Taking lessons is the faster path to actually playing guitar. Most students waste half the value before they ever pick up the instrument.
Practice What Was Assigned
This sounds obvious. Most students don't do it. They practice what they already know, or what they feel like playing, and show up to the next lesson having not worked on what the teacher gave them.
We see this pattern constantly at the shop — students from across the Glens Falls area who've been taking lessons for months but haven't been practicing what was assigned. Progress stalls, frustration builds, and the lessons start to feel like they're not working. Usually the lessons are fine. The practice isn't happening.
Your teacher is building a sequence. The material assigned this week is the foundation for what comes next. Skipping it or substituting your own material doesn't just slow progress — it breaks the sequence. If you finish the assigned material early, run it again until it's clean. Then run it again.
Come With Questions
If something didn't make sense during the week, write it down. If a chord transition felt wrong, note which one. If you couldn't figure out why something wasn't working, bring it to the lesson. That's what the lesson is for.
Students who come with specific questions get more out of every session than students who show up and wait to be taught at.
Record Your Lessons
Ask your teacher if you can record the lesson on your phone. Most teachers are fine with it. Listening back to what was covered — especially demonstrations — is more useful than trying to remember it later. You'll catch things you missed in the moment.
Don't Skip Lessons
Missing lessons doesn't just slow you down — it breaks the sequence your teacher is building. You're not picking up where you left off, you're filling in gaps. A student who shows up every week and practices moderately will outpace a student who misses half their lessons and practices hard the week before each one.
Be Honest About What You're Not Doing
If you didn't practice, say so. A good teacher adjusts. Pretending wastes everyone's time.
Make Sure Your Guitar Is Set Up
A guitar with high action makes everything harder than it needs to be. If you're struggling with chord clarity or finger fatigue, it may not be your technique — it may be the guitar. A setup before lessons start, or at any point where something feels off, is worth doing. A standard setup at Paul's Guitar Hideout is $79.
Our Lessons
We offer in-person guitar lessons at the shop in Glens Falls with Travis Gray — singer and lead guitarist for Wild Adriatic, with years of touring, performing, and teaching experience. He teaches the way someone who learned by playing in bands teaches — focused on real music, not just exercises.
Players come to us from Glens Falls, Queensbury, Lake George, Saratoga, and the surrounding area.
See how lessons work and get in touch to schedule.
Paul's Guitar Hideout is located at The Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, NY. Use the Cooper Street entrance and take the stairs up. If you need assistance, give us a call and we'll come down.
The Shirt Factory
71 Lawrence St., Suite 201B, 2nd Floor
Glens Falls, NY 12801
Wednesday–Sunday, 12–5pm
(518) 217-8695 · info@paulsguitarhideout.com