I am new. I have been playing guitar for about 25 years, but I have found that there is ALWAYS more stuff to learn...that's why guitar is so fun.
I played in Rock Bands in Los Angeles the first 10 years of my playing career. I had studies privately under Maestro Alex Gregory and had learned all my Modes,scales,theory,etc but I really played 'Black Music' (their words, not mine).... My Band was called "The Family Pig" and we had a lot of fun, but were really unfocused, trying to play anything except metal...Roots,punk,funk,Motowon,blues,country,folk,rock....we were lumped in with the Seattle bands, though we weren't nearly that depressing. We were a 'fun' band. Comedy rock...theatre kooks....we were the white 'Fishbone'
Than, I did an acoustic demo around age 29 and was instantly a 'prospect' in the songwriting world. I went 'all acoustic' and had no band (unless I needed to throw one together for showcases).... I was offered a record deal but had to turn it down because it would have necessitated leaving my wife and newborn son....
But,after a decade at it I was finally signed to a development deal with Don Smith (Heartbreakers,Stones,Aretha,etc) and got to record and hang out with the 'elite' of the LA recording scene (Yawnnnnn)
I moved to Nashville 3 years ago as it seemed I had stalled. I didn't move here for the music, as I don't care for commercial country...I moved here so my kids could go out skating without fear of being mugged.
But...there is a killer 'underground' scene here.....all these guys who play in the commercially succesful bands actually 'let it rip' in local jams,bars,clubs,etc.
I got out my electric I hadn't touched in a decade and realized I had forgotten everything!! Oh... I could still rip off enough licks to 'wow' the guitar store patrons, but not to hang with the ripping locals.
So I started taking lessons again at age 42. I was taking them privately from a really cool cat named Mark Robinson...session guy here in town. Problem was, I got laid off at work after two months and couldn't afford the 100 bucks a month anymore...that and the fact that 1/2 hour a week was NOT particularly challenging me .
During the month of December I resolved to continue my studies by learning everything I could for free online.
There are a couple of cool sites (Fender string players club for one) but they are not set up for instruction.... they are set up to get you to go and buy books, and some didn't even have audio reference so you were on your own as far as figuring what a certain lick was 'supposed to sound like'
Most of my searches pulled up guitar tricks. I was really loathe to shell out money for what was free, but I finally signed up for the free section.
I played Lisa McCormicks Travis Picking (Irish Folk Ballad) and was fairly impressed. I knew how to travis pick, I just didn't know how to APPLY it in a song.
Than I did J.D. Jarrels Little Lick tutorials and I was sold. Damn that guy shreds the real deal..... I learned about 10 more of his licks yesterday.
Anyways.... I'm in... this is really cool, and I can push myself harder than my lessons were... I learned all day yesterday until I came up on a real different chet atkins piece that has had me in my room for a while... I'll get it, but it's those kind of challenges that I like...remember..if it's too easy,anyone could do it!!!
anyways...nice to meetcha'
-piggy