Is It Better To Be Self-taught Or To Get Lessons?

[Guest]

...it's all of the above that define your playing style and while you may be influenced by others it doesn't make you them or your material theirs.

 

Nice, TM... This reminds me of something that happened to me very recently. A friend really wanted me to spend some solid time and kind of explain the thought process behind my writing; where my ideas come from and how I sculpt them, etc. (I always find that interesting because I always learn when I attempt to teach.)

 

While I typically try to be very careful to not pilfer something, I have on a few rare occasions gone against my grain and borrowed liberally from another piece. I picked out such an example to play for my friend and... They didn't hear any resemblance at all. None! In fact they looked at me like I was crazy! I was surprised. I mean, I had just told them exactly where the inspiration for a song came from! Why could they not hear it? I began to understand... Because it wasn't the other piece; it was my impression of the other piece, played through my filters, my influences and my experiences. After many years I've recently recognized my own fingerprint, my DNA.

 

I guess that's how we can use the same twelve notes to cobble together a million songs that seem largely "original".

Edited August 15, 2013 by Skylark

[icekreme]

Hey jus my 2 cents, never had a lesson my self so I don't know what goes on in 'em but I'm pretty sure they jus teach you how to physically play an instrument(your voice being one too) I think the need to write songs is purely a personal perspective e.g. Music only exists because people have emotional reactions to harmonized sound also since language is incorporated so dominantly into our being lyrics have the same effect. Musicians over the years have found paths through chords and notes to find sounds that sound good and feel good,if you wanna make good music you should listen to music, find a sound you respond to(figuring out why should give you some good lyrics too) also if you play for yourself you'll naturally end up playing for others seeing as though we're basically identical to every one at some point inside, bare minimum being 1:mortality.

Anyway if you've ever walked into a wall face first 100 times over you'll realize,with anything-not asking for help:BAD IDEA.

So I guess in short:

Teaching yourself:Bad

Playing for yourself:Good

[icekreme]

Oh I forget to put the part that I have good songs I can't finish or make better cause I don't know many chords or much music theory:)

[TomT]

Oh, I think my tutors from back when I was a kid are probably still recovering from this wayward student in a psyche ward somewhere

[Kerryn]

you can learn quicker when someone instructs you, corrects your mistakes (if any, of course   ). i'd advise starting with a tutor (for a complete novice)

[Styles]

102% Self-taught.

 

I tried lessons some years back but the teacher had an ego the size of Jupiter. Unfortunately, I have a zero tolerance rate for egomaniacs. So I dropped out and did it the hard way

[drumguy4all]

I am self taught but I did learn how to read music to help break down complicated drum beats I want to learn. I think it would be in your best interest to take lessons. how long you choose to take lessons is totally up to you and how well you play and also what your goals are with your instrument.

[arsa]

Self teaching is a good way to learn the instrument ,but imo you should have some basic lessons , just to learn the right ways to play the instrument.  You will definitely find out something you didn't know before. I for one played piano by ear , but my hand movement was all wrong , until i took a lesson.