The Steel Guitar Forum

Erv Niehaus wrote:Bob,
I agree with you.
That sure was a dumb statement for someone to make.
Erv

I said that I didn't know any not that here weren't any.
Come to think of it Jauquin Murphy took lessons. I had forgotten that.

There is nothing wrong with taking lessons but there is no magic in it. If a person is willing to practice he will learn whether he takes lessons or not.

Too many people take lessons expecting someone to learn them and don't practice enough to get anywhere.

I speak from experience when I back up James' statement.

Back in the '90s I was hired by the Guitar Institute in London to teach fingerstyle electric guitar. My schedule was just one 90 minute session every Sunday morning. I prepared some material that I thought might develop right-hand technique and encourage the students to explore the fingerboard a little more.

Long story short? I lasted four weeks. It soon became clear to me that almost all of the 12-15 participants thought that writing a cheque for the entire course was all the input required of them. Most of them hadn't even got their guitar out of its case during the preceding week.

I looked in vain for that spark of longing that had driven me forty years earlier when I had a guitar in my hands seemingly every waking moment. I soon realised that most of them just didn't really want it enough.

There was one exception (Alistair Cherry - where are you now?); he soaked up everything like a sponge and, while I may have given him some short-cuts, I had the feeling that he would have got there on his own. He even turned up with a new Telecaster the second week and I still wonder if he remains the only 14-year old to order a b-bender!

I gave my notice soon after. I'm willing to accept that I may not have inspired them enough but, for me, the inspiration had come out of my radio. Different times, I suppose.

Bob Hoffnar wrote:

James Quillian wrote: Most people who start playing just don't practice enough and expect too much from too little effort.

Things like coordination take a lot of discipline to develop.

There just isn't a magical way to learn to play a musical instrument.

James, You are on the money with the last part ! The way I figure it you need to measure your practice time by hours a day and hours a week.

Bob, perhaps I am real big on practice because that is the only way I am able to learn. Also, I taught school for a long time. I really never new anyone who made much progress without putting a lot if time into it. I am guessing there are some prodigies on this forum. That is a different category.

I am just amazed at the resources available for people who want to learn an instrument these days. Back in the 60s lessons made sense because unless there were musicians in the family, there was no way to learn anything. There was no tab. There was not even anything in standard notation.

If I was going to take lessons myself, I would pay someone to show me the ins and outs of the mechanics of the instrument and how to set it up in different ways. I am totally mechanically impaired. It would also be good for trouble shooting.

Lester, here's another great resource for online help.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=182789