Lessons and Courses
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Posted on Sep 29, 2004 04:18 pm
BoysMum
Member Since: Apr 22, 2004
It's good learning how to play and sing Hendrix, Clapton etc by yourself because you're interested and doing this seems to improve your abilities and increase your repertoire...but it seems to be difficult to find a tutor here that can adjust their private lessons to take my son to the next level. Does this make sense?
I've had a bit of a look at Berkleemusic.com and imw.co.uk. Does anyone use online tutorials or take courses online or otherwise?
Just wondering what options might exist.
Cheers...
BM :-)
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Sep 30, 2004 02:49 am i think the berklee songwriting or theory courses would be fantasic, even online. as for learning to play the songs of your heroes, im not sure you need much more than some tablature, a recording of the song, and a live teacher. for performance instruction, isn't a live dude pretty much a prerequisite? someone's gotta watch what youre doing and help you out.
Sep 30, 2004 05:29 am Hey forty! Yeah, I think you might be right about the Berklee courses.
Playing from tabs is fine...but looking for a tutor who can take my son to the next levels is the challenge. We appear to be a little thin on tutors here. That's why we're wondering if there is something online that others might have used with some success.
Thanks for your input forty...all advice most appreciated.
Cheers,
BM :-)
Sep 30, 2004 12:40 pm i don't know what size city you live in, but in a town like orlando, where i live, there are more guitar teachers than you can shake a stick at. back in the day i dabbled with lessons, and some were good and some were bad. you don't want to go with a very advanced teacher who forgets how to 'come down' to the level of the student. on the other hand you want someone who is a good player with lots of knowlege. it can be hard to find someone with both qualities. but you know all this.
all you can do as far as real humans are concerned is try out a few. my worst guitar teacher was an older bachelor (50 years my senior) whose apartment smelled like cats and who made me write out scales in a notebook using the real note names. my best teachers for guitar tended to be just regular dudes. guys with long hair who were in thier 20's who, if you asked them 'do you know modal harmonization?' they would say 'yeah man, we'll get to that we'll get to that." it's important to not feel intimidated. i always wanted my teacher to be like a pal to whom i could ask questions.
maybe you could place an ad looking for a good tutor
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Sep 30, 2004 04:58 pm BM:
It's hard to get in when your out. As Forty mentioned, I think, there are a ton of Perenthetical guitar teachers out there. The bulk of them are just grabin a buck where they can. Pro musicians are have a tendency to live rather obscure lifestyles per their profession. Once your "out there" (choose the conotation that applies for you" you rub sholders with others and it becomes easier to pick the wheat from the shaft (oops there I go again). I have had the best luck by just attending small informal performances and then striking up a conversation with an individual that impresses me as someone who has what I would like. I found one double bassest that was just excelent. Could read...real notes even!, had a great ear for improvisation, fabulous tone, played with ease etc. who was willing to tutor me himself.
"Start with the end in mind", Dr. Steven Colby, seven habits of highly effective people. The term "next level" is ambigious. If your son is looking for a career in music there are many routes to take. I served with musicians in the 7th Army Band, Stutgart Germany. Good duty, increadable education. Contact a recruiter to understand the qualifications necessary. Many of those folks played out on the side and made good money while "in", retired early with pension and continued to do well. I also play with a gentlman who plays the cruise ships. Pretty much a single's life but again great avenue. Contact a cruise line and get a job description. A good number of folks I play with are music instructors, both grade and college level. They are probably doing the best monitarily while making music a career. They also play on the side to fullfill their performance desires. Of course there is the occasional off the wall individual. We have one lawyer in the band who covers his bills playing sax evenings and banks his lawyer income. Go figgure. If its rock and roll hall of fame that is the target, good luck. Most end up falling off barstools at 50 complaining about the chance they never got.
Sep 30, 2004 06:06 pm Thanks forty. :) Population here 350 000. Unfortunately, there aren't many tutors in the whole country (1.5mil) :(
Great call forty, its time to put an ad in the paper. Should have thought of that myself. Good advice. :)
And Walt - fabulous...should have thought of that too...we found a good drumming tutor just by rubbing shoulders with that crowd and the opportunity arose.
The thing about the tutors is that they are a bit theory oriented...which is good...but doesn't always maintain the flexibility to go with the moment and also keep motivation high.
Also, a couple of them have just set chords to play during the lesson, while they(the tutors) rock out.
My son also has to take more responsibility for his own learning and motivation...and he does a good job most days... :)
Good one Walt..yes my son is thinking of a career in music. Great call re options too. And ya got another good point with Colby. I'll show my son this thread later tonight.
