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  #46  
Old 03-03-2019, 10:50 AM
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Blueser100 Blueser100 is offline
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I can empathize. I have done all the things suggested, including various courses mentioned and trying a real teacher again. I never stick with the teachers because at some point we end up diverging on my goals. I've had better success being self-taught actually.

Over the past several years (and because being in my mid 50's, well time seems to go faster) I've discovered that I really want to learn the songs of my childhood, i.e., 60s and 70's folk, pop, classic stuff, with some blues tossed in).

I have found just what I want in the offerings of Jerry's Guitar Bar (e.g., individual lessons and tabs and video step by step very professionally done for very reasonable prices per song).

My advice to the OP would be to start with what song/s do you burn to learn to play and go from there, whether an online lesson or course, teacher, or some other means.
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  #47  
Old 05-25-2020, 01:13 PM
DHosinski DHosinski is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SprintBob View Post
My progression has been:

1. Completed Steve Eulberg beginner course (start to finish) at Jamplay.
2. Completed JustinGuitar beginner course.
3. Decided fingerstyle was to be my main focus.
4. Started with Mark Hanson’s Beyond Fingerstyle book, completed 60% of it.
5. Switched to Mark Hanson’s Contemporary Travis Picking book, completed 80% of it and picked up Mark as my Skype teacher as I finished my study with it.
6. Started Mark’s Art of Solo Fingerstyle course with lesson from Mark every 3 weeks. I have done all but two songs in this book and continue my study with it.
7. Got subscription to Peghead Nation and taking Flat picking Rhythm course as taught by Scott Nygard. This is supplemental to my Fingerstyle work.
8. I am currently about 60/40 Fingerstyle/flatpicking that I split my work on.

All of the above supplemented with additional songs from various sources and a couple of Truefire and Homespun courses that are supplemental.

Everything I start I try to do as a building block and that has served me well.
I’m 59 and 5 years into this very fun journey. Hope this helps and good luck.
Hello! I'm 53 and I'm just getting started. I'm currently taking the TrueFire beginner lessons and I'm almost through the first lesson. My achilles heel thus far is transitions to the 'D' chord (quickly). Even when I play the 'D' chord itself, I find that I am prone to touching the smaller string with my ring finger killing the sound. I'm so close. I am trying to just switch between either 'A to D,' or 'E to D' back and forth to get the muscle memory. I'm hoping this will eventually dial me in.
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  #48  
Old 05-25-2020, 03:24 PM
lowrider lowrider is offline
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Yes, this is the way to get started. Keep it up, keep practicing, keep following your lessons.

You know the way to Carnegie Hall, don't you?

Practice, man, practice!
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  #49  
Old 05-25-2020, 04:49 PM
DHosinski DHosinski is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SprintBob View Post
My progression has been:

1. Completed Steve Eulberg beginner course (start to finish) at Jamplay.
2. Completed JustinGuitar beginner course.
3. Decided fingerstyle was to be my main focus.
4. Started with Mark Hanson’s Beyond Fingerstyle book, completed 60% of it.
5. Switched to Mark Hanson’s Contemporary Travis Picking book, completed 80% of it and picked up Mark as my Skype teacher as I finished my study with it.
6. Started Mark’s Art of Solo Fingerstyle course with lesson from Mark every 3 weeks. I have done all but two songs in this book and continue my study with it.
7. Got subscription to Peghead Nation and taking Flat picking Rhythm course as taught by Scott Nygard. This is supplemental to my Fingerstyle work.
8. I am currently about 60/40 Fingerstyle/flatpicking that I split my work on.

All of the above supplemented with additional songs from various sources and a couple of Truefire and Homespun courses that are supplemental.

Everything I start I try to do as a building block and that has served me well.
I’m 59 and 5 years into this very fun journey. Hope this helps and good luck.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lowrider View Post
Yes, this is the way to get started. Keep it up, keep practicing, keep following your lessons.

You know the way to Carnegie Hall, don't you?

Practice, man, practice!
That's the plan! Thanks for the post!
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  #50  
Old 06-12-2020, 03:47 PM
tupper tupper is offline
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I always think everyone is like me, and has a regular playing repertoire that they play regularly. I can read musical notation, but for several reasons, play from memory when I playing tunes in my playing repertoire. In order to remember tunes, they have to be played regularly - not just when you have to play them.

If I try to learn too many tunes or playing techniques at the same time, I end up learning slowly. I think a person learns more if they just focus on a very few new tunes at the same time. The tune a person struggles with most is often then one that teaches them the most new things.
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  #51  
Old 06-18-2020, 03:05 PM
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tinnitus tinnitus is offline
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Many here recommend learning the easy parts of songs first and the rest later as skills increase. Some recommend getting an instructor. And some cite getting frustrated and moving on once student/teacher interests and methods diverge. I endorse easy parts and instructors with a couple caveats.

Regarding the easy parts, I taught myself to play rock in 1970, standing by the record player/radio in the family basement (Supro electric plugged into a tube PA amp and a couple 15" Jensens). There was such great music happening then. Stacking the easy parts of songs together like Legos led me to basic all-around competence and half a century in various bar bands (after work) playing rock, blues, pop and country. So yes, I recommend that approach.

I also recommend trying a teacher/instructor (or at least supportive friends with skills) if at all possible. The trick, of course, is finding a mentor who'll keep you engaged, curious and moving forward. I could never read black dots on paper and I'm not interested in starting now. So I'd quickly part ways with any teacher who'd insist on that before moving forward. Shop around and find someone who can help identify things within your reach/interest (with some stretching of course) and learn a few songs from beginning to end. Whole songs!

A student of mine got a guitar just a few months ago and started at ZERO. By setting incremental goals right at her horizon (and not too far beyond), we've managed to get her going with quick "no peeking" chord changes (cowboy and barre), strum patterns, arpeggios, timing, and singing at the same time. She brightened up a boring mandatory staff meeting on Zoom last month, entertaining her co-workers with Good Riddance, Stand By Me and a couple Creedence numbers.

Last edited by tinnitus; 06-18-2020 at 03:53 PM.
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