...he's a good teacher.

This last guy made me want to "Pete Townsend" my LP. The level of frustration and defeat is indescribable.

However, to answer your question, it isn't unusual for me to practice 10 hrs. a week. My problem is I'm NOT getting any better. I can take a lick that I really want to play, start by playing it slow, keep playing it slow, speed it up a little, etc, etc. But I reach a point where I just fall apart. I've been trying to learn to tremolo pick for a year and a half and I just can't do it. My pick gets hung on the string, my right hand rhythm goes to hell...it's just frustrating.

[JasonC]

Yea that guy sounds like a dickhead.

Some of us definitely take longer to learn stuff than others. Some other things you might not think about are your nutrition and level of physical fitness/alertness. I've had major frustrations with playing that turned out to be caused by a lack of sleep or decent diet. I'm also one of the types who needs a lot of extra time to learn some of the stuff that others pick up easy. 10 hours a week isn't bad, but I know that personally I'd need to play more than that in order to show any visible improvement over the short term.

[mikemack]

Screw that guy. Giving constructive criticism is one thing, picking you apart and lowering your confidence is not cool. You probably are getting better but dont realise it. We are always our own worst critics so keep at it. Try something different for a while maybe more simple then go back to what you working on you will be surprised at how good you are doing. Get a new teacher or maybe a friend that can pass along things to you. Practice as much as you can. On a rainy day I will pick up my guitar to just mess around and before you know it Ive been at it for 8 hours. You will get better. Keep a positive attitude and stay focused.

[05jrock]

Cant say it much better than what has been already said.

Takes me a while to learn the songs I want to play.Trouble is I hear a song on the radio and start to learn it,get the intro kinda right,then hear another song I want to play and start that and so on.I've only started playing this year so I'm not great at it but I love it.

sounds like the second teacher you mentioned would take the fun out of playing if thats the way he teaches.

Post Your Favorite Music Related Web Link !!!

could be some website here that can help.

keep on rocking dude

[lespaulmaniac]

make sure that you are practicing the "right" way. 10 hours every week is a pretty good amount, more than i put in for sure. but you have to be productive for 10hrs/week. 10 hrs of non-focused, random noodling practice will get you nowhere. i'm not saying that you're doing that, just warning against it. i do that from time to time and it just frustrates me because i feel like i'm getting nothing done.

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by axslinger

So I've been wanting to take some lessons from a different teacher than my last...I wasn't progressing skill-wise with my last teacher. Learned plenty of theory but still wasn't happy with my skill level.

So I took a lesson from a different teacher yesterday. Let's just say he tore me from limb to limb. He criticized everything that I was doing, from the way I fretted chords, to the distance between my left elbow and my side to where I put the heel of my right hand and even criticized the fact that I like Jazz III's.

He also pointed out that when Les Paul designed the LP, he did so to accommodate a messed up right arm that had been broken and didn't heal properly. The suggested I try a Strat or Tele because LP didn't balance well.

He may have been right on much of it, but I don't think the idea is to piss a student off and discourage them to the point that they want to sell everything and quit...but that's pretty much what I felt like. I don't even want to pick up my guitar...it's that bad.

Thanks for listening...just needed to vent.

Wow I thought I was rough on students...Lol
There was a lot of Truth in what he said (keep the LP) but I am sure it was in the way he said it to you. His tone of voice and facial expressions were probably very negative and combative. Not a good way to Start off a first meeting with anyone. Sorry that that happened to you Bro, just take it in as a lesson learned and it will make you appreciate a GOOD teacher all that more.

Keep Rockin' or Jazzin'
Peace, jonesy

[axslinger]

Originally Posted by jonesy

Wow I thought I was rough on students...Lol
There was a lot of Truth in what he said (keep the LP) but I am sure it was in the way he said it to you. His tone of voice and facial expressions were probably very negative and combative. Not a good way to Start off a first meeting with anyone. Sorry that that happened to you Bro, just take it in as a lesson learned and it will make you appreciate a GOOD teacher all that more.

