Over the years I’ve played with a lot of great musicians in bands, everything from punk rock to jazz. What always struck me was how many of them had never taken a guitar lesson in their lives, and yet they were excellent players.
They knew their chords, could improvise, and could work things out by ear without necessarily knowing the scales or theory behind what they were doing. They just knew what worked and sounded good. The closest some of them ever came to a guitar lesson was reading through the lessons and articles in guitar magazines.
So if it’s possible to learn guitar on your own, why bother taking lessons at all?
Can You Teach Yourself Guitar?
Honestly, yes. Some people pick it up successfully on their own, particularly if they’re good at learning by ear or already have some musical background. YouTube and other online resources can be genuinely useful too, especially once you already have some experience and understand what you’re looking at.
If you’re just starting from zero, though, it’s a different story, and self-teaching can get difficult fast.
What Does a Teacher Actually Add?
One of the biggest things I notice when teaching is how much time a student can burn trying to solve a problem that could be fixed in a couple of minutes.
A student might spend weeks trying to work out why a chord change isn’t working, or why a particular technique feels so awkward. Often I can spot the issue straight away and show them a different way in. Sometimes it’s a tiny adjustment that makes the whole thing click, and it can save a student a lot of frustration and help them learn the song faster than if they’d kept fighting it alone.
Fixing Technique
A common one I see is students using the wrong fingers for a chord. Changing which finger does what can be the difference between a chord change flowing smoothly or not.
I’ve also shown plenty of students, including experienced players, that they don’t always need to lift their whole hand when changing between certain chords. Leaving one finger down that’s common to both chords can make the chord change much easier.
That’s the kind of thing a video can’t do for you. I can actually see what your hands are doing and fix the specific problem, rather than just showing you how someone else plays it.
Learning How to Practice, Not Just How Much
Another thing I see a lot is students practicing too fast.
It’s tempting to try to play a new song at full speed straight away, but if you’re still learning the movements, rushing it just makes it harder to get everything coordinated.
I’ll usually get a student to slow right down, nail the tricky bits properly, then build the speed back up gradually.
How you practice matters as much as how often.
Staying Motivated
Learning guitar isn’t always fun. Students get stuck on something and start to feel discouraged, and part of my job is reminding them that struggling with a new skill is just part of the process.
I can also point them towards songs or material they might never have found on their own, so there’s always something new to work towards.
What About Just Using YouTube?
YouTube really is a great resource, and there’s an enormous amount of useful material on there. It’s especially good once you’ve already got some experience under your belt.
The catch for a beginner is that the person in the video can’t see you. You might be using the wrong fingers, holding the guitar awkwardly, or building a bad habit without even realising it, and none of that is something a video can pick up.
On top of that, you’re on your own when it comes to figuring out what to learn next. There’s a video out there for almost anything, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for you at your stage.
When I’m teaching someone, I can tailor the lessons to their particular strengths and weaknesses, and pick songs and exercises that actually suit where they’re at.
Having Some Structure
Another advantage of lessons is simply having a structure to follow.
At Do Re Mi Studios we teach from our own book series, but I also bring in extra songs depending on where each student is at. I choose songs that suit their age and musical interests because what one student loves might be completely different from what the next one wants to play.
It also means you’re not left wondering what to learn next. I can guide you through that and make sure it’s appropriate for your level.
You Still Have to Put the Work In
That said, lessons don’t do the work for you. You still need to practice between sessions if you want to see progress.
What I can do is help you make better use of that practice time. I can spot problems, set you something appropriate to work on, and help when you get stuck.
YouTube, books, and other resources are still worth using alongside lessons. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.
So, Teach Yourself or Take Lessons?
There’s no single answer that fits everyone. I’ve played alongside very good musicians who taught themselves from scratch, so it’s clearly possible.
But if you’re starting from zero, having a teacher tends to make things a lot easier. Instead of spending ages trying to work out why something isn’t clicking, you’ve got someone who can just show you what to change.
For me, that’s the real value of guitar lessons. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.
Ready to Start Learning Guitar?
If you’d like some guidance while learning guitar, Do Re Mi Studios offers guitar lessons in Jannali for beginners and more experienced players. You can find out more on our Guitar Lessons in the Sutherland Shire page.