how did you get past beginner intermediate level?

[RockyRacc00n]

Quick background. This month marks one year since getting back to guitar, in my mid forties. Even though I dabbled prior to that, you can pretty much say, I started playing a year ago as a newbie.

I’ve always enjoyed singing so my playing has all been just basic chords and rhythm. And now a days, you can learn all this off YouTube and basically copy. No need to develop ear or figure out a song on your own. It’s easier to just see what someone does and copy.

I can probably keep myself busy and still keep things fresh with all the songs I want to learn to sing/play. And I’ll probably be content with that... just building up a book of songs I can pull out anytime. After about a year of doing that, I have about 20 songs I can do proficiently. Hit some open mics and such.

But I feel that’s not really a guitar player. You’re just a jukebox that memorized a bunch of songs. So along the way, I’ve picked up some theory and continue to seek out knowledge and been dabbling in leads and fills and such to see what that might lead to.

I feel I am learning new technique and adding interest to my playing but I’m still copying stuff off of internet teachers. With some basic theory, and knowledge of more chord/scale shapes up the neck, I feel I understand where things are coming from, but if I had to create leads and fill on my own, I don’t know that I will ever be able to.

But maybe I am expecting too much only after a year. Interested in hearing your learning experience that got you past the beginner intermediate level.

[bluesfreek]

I'm not sure of your situation but I would suggest trying to find some other folks to play with. See if there are any informal jams close to your area. I find that jamming with good players has improved my playing when I was learning.

Good luck!

[Big Band Guitar]

Three things to push to the next level.

Practice

Practice

Practice

[Bob Womack]

I practiced daily for years, wood shedding, wood shedding. Somewhere in there I went to two hours a day, seven days a week for about five years. I didn't have any sort of social life but I was playing my tail off, including playing out and rehearsing with a band. Eventually I studied classical for a bit as well.

I should mention that somewhere along the line, in the '80s, when I was starting a career and family, I didn't have the time for the daily two hours and my involvement dropped way back for a year or so until my wife pushed me back in. The break was fantastic. When I restarted I found that barriers I'd been facing had dropped away, my playing had become far more fluid, and I began rapidly improving.

That's my story and sticking to it.

Bob

[troystory92]

Hey Rocky,

Great to hear its going well, sounds like your progressing nicely. I'm not an amazing guitarist but I have about 150 songs memorized and can participate in a jam session with just about anyone. I'm more of a chord guy and can create riffs of many different genres. Recently I've been trying to get better at lead.

With that said, here's my advice,

I would recommend trying to learn more challenging songs. I always try to have a hard song I keep practicing right when I pick up my guitar. Whether it's challenging chords, strum patterns, a riff, whatever. Just try it out every time you pick up the guitar.

Second is music theory/scales. I was always guided more by my ear than music knowledge. Which is fine, but it only got me so far. Practicing scales and learning what chords work together within them helped my knowledge grow.

Third, a looping pedal has helped me implement that knowledge in a big way. They're a blast!


I'm sure you'll get some other ideas on how to progress but this is what has worked for me! Try some stuff out and see what works for ya.

#1 thing is to pick up the guitar every single day.
Jam ON!

[vindibona1]

1) WEEKLY private lessons for an extended period.

2) Practice.

3) Playing with others.

[BFD]

How 'bout a few reality checks...
1. A year isn't very deep into guitar playing for most mortals
2. I know, from past threads, that you've set certain bars for yourself; usually fairly narrow, technique oriented goals. I recommend you raise the bar in a more general and significant way by taking inspiration from accomplished players in genres you like. Get more of what they've got going on into your own playing. You can copy their songs and techniques individually or mix and match.
3. You talk casually about 'open mics and such', but have you actually played open mics? If not, there's much more to be gained than just 'jukeboxing'. If you don't believe me then do some and check back in.
4. Open mics are one of several things you can do to build motivation and accountability into your playing; that's an area where beginner & DIYers often falter. Other things include attending regular jams, joining formal or informal bands, taking in-person(or Skype) lessons.

[KFP55]

Originally Posted by BFD

How 'bout a few reality checks...
1. A year isn't very deep into guitar playing for most mortals
2. I know, from past threads, that you've set certain bars for yourself; usually fairly narrow, technique oriented goals. I recommend you raise the bar in a more general and significant way by taking inspiration from accomplished players in genres you like. Get more of what they've got going on into your own playing. You can copy their songs and techniques individually or mix and match.
3. You talk casually about 'open mics and such', but have you actually played open mics? If not, there's much more to be gained than just 'jukeboxing'. If you don't believe me then do some and check back in.
4. Open mics are one of several things you can do to build motivation and accountability into your playing; that's an area where beginner & DIYers often falter. Other things include attending regular jams, joining formal or informal bands, taking in-person(or Skype) lessons.

Does anyone have a recommendation for good Skype lessons? This sounds very interesting to me as my schedule (work travel + 4 kids...) makes playing with others very difficult

[Big Band Guitar]

I would like to add.

Take your simplest song melody and play it with no open strings.

After you master that play it in another key.

Go to the next key around the cycle of fifths until you have all 12 keys.

Then repeat that process within the first five frets (no open strings).

[taylorgtr]

I wish I had some of the tools available today when I started back in the mid-70s. I knew about the trick of slowing a record down, but other than that, I was limited to finding rare tabs, watching other players, and trying to figure things out for myself.

To get better, you've got to put the work in, but it's important to make the work productive.

Scales and arpeggios suck, but that's one way to learn the fretboard, especially if you run through the cycle of fifths.

Learn chords in more than one position - if you've got 2 or 3 inversions down, you can learn how to get from here to there more easily.

Play with better pickers. It may be hard to keep up, but you'll learn faster.

