lessons 2nd year goals

samseattle · #1 01-05-2004, 05:13 PM

Hi, I've been lurking around here for awhile and have decided to jump in and ask for some advise. I am begining my second year of lessons after a 30 year break in playing. I feel I've made pretty good progress the first year, I can count the number of song I known on my fingers, I have to take off my shoes to count the number of chords i know. I have been working on a couple of finger picking songs and some blues progressions. When my teacher start talking theory I get completely lost. I want to play basically for my own enjoyment, but well enough to not drive the family out of the room when I pick up my guitar (not a taylor, yet). With all that said my question is what do you feel is the best approach to learning, should I just work on learning more songs, should I try to understand theory, chord progressions. I don't want to get bored or frustrated by doing the same thing over and over and not feeling i'm getting and better. I hope I didn't ramble on too much, thanks for your imput.

Pipsqueak · #2 01-05-2004, 09:34 PM

My answer would be all of the above.

I'm trying to get more serious about learning guitar, and so I just gave in and took a Fingerboard Theory class. (see the thread in this same section of the forum) I HIGHLY recommend it.

I've been playing for 8 years, but only a year at a serious pace. I fumbled around for the first 7 years on my own.

Was it worth it? Heck yeah.

Should I have taken lessons earlier? Heck yeah!

But as I try to get more serious, I find holes in my game. Not knowing diddley-squat about theory and the fretboard was a major weakness for me.....so now I'm trying to resolve that.

I'm just realizing that in order to be a GOOD guitar player, you should be balanced. Now that is probably just more my opinion than fact, but that's how it's working out for me. I'm not balanced enough in all the areas yet to do what I want to do.

I don't want to stay in first position the rest of my life!

freestyle · #3 01-06-2004, 09:20 AM

There ya go...definitive advice. If you want to be doing stuff like leads and rhythum support you need to know a) what goes into making a chord, and b) where that stuff is on the fret board in relation to the basic chords. You would be amazed at the sheer number of F's on a fretboard!!! You can play em on any string or at any fret for the sound you want. Obviously, the rest of the musical alphabet (ABCDE&G) is there, too. You need this stuff to sound as good as you want.

samseattle · #4 01-07-2004, 12:06 PM

Thanks for the imput. My teacher and I talk at my last lesson and she wants me to focus on theory, scales, fretboard and just better knowlege of the fundementals. She feels it will help me get over the wall I have run into. She is also going to throw in a new song here and there so I don't get bored or frustrated with "just doing scales". thanks again.