Lessons: Glad I'm taking them!

I started taking lessons after 30 years of just learning a few songs by ear or chord charts and just noodling around. I've always had bored fingers , when I play the guitar. There was always more they wanted to do, but I had no idea how. I started taking them for a few reason, but was was to be that sharp stick they would prod me to KEEP PRACTICING. I don't want to show up to a lesson with zero improvement.

I was just playing along with a few tunes. One from a Lee Ritenour album:

And one from way back in my " It would be SO COOL to be able to play something like this ! " cassette music days:



Now that I've learned more MUSIC skills and scales and how to move about the fretboard, these two are not so far our of reach. The first one is a nice make up your own solo sort of speed and the second is not THAT far out there. Yes, lots of learning it a part at a time, but no longer in the " never in a million years " range it used to be.

Take Lessons -> Learn more skills -> have more fun.

JohnW63:
Started taking lessons 21 months ago. One lesson a week for an hour. At age 71, best guitar move I have made (minus, of course, keeping a good Guild acoustic in my five or six guitar stable). I wanted to be a rhythm player and then I met Johnny G. (the one Richard P so nice to) and his finger picking was so beautiful I asked my guitar teacher about finger picking (guitar teacher is a finger picker) and he started me with the basics. Been slow but correct repetition has helped me improve from "horrible" to sounding "terrible" but my walls in the house think I am great and a loving wife of 50 years who, actually, encourages me. But she cannot figure out why I need five or six guitars. Ha
I, too, promote lessons from a positive, encouraging, and qualified teacher.

I've been doing on-line lessons with Paul Gilbert for a few years (ArtistWorks). And the lessons I got in a jazz/R&B band I was in at work (college) for about 10 years was extremely helpful, particularly playing with other people.

If you can find the right teacher it can be very rewarding.

walrus

I was at my first Music Camp a month ago and signed up for guitar group instruction. We learned a Tony Rice bluegrass song "Big Mon". I never knew bluegrass before, and the right hand discipline was torture. But I think I will keep on practicing it now that it's memorized and try to get to 1/10th of the intended speed ... first time I had guitar instruction in my life.

Anytime I am ever feeling "guitar challenged" I watch youtube videos of this guy for inspiration..

merlin6666 said:

I was at my first Music Camp a month ago and signed up for guitar group instruction. We learned a Tony Rice bluegrass song "Big Mon". I never knew bluegrass before, and the right hand discipline was torture. But I think I will keep on practicing it now that it's memorized and try to get to 1/10th of the intended speed ... first time I had guitar instruction in my life.

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Merlin - Tony Rice is amazing.. Here is my half-hearted and at time very sloppy attempt at bluegrass.. Please forgive timing issues as they are prevalent..

https://soundcloud.com/user-379706425/bluegraaaaaiiiiissss

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...958CE367608AC2FE633B958CE367608AC2F&FORM=VIRE

Ralph

F312 said:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...958CE367608AC2FE633B958CE367608AC2F&FORM=VIRE

Ralph

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Ha!! Yes!! I guess I was channeling Uncle Pecos with that one!!!

D30Man said:

Ha!! Yes!! I guess I was channeling Uncle Pecos with that one!!!

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...and a fine job you did.

Ralph