... not taught correct fingering technique / ad hoc

[TheCrystalShip]

Not sure if there is a music/hobbies section, but since it I'm a bit annoyed I thought I'd post here.

Just wonder if anyone else has experience of lessons for pop/rock guitar? If yes please read on ... if not then skip :)

Context: DD is a very good violin player, and accomplished on piano and voila too. A few months ago she started teaching herself electric guitar (in a rock band with some friends). Since the Christmas holidays she's been having private guitar lessons. The teacher is a secondary school teacher, and an accomplished musician, highly recommended, fairly expensive and time consuming to get there/home.

DD does seem to be making progress, enjoys it but it seems very informal and not structured. For example, there seems no reading of music, seems to based around playing portions of songs, with no special emphasis on technique. As a teen I played some classical guitar and there was huge emphasis on fingering technique, posture, etc.

Is this normal for rock/pop guitar lessons? It's not my experience learning instruments growing up, or DD other hobbies to date.

If the technique is ahead of other skills the teacher may focus on the ?aural skills

Need to talk to teacher

I thought it was a bit early ...

How disappointing, I thought I was about to learn something useful.........

I so pleased you posted here and didn't email the tutor.
Imagine opening an email marked..

Your fingering lessons.

I thought this would be about crochet.

Also disappointed when I opened this thread.

Another one here for the filth.

😂😂😂

Sorry I op I got to the word music and got disappointed
So skipped Post to read the comments.

Best thread title

😳

I learned pop/rock guitar though I also play fingerstyle and my teachers have been very big on technique. I'm old though and I guess my teachers are old fashioned? I think its like languages. It goes in phases when its more in style to teach grammar, rules, etc, and more phases when its more in style to teach 'naturally'. I could already read music when I started on guitar but theory has always been a big part of my lessons too - I know people do learn with little to no theory but I couldn't personally. I need to understand why or I won't remember it. I think what you have is a mismatch of teaching styles with expectations. The important thing is what your daughter thinks. If you want a more traditional style teacher for pop-rock, you can definitely find one.

You've provided us with a good laugh on a Saturday afternoon at least!

@overnightangel

“Playing rock guitar is a lot about the sound and the "feel", as opposed to technique”

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ignore this, it’s absolute nonsense.

How do you think “sound” and “feel” is achieved? By your technique!

I’ve played guitar for years and thought this was true, and I wish I’d spent time concentrating more on technique and making more of an attempt to learn more music theory .

Some rock musicians pride themselves on lack of the above, as if it’s some sort of badge of honour… fair enough if you’re self taught and want to play 3 chords in a punk band with you’re mates, but if you’re paying for lessons, structured lessons and technique is the bare minimum you should be getting.

If you’re told why you’re learning something and taught HOW to practice, you’re make better use of your time and improve quicker
… by the same token it has to be fun, and learning the fun parts is important, but you need a balance … if you’re learning something out of context it’s not going to stand you in as good a stead if you’re wanting to progress.

TLDR : you’re paying good money, there SHOULD be focus on structure and technique

I agree with the above. A lot of guitarists are self-taught, and although many of them have been playing for decades and are very expert at the genre they like and play in, they are essentially one-trick ponies. And they will stay that way, because their technique in that style is so ingrained.

Anyone else picturing Margot Leadbetter?
Fair play to you ma’am, don’t engage.

It's more usual to use tab for guitars than reading music, and whilst the tutor is showing her how to play riffs, he'll be showing her where to place her fingers. Quite normal. 3 guitar players in this immediate family and lots more in the extended.

I’m only here for the deletion message.

@Easterbunnyiswindowshopping

I so pleased you posted here and didn't email the tutor. Imagine opening an email marked..

Your fingering lessons.

"your fingering technique leaves a lot to be desired"

Title aside, yes, this is very common with pop/rock guitar lessons. I am largely self-taught but did have a few lessons when I was a teenager where I learnt a bit more technique. Technique is very important, it’s easy to learn bad habits and hard to break them. I’ve found a lot of jazz players focus a lot on technique, so if you’re not happy with the way she’s being taught, I wonder if you could find a jazz player to teach her instead? They’ll be able to do all the pop/rock stuff with ease, and it’s not as stiff as classical playing.

Honestly though, if she’s enjoying it and progressing, I’d leave her to it. I’d wager a lot of brilliant musicians never had a lesson in their lives, and at the end of the day it’s about being comfortable and doing what works for you. Also classical guitar is quite different to rock/pop playing, the guitars are different for a start, so while everything is transferable, it’s really not the same animal.

I'm not sure what it says about me that I assumed it would be a thread about piano scores

IME learning and playing pop/rock guitar and other instruments have a completely different ethos and mindset and there is no benefit in having the expectations from learning a classical instrument. An emphasis in incremental learning from copying and playing parts from popular artists' songs, and playing by ear rather than sight reading is standard, presumably to encourage players for whom the dry, academic classic approach would be like classroom lesson and turn them off. If the teacher is good then the jigsaw will fall into place according to the talent of the student. There is an emphasis in playing along with the recordings and other players as you would with a band with (usually pre-rehearsed) improvisation and no marks for dry, sterile playing rather developing the ear and skills to create something new that fits. Perhaps think whether any of the ground breaking developments in pop/rock music, Jimi Hendrix, would have been achieved by classical players. I'm not saying a classical player can bring emotion and play better than another, rather in classical music the tendency is for the composer to break ground more significantly than the orchestra. Perhaps try and think that the goal is more to be able to play in a band that creates new, different songs and can play together to develop songs.

Hi OP

These people can probably help. There’s pretty much always an ongoing music thread going on under Extracurricular activities.

I'll join you peeps in the gutter...

You a Doors fan OP?

Now wondering about Jim’s fingering technique! 😂

Oh I didn’t expect it to be about a guitar 🤣