I'm an intermediate electric guitar player who doesn't know what to learn next...

In terms of my ability & knowledge on the electric guitar, what I know so far are simply:
- All the notes on the guitar. (The open strings and the 12th fret notes are identical, the low E-string and the high E-string notes are identical, Octaves.)
- Basic Barre Chords & Power Chords + Palm Muting.
- Five positions of minor pentatonic scale.
- A major pentatonic scale is just 3 frets lower from Am pentatonic scale, same shape.

Due to the limited knowledge I have with an electric guitar, my practice range is always quite limited. Over the past few month, it would always be the same things I'm practicing repeatedly, which are:
1) playing simple chords on a song I like with different strumming patterns.
2) Improvising using the minor/major pentatonic scale with a backing track, figuring out different licks and ways of playing.
3) TAB Intro of some songs, and part of the solo on Hotel California, but never really can play through a whole song perfectly with solo and everything.LOL.

With that said, those are pretty much the things I'll do or the only things I know how to do when I have an electric guitar on my hands, which is kinda sad, b/c I felt like I'm not improving at all, and I'm just running around in circle. I'm in a band, but I've always been the rhythm guitar playing simple chords through the whole song, unlike the lead guitar in our band who can hear a song and simply figure out the solo without reading tab or do a improvise that's close to the solo. I really admire that, and I wonder what it takes to be able to do that. But I feel like I'm stuck and doesn't know what to learn next.. and I can't just go find a guitar teacher due to my limited budget. However, I've been doing self-learning and until now I already can do things I can't do before, so I think what's most important is just knowing what to learn next...

SO MY POINT IS...
Looking at where I am right now, what do you guys think I should learn next? I really need some suggestions.. perhaps your ways and steps from before on how to become a guitarist, or could be links to a video that you find helpful learning from it, anything that could help me out would be highly appreciated. THANK YOU. =D

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Check out my Youtube channel:
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You should check out this site: http://www.justinguitar.com/

He has beginners, intermediate and advanced courses. There are also very good lessons on the Gibson website. My suggestion would be to go back and look at more aspects of rhythm playing. Stuff like triads which should have come after barre chords etc....

There are other great chord systems to learn such as the caged cystem and slash chords before you get into scales but I guess it's up to you whether you want to be a lead guitarist or rhythm although most will say that it's always good to have you rhythm playing nailed first. The great thing about Justin Guitar is that it is all accompanied by videos.

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2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
2013 Fender Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster
2003 Gibson ES-355
2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
2002 Gretsch Duo Jet
1980 Rickenbacker 360/12 Fireglo
2014 Martin 000X1AE
2014 Fender Blues Junior III

What I would recommend would be to get a good guitar book, like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Guitar-Dummies- ... 601&sr=1-1 . Work through it at your own pace, probably around one lesson a week. There are also online tuition websites like this: http://www.justinguitar.com/ . There are many books and websites around, use them as much as you want. Also, when trying to learn a song, use tuition videos on youtube for help, lots of people have posted lots of different videos on there to help people improve.

Whatever you do, don't get put off. I've only been playing 5 1/2 years, and I now hear songs on the radio and think, next weekend, I'll learn that. Everyone will get there eventually. The pros you hear will have been playing for a very long time. I'm sure your lead guitarist has too.

With relation to your band, I am a lead guitarist in a band. Every band practice, I watch the rhythm guitarist in wonder. He sings, plays chords I've never heard of, all at the same time. But at the same time, I play things that he can't do, also. Everyone is specialised in one way or another. The guitar is one instrument, with many different styles, even within electric guitar alone.

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"reach for the sky and aim for the moon, for if you miss you will end up among the stars"

Zoom MS50G
72 tele dlx RI
2011 standard strat
Blackstar HT-5R
Taylor Big Baby

http://www.youtube.com/user/Almungo/videos?flow=grid&view=0

Play with other people, go to jam nights, join or form a band. Your playing will improve exponentially if you do and you'll have a lot of fun along the way.

I'd suggest trying to learn some music theory and working on playing by ear (They go hand in hand)
Playing by ear: My teacher told me this is hard to impossible for some, easy for others. Playing by ear is a bear for me, but I'm finally starting to get half descent at it. It all comes down to how well you listen. I realized during my first three years of guitar I concentrated on playing and not really listening to the notes, basically making sure my finger was on the fret. Myself, I made the switch from tab to sheet music. I stopped learning music by where it is on the fretboard and started learning music by sound alone. Now I don't think 8th fret on the low E string or 3rd fret on the A string, I think middle C. Now it's just a matter of being able to distinguish middle C from the rest of those notes. Which is why I'm trying to learn how to sing (emphasis on trying ^^).

Music Theory: I'd suggest you know a bit of this. How much is up to you. Grab a book (I used the Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory, there are other good ones as well) and make sure you start simple, don't try to skip ahead straight to harmony and counterpoint and fry your brain like I did. Learn keys, major and minor scales, and triads, they will help you immediately.

In conclusion, I'd say you've already become a guitarist. Now it's just a matter of getting what you need to play your instrument the way you feel it needs to be played. Whatever route you decide to take, make sure you do it one simple step at a time, don't be like me and try to learn piano by attempting to play Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca and get beat down about why that 8 year old could do it but you can't >_>

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I traded my car in for a microphone.

Choose a simple melody that you like and learn it.

Then learn it in every key.

You'll be surprised at what you'll find out!

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

Here's something Joe Bonamassa said recently:

He believes great rhythm guitar playing is underappreciated.

“Even someone like me, who often gets caught up in soloing, plays rhythm guitar eighty percent of the time,” Bonamassa once said, in an unpublished interview. “Even a guy who puts on a ‘guitar show’ has to play rhythm, and has to be fluent in chords and voicings. Also, if you don’t learn how to back off your volume when someone else is soloing, that’s problematic. Rhythm playing is about learning how to blend in with the band, and be part of the ensemble.”

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2012 Fender American Standard Stratocaster
2013 Fender Pure Vintage 65 Stratocaster
2003 Gibson ES-355
2015 Gibson Les Paul Traditional
2002 Gretsch Duo Jet
1980 Rickenbacker 360/12 Fireglo
2014 Martin 000X1AE
2014 Fender Blues Junior III

Whipping Post.

Always try to play with people better than you so you learn from them.

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