Originally Posted by: goldy54I've actually been "playing" for 10 years. Though most of that time I just messed around from time to time playing songs I knew or simple chord progressions. It wasn't until about a month ago when I joined this site that I committed to really get better and work on my improv. Either way my rhythm, chords, picking, etc are all pretty good...although alternate and high voicings of chords I need to work on understanding the theory behind them.

I'm going through Blues level 2 right now and I see how learning artists' solos could give you cool licks to mess around with and adapt to your own style. I guess I was talking more about learning note for note a 30 second solo, which I feel that while helpful, it'd be a better use to time to understand the scale and individual licks behind it. Sort of teaching a man how to fish and feeding him forever as opposed to giving him a fish?

After just teaching myself for 10 years,I started lessons with 2 teachers at the same time, each had totally different teaching styles.1 taught every scale from major, minor, penitonic, dorian etc in every position on the neck. Very overwhelming to say the least. Every solo was tabbed and worked on each lesson. I think it took 6 lessons to finish Hotel California. It was gruesom as well.
The second teacher told me to put that **** away and just listen and try to figure it out yourself. BOTH ways worked. Either way...practice, practice, practice! It's amazing how much you don't learn in a few hours if you are not practicing with some kind of theory. That's my 2 cents for whatever it may be worth to you!