What instruments have learned or would like to?

[myboynoah]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski

I was the youngest of six. When my time came for lessons, my mother asked "Do you want to take piano lessons?" I replied "Nope". End of discussion. I still resent that she didn't try a little harder.

This is a never-ending fight in our house. My 11-year-old wants to quit and I refuse to let him because I feel cheated by not having learned to play myself. I know "with every fiber of my being" that he will thank me for my insistence when he gets older.

Mrs. myboynoah is not at all supportive, arguing that we shouldn't force him because he may end up hating it. I respond that whether or not he hates it, or may hate it in the future, is beside the point.

So far I'm winning.

Note: It's not that he hates playing, he acutally enjoys banging out new tunes. He hates his instructor who has been thoroughly schooled in the French technique of "teaching by humiliation." What are they to do? They have a long history of humiliation.

[Surfah]

Originally Posted by cougjunkie

I just got a guitar for christmas and i know some stuff but would love to get better. So like Rocky said any book reccomendations?

Hmmm, as far as books go I'd just buy a chord book. Rather, there are several places online with chord charts which will save you money. I'd learn all the chords. Starting with the open chords and then the bar chords. Once you learn the chords you can play pretty much anything. Then just search for tablature or "tab" of the songs you want to learn. You can find most every song on the internet. OLGA and Harmony Central before they got shut down were amazing sites. But don't worry there are mirrors and similar sites everywhere. Just listen to the song while playing to get the strum pattern down. That would be my suggestion. Though lessons never hurt as I am sure I picked up a few bad habits teaching myself. However I don't really care. Guitar style is personal in my opinion and I am not sure how I'd take to someone telling me to reposition my hands or something.

[RockyBalboa]

Originally Posted by myboynoah

This is a never-ending fight in our house. My 11-year-old wants to quit and I refuse to let him because I feel cheated by not having learned to play myself. I know "with every fiber of my being" that he will thank me for my insistence when he gets older.

Mrs. myboynoah is not at all supportive, arguing that we shouldn't force him because he may end up hating it. I respond that whether or not he hates it, or may hate it in the future, is beside the point.

So far I'm winning.

Note: It's not that he hates playing, he acutally enjoys banging out new tunes. He hates his instructor who has been thoroughly schooled in the French technique of "teaching by humiliation." What are they to do? They have a long history of humiliation.

The longer you harp on it, the more your 11 year old will come to despise playing it. Usually the maturity of wishing they hadn't quit won't hit til they're in their 20's anyway.

Take it from someone who was there. If the teacher is the problem, then find a new way or a different instructor.

[bluegoose]

I'm a piano man (not in the Billy Joel, by any stretch of the imagination), and I also played the trumpet fairly well when I was younger. Much like Surfah, in my high school I learned very quickly that playing in the band was like, totally uncool (phrase taken straight from my freshman year in 1988), and dropped it after one semester in favor of sports and weight-lifting. Just last year I dusted off the ole trumpet and started playing again. Only now, I only last about 45 seconds before I get all dizzy and my lips feel like they are going to fall off.

And just like Rocky, I played the piano quite a bit when I was younger and gave it up until my mission and second year of college where I realized how much fun it can be. Now that life is crazy, I rarely play anymore, aside from pounded out the occasional hymn or 80's hair band song.