Food for thought
Who takes Stick lessons? Who teaches themselves?
Why and why not?

Madame Curious

I roughly got one lesson per year, for 10 years. Sometimes individual lessons (Ron Baggerman mainly), sometimes collective lessons at seminars (Greg Howard, Jim Lampi and various others). I learnt a lot this way, and I prefer this way than getting some lessons every week/month with the same teacher. I feel I can pick tips from all of them.

Apart from those lessons, I spent hours and hours training myself with headphones on, transcribing songs, writing ideas

Sometimes, I'm organizing some free collective workshop here, but the guys' level differences and aesthetic tastes make me struggling a bit to maintain the flame alive all along the workshop

I'm a big believer in lessons. People I have studied with or learned from over the years.

On Stick
Steve Adelson
Greg Howard
Bob Culbertson
Emmett Chapman
Virna Splendore
Jim Riley
Alfonzo Johnson
Michael Bernier
Josh Goldberg
Tony Levin
And many others

Non stick player lessons
Pat Metheny
Jeff Fuller
Art Taylor
Jackie McLean
Jerry Bergonzi
Nate Reeves
Steve Davis
Chris Azarra
Edwin Gordon

And several others. I am always open to learning and will always look for lessons, at this point I try to find someone to pick the brain of on a specific concept I am learning

Brett

I've always been a self-taught musician except for 2 years part time at McGill University in Montreal and a third year as a full time student. Then I took another year to study Big Band writing in another college (15 hours a week). My 2 first years at McGill were really part-time...6 hours a week and I loved it. Two very good teacher...one for guitar and the other one for jazz theory. I hated my full time student year...no time to practice. I loved my year for the Big Band learning stuff. I don't play music the same way since that special knowledge year. Apart of this I discover many things by myself. After learning my first instrument, the guitar, I came back to a self-taught musician, learning how to play the cello, the stick and a bit of piano. Missing money to take some lessons, I observed a lot on YT for example how to hold a bow...there are so many videos explaining this concept...Learning my myself doesn't mean I'm not searching new ways to learn new stuff. YT is a huge library when you search good things and ready to learn.

I teach myself. I would like to take lessons but I find Skype is very dodgy at best. I know it works for some guys and realize that for those who teach, its the only viable way to do it, other than face to face in the same room. Now if I lived next door to you Steve, or Greg.....ya I'd be all over it.......I'd supply the Corona too
Maybe its my interwebz connection, but I just cant get past the latency and grainy video.

cheers,
kev

do really a lesson or two can give you a boost ?

A big yes to lessons. I will be up to 3 per month (one guitar, two on stick @ month). Skype works for me. You can't find stick teachers locally, so really no other options. I've tried to self teach, but I end up hitting the wall, getting stuck in a rut. I've invested thousands into my stable of instruments, investing into learning how to play them is a no brainer

Boaz...it's not an instant total fix but lessons are motivating. I find it very gratifying to inspire my students by offering info or concept ideas, be it musical language or Stick specific. Often therapeutic sessions.
I posed the question to see if there were reasons not to go this path. Bad internet or finances of course are an impediment. I just think a $3000 instrument investment deserves every effort to get the most out of it. And the sense of creative accomplishment is a wealthy heart and brain feel.
Thanks to my students for having that faith and moving forward with their musical pursuits. Congrats on your accomplishnents. This teacher gets inspired from the lessons as well. Gotta go practice

Steve Adelson

A big yes to lessons, whatever one can get their mitts on! Lol

I suspect I'm like a lot of beginners and don't want to waste the time of a good teacher on absolute basics. Purchased all the teaching DVDs and books with my instrument. So I'm learning from Greg, Bob and yourself, Steve, just not live sessions yet.

Having barely begun to scratch the surface of these books and DVDs, I'm hoping soon to be ready to skype some lessons. Luckily enough, my home has fibre optic internet (thanks to Australia's National Broadband Network) and thus a reliable high speed internet connection.