Opinions for the Success of the Beginner...

my approach to guitar playing is less structured thatn you idea seems to be. I plan on playing until I die. with that in mind I dont feel rushed or have the 'I should be this good by now'. attitude.
I dont worry.

that said.
I am a seasoned played . started in 1965 and havent stopped. I am learning more each day now than when I started. Im not sure why or how to put it into words.
maybe, the moreI know the more I want to play and then I learn more by playing.
I started with lessons that lasted for maybe a year.
there I learned open and barre chords. how to tune and change strings.I learned the rudiments of reading sheet music. (Tabs werent around).
while learning those things I learned proper posture, how to hold a pick, strumming patterns or rythm.

then on my own I palyed along with albums and then Cds.
I developed my ear that way.

I didnt measure my ability stage with anyone because we all have differnt amounts of talent. mine wasnt really natural; I had to work at playing. I still do in some ways.

I play when I am motivated. I dont have set schedules for playing or lesson plans.

when I do pick up my guitar I start off playing somethiong I know. I often go back over things I learned ages ago making improvements.

I am learning open tunings and slide work now. playing in differnt keys, like C6. E9 I had to understand where the notes on the fret board were. I needed to know whetre the triads were. (triads are the three notes that make up a chord).
since I knew the name of each string it was easy drawing atiny refference map; following each note at each fret up the board.
then looking at the map I could see where the G chord was etc.
it really helped.

scales are good finering exercises. they did help me to create licks and understand intervals(spacings between notes).

there is no one way to learn.

I dug around through the old threads and found this one that might help.

Thanks to all... Additional perspectives would be great... Thanks again...

find a good teacher and take lessons, they are expensive, but worth it.

I found the posted link to "things beginners should know" to be great. I know some across the 1st and 2nd year, but not others. :) Time to get to work!

I would say, if you're near Noteboat, get him as a teacher. The detailed response on how to improvise was very cool. I'd anyone who I asked to be a teacher to be able to give me that kind of detail of explanation (and also to keep a notebook of what we went over so far).

Seems to be a good way to judge a guitar teacher.

Well i have been playing since 9 months and i know my progress is pretty haphazard , still it doesn't stop me from playing as i am not to become a pro player.

If i can play and sing - a - long with a bunch of fav songs of mine , that does the job for me. (latest is the 'harvest moon' by dhodge...trying to do it properly ) :D

Also i would like to see how Mr. David Hodge makes a schedule for his students.

Rahul

I'd like to add to the already great advice on this thread. CHORDS CHORDS CHORDS, COUNT COUNT COUNT. If there was anything I could suggest it will be learn as many basic chords as possible such as the E, A, D shapes then learn what those chords are when you slide them up and down the neck. You dont have to be a musical genius to learn the notes on the 5th and 6th string. For example learning the key points on the first and sixth string E,F,G,A,B,C,D,E from the open to the 12th fret. Just by knowing those reference points and dots you can instantly dial up any of those chords rooted on the sixth string in the E shape. By dropping a finger here or adding one there you suddenly convert those to 7th chords, minor chords, etc. Then learn the 5th string too such as A,B,C,D.... and use the A, A7,Aminor shape and slide it up and down the neck. Then learn the 4th string with the D shape and slide it up the neck. Just with that alone you already have dozens of chords with very little work. Now take that farther and do a C chord, add the pinky and you have a C7, slide that up the neck two frets and strum the middle strings and you have a D7, slide two more frets and strum all six strings and you have an E7. Before long you have so many chords at your disposal it's amazing. And at this point you've barely had to study any theory. Then as you learn theory you realize "You already know how to play all this stuff". So sometimes attacking problems two ways is better. Dont be a book smart person that CANT PLAY. Also use your foot and mind and count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 1 and so on. The up beat of your foot is the AND. Place your strums or pickings on those beats and count through all your music. You have to get a groove and you must be a good rhythm player. The next step is training your ear to hear melodies and songs on the radio and then finding them on the guitar. Even simple melodies like "Row your Boat" or "Jingle Bells". You should be able to find those melodies. Start in the key of C usually. As far as theory begin with learning the major intervals step, step, halfstep, etc... Then all the theory will start making more sense. Mainly learn, meet people, dont become stale or frustrated by always doing the same thing. Good luck and I hope you succeed greatly.

LB

LB its so great to see you posting on GN.

I see your mojo working and shanty town so very often and really love it.

