I've been playing piano for some time and Im now getting back into it after about 15 years with the intent to study and advance my skills as I want to someday teach.

I've been teaching myself guitar and I was finding it very challenging - Are there any teachers or perhaps even students out there who can tell me whether or not these two instruments are compatible for someone attampting to learn both?

And Is it wise to sit graded exams such as G1 and 2 guitar on self teaching?

Any advice on how I could improve my approach would be great.

I'm a self-taught guitarist as well... and I also have lessons on the piano. I see no reason why you shouldn't play both!!

Regarding the exams: probably best to have a few lessons before the actual exam to check that you're not doing anything majorly wrong... the problem with self-teaching is that you haven't got the specialist knowledge and therefore don't know your own faults!! But if you want to put yourself in for an exam, go for it!

Don't let your thumb climb onto the top of the neck, ensure you have the four points of contact secure. If you don't understand what i'm talking about get a teacher other wise your on the right track. Grade 6 with Merit no guitar teacher ever however loads of musical experience/discipline. Presently side tracked from the guitar by my new fling (Double Bass).

QUOTE (IslndGirl @ Dec 14 2004, 03:36 AM)

I've been playing piano for some time and Im now getting back into it after about 15 years with the intent to study and advance my skills as I want to someday teach.

I'm in a similar situation to you but I teach already, the piano. I am currently teaching myself guitar too.. have been on and off for a while now and I also want to take Grade 1 in guitar too. I play four other instruments including piano, so I hope I am doing it right! I have been following some books and strumming along to some Robbie Williams songs too.. I think that's part of the fun anyway..trying to figure out chords for a song!

Hows the guitar going? Have you decided to get a teacher?

Joy x

Well, you play the piano, so that means that you do know about notes, and you can work them out from the guitar. As long as you do want to really have a go, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't. Just bear in mind that it may not be as easy, teaching it yourself.
good luck!!

I play piano and guitar (see signature below). An advantage of combining these two instruments is that you learn to play music both in a linear way (piano) and in terms of positions and chords (guitar), if that makes sense. I'd definitely advise getting a teacher though, even if you just go every month or so for a check-up, as it were. They'll be able to help you not only with repertoire, but with technique, which becomes very important in advanced classical guitar playing. As for electric - if you want to get further than I - IV - V strumming, definitely get some lessons, as unless you have a brilliant ear it will be hard to really understand all the idioms, jazz scales, improvisation etc.

Good luck!

A great quotation on wether to use, or not use a teacher, from Mark Twain;

"The self-taught man, seldom knows anything accurately. And he does not know a tenth as much as he could have known, if he had worked under teachers; and, besides, he brags, and is the means of fooling other, thoughtless people, into going and doing as he himself had done."

Just about sums it up for me.