How should I go about learning guitar?

[Jhengsman]

Originally Posted by daniel1703

Yes that's what I've been experiencing. I recognize the patterns that my fingers form when I play, and I kind of know that they must be part of a chord, just that I don't have a name for them.

ljguitar, can you elaborate a little bit more on the hole thing?

I'm sorry if I'm asking some silly questions. 1 month's worth of guitar exposure isn't much.

Ahh, I wish I lived in the states. I'm from an Asian country and over here we don't get much exposure to American fingerstyle. Most people either play classical or just strum. I'm eyeing at Mark Hanson's 'The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking' and am trying to get it from a book company in Singapore that imports books from the states.

If I may. Pop music and musicians rarely get scores of music. If we are lucky we get a lead sheet. The melody line with the chord change associated to it. From there we "fake" it. Improvise along the basic chord given. We choose the exact voicing of the chord, that is where on the neck we play it and what note will be in the bass etc. because the exact instructions, full scores are not given the partial scores put together are called "fake books".

Many players who never read any sheet music or tab are able to "fake" their accompaniment, improvise if you like just by knowing the chord changes. In many situations all a player will get is the chords or just the interval between the chords. If a specific rhythm/phrasing pattern is needed a lead sheet may be provided our more likely the leader will just demonstrate the rhythm he wants. If guitar players are unable to make sense of it there are holes to their development. They will never gig in something like a wedding or church band nor be able to get studio work in the pop music field without those holes being filled.