How do you use these lessons? Pieces of a puzzle.

I've been playing around with guitars for awhile. I can play chords and scales. I know the cool parts to songs that I like. I took some lessons awhile back, but it all seemed very random. Now, I've been through a bunch of Guitar Tricks lessons. All of that, and something is missing.

Is there a Guitar Tricks course that can show how to stitch all of this together so that when I sit down with a guitar I can do something that sounds like music instead of fragments? I've never had the feeling like I was on a path and progressing toward an objective.

I'm POSITIVE I used to overthink it. When I "let it go" I improved. But, if I took a guitar to a camp fire, I have no earthly idea how I'd play for 30 minutes and make it sound interesting. Same for electric guitar playing.

Any suggestions?

My observation is that something's definitely missing [u]for you[/u] Tony.

In my observation, the GT course structures are reasonably building block hierarchical, especially Christopher's. I think that's why most of us [u]choose[/u] to be here?

[br]What comes to mind for me in reading what you wrote relating to my own guitar journey and progress so far along with what I have learned from initially being a student myself through to eventually instructing over a professional lifetime in a different but equally dynamic and challenging vocation is either I'm not properly comprehending what you're saying, or something only you can identify and answer, you're possibly temperamentally lacking the prerequisite discipline, tenacity and perseverence to stick with a structure without skipping through basics or 'boring' parts or sticking with challenges which arise until you understand them and achieve the necessary level of demonstrated skill before moving to something else which excites you to which you redirect your attention? Of course, I could be paddling up the wrong creek here, but am sincerely trying to assist from my interpretation of what I read here.

I joined GT in February 1018, so have been been doing this course approximately the same length of time as you, and was basically a complete raw beginner again when I started after a hiatus of nearly 45 years. If you follow the course structure here, there's no reason by now you shouldn't be campfire legend with an acoustic set sufficient to keep people engaged quite literally for hours, let alone a flyby "30 minutes".

[br]Suggestions? I'd start with these.

1. Stick with the [u]progressive[/u] syllabus.

2. Be [u]patient, tenacious, disciplined.[/u]

3. [u]Play lots[/u] at every opportunity, every day if you can even if just for 10-15 minutes.

4. Focus on enjoying the journey. [u]All of it[/u]. I suspect that might be your "something is missing".

Works for me. It might for you too? GL with it.

Hi Tony,

The timing of your post coincides with a recent step I just took, because like you I was learning lots of "stuff", which is very important, but now I believe I am at the point where I need to dive in deep with theory.

And in this, I have signed up with a local award winner guitarist of roughly my same age. I think that is very important. We begin Wednesday. We have had a long discussion about where I am and the building blocks already in place. But like you they seem like pieces of a puzzle. I want to know the language.

This may be possible here, I don't know. But with the right teacher I feel I should be able to make good progress.

Originally Posted by: William MG

I am at the point where I need to dive in deep with theory.

Interestingly William MG, I noted the same about six to eight weeks ago, not insomuch as something crucial was missing from my immediate phase nor my progress stalling, but that knowing how I learn, I realised I was at a plateau where I needed and wanted a deeper comprehensive understanding of the detail in the bigger picture. I took on a structured by Grade online Music Theory course which I'm completing concurrently with my GT goals.

It's been great so far.

"Steady as she goes helmsman".

What I'm missing right now which I know I've also identified as crucial to my development, is the interaction and dynamic of playing with others in a jam or band situation. My looper and jam tracks are fab, but its not the same to state the obvious.

I think the interaction with others is important manX on many levels. I have used a 1 on 1 trainer before, but he really isn't the person I want to work with to move forward. However, he would be an awesome guy to jam with. Same age, we listen to the same music etc. So there are good bonds and I genuinely enjoy his company. He's just a bit of a scatter brain, and although he clearly knows how to play, I find it hard to keep him focused on the task at hand without him jumping here to there.

I can jam with my son, and that is great, but he is a trained drummer. He does know some guitar, but like you I have in my mind that I want to jam with other guitar players both for the enjoyment and for the benefits of learning by "being with" others. Osmosis if you will.

Originally Posted by: tonypashigian

I've been playing around with guitars for awhile. I can play chords and scales. I know the cool parts to songs that I like. I took some lessons awhile back, but it all seemed very random. Now, I've been through a bunch of Guitar Tricks lessons. All of that, and something is missing.

Is there a Guitar Tricks course that can show how to stitch all of this together so that when I sit down with a guitar I can do something that sounds like music instead of fragments? I've never had the feeling like I was on a path and progressing toward an objective.

I'm POSITIVE I used to overthink it. When I "let it go" I improved. But, if I took a guitar to a camp fire, I have no earthly idea how I'd play for 30 minutes and make it sound interesting. Same for electric guitar playing.

Any suggestions?

Have a look at this great set of lessons Christopher put together, it should contain a lot of techniques you already know and help you learn how to put them all together in a musical way.

