How Long To Go From Beginner To Intermediate Level Guitarist?

[stormin1155]

40 years and still working at it, but if I could just learn one more chord, I'd be there. How does Am7 go again?

[lowbrow]

Well, I voted three years, but I'm unsure of what a intermediate guitarist is.

 

I tend to practice a lot and, while I'm still far from what I'd consider decent, I am improving. My knowledge of theory and the fretboard is pretty abysmal, but my ability to pick up things by ear has improved greatly. I'm still sloppy, but the amount and breadth of stuff I can be sloppy at continues to grow.

 

I tend to be happy learning songs I like and playing along with them most of the time. It was frustrating at first because tab didn't exist for the stuff I wanted to play, but I think that's worked in my favor over time. I really want to learn more about the fretboard, for soloing purposes, and to start trying to write songs. I figure in the next year or two I'll work on that.

 

I'm trying to remember when I started playing again (after a 30 year layoff in which I forgot everything I knew). I think it's five years maybe? I can say this, at 46 now, 41ish then, the thing that took me the longest to develop was muscle memory....still really working on that day to day.

[Artslinger]

At 50 plus, the older I get the faster I forget stuff.

 

So unless a major miracle happens and I join a working fulltime band, it will be almost impossible for me to get past Intermediate.

[lowbrow]

I think you're doing fine, Doc.

 

Knowing Doc (and cratz2) as well, I'm gonna second this. Particularly in the last six months you're improvement is exponentially ramped up to my ear. Plus, you look like you're having more fun, which to me is the most important factor.

 

Now we just need to find a drummer to jam with us and we'll switch off on bass every few songs:D

[nuke_diver]

I voted more because I'm not sure what intermediate means either. I see some guys say that they are intermediate and they can blow me away so what does that make me???

 

I started later (in my 20's) with just an acoustic and no lessons. I learned cowboy chords ok but never went beyond that and it stayed that way for 25 years with various level of playing (sometimes months without). About 5 years ago I decided to get more serious, got 1 electric (then another and another ) took lessons and know enough to play along with a song if I know the key. But I don't have a good ear and I can't listen to something and start playing along with it 90% of the time. Now I do practice a lot more than I used to and I've gotten good enough to play with a couple of guys in a garage band but I think I would be considered beginner to most on this board though maybe intermediate to someone who can't play a note

[skibob]

 

I know I developed skill and technique a lot faster back then then I do now... But I still stand that certain things just don't come through until you're older. At least that's how it has been for me. Really rough past year with recession and my woman leaving... its done wonders to my playing.

 

 

I agree. The skill and technique come when you are young, the feel and emotion come later.

[_pete_]

I think it takes about 5 years to learn all you're going to learn. It then takes the rest of your life to learn how to do all of that well.

 

I've been playing close to 36 years and I'm not close to satisfied yet.

[5kuzgib]

You have nearly 13k posts... if you want to get better, log off the forum and pick up your git!

[Hubert Stumblin]

I'd say such levels are difficult to quantify unless you're enrolled in a very strict classical curriculum. And even then it's entirely possible that an intermediate might play a piece at that level with more feeling than an advanced player would. So, who's better?

 

I see myself as just a player. I really can't say what level I'm at. I've been playing since I was 11 which makes 36 years now. However, I've found that I made my biggest leaps with some kind of lessons be it real human or video. Then that enables me to learn a whole bunch more at that "level". I guess I'm also lucky in that I have a good ear.

 

There's still so much I'd like to learn. But as others have said at a certain age other things in life take priority.

[metallica_00]

What is an intermediate? In my view, there are two big things that separate a beginner from an intermediate: rhythm/time, and feel. If you can play progressions cleanly with good rhythm, and execute a basic solo section with again good time, bends in tune, etc. I guess I see intermediate as competent but not flashy. Time and pitch are fundamentally the two most important aspects of playing - so if you can't play in time and in tune (ie holding chords out of tune, bends off, etc, not so much missing a note) then in my view you are still a beginner.

