Find a music teacher in real life. There is no substitute. They will be able to see very subtle things in your technique that are hindering you. They can give you feedback in real time. Video lessons from the greatest guitarist will not come close to in-person lessons from a decent guitarist.
Also make friends with other guitarists and play music with them. Music is a social thing.
I got lessons to start off with and it helped a lot. Then years later I tried to learn jazz on my own and I was hopeless. Six months with a teacher got me to where 3 years on my own would have gotten me. The teacher identified gaps in my skills I was completely blind to - I’d have reinforced my strengths while ignoring my weaknesses.
100% this. I “played” guitar and bass for about 20 years, doing tabs and YouTube lessons. I could do plenty of stuff passably, and have been in a few bands and played a few shows in public that went fine.
I got a Rhodes piano for free, and started doing the same learning on my own. My wife signed me up for 6 months of lessons with a real teacher as a gift. I learned so much in my now 2+years with her than the 20 years on my own.
You can get any lesson you want somewhere online, but it isn’t tailored to you or what you want/need to learn.
My teacher asks me what my goals are, and she figures out how to get me there. She sees where I’m at, can pick pieces and lessons to study that aren’t too hard or too easy, and corrects me before bad habits set in. I’ve learned the benefits of reading sheet music vs tabs, I’ve learned scales and how to apply them, and everything I learn is in proper order to allow it to make sense!
As I spend more time learning with her, all the random stuff I “learned” in my own actually clicks into place because I’m getting taught it all in proper context. It’s like building a kit by having someone read you the instructions step by step as opposed to you just opening a box full of pieces and trying to figure out what it is you’re building randomly as you go.
Find a music teacher in real life. There is no substitute. They will be able to see very subtle things in your technique that are hindering you. They can give you feedback in real time. Video lessons from the greatest guitarist will not come close to in-person lessons from a decent guitarist.
Also make friends with other guitarists and play music with them. Music is a social thing.
I got lessons to start off with and it helped a lot. Then years later I tried to learn jazz on my own and I was hopeless. Six months with a teacher got me to where 3 years on my own would have gotten me. The teacher identified gaps in my skills I was completely blind to - I’d have reinforced my strengths while ignoring my weaknesses.
100% this. I “played” guitar and bass for about 20 years, doing tabs and YouTube lessons. I could do plenty of stuff passably, and have been in a few bands and played a few shows in public that went fine.
I got a Rhodes piano for free, and started doing the same learning on my own. My wife signed me up for 6 months of lessons with a real teacher as a gift. I learned so much in my now 2+years with her than the 20 years on my own.
You can get any lesson you want somewhere online, but it isn’t tailored to you or what you want/need to learn.
My teacher asks me what my goals are, and she figures out how to get me there. She sees where I’m at, can pick pieces and lessons to study that aren’t too hard or too easy, and corrects me before bad habits set in. I’ve learned the benefits of reading sheet music vs tabs, I’ve learned scales and how to apply them, and everything I learn is in proper order to allow it to make sense!
As I spend more time learning with her, all the random stuff I “learned” in my own actually clicks into place because I’m getting taught it all in proper context. It’s like building a kit by having someone read you the instructions step by step as opposed to you just opening a box full of pieces and trying to figure out what it is you’re building randomly as you go.