Get a formal teacher to look at your playing and help you with difficult stuff.

Use all the technology that's available. I slow down and loop YouTube vids, use Amazing Slow Downer to learn and loop parts....if you slow it down enough...you can play anything - as you learn the part, increase the speed by a little bit each week - eventually, you'll play it up to speed.

There are tons of tabs out there - I use Tab Pro which has looping and speed control as well.

[devellis]

As the replies so far demonstrate, there are lots of paths to success.

For me, I think it was working up new instrumental breaks for tunes I already knew, typically up the neck. I'd find chord shapes in the right positions to give me the sound I was after, then find the individual notes either within or adjacent to those chord shapes. In the beginning it was mostly chords with few notes but every time I'd revisit the process I'd discover how to get more of the melody. Then I'd add some fills and embellishments.

This isn't for everyone and may not move a singer (which I'm not) toward his or her goals. But I've found it to be interesting and it has definitely help me develop a better understanding of the fretboard, chords, and various techniques. Best for me, it's been a gradual, incremental process with no sense of urgency or pressure. It was essentially following my curiosity. I'm not that good a player but I play better than I did and better than I thought I would. But everyone's path is different.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n

Quick background. This month marks one year since getting back to guitar, in my mid forties. Even though I dabbled prior to that, you can pretty much say, I started playing a year ago as a newbie.

I’ve always enjoyed singing so my playing has all been just basic chords and rhythm. And now a days, you can learn all this off YouTube and basically copy. No need to develop ear or figure out a song on your own. It’s easier to just see what someone does and copy.

I can probably keep myself busy and still keep things fresh with all the songs I want to learn to sing/play. And I’ll probably be content with that... just building up a book of songs I can pull out anytime. After about a year of doing that, I have about 20 songs I can do proficiently. Hit some open mics and such.

But I feel that’s not really a guitar player. You’re just a jukebox that memorized a bunch of songs. So along the way, I’ve picked up some theory and continue to seek out knowledge and been dabbling in leads and fills and such to see what that might lead to.

I feel I am learning new technique and adding interest to my playing but I’m still copying stuff off of internet teachers. With some basic theory, and knowledge of more chord/scale shapes up the neck, I feel I understand where things are coming from, but if I had to create leads and fill on my own, I don’t know that I will ever be able to.

But maybe I am expecting too much only after a year. Interested in hearing your learning experience that got you past the beginner intermediate level.

If your goal is to sing and play at open mics or paid jobs, all you really are is a jukebox. You won't be "good" unless you play songs the audience knows and likes, regardless of what your playing level may be.

Some are very talented and can write their own songs, sing and play them as well. There's probably only 4 or 5 million people that can do that so you'll be sure to stand out, lol.

What I'm getting to is take your time, relax and enjoy your guitar playing. You'll see it said here a gazillion times, playing guitar is a journey, not a destination.

But to answer your question, recording yourself is one of the best ways (besides relentless practicing) to get better. When you hear what others hear it can be an eye opener.

[3notes]

I think this is a great question and I have a few perspectives on this.

Let me be clear, I speak for myself here.

The learning stages of playing guitar are nearly infinitive. And we all have lots of things "we can work on." So the whole Beginner to Novice to Intermediate to expert thing is hard to judge. I often ask myself a simple question... Am I improving.?? That's your meter. That's your gauge. That's the indicator.

Also, I think these coming comments fit in this thread... I've sat in on several workshops that included some world class players. One of them, Michael Guluzien(Sp.Ck. please) had a very interesting perspective of becoming a guitar player. His style is waay outside the box. You could say he is the only player who does what he does. So in the workshop he urged us to become individuals in our approach to the guitar. Be unorthodox as a player. Be different. In your practicing if you hit a note that's out of key yet it sounded far out and groovey, strange, take note and fit it into your music. He believes we've only scratched the surface in the evolution of the acoustic guitar. He would say... Be original.

My opinion here.... Why play covers.?? I could never take someone elses song and make it better than the original. Take the Beatles.. "Something in the way she moves.) How in the heck could I do better.?? Can't. So I won't. My opinion of playing covers is an insult to the writers of that song. That's how I see it so don't tell me it's a compliment. It's plagiarism, In My Opinion.

Everything I play on guitar is my own. And over the years I've find some strange tones and fit them into my playing. I get a lot of satisfaction out of limiting myself to my own creativity. That was Guluziens advice to the 20 or so players who attended the workshop.

Can you mimic the sound of clanking pipes in the home.?? Can you mimic the sound of squealing tires, on your guitar.?? How about dripping water.?? Get my drift here.?? .... Very cool workshop that inspired in very odd ways.

But just keep on improving.... Until you can't no more...

[Steadfastly]

A few things come to mind. First of all, if you have 20 songs you can proficiently play after one year, you are doing fine.

Second of all we are often our worst critic and can be too critical of our progress.

Third, we all hit plateaus where the learning curve drops off or even levels out for short periods. That is natural. Taking time out of our practice routine to add something entirely new can move us out of that plateau and starting on the next one.

[catfish]

Originally Posted by RockyRacc00n

And now a days, you can learn all this off YouTube and basically copy. No need to develop ear or figure out a song on your own. It’s easier to just see what someone does and copy.

I'm not very much past 'beginner intermediate' player myself but I find Youtube videos to be very helpful.
First, all learning to play a musical instrument copy at the very beginning -- there is no other way to learn.
Second, after I find a very inspiring guitar video and try to play like in the video, I always discover that I'm doing it in my own way -- distorting the original to the way I can play it. It is just impossible to copy, it's like trying to copy the voice of the other person (intonation, pitch, phrasing, etc.). And I learn a lot from this Youtube improvised practice. And it is fun.