Keep Rockin' or Jazzin'
Peace, jonesy

Hey Jonesy,

I'm sure he was right on most points, I can accept I have problems and that's why I've been stuck in a rut for most of my playing life. I may be to old to re-teach. I really just walked out of there not even wanting to play/practice. The balloon was completely deflated. When he had me "posed" the way I should be, I couldn't even play. I felt like you would feel if you were right-handed and tried to play left-handed...completely detached from the guitar, like I had never even played before. That's the only way I can describe it.

When my interest comes back, I'll begin the hunt for a new teacher.

[jonesy]

Originally Posted by axslinger

Hey Jonesy,

I'm sure he was right on most points, I can accept I have problems and that's why I've been stuck in a rut for most of my playing life. I may be to old to re-teach. I really just walked out of there not even wanting to play/practice. The balloon was completely deflated. When he had me "posed" the way I should be, I couldn't even play. I felt like you would feel if you were right-handed and tried to play left-handed...completely detached from the guitar, like I had never even played before. That's the only way I can describe it.

When my interest comes back, I'll begin the hunt for a new teacher.

Yeah that was just not right, one thing with students is their confidence. A good teacher will get to know someone and see what it is going to take to HELP that person do what THEY want to do on guitar. You can't always expect everyone to play or hold their arm a certain way. Again sorry to hear about that, and don't give up on Teachers. I have said before that you are your own best teacher. Set a few small goals of things you would like to be able to do on guitar, then sit down and work on them. Sometimes when I get in a rut I will start playing something different then what I was currently playing a lot of. For instance I am a big blues player and that is what I love to play but sometimes I get bored. So maybe I will play some hard rock stuff or dabble with a metal song. Or I may put down the electric and start playing a lot of acoustic guitar, finger picking, slide. It breaks up the routine.
You can also make a list of songs, pull them up on utube, get the tabs from ultimateguitar.com and just have a little fun with guitar. I tell all my students that to be good it takes a lot of hard work, but if you are not having fun while doing it then something is not right with student or teacher etc..
All the best to you my friend..

Peace, jonesy

[ThrashPirate]

Please find a different instructor. Do not let this guy affect your confidence. I just switched instructors to a jazz player so that he can teach me to read music and play different genres. He is a strat guy for electrics and absolutely loved my Les Paul. There are good teachers so keep looking.

[loverockkid]

Man dont let that stop you. You got to fight for your right...TO PARRRRRRRRRRTY!!!!!!As in pick up that guitar and show that guy who is boss I say ceep and take what he told you and show him you can do it fight it and be strong man!

[refin]

I've been teaching for 25 years.........that guy is way out of line.

[singlecut]

thats too bad , no teacher shouLD be so critical

screw the lessons, grabb a few dvd's from andy A ,AND GET ROCKIN!

[5F6-A]

you can learn a lot by practicing with some good DVDs.
The only aspect that materials like DVDs, books, etc will not touch is personal encouragement. A good teacher must and will encourage you point out what you lack and reinforce your forte.

I'd say get a good teacher who is friendly and sepnd some time and money on some of the very good teaching material out there.

[brianbzed]

Wow! That sounds like a shitty deal to me! There are so many teachers around.I don't know the guy, but my ego is not dependant upon degrading my students! My goal was to make friends, learn the guitar at a pace that the student is comfortable with, and give that student the KEYS to self-sufficiency! I always tried to encourage my students, regardless of their musical tastes! Hey, it ALL comes back to the fretboard, I don't give a monkey's *ss! Music is still music, and we adapt it to the guitar! I miss my students...they were great guys....maybe someday I'll see of 'em on TV!

[kharvelan]

Originally Posted by axslinger

I've been trying to learn to tremolo pick for a year and a half and I just can't do it. My pick gets hung on the string, my right hand rhythm goes to hell...it's just frustrating.

What kind of picks are you using?

Have you tried heavy tortex? I find that using 1mm heavy tortex prevents string hang and lets you pick much more freely.

Just a thought. . .

[axslinger]

Originally Posted by kharvelan

What kind of picks are you using?

Have you tried heavy tortex? I find that using 1mm heavy tortex prevents string hang and lets you pick much more freely.