Hopefully this will help you out a bit.

Building A Blues Arrangement

Originally Posted by: tonypashigian

I've been playing around with guitars for awhile. I can play chords and scales. I know the cool parts to songs that I like. I took some lessons awhile back, but it all seemed very random. Now, I've been through a bunch of Guitar Tricks lessons. All of that, and something is missing.

Is there a Guitar Tricks course that can show how to stitch all of this together so that when I sit down with a guitar I can do something that sounds like music instead of fragments? I've never had the feeling like I was on a path and progressing toward an objective.

I'm POSITIVE I used to overthink it. When I "let it go" I improved. But, if I took a guitar to a camp fire, I have no earthly idea how I'd play for 30 minutes and make it sound interesting. Same for electric guitar playing.

Any suggestions?

Hi there,

This is an interesting question and the root of this seems to stem from the question: what do you want to learn and why are you playing guitar?

Our Core Learning courses do a great job with giving you small pieces of guitar playing like chords, single note melodies, and then putting them together into a song. And then ramping that up to playing scales, more advanced chords, and implementing chord progressions, etc. That is the core of guitar-playing.

If you have a good grasp of those key concepts, you'll be able to play a lot of different music. It seems like you may want a course on how to create your own songs. What do you think?

Thanks, fuzzb0x. I'll give it a try.

Admin: I'm not sure. Maybe the question is how to write my own songs but I think it's more basic than that. Maybe I just need more time and basics to be able to just play.

Originally Posted by: tonypashigian

I've been playing around with guitars for awhile. I can play chords and scales. I know the cool parts to songs that I like. I took some lessons awhile back, but it all seemed very random. Now, I've been through a bunch of Guitar Tricks lessons. All of that, and something is missing.

Is there a Guitar Tricks course that can show how to stitch all of this together so that when I sit down with a guitar I can do something that sounds like music instead of fragments? I've never had the feeling like I was on a path and progressing toward an objective.

I'm POSITIVE I used to overthink it. When I "let it go" I improved. But, if I took a guitar to a camp fire, I have no earthly idea how I'd play for 30 minutes and make it sound interesting. Same for electric guitar playing.

Any suggestions?

Tony,

Just seeing your post. In terms of "where" you are headed, you pick the destination. From your campfire point, what would you like to play at the campfire? If you want to play existing songs, you just need to learn them. If you want to make up songs, once you get done with Guitar Fundamentals 1 and 2, pick a style (i.e. Rock, Country, Blues) and complete the 1 and 2 experienced courses. By the time you finish one of those, you will be able to play many different rhythms in that style and you will also be able to improvise leads with lots of different licks, you can practice mixing rhythms and lead licks to play on an acoustic by the campfire, but it's not going to sound all that "full" jumping back and forth.

I've been playing for about 8 mos. and can strum and sing about 40 popular songs. I can play lead for about 5 or 6 songs and I can improvise Blues over any blues backing track (up to the end of chapter 1 in Blues 2 course).

I've taken my acoustic out to the campfire a few times this summer and people that like to sing have hung out and sung songs with me for a while, but nobody really knows that many songs unless they are really into singing or playing, so people lose interest unless you have cell service and can bring the words up on your phone. If you DO have cell service and can bring up the words and chords (and if everyone has had a few cocktails) on something like Ultimate Guitar Tab, you can play and sing for hours.

I asked my wife after one campfire outing where nobody really seemed to be "in" to my playing and just wandered off when I started playing "freestyle" country licks, blues licks and strumming some rhythms - "am I terrible, should I stop playing, do I sound bad" - she said "NO, you sound great, but you just need to understand that most often, if people aren't actively singing along and focusing on your "show", everyone loves to have the music in the background while they do other stuff. Nobody wants to just sit there and stare at you, but everyone really appreciated your blues licks while they were staring at the stars or making smores or whatever."

SO - Dude, just enjoy yourself. If you want to learn a particular style, throw yourself into that style. All the organized courses are phenomenal and will get you to a place where you can just improvise and muddle around with whatever is in your head. Don't worry if noone seems to be paying attention. If they aren't asking you to stop, they are probably enjoying your noise. Think about the radio, do you just sit there and stare at it? probably not, you like having it on or you would turn it off, right?

If you want to learn to compose music, you probably have a long way to go (I'm not sure how long you've been playing and studying), but Chris Schlegel is a true music-nerd (I mean that as a huge compliment) and if you took in all of his coursework on this site with respect to music theory and composing (and he will respond to every message you post for him), you will absolutely be able to write your own songs.

For now, maybe this will help, I know it has made my music hobby much more enjoyable - go to the Toolbox and OPEN Jam Station, plug in the style and key that you want to play and then pick one of the backing tracks. Let that play and then just start playing some licks in tempo over the backing track. I just discovered it this weekend and I can sit for hours and hours just playing Blues licks over backing tracks, it's so awesome, it is "making music" and it feels so incredible.