Are guitar lessons worth it?

Are guitar lessons worth it? Guitar lessons sure are worth it! With lessons (and the right teacher!), you can get a personalized program to fit your skill and learning levels, plus having to follow lesson schedules pushes you to stick to a routine that will help you become a better player in the long run!

Do-it-yourself videos have infiltrated the internet like wildfire. From one swipe across any social media platform, you can see short clips about almost anything, from things you might find useful on a daily basis such as easy-to-cook dishes, arts and crafts, and gardening ideas, to videos that make you wonder why those even exist in the first place like preserving your stuff toy from 20 years or creating a chandelier out of brand-new shades (Who does that?)!

Regardless of how random or useless some of these videos are, there is also a hefty amount that is actually educational. If you want to learn a new skill or hobby, just type in on a search engine, and boom! I assure you that there will be a tutorial about it!

There are some that teach software or application basics, yoga and meditation, and even music! The basics and other essential things you need in order to acquire a new skill are provided for free on the internet. But does relying on pure videos alone and in the absence of expert supervision efficient and effective?

There are certain hobbies that necessitate strong and good skill foundations such as those that use tangible instruments.

Watching tutorials on streaming platforms or reading an article about playing the guitar is intensively instructional. You execute what you read or see based on your own interpretation, regardless of how you correctly press the strings or how you wrongly place your fingers on the fretboard, you can’t really fathom whether what you are doing is right or wrong because the video only tells you what to do, and not what not to do. Without proper guidance and consultation from an expert, you might develop bad habits that are very hard to remove from your system.

So, does enrolling in guitar lessons worth the extra money or there’s more you can get on the internet than a regular appointment with a guitar connoisseur?

Guitars Lessons are Worth it…

There is a very steep learning curve in the early stages of getting to know how to play a guitar. When you navigate the net, there will be loads of websites that will tell you the basics, from chord fingerings, strumming patterns, and scales.

As a beginner, these chunks of information are quite overwhelming, and most people will feel directionless upon reading them and there’s a big tendency that they will put down the guitar instead.

Having a teacher on your side can definitely help in telling you the things you need to learn. In other words, you will have a learning plan designed for your current skill and knowledge which will be followed at your own pace. Also, if you commit mistakes along the way, with eyes of a guitarist in the room, it would be corrected immediately which lessens the buildup of bad habits.

Also, learning by yourself is oftentimes discouraging especially when you can’t do something right. A guitar teacher, on the other hand, can also act as motivator that will remind you that the journey of getting into a new hobby isn’t a walk in the park.

Aside from motivating you, they can also give you valuable pieces of advice, tips, or let you do practice drills to hone you in aspects you struggle at. Hence, you will learn holistically and all the things you feel pathetic about would be improved and remedied in no time.

However, no matter how life changing being in a guitar class seems, it heavily depends on the teacher you have. Perhaps you are better off learning on your own than have a bad teacher instructing you on what to do.

When the teacher can’t impart what he wants to get across, you will both end up not learning anything at all. Similarly, when the instructor teaches too fast and gets irked a lot when you can’t catch up, instead of enjoying the lesson, you’ll end up stressing and pressing yourself too much just to meet his expectations.

So, friendly tip: choose the teacher that fits your personality the most! Ask for first-hand feedback from their previous students or, if you fail to do so, rummage through the web for organizations that provide affordable and remarkable guitar lessons.

…But You Can Get Away Without it, Too

In most cases, having a teacher is ultimately better than lacking one. How different are the results when you choose the cheaper option, and rely on the internet and other free resources to help you?

One of the most obvious differences is that you have more money on your hands. With the cash you saved, you can purchase a good beginner guitar or a more comprehensive and beginner-friendly guitar learning materials such as method books.

Another thing is, you can learn whenever you want at your own pace. You don’t have to stress yourself in attending an appointment with your guitar teacher when you’re not in the mood to learn. On the other side of the equation, this is also an issue. Without someone who will drive you to practice, you might end up dozing off and losing the motivation to learn anything at all.

So, is it a good idea to pay for guitar lessons or is it just a waste of money? Here’s what a guitar pro has to say:

You don’t get a guitar teacher just to acquire new information, because all the about guitar knowledge are widely available in every channel you can possibly think of. Assistance in proper execution, a keen eye on mistakes, and advice on playing a guitar are what you actually pay for with your guitar tuition fees. A guitarist can see the errors that you can’t, can hear the sounds your ears don’t, and give the advice video tutorials couldn’t.

Final Words: Go With What Works Best For You

In the past, learning how to play instruments such as a guitar is accompanied with a large price tag. Yet now in the digital age, with the easy and immediate access to information, anyone grab a guitar, and before you know it, they will know how to strum and rock it.

But this learning process is different from person-to-person, some can learn guitar by themselves, but some struggle in learning solo. However, if you’re a beginner and have a couple of extra cash on your hands, it is highly recommended to take guitar lessons to accelerate your learning process and eliminate the stress in getting lost on what to learn.

Always remember, with or without an actual teacher, having the willingness and eagerness to learn is the most important thing to get better at anything you want to learn.