I have, through my guitar playing career, taken lessons at the local music store and at the studios of nearby teachers. I can’t say it worked very well for me. Along with my short attention span I have the problem with practicing. It’s not for wanting to learn. I have that drive but I think people learn in their own way. A teacher has an agenda. An experienced teacher can probably tell a students skill level after the first few minutes. They have their own approach. This can be helpful for the beginner. I have had to correct some bad habits over the years. I have a double jointed thumb and it's a bit of a problem when trying to hold down a bar chord. Another problem I had was that I rested my picking hand on the bridge. I think a teacher can help you with those sort of things. I never learned to read music but I did figure out tablature. I think there comes a point where the student knows what works best.
One of the great things about a guitar DVD or download lesson is that you can keep going back to it. You don’t have to remember what the teacher said or look at your notes. You can learn at your own pace and the way you want to learn. DVD ’s for the most part come with some sort of physical paper or something to look at with the tab and perhaps some sort of explanation. I’ve seen DVD's with the tab right up there on the screen to follow along. The way I approach it is that I look at the lesson and make it my own. I’m an aspiring acoustic player. Fingerstyle has always been my passion. It’s one thing to learn a pattern but it’s entirely different when you are learning new finger positions and you’re playing a variety of 4th notes and 8th notes. I break it down measure by measure playing it over and over until that muscle memory clicks. Sometimes it doesn’t and I get frustrated. If that’s the case I work on another phrase or measure and come back to it later. Like I said we all learn differently and DVD and downloadable lessons are an inexpensive alternative to a music teacher