Just a thought. . .

I have tons of picks. I primarily use Jazz III's. I have the red, black and Ultex. I also have big stubbys, little stubbys, brass, copper, gel, nylon and Dava Control PIcks. And a bunch that I can't remember. I will see if I have any tortex ones.

[Xiderpunk]

Reading this reminded me of my flying instructor, he used to get really mad at me in the cockpit. The more annoyed he got the harder I found it to just fly the plane, one time he really kicked off whilst I was coming into land because I had let the airspeed decay, he was screaming at me "This is your life! you fk this up and you will die! Do you understand". I recall walking away from the airplane after and questioning my ability to be a good pilot and whether I should just give up there and then. Needless to say I didn't and after my bruised ego healed I was right back up there.

I had many different instructors over time but of all I remember him the most, and even now when I come into land everytime I remember his words and my airspeed is bang on the money.

The point I am trying to make is sometimes being treated a little harshly can be a good way to learn as often you won't forget the lessons. I certainly learnt more from him than anyone else and in hindsight at the time it was what I needed to correct the problems in my technique.

[jerryo]

Lessons were a complete bust...made me feel like a sock puppet.


I pickup more morsels with all the free internet stuff nowadays ,

A bend here...a riff there...

Free jam tracks

Jam tracks work like a charm to help one 'stop sounding scalar'

and to start sound like tunes...hard to go wrong with them

(.02 centavos)

[axslinger]

Originally Posted by Xiderpunk

Reading this reminded me of my flying instructor, he used to get really mad at me in the cockpit. The more annoyed he got the harder I found it to just fly the plane, one time he really kicked off whilst I was coming into land because I had let the airspeed decay, he was screaming at me "This is your life! you fk this up and you will die! Do you understand". I recall walking away from the airplane after and questioning my ability to be a good pilot and whether I should just give up there and then. Needless to say I didn't and after my bruised ego healed I was right back up there.

I had many different instructors over time but of all I remember him the most, and even now when I come into land everytime I remember his words and my airspeed is bang on the money.

The point I am trying to make is sometimes being treated a little harshly can be a good way to learn as often you won't forget the lessons. I certainly learnt more from him than anyone else and in hindsight at the time it was what I needed to correct the problems in my technique.

Interesting...I to am a pilot, SEL. I had a crappy instructor also. I had some fears I couldn't get past and he was just a tool. With just a few hours left, I needed a confidence builder so I could take my my check ride. I went to the American Flyers school at Oakland Pontiac (PTK). I spent a weekend there and walked away no longer afraid to do long X-countries, land at unfamiliar airports, etc. I aced my check ride a couple months later.

I wish I could find a guitar instructor with that level of teaching aptitude.

[v8ko]

well that guy was no teacher. YOu want to learn patience teach guitar to 10 year olds hahaha. yeah no more of that for me.

Anyways Im sure someone already said this but A.) dont give up. B.) technique is THE hardest thing to learn.

My rhythm guitarist has technique for days, he does stuff that I swore you could only get that sound with pedals. Me Im a feel guy so we work togther well. Now my point haha. Since weve been in the same band I really started looking at my pick attack and wondered why is there such a vast difference. I decided to hone up techniques that I already knew and learn some others.

Man was it harder than I thought Im kind of an old dog so new tricks take a while but you can do this man. I did move to the thinnest damn picks I could find youll go through them fast but they have way more give than a thick pick.

When your practicing NEVER get in a hurry. Try this dedicate a 3 day period and practice slower than your ability. Also practice using the lightest touch possible with your pick, just enough to get sound. Maybe start with a simple 12345 65432 with no left hand all right hand just keep going back and forth...DO noT SpEEd this up. Also try doing a double, double to a triple on one string (low E) just try different patterns and speed them up slowly.

Get the feel the hand position. THen start adding some palm muting take your time. Dont DIG in just get the motion right and the attack will follow.

remember thin picks!

[BCRGreg]

I have never criticized a student. If they have a habit or technique that is counterproductive, I try to come up with alternatives that they enjoy using to counteract the problem. Telling someone that they are a failure helps nobody.