The Perils of Skipping Ahead

[davidbeinct]

I'm at the very beginning of my journey this time around. I tried to learn in my twenties but feel I didn't just have fun often enough. This time around I am having fun learning songs, and am really enjoying that approach. I will likely dip a toe in the waters of theory at some point but for now, songs and fun.
I've mostly been using what the kids call the "University of YouTube" along with some purchased lessons from Toby Walker and David Hamburger. I'm mixing up flatpicked songs like Here Comes the Sun with fingerpicking, mostly blues.
I recently decided to go to a local teacher with good references, and he said I should back up a step and learn some patterns for my fingerpicking goals. I've purchased Mark Hanson's book, and come to find out that even his simple outside inside patterns give me some consternation. Especially moving from 6 and 5 string roots to 4 string roots (basically D). I figure if that is giving me fits my bedrock foundation is flawed, so before I skip too far ahead I'm going to concentrate on his book, with the help of my teacher. I know myself well enough to know I won't be able to ignore the more complicated, and IMO more fun, stuff from Messrs. Walker and Hamburger, but I'm going to try to minimize the time I spend on them until I feel a good grounding in the "easier" stuff.

[rick-slo]

Do what works for you but hopefully keep steadily working on actual pieces of music to avoid quitting from shear boredom.

[mr. beaumont]

Balanced diet.

You have to play songs. Music is songs, tunes, pieces, whatever, but it's NOT exercises.

But there's certain technical stuff you have to be able to do to play songs.

So balance your practice regimen. Most people can only take about 15 minutes of actual brain/finger busting "work" before they need a break. So take those breaks.

The more balanced your practice is, the more you will progress...and progressing IS fun.

[rmp]

Really, it's just time and patience. Developing muscle memory for things like this takes time. It seems impossible at first, but it isn't.

I think you're on a good path tho. A dedicated teacher verses the Youtube U.

You get feedback from a human, where the pointing out of bad techniques which lead to bad habits is immediate information for you. You wont get this from a youtube lesson

[HodgdonExtreme]

I have zero musical talent. It took me no time at all to get grips on the basic outside/inside travis pattern.

I think you'll pick it up sooner than you think!

[SprintBob]

Originally Posted by davidbeinct

I'm at the very beginning of my journey this time around. I tried to learn in my twenties but feel I didn't just have fun often enough. This time around I am having fun learning songs, and am really enjoying that approach. I will likely dip a toe in the waters of theory at some point but for now, songs and fun.
I've mostly been using what the kids call the "University of YouTube" along with some purchased lessons from Toby Walker and David Hamburger. I'm mixing up flatpicked songs like Here Comes the Sun with fingerpicking, mostly blues.
I recently decided to go to a local teacher with good references, and he said I should back up a step and learn some patterns for my fingerpicking goals. I've purchased Mark Hanson's book, and come to find out that even his simple outside inside patterns give me some consternation. Especially moving from 6 and 5 string roots to 4 string roots (basically D). I figure if that is giving me fits my bedrock foundation is flawed, so before I skip too far ahead I'm going to concentrate on his book, with the help of my teacher. I know myself well enough to know I won't be able to ignore the more complicated, and IMO more fun, stuff from Messrs. Walker and Hamburger, but I'm going to try to minimize the time I spend on them until I feel a good grounding in the "easier" stuff.

Mark Hanson’s teaching technique combines exercises followed by songs implementing the previous exercises and it all builds as you progress through his material. I worked through both his Contemporary Travis Picking and Art of Solo Fingerstyle and I included other songs along the way. It never got boring for me as the progression he presents keeps the learning curve from plateauing if you put the work in. Good Luck!