[srick]

Jack -

We all have our hot buttons that spur us to learn. For me, there have been a few that come to mind. The first is working on songs that catch my ear, no matter how difficult. There are a number of teachers who start by teaching a basic chord progression, and then, gradually add the embellishments.

Another hot button has performing solo at open mics, which hopefully, will be an option in the near future.

And the third hot button that spurred me to learning more, has been in-person guitar workshops, often over a weekend, that allowed me to work with one or more instructors. While not cheap, they may have provided the best bang for my buck. A weekend immersion in the guitar world is incredibly stimulating.

Also, over the years, I have discovered that a lot of my learning on guitar is visual. When I watch the fingering of the notes carefully, and then duplicate the notes that I see and hear, I seem to catch on faster. Lately, I have been blowing up videos to full screen and really concentrating on the fretting hand. When I am concentrating on this connection, I push myself to assimilate the beat and the syncopation inherent in the song.

And I know what you are up against with trying to balance life and hobbies. By the time you get to the end of the day, you are too pooped to learn. The kids must always come first. Of course, you could always work on jazzy versions of "Old MacDonald" or "Aiken Drum" and play to them constantly!

One big advantage of on-line lessons is that you can do them at anytime. In fact, there are a lot of online teachers who don't work in real time, but will trade videos with you and then schedule an occasional real-time lesson. It's worth a try, if you can make the time. AFAIK, most online teachers are doing something like this. Prices vary.

Good luck on the journey. If you haven't put the guitar in the closet after all of this time, you never will.

best,

Rick