Learn Guitar - I don't feel like I'm progressing.

[Halt]

So these past couple weeks I'm just been playing scales and random few songs I know.

Should I start with Chords and Chord changes?

A month or two ago I started taking guitar seriously. (Even though I've owned one for two years)

Maybe someone could give me a run-down of what a fairly beginner guitarist should work on. The important and boring shit. I'd like to get some suggestions from people who can play.

[Sixto]

Chords and chord changes. Build up some strength. Take a song like Highway to Hell, Back in Black, or even something like Green Day's Good Riddance, songs with easy chords and easy progressions. Practice them over and over until you're able to fret chords cleanly and change them quickly.

[Palpable]

I started by playing the chords of easy songs - stuff in G is usually easiest because many of the chords in the key don't use a barre. (Good Riddance is one of the first songs I could ever play, and that's a great one to start with; if you just play the chords, it sounds pretty close to the original. Runaround by Blues Traveler is another easy one.)

The key for me was to play really slowly at first and gradually speed up. If you just try to play along with a song off the bat, it can be really frustrating because you probably won't make the changes in time. Playing with a metronome is recommended because it'll really make you work on the hard chord changes. Good luck!

[LuIzA]

the only way I really learned guitar was trying to play songs I like.

[Legion303]

Everything they said, and develop your ear by trying to figure out songs (not necessarily just guitar songs, but anything with a melody) without tablature.

Playing things slowly with a metronome is very important to developing accurate fingering and timing skills.

-steve

[luhny]

When I look at the title of this thread, I can give one little advice:

In the 10 years of autodidactic guitar learning I had lots of frustrating moments where I thought I do not progress at all. And everytime just before I wanted to call it quits for good it suddenly made a jump to the "next level" if I may say so.

So in whatever you do, try to keep it fun. Even if you are practicing stuff you find boring. As Rome wasn't built in one day either, do not expect a world wonder from yourself. I think you can make the best overall progress if you enjoy yourself in what you are doing.

gl&hf! cheers,

luhny

[LuketheXjesse]

the only way I really learned guitar was trying to play songs I like.

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[Dissidia]

I have ordered a guitar and this guy is my inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/user/lonlonjp

When I get my guitar I am going to practice playing vg songs, mostly Final Fantasy.

Just having fun y'know

[Halt]

I have ordered a guitar and this guy is my inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/user/lonlonjp

When I get my guitar I am going to practice playing vg songs, mostly Final Fantasy.

Just having fun y'know

The video I see is finger picking. When I get my acoustic, which will be relatively soon. I'll eventually learn to finger pick so i can play mitsudas music.

[Guest hiserdison]

syncopated rhythm, there's no other way to get it right but just practice. as you said, focus on the metronome. I was tryin to remember some songs that would be helpful to get synconpated rhythm easier but, i'll send another thread when i remember them.

[ectogemia]

I've lost most of my guitar skill having not played in over a year, but basically, I just shredded. A lot. This built my dexterity veeeeerrry quickly, but again, I basically just shredded. I rarely played any chords, and in retrospect I'm sure that stunted my development both as a guitarist and a musician. I'm a very proficient pianist and guitarist, but I'm chord-retarded, and it makes composing and improvising difficult and my products are often bland.

Also, I quit guitar mostly because I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere anymore. I was also premed at the time, so that may have contributed... but I'm no longer premed, so it's back to music with me! Anyway, don't give up because you aren't progressing at the moment. Plateaus are adaptations to a schedule. In nutrition and exercise, I espouse "confusion" because it prevents the body from reaching a plateau and instead leads to constant progressive adaptation. The same principle can probably be applied to music. Whatever your "routine" is now, forget about it for a while and practice a different way. Confuse your neuromuscular patterns and force your brain to approach your guitar playing differently. Playing the same scales constantly? Try an exotic variation. Playing the same chords/chord progressions? Voice them differently, play them in a different key, etc. Doing things consistently and constantly will invariably land you on a plateau where your brain has formed the necessary neural network to accomplish the same task(s) you keep putting before it. Being creative, devious(?), and spontaneous with your practice will force your brain to commit more of itself and different parts of itself to your music.

So I guess my advice is this:

To optimize your growth as a guitarist, play what you love (in my case, shredding like hell) because you'll get good at your favorite style and its requisite techniques. You'll have the most fun doing this, and you'll be most likely to stick with it, that is, until you reach the plateu, in which case....

...to optimize your growth as a musician, play what you love AND what you must because you'll get good at EVERYTHING, even if practicing some things is really a drag (e.g. playing Good Riddance 5000x when you can't stand the song). It will pay off, and doing some of drudge-work is a small price to pay for shortening the distance between your mind and your fingers. I wish I'd done it before I lost my guitar technique. Oh well. Back to the keyboard for me, could be worse.

[Nekofrog]

syncopated rhythm, there's no other way to get it right but just practice. as you said, focus on the metronome. I was tryin to remember some songs that would be helpful to get synconpated rhythm easier but, i'll send another thread when i remember them.

I have no idea what syncopated rhythm is but I've been told I use it a ton.