blueprint for learning?

[lunetta77]

Hi

 

I'm a bit lost;

I've been fooling around with the guitar for years, but my playing abilities have not improved... All that I do is to get tabs and try to play along songs I like...

my question is: is there a plan for learning?

 

I'm stuck in the minor pentatonic: I know the fingerings but don't know how to use them to build songs...

 

I feel a bit lost with all the stuff one has to know... what is a good plan for studying?

 

I'm interested in classic rock and 50-60's jazz...

 

If you had to write a "table of contents" for a book on learning scales, techniques and method focusing these styles, how should you order it? where to begin, where to evolve to?

 

 

thanks a lot for any suggestion!

[red|dragon]

Take lessons?

[Little Dreamer]

For the classic rock stuff, I guess you could try something like this:

1) Learn all 5 "boxes" of the pentatonic minor scale. Work on improvising simple phrases/licks in each box. Always work on improvising by playing along with a backing track - it's vastly more efficient for learning than just jammin' by yourself. Make sure you're playing in the same key as the backing track.

2) Work on improvising slightly more complex phrases/licks that span more than one box.

3) Work on improvising more advanced phrases/runs that move freely all over the whole fretboard.

4) Learn to do this in all keys.

5) At this point you'll probably be ready to start taking licks from other people's solos and seeing if you want to incorporate some of their stuff into your own playing.

6) Learn to do the same sort of thing with the blues scale (just add one extra note, the flat 5th).

7) Learn to do the same sort of thing with the pentatonic major scale.

8) Learn to do the same sort of thing with the natural minor scale.

9) If you want to get into more modern ('80s) rock, learn to do the same sort of thing with the modes.

Learn some basic music theory as well, like how scales are built from intervals, how chords are built from scales, and how scales/chords interact. You can work on that at the same time as you're doing everything else.

That's one way to get started. I'm sure if you asked 10 people you'd get 10 different answers.

[lunetta77]

Originally posted by Little Dreamer That's one way to get started. I'm sure if you asked 10 people you'd get 10 different answers.

 

 

well, at least that's a beginning!

 

thanks!

[335clone]

http://www.zentao.com/guitar/guitar-lessons.html

http://www.zentao.com/guitar/theory/

[MrSteed]

If all you're doing is picking up tabs and playing songs, it's
no wonder you aren't getting any better. You've probably
trained your fingers only up though a comfort zone of least
resistance. And, likely you have a number of bad habits that
you either don't know about, or ignore, or hope playing more
songs will somehow magically fix after X years of playing.

The only real solution is to learn HOW to practice and FIX
the broken things. It comes down to focusing on technique
and not just play songs. Also you can play scales forever,
but if your technique sucks, you'll still suck.

You might think technique practice is boring. I used to think so
to. And after a number of years of not getting any better I
stopped playing for a long time. When I started again, I
really began to focus on technique. After some successes,
it actually started becoming fun. I ENJOY simply practicing now. And, I see improvement on nearly a daily basis...

[lunetta77]

I guess that MrSteed nailed my situation perfectly. I'll look for technique practice for sure.

thanks a lot

[Eddie]

Originally posted by lunetta77 ...what is a good plan for studying?

Excellent question!

In addition to the replies you have received, I will mention the following:

I try to focus on (at least) four separate aspects for my personal study. These are:

1. Ear training. Instruction is so visual these days that we often forget to train our ears. My goal is to have great perfect Pitch and Relative Pitch in a year or two. At the same time I'm working on my listening skills. What are the drums doing? What about the bass? Etc.

2. Theory. This includes chord and scale construction, modes, arpeggios, harmony, melody, rhythm, etc. As they say, knowledge is power, and there's a lot of information to absorb and understand.

3. Technique. Different tools to enable the player to play music. Includes right and left hand techniques. Encompasses the physical aspect of playing.

4. Imagination. I think it was Steve Vai who had a column in a guitar magazine called Martian Love Secrets or something like that. I remember he wrote about imagining the wind, for example, and then trying to play it with the guitar. Imagination and creativity need to be fostered too.

There's also improvisation, musicianship, etc.

You can see a thorough Table of Contents (and buy a book) here:
http://members.tripod.com/joey_goldstein/JGM/toc.pdf

I'm not affiliated with Joey in any way, and don't even have his book.