Where should I be after 3 months?

I've been taking lessons for 3 months and I'm wondering how I'm doing. Obviously, my instructor tells me that I "make very steady progress" and is very encouraging. But, what does the world at large (AKA, you) expect after 3 months of lessons and practice. Here's a list of what my instructor has me doing: (Seems like a lot when I list it out, but how does it compare to expectations for a 3 month old guitar player??)

Open chord progressions (I can do all of these without errors)
Am C G Em
A E D E
Am G D Am C G D D
A7 D7 A7 A7 D7 D7 A7 A7 E7 D7 A7 E7
Em D Cadd9 B7
Am Dm G C F B7 E E

Power Chords/Root 5 Chords (the first on is easy, the other two are a little hard in changing from open to power chords)
A5 G5 F#5 F5 E5
A E F#5 D
B5 D A E

I'm also practicing low E string and A string major and minor barre chords.

Scales - all with met @ 80. I can do them all without errors
Low E chromatic
High E chromatic
Minor pentatonic
Blues scale (minor pentatonic plus two notes)

Various eighth note rhythms - no rests, quarter rests, and eighth rests

Able to step through all notes (low to high) with sharps/flat on all strings.
Name the natural half steps on all strings.
I'm now being put through an exercise where he will say, "Show me both B minors" and I have to find the two barre chords (low E and A string root).

Sounds like you have a good instructor, he seems able to teach you not just chords, but learning the neck too.

At three months, I could play my major chords in their open shapes. I was just starting Barr chords, and knew absolutely nothing about theory or the notes on the neck.

Of course, I was self taught, so I moved pretty slowly at the beginning.

Scales are gonna be very helpful to learn, make sure you get them down, because all music theory is based on scales. Definitely the most important thing in music.

Good luck.

you actually doing fairly good, learn the major pentatonic and start on some 3 not per string exsercises, then start the modes in my opinion

Hi Kirk D,

Where should I be after 3 months playing is a loaded question. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Why do I want to play guitar?
2. At what level?
3. How far do I want to take it?

Answers:

1. Because I love guitar!
2. As far as I can push myself!
3. Thats up to you!

In your post you don't say if you're learning songs? If your teacher is showing you what you want to learn that's great; theory is worthless unless you're making or re-producing music you love.

Find 5 songs you love and ask your teacher to work through them. The chord progression, the melody, the harmony, the feel, the tempo; in other words, analyse the songs. Work on them 1 bar at a time if need be but always, always play what you love, build a repertoire.

As for theory it has its place depending what you mean by theory. If you want to be a session player then you need to have a good ear, a good understanding of harmony, the ability to sight read standard notation, and the ability to play what's required in 1 or 2 takes. If you want to play your own stuff get creative; learn some basic patterns and experiment, don't close your mind to anything and stay hungry. Get hold of some good quality tabs/music score and learn what you love. Ask your teacher to work through some songs you want to learn in whatever genre you're into.

Music has so many variables; the bottom line is decide what you want from music and go for it 110%.

Yours in music

UOTRaxeman.

I'd say you're doing pretty good. All I knew after 3 months was how to play a D chord so you're well on your way.

About the only thing I might suggest is to start learning songs as soon as possible too. One rut that a lot of beginners get into is spending all their time learning theory, notes and chords but forgetting that the reason for doing all this is to play music.

The sooner you start putting on music and trying to learn songs by ear, the better you'll get. It'll also help you understand how chords are put together and why certain things are played the way they are.

I think your doing ok as well, but its your opinion that counts how do you feel your doing, be proud the guitarists journy is constant and as rewarding as it is challenging.

we learn at differents paces to others, but if you love the guitar and have the desire to play and continually learn then you will. and just when you think youve reached you goal you will smile to yourself and set another goal to get to and so on.

If you like what your donig and playing thats perfect, dont worry about how long it takes or how good others think you are etc, its your journy your life your soul.... enjoy

I agree with FreeFeeling that is very subjective, have learned some songs? do you want to accompany yourself or others, sounds like the technical stuff is progressing very well, and it will serve you , but have some fun man! it's not a contest!

