Question from user Tapaswini :
I don’t have a single piece of knowledge in music whether it is vocals or instruments.
Now, I desperately want to learn guitar. I can spend 1 hour practicing.
Suppose, if I want to join a rock band in next 2 years, will it be possible for me?
As I have zero knowledge in music, should I learn from online lessons or is it better for me to go to a tutor or teacher?
How much time will it take for me to compose my own tunes on guitar?
Answer:
Lot’s of questions here. Don’t worry… There is hope and you are not alone.
First: Find some other people who share your vision and you can start a band today. You probably won’t sound great… but that’s ok. It’s about making the connections with similar musicians.
Second: As for learning the guitar…. In person lessons with a teacher are probably the most effective option. If you have a good teacher, you’ll be in great shape… but watch out! Make sure your teacher helps you with YOUR GOALS. A lot of teachers will start with music theory fundamentals (learning to play rhythms, reading music, learning chord structure, etc). While this stuff is amazing and can help make you an incredible musician…. it probably don’t need to worry about it at this point.
Focus instead on learning the kind of music that you want to ultimately play.
If in-person lessons won’t work for you… online lessons, courses, or even YouTube videos are also a great place to start.
Third: And as for making your own songs…. start now. Do you have lyrics written? Write them (no musical skill needed). Do you have melodies in your head (maybe you can sing them, but don’t know how to write them)… that’s ok… record them on your phone or computer (video or audio). Start making music now… no musical knowledge needed. The more you produce, the easier it will come in the future. Just start!
P.S. You mentioned that you can practice one hour (I would guess every day?). If you can seriously commit this amount of time each day – assuming you’re practicing the right stuff and not just noodling around – you will be in great shape. But in my experience, most people that say they can practice an hour a day end up doing much less work than that…. just be warned.
Good luck!
I share even juicier stories and answer questions on my e-mail list…. you can sign up here!
(Jake Posko does in-home and online guitar lessons in the Annapolis, Maryland area including: Annapolis, Edgewater, Severna Park, Pasadena, Crownsville, Arnold and Kent Island, inquire about lessons by e-mailing him at jake@jakeposko.com).