Online Guitar Instructor or YouTube
Should I have an Online Guitar Instructor or YouTube It?
With so many videos on YouTube, why should a person pay for an online guitar instructor instead of using YouTube? After taking and teaching lessons my entire adult career, I believe it is important to have someone who can watch and assist you while playing. This can be both in person or online.
I have had the privilege of working with many self taught guitarists who have had to unlearn habits making certain songs hard to play. So I want to pass along several reasons to have a live instructor assist in learning any instrument. Here is a list of 5 reasons it helps to have a guitar instructor.
Increase Your Musical Understanding
It is such a good feeling to learn a song and be able to play it for friends and family. But having a background on how things work together really gives a person a whole new musical perspective. Learning how things fit together and why is important when taking the next step on any instrument. If you ever want to write a song or make your solo a little tastier, having a few tools can make all the difference in the world. An instructor can tell you why a song used a certain set of notes, or show you how a small tweak can make a solo come to life. One example is to move a rock scale (pentatonic minor) up a four frets and all of a sudden you have an amazing jazz scale.
Adding Helpful Playing Hints
Something so small such as a certain fingering can preventing you from playing a song smoothly or even at all. This can be reason enough to sign up for online lessons. Relearning chords and solos is much harder the second time around because it is so easy to fall back to what we are used to.
Playing without correct form can also put a lot of strain on your wrist leading to tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. An instructor can recommend a simple adjustment of the guitar neck or your hand position which may be all you need to remedy this.
Stylistic differences can be important as well. If you are learning blues, your hand position is often much different than a classical guitarist’s hand position. The reasons are clear from a guitar instructor’s point of view, but maybe not to a beginner. Knowing what to look for can save a lot of anguish in the long run.
Advice For Your Band Situation
If this is a direction you want to go, then having a guitar instructor who has been there is extremely important. This is one area that can save you considerable time hunting through videos. Sometimes articles play up one area or another in order to keep their audience entertained, but having someone to ask the questions to is invaluable.
If you are with someone who has toured, they will volunteer ideas and information you may have never thought to ask. Even simple things like how to run your guitar cable can make a big difference on a crazy night on stage.
Staying on Schedule
Probably the biggest reason people stop learning anything is because they do not stay with it. YouTube could be a great resource if you are very motivated and dedicated, but knowing you are accountable to a preset time with an instructor can keep you on a regular schedule. There are many adult students who only have time to play their instrument during that half hour or hour lesson and that can be enough to keep propelling them forward. Otherwise, other life events may take over.
Online Instructors Will Keeping You Motivated
The biggest reason to have an instructor is to help you stay motivated. An instructor can pass along songs that they know students really enjoy playing. Sometimes this is all it takes to get back into the excitement of music. Having a song or solo etc. can really make a person want to sit down and take the time to practice. Practicing is tedious without a goal or inspiration to help us along.
All and all, a live instructor is a great way to save countless hours hunting for the right video and hoping the teacher really knows what they are talking about. If you ever have any questions, let me know. I will be happy to help you start, or continue on, your musical path.
I am excited to announce that I am now offering online lessons! If you or the kids would like to pick up a new skill, I would be very interested in the opportunity to help!
