Breaking the horizontal plane

I've been playing almost 13 years, but ran into a block. Little history. I taught myself early, mostly acoustic. Later I started taking some lessons. Then I moved to another teacher and started studying theory as well. I joined a band as a rhythm guitarist and played for 3 year up until June '06. I not only quit the band, I also stopped playing altogether. I felt burnt out from playing and studying. I self-evaluated myself only to realize. I don't know where I stand. :rolleyes: I feel I'm not as advanced as I should be. I've put a lot of time in everything and I feel sometimes I've wasted a lot of time.

Fast forward to Jan '07 and I'm becoming reviatilized again. But this time I want to head in a positive direction, or at least an organized direction. When I practiced scale and theory, I kind of got it, but I can not put it together. I've learned the circle of fifths, I memorized the fretboard, all different types of scales, but it still hasn't come together for me when it comes to understanding the fretboard.

I want to take lessons again, but not sure what type of teacher would be best for what I want. I'd like to understand what I'm doing, instead of just playing a song from memorization.

For those of you that understand, what was the 'light bulb' that made you smile and say "I got it"? I do have experience, as I said for 13 years, but still feel like I'm travelling a long tunnel. Your recommendations would be appreciated, cause I'm missing something. :confused: :D

The style of music I like is blues, southern rock, classic rock, some oldies.

Thanks guys (gals)

i know wat u mean dude. i often feel the same. i know theoy but i find it hard to use. mainly because i can play faster than i can think so i play faster than my theory brain can keep up.

i can only suggest doin improve say on a 12 bar and attack it from different directions. eg usin the mixolodion mode over each of the chords. or pentatonics resolving the notes in the chords that arnt in the pentatonic scale.

try to aproach things from dfferent angles. thats what i am tryin at the moment. i am also tryin to change between different scales natural (aeolion ) minor harmonic minor blues scale, locranion, etc


i a pickin a few at first and then tryin to expand. hopefully i wont be stuck in the diatonic box any more.

I just get baffled and scratch my head sometimes. I do think I would need instruction in organization, cause I can memorized anything, but as in the past, I may concentrate too much on what I'm focused in on at the time and lose the 'big picture'.

Even with this site, which is a wealth of information, plotting the personal direction toward understanding and getting better is, at least what I think, essential to getting better.

Picking up a song or tab and learning it is fine to just sit there to play, but after I learn it I look back at it and ask myself things like, how is this song structured, what makes these notes sound good with those. I really don't have the answer and I know its in front of my nose. :p

i would suggest gettin a grasp on theory. for instance understand all the diatonic stuff. modes and such like. understand the idea opf using chord tones and sclae tones and how they are different. this might give you the ability to do this

look at the intervals between notes and try to see how the notes in the lead relate to the chords playin over them.


then try and learn about cadences.

if you know all this you have to aply itr and that is often the hard part. i try to look at all the intervals in pieces ive learnt and relate them to the chords.

hope that helps.

Yup
Well since the bug has bitten me again. I think I will select an instructor in the area, come up with a game plan on what my overall goal is, then head straight at it without straying as I did in the past. I may have loaded too much on my plate in the past with not a lot of direction. Kind of like driving a car down the highway at full speed, but not having any steering wheel. :D

I'll spend this weekend thinking of my goals so at least, I know what direction I want to head in. I'd hate walking into an instructor studio and have him ask me what I want to do, then tell him, 'I dont know........play guitar" Hell, I can play the guitar, I'm just running around in circles. :D :D
Thanks for the advice.

definitely an instructor is the way to go. i learned so much more in the year and a half when i started with an instructor than the remainin year and a half without one. i think i9 might try getin lessons again. ( i stopped when i went to uni). personally i would recomend a jazz guitarest to teach you, as long as he does all styles as well. cos if he understands jazz he will understand most stuff.

as or a blueser i assume u dont want to shred or sweep particularly so theres no need gettina teacher who specialises at technique like a metal teacher.

Originally Posted by: Fret spiderdefinitely an instructor is the way to go. i learned so much more in the year and a half when i started with an instructor than the remainin year and a half without one. i think i9 might try getin lessons again. ( i stopped when i went to uni). personally i would recomend a jazz guitarest to teach you, as long as he does all styles as well. cos if he understands jazz he will understand most stuff.

as or a blueser i assume u dont want to shred or sweep particularly so theres no need gettina teacher who specialises at technique like a metal teacher.

My last instructor was a jazz guitarist and a good one, though he was blind. It wasn't a good time for me to take lessons, reason being, I was in a band and we were learning new songs every week for our upcoming gigs, so it didn't leave me a lot of time to practice what he wanted me to learn.

Being blind was a problem also, I thought, cause, though he could hear me, he couldn't see if my physical technique was right. I'm sure I have a lot of bad habits in technique that needed to be addressed.

I think I also have to distinguish whether I want to be a 'working musician' or a 'playing for fun musician'. I didn't care much for the live performance, but that may change if my performance improves.

hmm, must have been hard with a blind guy, i wouldnt recomend that again :D

i play for fun, i dont want to have to change the music i make to fit in with the fads. i dont expect a carrer out of it i do it for myself. obviosly its up to u what you do but thats me