Awesome as always :D

Rahul

I have been playing over 30 years now and am self-taught. If I had to do it all over again, I would take lessons and learn how to sight read. That just opens up the world to you. When you can read, you can play anything. It would also be nice to have a greater understanding of music and theory. I understand music, but probably in my own way.

On the other hand, I think I have some advantages, even over taught musicians who took lessons. I learned from simply listening to records and the radio and copied what I heard. I cannot tell you the thousands of hours I've done this. And through this I developed a very good ear. I can usually figure out just about any song in just a few minutes from simply hearing it.

So do both. Get instructions, but also learn to play by ear. Very important.

I like what LittleBrother said. Learn chords. Knowing how to play only power 5 chords is only going to get you so far. So learn every chord you can. I also like what he said about learning to keep time. Keeping time might actually be the most important thing in music. If you cannot keep time, you really cannot play at all.

Also, I would say that you need to determine what genre of music you want to play. I have dabbled in many styles of music, but Rock is my thing. You simply cannot play it all, although you can be good at several styles. Of course, you can always change course later on and probably will. But work on one style generally.

Lastly, music is not a two year thing. I decided the day I got my first guitar that I was going to play the rest of my life. You have heard the saying, "it's not the destination, it's the journey", that's very true with guitar. Believe me, you never get good enough, there is always more to learn, and room to improve. If you fixate on a time schedule, you are just going to get frustrated. No, you just have to keep playing, that is all there is to it. The more you play, the better you will get.

That is the one and only secret. Just keep playing.

I think what's really helped me along these few months that I've been playing is not holding myself back or letting anyone hold me back. I had people tell me, you can't suceed without being able to do this, this, this and this, and you can't suceed without knowing this this and this. Sometimes they might be right, but most often, these voices in my head, make me lose my confidence and then I can't play that well. So I tell all those voices in my head to shut up then pick up the guitar and play. And I try to avoid worrying about what I can't do yet, if I do that too much, it effects what I already can do.

Also i would like to see how Mr. David Hodge makes a schedule for his students.

Well, I currently have thirty-private students and two group classes so I guess I'd have to show you forty schedules! :wink:

As much as it would be great to have a single method that works for everyone, it doesn't work that way. At least for me as a teacher.

One of the wildest weeks I ever had was back in Chicago when I had five students (I worked full time and taught before and after work and on weekends). I'd decided to teach all the students the same song but it still turned out to be five entirely different lessons!

Every student is an individual and even though you may be trying to teach them all the same thing, you often have to find the single way that helps each of them get the point and to learn at his or her pace.

Peace

Very interresting question...

I'm a new player, ... and my english is poor, i know

The firts thing, is to learn tab, for a starting point. When we are like me, with no natural disposition for music and playing instruments, we MUST starting somwhere.. but where ? :shock:

In my case, like i said before, i learn some tab and i try to pratice "easy songs". The first songs i learned (and still the only one c'ause i'm newbee :lol: Thank You Very Much to David Hodge!!!) is Wish You Were Here learned here, at DHodge easy songs lessons.

I tryed too Horse with no name.. but in the desert .. the sound is bad :lol:

Anyway... i think the only thing to do is playing and praticing... again and again.. and having fun !

OneWingedAngel I Love Ur signature !!

My goals as a guitarist:
1)Play what I want
2)Say what I want

Very interresting question...

I'm a new player, ... and my english is poor, i know

The firts thing, is to learn tab, for a starting point. When we are like me, with no natural disposition for music and playing instruments, we MUST starting somwhere.. but where ? :shock:

In my case, like i said before, i learn some tab and i try to pratice "easy songs". The first songs i learned (and still the only one c'ause i'm newbee :lol: Thank You Very Much to David Hodge!!!) is Wish You Were Here learned here, at DHodge easy songs lessons.

I tryed too Horse with no name.. but in the desert .. the sound is bad :lol:

Anyway... i think the only thing to do is playing and praticing... again and again.. and having fun !

OneWingedAngel I Love Ur signature !!

My goals as a guitarist:
1)Play what I want
2)Say what I want
I agree with you and one wing angel.

however, I have a problem with Tabs. it is probably just me, but I find it awkward to play them. I cant feel the tempo and if i dont know the melody I cant suss my way through them. that is why I think learning, at least rudimentary, sheet music is important.

Not only you .. its the same thing for me.. try guitare pro or power tab ..that helping more than a "static" TAB ...

and, visit the David Hodge lesson here...

:)