Advanced-Beginner here. How can I improve?
 

So I've been playing about 2 years now with a teacher. I learned all the open chords and barre chords through some strumming books my first few months. Then we moved on to flat picking for about 1/2 a year. And since then, I've been doing finger style, which I love. I'd say I'm at an intermediate level with it and I am planning on incorporating string slapping/pluck and chuck into my playing once I grow my nails out. Fingerstyle is definitely my niche.

However, through all of this, I haven't learned any technical stuff (music theory, scales, etc.) I know I should learn them but I have no clue how to start or in what order to progress.

I'd appreciate some advice and I'll ask my teacher about it all at our next session.

Thanks!

How many songs have you learned? Repertoire is the key, learn tunes and keep adding them.

This would be the main thing plus have high standards for polishing off each tune well.

I'm in agreement with the first two responses. The question you have about the technical aspects should be a side dish to playing fluidly. Play first, ask questions later.

I would learn to play songs or pieces. It sounds to me like you have plenty of background to get going.

At some point, as you learn to play songs or instrumental pieces, you will start picking up new techniques needed to play those songs/pieces.

I was at a couple of workshops with Tommy Emmanuel and on both occasions, this is the advice Tommy gave to the participants. Learn new music and keep learning.

- Glenn

Just keep playing. And find other people to play with.

Well I've been playing for about 2 years.. all of that is songs.. sometimes I spend 1-2 months on each one...

I've been practicing 2-3 hours a day lately for an upcoming gig. With that much time into it I can feel walls slowly giving way. Notes I couldn't sing are getting smoother, picked figures on the guitar happen correctly more often, that muted note happens when I want it to and not when I don't, etc.

Make a goal to learn 50 songs and go sing at a winery. That'll keep you on track for a long time. Sing them at open mics every time you get three more passable.

One additional suggestion would be to work on knowing all notes by name, up and down the fretboard really well (if you haven’t yet). Then you know the notes in your song and can better understand how and why they work together. This can be done in part when you are not playing.

The obvious answer is practice, continued practice. When we start to play we make large strides at first. That slows down as we approach the intermediate level and sometimes our advancement is not as noticeable, especially to ourselves. Setting goals and noting them when they are reached helps us to stay motivated. These goals should be small, intermediate and long-term ones (maybe 6-12 months).

Personally, I am surprised your teacher has not taught you at least to learn to read notation and do a couple scales by now, though.

Thanks for suggestions. Reason I'm asking is because I can only improve so much by just playing songs. For an intermediate level finger style song, it takes me about a month to learn it (I practice 2 at a time) and another 2 weeks to "perfect" it. Sometimes, additional practice doesn't help with these songs because they have to sink in.

Same. I surprised too

I'm a patient person and I play guitar for the enjoyment. People here are saying to keep practicing but what do I practice? I'm already learning songs atm

I've had good teachers and one very bad one. They are not all the same. I would ask your teacher what his future curriculum is for you and if it does not include what you want to learn, can he modify it. Then ask him what method(s) he will use to help you reach that goal. Remember, you are the customer and paying for his time and can and should be kept up-to-date on where your lessons are going.

You have not been at it that long, and you partially wasted most of the first year on flatpicking.

Post a couple of examples of tunes that have taken you a month or so to learn - (youtube links and/or tabs of them would be nick).


Might be better to post questions like you have on the Play and Write section of the forum.

What are you goals with the guitar? If you want to be a crazy solo player, learn those scales! If you just want to play well to back up your voice, don't worry about them.

I promise you'll look back at your assertion that you'd "perfected" a song in six weeks and laaaaaaaaaaaaaugh in a few years. No song is ever perfected.