 

For me, I had played saxophone for a few years before playing guitar, so it took me about 2 years to reach that level (1 year playing seriously/taking lessons).

 

I think some people really stress themselves out about whether they are developing "fast enough". It's not a competition. You need to realize that there are vast differnces in natural talent and no one is going to develop at the same pace.

 

If you are having fun, then it's all good. There's always going to be someone who is better. I have a friend who picked up guitar after me. I consider myself a fairly decent player, but he surpassed me in a couple years, and is now a far superior player trying to make it as a musician while I have an office job and play in my bedroom. Different people, differnet talents, but we both enjoy guitar.

[valentsgrif]

 

At 50 plus, the older I get the faster I forget stuff. So unless a major miracle happens and I join a working fulltime band, it will be almost impossible for me to get past Intermediate.

 

 

I'm sadly afraid this has been my experience, too. I've had 2 years of lessons recently and can't play anything I've learned more than 4 months ago.

[billybilly]

 

I've been at it for 5 years now and I suppose I would consider myself firmly in the intermediate area I guess. I don't know how people judge that though so maybe it will be helpful if I tell you what I can do. I know my 5 positions of the minor/major pentatonic and can play leads reasonably fluidly in all of them....from one box to the next. But jumping from position to position is still a challenge as I'm lazy about remembering the names of the notes. I also know all my 5 positions of the natural minor/major scale and again can play leads reasonably well connected in all of them. Weaker than my pentatonic stuff though. And I'm slowly beginning to understand modes but my lack of note names is really hurting me there I think. Hammer on's and pull offs are good, as are bends. I've worked very hard on my alternate picking so I think it is very good. But my speed develops slowly to say the least. Tapping sucks. Tremolo picking is weak but slowly getting better....very slowly..haven't even began sweep picking yet. My 'lick' vocabulary is weaker than it should be in my opinion. I improvise well but need to learn to mix in more licks for variety. Chords...Well...I know the basic open chords well, Bar Chords pretty good, Power chords easy..lol...I guess my biggest weakness here is not knowing which chords sound good together so I always feel like I don't know enough of them. When in actual fact, it may be more of just learning which ones go together nicely. Not sure. Probably a bit of both. I guess I average around 8 to 14 hours a week of practice and that is fairly consistent throughout the 5 years. Hope that helps.

 

 

It saved me from writing my post, I am exactly where you are, to a tee. Kinda funny.

[Artslinger]

 

I'm sadly afraid this has been my experience, too. I've had 2 years of lessons recently and can't play anything I've learned more than 4 months ago.

 

 

At my age I just do it for fun, I really don't worry to much about this stuff anymore. Some days I can pick up new riffs and play pretty good, and other days I suck and can't remember a thing.

 

I was in a couple of bands for around 10 years when I was young and I didn't try to hard back then either. I'm just trying to get back into half way decent playing shape so I can goof around playing in some local "who gives a {censored} we know we will never be pros" band.

[soundcreation]

 

It saved me from writing my post, I am exactly where you are, to a tee. Kinda funny.

 

 

LOL..glad I could help!

 

It's interesting cause there are so many factors to consider. And people may be "intermediate" at some things but "beginner" at others. Metallica_00's point was good about being able to play in time and in key. A good indicator for sure.

[jtr654]

It depends on how much you practice and how much talent you actually have. Practice all the time and are natually talented you should be pretty good in 2 years. Don't practice much but very gifted you'll probably be good. No musical talent it might not make a difference how much you practice.

[Doctor Morbius]

Thanks for all of the replies guys. It's nice to have the perspective of others.

[Crave Case]

 

how much you progress is limited only by yourself. if you practice 8hrs a day for your entire teenage life you will become EVH.

 

 

 

This

[Vintage55]

why is there no "never' selecton?

 

I feel left out....

 

 

[Doctor Morbius]

why is there no "never' selecton? I feel left out....

I grouped it with "other."