Quote:
Originally Posted by rick-slo
If you are into improvised ad lib playing then memorizing various scales and practicing enough to play quickly has increased utility and requires specialized time and attention. Otherwise the majority of your time is best spent is in learning to play actual tunes or songs.
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I may have a chicken/egg or cart-before-horse issue, as I thought learning scales and the fretboard via same would facilitate learning to play actual songs.
I don't see improvised ad lib playing in my near future - I'm just trying to establish a good learning foundation at the outset to be able to move forward (learn/play songs of increasing complexity) as efficiently as possible. While I've seen plenty of "just play music, it will come to you" recommendations, I've read equally here and elsewhere that learning scales/intervals/chord-building is a necessary part of a firm foundation, time better spent on than parroting pieces without understanding how they were built. I don't know the answer now, so was erring on the side of greater fundamental education.
Though I've managed to learn multiple simple tunes, it seemed to me that process would have been easier/quicker had I a better grasp of the fretboard, hence, my focus on learning scales/forms.