Keeping it Simple

I am a beginner and have been playing guitar for about a year, maybe I get 30 to 45 minutes a day working 10-12 hours a day. Been playing Blues harp for about 35 at least, I dont read music but I am learning tabs. Playing harp I moipulate and bend the notes as it works and all I have to know is what key the song is in and I cross up to the right key of harp. Too many rules and all I just play the blues. Now with guitar I think I could be making it too hard by worrying about chord progression, chord theory (however helpfull alot) scales, dominant this and that, hey here it is anybody feel the same as maybe more progress and motivation would be if they simply KISS keep it simple, and worry about the rules later as I learn the chords and tight up technique. KISS ya know. ????

Hey Froggy62,
There are lots of great theory lessons on this site and they have their place. However, if you've been blowin' the blues for 35 years all you need to do (IMO) is pick that guitar up and play bro. There are only 5 or 6 notes you need and you more than likely know them. I appreciate good harp music so if you've got some to share please post it. Take care Froggy62.
Doug

Hey Froggy62,
I'm the same way with guitar, give me a key, and then I just listen for changes. It seems like you know the keys, you just need to apply it to guitar. It's not as hard as you might think, for example if a song is in the key of A it will usually have at least the 1, 4, and 5 in it. In A thats the A chord, D chord, and the E chord. Even if you don't read music, you seem to know alot about it. I still think you should learn music and theory, but there's no reason you can't find other ways to apply what you already know while learning it.

When you do learn it, it will also be useful in your harp playing. I've had to go back several times and reteach myself to do something differently. I haven't had to in many years now, but I have had to do that alot in the past. Keep jamming, and try to devote a little time each day to the theory, and key progressions. You can even do this mostly in your head, and with or without a guitar in reach. Here's a quick example, and after the A progression I mentioned earlier you should see how it works. This formula can apply to any key, but there may be some changes in which chords work best.

Here's the key of G

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
G A B C D E F G

It kind of works like the alphabet, and just concentrate on the 1, 4, and 5 in each key. Saying this aloud, will help more than you know. It won't be long, and you'll start retaining this info. I was told a long time ago that I knew a lot that I didn't know I knew. After learning a little theory, and how to sight read music, I finally knew what they mean't. I'm not trying to burst your bubble, and I've heard my Dad say the KISS thing many times too. I've even used it myself a time or two, but once you start learning this it's simple too. when it finally clicks, it will be like a V-8 moment. This is only my opinion, and you can do what you want. There's a lot to learn that is complicated, but there is plenty to learn that's easy to comprehend. Learning that stuff can really help your progress, and even make the complicated stuff easier to learn.

Let me know if you have any questions about any of this, and happy new year to you.

Thanks Sixpicker Right ON! your opinion is strong and I guess maybe a little time committed to "the rules" aint a bad thing, I just wont get to hung up on them. I've always been a Soul Harp player playing what I feel but there may be a place for rules in moderation man in moderation. Hey Thanks Guys the forum is the Sh***t and I mean this in a good way. I'll be around. Later

For the uninatiated like me, KISS is an acronym for Keep It Simple Stupid
Happy New Year everyone...
Gordon..

...and sixpicker nailed it.

I'd only add that it's as complicated as you make it. When I first started playing many years ago, I skipped most theory altogether but was lucky that I had enough of an ear that I got 'it' by ear and played within the rules even though I didn't know the rules.

Problem is, I regret not having learned them (and thus why I'm here) because at some point, you realize that knowing these things makes playing and learning so much easier.

I was lazy but convinced myself that I was going to learn and make my own style. There might some cool in being self taught....and there is. It did let me develop my ear for thing. but at some point, I stopped developing because the concepts involved in what I wanted to played required me to be more familiar with the rules and my lack of knowledge became a downfall.