Seeking advice...did the learn/purchase thing backwards?

[GunLeatherGuy]

Hey guys...
Im very new to the forum...love my Jacksons and guitars in general.
Heres my situation and thus my question.

Im 42 and took guitar lessons when I was a kid, never really got into it..."the got bored and dropped it" kinda thing. Now my 12 year old daughter has been playing for about a year and is pretty damn good.
I bought a guitar 6 months ago to kinda kick around with her and got hooked on it!!!!

Ive been taking lessons from a pretty good guy locally..but 20$ for 1/2 hour is kinda steep. I love guitars, the shape of them, the sound, the mechanics of them....even the electronics aspect of them also.

I have 8 guitars...all decent quality. Ive got a couple of amps, including a B52 AT212 tube with a B52 JG412 underneath it..... I love to try out the different aspects of my equipment.

IMO, that's where I did this backwards.....I got all of this stuff before I can play reasonably well.

Thus my question....what is the best way to improve my playing? I practice for an hour a day, have computer programs...books, the internet and of course, my local teacher.... etc.

I have realistic expectations and know I wont get great over night. I am dedicated to improving at a steady/slow pace.

My concern is I really don't want to go in the wrong direction either....so what has worked for you guys? Ive got the chords down...know the neck fairly well (as in where the notes are on each string) etc....I can tap pretty good etc. So what is the best way to learn? What has worked to you guys?

Sorry for the long winded and confusing post....I just want others opinions so I can go in the proper direction. Any advice and/or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks and god bless.............

[Floating Seeds]

You need to learn how to practice correctly, playing things slow and building your muscles correctly is the key. If you do it 30 mins to an hour a day moving through the scales from major and minor chromatically and increasing tempo you will see lot of improvement as your muscles condition to fret accurately and cleanly. Also practicing proper picking technique which comes from running scales, as well. And just paying attention to how you fret properly and trying to discipline yourself to play clean and accurately. The speed comes naturally from proper practice.

You can't completely unlearn all habits so you pay attention, and find ways to develop your technique as everyone is different so some thing will work better than others.

[neilli]

One thing I'd try to ensure is that you make practising fun - playing scales and exercises is great for theory knowledge, coordination, picking technique etc, but can be dull and disheartening.

Personally, I'd ask an instructor to teach me how to play songs I like, even if you bypass any solos to start with - a good instructor should be able to pick songs appropriate for your ability, and it's a lot more fun than scales. And if he's a decent teacher, he should be able to explain the theory behind the song, so you're getting 'schooled' while still having fun....

Good luck

[Floating Seeds]

i am strange as I find playing scales to be quite enjoyable for some reason but not everyone does

but I also everyday for an hour or so just do a free form improvising stuff too, and will learn a song or practice some songs or w/e, or play along with CDs through my Boss GT-8 or tonelab

[Jayster]

also ,

don't underate rhythm playing - you'll be doing it most of the time.make your rhythms solid .If you have a drum machine that may help.Enjoy !!!!

[GunLeatherGuy]

Well this is strange, but I give people the same advice just not in regards to guitars. I'm a holster maker and explain to my new clients that smoothness and consistency is where speed comes from. So at least I get that part of it.
My technique SUCKS...my hands/fingers are not as flexible as I want them to be...but all things come with time.

Great replies. Ive tried to learn songs in my lessons but cant really get it as much as I think I want/need to, in the short time frame and just get frustrated.
Ill keep trying........

Thanks.....great advice.

[Floating Seeds]

yeh, most of guitar playing is 'muscle memory' basically your brain/finger muscle conditioning. If you practice fast and sloppy you will play fast and sloppy because you conditioned yourself to play that way. Doing it slow and clean and working up you condition to do it right, and you will be playing much better in just a few months time. I always found rhythm came to me naturally but I could not play fast until I started training myself to do it right, I'm not ultra clean but I can play much much better because I put the time in to learn correct playing habits. Some people are just born naturally gifted and it comes naturally but the rest of us have to work at it a bit more.

[Floating Seeds]

Anyhow i wanted to add one more thing. There are millions of ways to practice scales, you don't have to always just run straight up and down all the time.

Besides all western music lies in the scales, when you understand the scale and all the chords that harmonize it you know pretty much all the theory you will ever need to be able to write and play your own songs. It's just noodling the melodies licks and riffs out of them as you practice they just drop right out.

[Dred]

More reason to practice your feckin arse off ta make up for it, laddie!

[Ben...]

My advice would be to use a metronome at all times(Sorry if this has already been mentioned). I made the mistake of not using it and I've had to pay for it for a while. You will learn to play things much smoother and with better technique. Plus you get a rewarding feeling when you can bump the tempo up five or ten points. Any progress is good progress.

Also, as Neilly said, find an instructor who will teach you songs for your level. My teacher takes songs I like, finds an interesting part in it and makes an exercise out of it. He took Nevermore's "Psalm of Lydia" and made the sweeps at the start a lesson in major and minor sweeps. He also gives me 16th note rhythm patterns from songs like Ensiferum's "Little Dreamer"(That one's so fun!) to help me with picking technique. Of course, you may listen to different music than me but there will be something in a song that you listen to that will further your playing eventually.

Good luck!

[AlexL]

For me, the starting point is HAVE A GOAL. Playing a whole song you like, playing part of a song you like, Building a particular lick up to speed, but have SOMETHING you are working towards. Otherwise your "practicing" may not be furthering you rcurrent skill set.


- E.