Newbie...one year in.

[Rexsblues]

Originally Posted by Silly Moustache

Hi Bobby, I'm 71. I started playing acoustic guitar some time in the late '60s. I'm still learning, although some people seem to think I'm pretty good.

I'm pretty good at what I do, and pretty poor at what I don't. I gave up on tab and notation, because that isn't how I "see" music ... I hear it and (importantly) I "feel" it.

If you practice long and hard for the next 53 years you'll still feel that you can improve. I watched a video earlier where Tommy Emmanuel said that he has to keep practicing!

There is no standard progression/playing time and there is no end to learning, but there is a point when you can play FOR others and WITH others, and that is the point to aim for.

Do you sing? Choose some simple three chord songs and accompany yourself as you sing them. Play it to someone who'll give you an honest judgement. Listen to them, correct the shortcomings.

Above all "feel" the songs you sing with your guitar. Passion is worth more than precision.

These might help :



and



Oh, and enjoy your music.

Carry on, smoke if you got 'em.

This is excellent advice from one of the most genuine people on this (or any) guitar forum. As my dad always told me when I first took piano lessons "Don't play the notes, play the music."

[jschmitz54]

Hi Bobby,
I passed the one year mark on June 5th. I wonder much the same as you do.
I’ve been taking weekly lessons since I started. I’ve concentrated on a few things in particular.
One is learning the neck of the guitar that is, where the notes are and learning the different shapes of chords and how they can be played at different places on the neck and become a different chord. One of my latest revelations has been that barre chords are really just a new nut position at a particular fret on the neck which allows me to play a chord using all six strings at a different position on the neck. That vs, say, playing a D shape up the neck may be limited as to how many strings you could play and have it sound good. That might seem ridiculous but it is part of something I’m trying to figure out and learn. I often feel when something new reveals itself to me that I’m so slow to have realized it and that is a bit of a downer. Lucky I’m old enough (64) to know that’s how learning works. I’m sure this explanation of what I think I’m learning is very awkwardly worded and may be wrong to one extent or another.
I haven’t learned scores of songs but have concentrated on trying to play fewer songs better. I’ve been particularly interested in Neil Young songs. There is an abundance of nuance, technique and variation in his songs. When I’ve felt I’ve learned his songs I go back and listen to his recordings and seemingly always find things to add or change. I’m satisfied doing this for whatever reason.
My instructor encourages me along that line and says I should add more songs which I do but he also says that learning intricacies and nuance are great skill developers.
I think it’s different for everyone. I do enjoy it though. The thing is when I’m playing or trying to figure out one thing or another it’s just me, no worries, no other thoughts and I find that peaceful, relaxing but at the same time motivating and exciting. I’m enjoying a journey that I have no idea of where it leads.

[Jaden]

Silly M has some good instruction here.

It took me one whole year to learn to organize my fretting finger with the plucking finger to the same string, and another year to tune to standard tuning using only one pitch reference. I didn’t take lessons. I was a very slow learner. After the first year I started to derive some enjoyment from it. The first year was an exercise in patience. Starting on a nylon string guitar was a big help - softer on the finger tips.

[carmike]

I've also been playing for a year, and like many who've chimed in, I've wondered at my progress and how it compares to others. I honestly have no idea, however, why that really matters...But I do it just the same.

I played for the first time with a friend of mine the other day. He's been playing for almost two decades now, and he can sing very very well, so all he's done (and he's happy with it) is learn songs with the open chords that don't require ANY barre chords. But he's good all the same -- plays gigs around town, knows a bazillion covers, tons of charisma on stage, great voice and "presence," etc. etc.

I find it helpful to remind myself where I was, oh, a month ago. For example, I was working on the A-shape barre chord recently, and over the winter I was at a different friend's house trying to learn that exact shape. Back then I honestly thought I would never be able to do it -- and as "proof," I had a very sore knuckle on my index finger that "proved" I just didn't have the hands. Now, though, I can do it pretty easily (most of the time). THAT'S fun...and that's what I have to remind myself is more important than whether someone else is progressing faster than I.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Rexsblues

This is excellent advice from one of the most genuine people on this (or any) guitar forum. As my dad always told me when I first took piano lessons "Don't play the notes, play the music."

Hi, thank you for those kind words.

Your Dad's concise statement say more than I did in a couple of videos!

Any connection to "W"Rex Bell?

[Riverwolf]

You can learn every note on the fretboard.
Every scale and every key.
Forwards and backwards.
Means nothing when someone asks you to play something for them.
Means nothing to them and probably nothing to you either.
Learn songs.
Easy versions are fine in the beginning and later on, no one but another player will know anyway.
Substitute when needed to keep moving forward.
I played Fmaj7 for years and nobody else knew.
Have fun.
It is called "playing".

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by BobbyMocha

I’ve come a long way in this past year but I feel like I should be be better than I am - farther along than I am.

"My progression on guitar has been much faster than I thought, and I'm ahead of where I thought I'd be a year ago!"
... said no one, ever.

As many have posted, there is no standard curriculum for playing guitar that applies across styles and approaches. So it becomes an exercise in frustration to try and gauge one's progress in a quantitative way.