Yeh definitely doing well so far.. I would also suggest learning a song or two if you haven't already done so.. If you don't know how to follow sheet music or tablature may be that is something you could do next.. Now I can't read music literally note for note without a lot of effort.. but I do need to be able to read the chords, the key signature, tempo and time signature.. and of course keep up with the song as it relates to the sheet music. So I'm definitely not saying that you HAVE to learn to read music but if you haven't done any sheet music reading that would be a good next step.. Just learn enough so that you can take "most" songs' sheet music/tablature and apply it.

it's pretty hard to answer, but here's a few things:

Be able to hold chords without fret buzz.
Know open chords and switch smoothly
Know some basic barre chords (playing without buzz is a plus)
If know you scales you're ahead of the game I think
PLay the songs you know without stopping in between the chords.

I think that after you get the useful scales down (basically pentatonics, and minor and major scales) you should start learning songs and having fun with the guitar. After a while, if you learn only theory, you will get bored, and then you will have trouble creating your own style. I also think that you should learn to read music right off the bat, because I am now having trouble because I never learned how to do it. You don't have to take my opinion, but for me, it's all about having fun, as long as you got the basics down.

I don't think there is a right and wrong answer to this question as everyone learns at their own pace.

I have been playing for 12 months and don't know a few of the things the original poster has said he has learnt in just 3 months but the key thing is I am happy progressing at the speed I am currently. You read and hear all the time about people who practice 8-10 hours a day every day and get really good really quickly. That's good for them but I just can't fit that in around my current lifestyle.

Also you should enjoy learning the guitar, do not turn it into a chore or practice hours and hours just because you think you should. I have always practiced until I started to get bored or loose interest, that could be after 2 hours or just 30 minutes. It's not the amount of time you spend but the quality of your practise that makes the difference so in my opinion 30 mins of good practice is better than 5 hours of bad.

I think you are doing good.

I think you should set a time and place (some place quite with no interruptions, don't try playing while watching TV or talking on the phone) to practice everyday. Of course, at times you will have to rearrange your schedule. You should practice at least 15 mins. a day. You will most likely do more, but don't do less.

Your routine should cover warm up exercises (exercises with hammer ons, pull offs, bending and so on, don't forget that pinky!), chords (add a new chord as you progress, don't forget bar chords), playing by ear (just pick out songs, start simple), learn some songs (again start simple), and start slow. I realize somethings don't sound right played slow, but you need to start slow and play each chord or note perfectly. Then you can work on speed.

After all of that, you need to study a little theory. Just a little at a time or you will go nuts! At least that's what I think happened to me. I'm not called Looney Tunes for nothing!

I've been playing for probably about 4 months and I dont' know half that stuff!! Now Im getting worried. J/K I think as long as your having fun it really doesn't matter.......Right?

I found that learning scales and chord inversions took me a long way in understanding the 'what and where' for guitar.

It seems like you have come along well for 3 months! If you would like my notes on scales and chord inversions, they are free-for-the-taking at:

http://www3.telus.net/public/wsalter/guitar/

Cheers,

SarinaJ :)

doing better then me i'd say. I've been playing for 2 years or so, and basically nothing on that list makes any sence to me...

but Im not very good at learning things, you need to talk dumb to me for me to understand :P

I agree that it should not be a chore, but that in itself sows the seed to the answer. If you want it, then you have to go get it. Practice IS the answer, but especially planned practice. The essential keys are a set practice place, a set practice time (plus any other opportunities) and a PLANNED practice. Know in advance what you are going to work on.Scales are a good thing, but to a degree are overated ie it's easy to say you need scales, theory etc etc but what you really need is the desire and the commitment. There are so many aids on the net, but don't pay too hastily. Look around, find what will be a good chance to work.

Practice the songs you want to play. Forgive yourself if it is not happening fast enough. Now, the essence to it all is ..... rote learning. Muscle memory is everything. Play the damn thing 500 times, and when you can absolutely remember it, take a breath and add the soul. Above all, don't give up, every day is a new day.