Thanks guys...you've got me moving again.
Cheers,
BM :)
Sep 30, 2004 06:14 pm thats true walt, about just meeting people you admire and asking them to tutor you. my friend's an excellent guitarist and whenever i go up to PA to visit, we do some lesson-type stuff. if i make it a regular thing, im sure my ability will go way up. that part of it just requires that you 'get out there' as you say.
BM, im not entirely sure what you mean as far as the difference between a tutor and a teacher?
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Sep 30, 2004 06:40 pm You're further along than you think BM. You are weeding things out. There are folks out there giving private lessons that do understand and practice age approperiate motivation. They are the cream of the crop, but out there. And you are right, learning theory, learning chords, etc. is a very important part of performance training. Remember it's all about imprinting. Your son's musclature will mature differently than say a computer hackers per his chioce of instrument. It is improtant to stay motivated also as you have observed. Gotta see some fruit as you go along. The only place I may differ from some here in opinion, is that education can not destroy a musician. If a person has the gift his or her minds ear will prohibit that. The music develops there first; and they will bring it out regardless of how rote the instruction. The best musicians I know read, know theory, can pick a tune out of the air by ear in a heart beat. I have always advocated playing rather than practicing. Clarlie Haden also talks frequently of this and all of his children are accomplished musicians as is he obviously. Break up a practice or play session. Do the rote stuff, tackle the hard to master tune, then just play some stuff you know or want to know better and play with it. Let it flow. Take a rock tune and play a few bars swung or rumba or whatever strikes you. Diddle with playing a tune in three that was written in four. I tought my daughter this way on flute. Although she did not choose to make music a career, she enjoys playing with the Spirit of St. Lous Orchestra and a few smaller groups for personal entertainement. She can sit down in front of a music stand and play with the best, then turn around and pick out Ian Anderson by ear. For my youngest daughter's wedding I put together a small rockey rolley band to play inbetween big band sets. I live in michigan and the olders daughter lives in Kansas. I sent her the songs we were playing in the rock band and she flew in the night before, rehersed once with the group and was dead on for the performance. It works. Now I'm suposto say "trust me" what a cliche, thing to say. Sometimes I wonder about me. Hard to figgure. Where did the mother ship go.
zekthedeadcowEat Spam before it eats YOU!!!Member
Since: May 11, 2002
Sep 30, 2004 06:45 pm playing on the side while in an Army band... christ I never thought of that one... all they need is the commanders written permission and it's perfectly legal... My old MP Battalion reserve unit had an AGR mechanic working for autozone.
Sep 30, 2004 06:54 pm Sorry 'bout the confusion forty...I'm using teacher and tutor in the same way...a trap for young players?
Spot on there forty, we need to get around a little more so that opportunities arise to learn from those we admire.
Walt don't be so hard on yourself... ;-)...that is primo info...and I quite understand where you're coming from...also pretty obvious the level of your experience.
We're learning from people who have been there (HRC). Fabulous advice Walt...and I very much trust you...you've got a pretty common sense approach and like they say, it(common sense) goes a long way.
Cheers again guys,
BM :)
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Sep 30, 2004 06:58 pm Absolutely Zek,
And most commanders (at least when I was in) of bands where warrant officers. They knew their craft well and knew that playing out only enhanced the abilities of their people. Given those people had personal habits that were not distructive. I think what many folks don't understand is that once you get to that level you are expected to play proficiently by written as well as "ear" generated music. I have countless charts that are open charts. They may have bits and pieces written out where the whole band needs to be in unison, but the rest is all up to me. Pretty hard to walk into a venue with a repitour of 500 songs without those capablilties. Ever listened to the millitary DC jazz band? Wow! Cought them at a few jazz festivals over the years. And good duty! Swimming trunks, plenty of sun time, bla bla bla. Tough life!
Sep 30, 2004 07:00 pm Sorry 'bout the confusion forty...I'm using teacher and tutor in the same way...a trap for young players?
Spot on there forty, we need to get around a little more so that opportunities arise to learn from those we admire.
Walt don't be so hard on yourself... ;-)...that is primo info...and I quite understand where you're coming from...also pretty obvious the level of your experience.
We're learning from people who have been there (HRC). Fabulous advice Walt...and I very much trust you...you've got a pretty common sense approach and like they say, it(common sense) goes a long way.
Cheers again guys,
BM :)
Sep 30, 2004 07:02 pm oops (I think you're supposed to push the submit button once only)...damn
sorry 'bout that folks.
BM
Oct 06, 2004 03:33 pm Since starting this thread the guitar tutors are coming out of the woodwork. Thanks again for the advice guys.
Cheers,
BM