One thing I feel confident in is to say it will get easier and your progress will quicken if you maintain your current focus.
The first year was the hardest for me - I actually gave up to play sax for 2 years - and I distinctly remember the same thought - shouldn't I be better than this after a year?

[Guilder]

probably want to famialize and get fluent with barre chords (for the diiferent voicings you mention), and the major, minor and pentatonic scales for your little bit of lead guitar goal.
Guitar is something where you can actually do plenty with just the primary chords though.
Use a metronome to get your strumming rhythm down.
I'm kind of where you are, I feel pretty much a beginner and not very good, although I started a long time ago but am coming back to it after not really picking it up much. I never did many lessons, or much formal study or practice, but I do now and took some "real" lessons a few months ago, all I had done previously was a very long time ago where I came with a song I wanted to learn and he showed it to me (guy from the local high school band).
One thing I did recently was just figure the best way I want to hold the pick, was there some other way that might work better, I spent 2 days on just that (I wound up with something pretty similar to how Molly Tuttle holds it).
So where Im at now is to do my stuff from the teacher...basic theory, scales and barre chord practice (with and without metronome), and if want to learn a new song I go on justin guitar or any of the others like him on utube. I also use a book called "the guitar handbook", which I bought years ago and recently dusted it off. My current goals are to work on knowing the notes on the fretboard, intervals, and familiarizing myself with the sounds of them.

[DesertTwang]

Originally Posted by BobbyMocha

My goals are this: Fingerstyle and flatpicking. I’d like to be able play good rhythm guitar and know how to change the voicing of the chords I play to be able to play with accompany others. And eventually learn to play a bit more lead guitar

Appreciate any thoughts.

Well, all I can say is I admire your tenacity and determination. The goals you list are my goals as well, sans the fingerstyle part, and I've been learning to play since 2004, not just for a year. I have focused exclusively on flatpicking, for two reasons: it's the style I enjoy musically, and quite frankly, trying to learn both techniques equally well would be too high of a goal for me to realistically tackle. And only now, quite far into the journey, have I started to learn different chord voicings.

From what it sounds like, you are more than well on your way, and I wouldn't overthink or question your approach too much at this point.

[Slothead56]

First, I’m by no means bragging but merely giving a perspective.

I started playing when I was 17 and within a year I was playing local open mics. This was after 4 simple lessons and a lot of playing and self learning. No YouTube, no videos, really, no one to play with. But I was obsessed.

My perspective-I could care less about notation and theory. (Some may think of me as not much of a musician, and that’s ok.). What I wanted to learn was to accompany myself as I sang. Always been a singer. Guitar was an extension of that and opened me up to a whole different type of vocal expression and allowed me to express myself by writing music and lyrics. Instead of being part of a choir or vocal ensemble, I could now sing by myself....something that I still do to this day.

I’m probably an above average player but, like Andy said before me—I play by ear...and by heart.

Congratulations on your anniversary and on the hard work you’ve put in. Many may think your approach is spot on. As long as you believe it is that’s all that matters.

[roylor4]

A year is not long in the scheme of things learning guitar.

At 2 years in, I thought I was an intermediate. I wasn't. I kinda stunk, really. I've been at it 8 years, and the more I learn, the more intermediate I feel. Basically self-taught so lots of deficiencies in many skills and knowledge sets.

When you begin, you don't know what you don't know. As you progress, you get a sense of how much you don't know and some of which you probably never will.

[dingrr]

I started about a year ago myself and I was making progress but hit a couple snags that took me away from consistently picking up the guitar. That has definitely set me back a bit. Stick with it and you'll continue to get better.
I'm on the fence between maintaining zero expectations (just play for fun) and setting goals (which can provide motivation but then adds stress and the possibility of failure). At this point in my life, 60 and retired, I don't want the stress. . My personality/ego sometimes gets in the way.
It is extremely challenging!

[BobbyMocha]

Originally Posted by zmf

Sounds like you're going at it the right way, but knowing a bit more about what you're playing now, and what sort of picking style you've developed would help judge your progress.

Just of of curiosity, exactly what do you mean by learning to "sight read"? Are these tabs, or standard music notation?

Part of my goal is to really learn and understand music theory. I mean really know the why and not just the how. I want to learn to read and correctly write music notation. I want to look at a piece of sheet music and know how to read and play a piece quickly. Tabs I can already handle.

But if compose a piece of music. Or collaborate worth someone on some writing or play with people I know who already do this, then I want do it correctly. That means fully understanding that side of it b

[BobbyMocha]

Originally Posted by bufflehead

If you're working with due diligence but you feel like you should be better than you are, it just means that you're a guitarist. So welcome to the club, we all feel that way at various points of the journey.



It's not an easy instrument, it's never going to be, and there will always be people who blow you away with how much better they are than you. That's half the fun.

I really am enjoying it. It’s the one thing that really relaxes me. And I have noticed a lot of improvement. I think I just have very high expectations of myself and so I get frustrated sometimes.

[BobbyMocha]

There are so many pieces to this puzzle. The chords, intervals, scales, modes, strumming, picking, theory, notation, etc etc. I love learning all of it but am not getting all the pieces to fit together yet.

How do I know my instructor is assessing my progress and challenging / teaching accordingly? Should he be doing more theory with me? They’re right when they say you don’t know what you don’t know.