I have been playing for about 16 years. Started when I was 14 (am 43 now and I took a very long break of no playing at about 22 years old).

What I have learned in the past 3 years is how many horrible habits I developed and how much I didn't know. My ego really got in the way of exploring what I really should have been learning.

I have tried using teachers. But, unfortunately I found that teachers were more interested in keeping me coming back for paid lessons than really teaching me what would make me better. And quite honestly the only way to get better was to repeat certain licks/songs over and over again. A teacher can't help me to do that.

I have found that there are many good books with play along cds that are teaching me a lot of good ideas and technique. The problem is all my bad habits I formed are hard to get rid of. I think it will take some time. I just wish I had done this earlier on in life. But then again we didn't have all these great play along books that we have now. And all the public tab on the internet.

Back in the 80's when I was playing, I could not afford lessons. So the only way to learn was to copy other players by ear. And my ear then was not good. It has gotten much much better by playing with my jazz band for the past 6 years. But I think that is what made me quit back when I was 22. It was very frustrating for me. I wish we had all these books back then and all this free tab which is on the web (no web back then).

_________________
In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

my next door neighbour taught me in his garage. just brought some chord books of bands we liked, and he taught me to play them. lead-wise, self taught and as you say, im wishing that wasnt the case. after about a year i got to a dead end where i wasnt getting any better, couldnt play any faster than i could, and kept repeating the same scales and licks. as well as habits of what fingers are being used where etc.

i wish i had proper lessons from the get go, but they were too expensive and i was happy just covering songs in a band with my mates that we all knew we could play. i just cant get my fingers to move quick enough to play the stuff i really want to. i also have a total lack of musical knowledge. i wasnt interested in music at all until i left school, so ignored and forgot all my school taught music lessons. music theory, scales, notation its all a complete mystery to me. which has no doubt led to my lack of enthusiasm recently.

moochy:

You should at least try to play with some books that have play along songs. It will only cost you about $50 US to buy a few books. It really helped me and is still helping me.

http://www.amazon.com/Leonard-Guitar-Me ... 543&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/12-Bar-Blues-Insi ... 808&sr=1-8

http://www.amazon.com/Blues-You-Can-Use ... 998&sr=1-1

a bit advanced. But boy did this benefit me:
http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Rhythm-Guit ... 577&sr=1-2

_________________
In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

I learnt to play (I guess they call it 'old school') by learning songs off records. I started playing when I was 22yr back in '72.

A friend showed me a few chords, what note the strings on the fretboard were, and the pentatonic scale in 'A', that I practiced on for about a month, but it was a issue of Guitar Player magazine that really opened my eyes.

In that issue was a lesson on George Harrison's solo to 'Let It Be'. The author tabbed out the solo and explained the theory behind the solo, and also explained how to find the key of a song. He also suggested recording songs to cassette (so that you could RR & FF with damaging the record) and using headphones so that you could really hear the song.

I also learned that the pentatonic was movable in all keys, this was an revelation! So, by constant practice, I developed my 'ear training', and could remember licks/riffs that I learnt.

But, another piece of advice was to solo like you're singing lyrics to a song. This became my approach to a more lyrical solo style. Learning blues songs is the perfect example/teaching tool IMO. Even John Coltrane remarked that the best jazz players, were also blues players.

I also learnt sax solos, especially Jr Walker's songs, they are fun to learn and use when playing.

I still play with CDs, I don't use a cassette but a Tascam CD1 for songs

_________________
Tony Houston

Lessons help very much as long as your teacher is good for you. I chose all of the above since that is what I have been doing for almost 40 yrs. And I still take classes every now and then.

Wow, I should add "read Fender Lounge Posts" to the choices. Very nice post Tony. I am going to take this advice to heart.

As far as finding key. That's now 2nd hat for me. But again I play with a regular gigging jazz band.

My weakness was positively blues playing. I mean I didn't even realize the accuracy needed in bending until last year... Very embarrasing...

Another note on jazz... I studied Wes Montgomery a bit... And its kind of cool to see where he will switch to a pentatonic (blues) mode in a song... He even does it in his version of Besame Mucho... Great stuff..

_________________
In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

I've been taking lessons for about 10 months. I have a good teacher. I've learned so much and know there is so much still to learn, I doubt that I'll stop any time soon. Even though, I could have bought three nice guitars for what lessons cost me, I think it's well worth it.
As for practice, I bought a Gdec 30, I hook it up to my laptop with Fuse software. I bought several of the Hal Leonard Gdec special edition books that have an SD chip you put into the Gdec and you get the guitar presets, the CD track and a backing track to practice to. This whole little Gdec system has really spiced up my practice sessions.

_________________
'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

I forgot to add that I use a loop station. Espcially when I want to practice soloing over unusual jazz (non blues pentatonic) changes... I have one of these... worth every penny...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOhEmferYjA

_________________
In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

I'm not learning how to play...I just keep getting new guitars thinking one of them is bound to sound good...

I'm mostly self-taught and a stealer of other's licks and tricks...I have taken lessons in the distant past, and I'm hoping that when I finish college next month I'll be able to start taking some lessons again...although it might be YouTube lessons--cheaper and less difficult to get a good time slot.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Back in the early '80s I did have a few lessons with George Benson. Gilly's http://www.gillysjazz.com/ back than would book jazz artists/groups for four days, and during the day, some of the artists would give lessons, Benson was one of them.

Of course you know that Wes was a big influence on Benson, and by that time I had already played in various funk, rock, country and blues bands. It was the blues side of Wes' playing that I talked quite a lot with George.

We did go over theory, mostly different modes, after I learnt the major scale and its patterns. I will sometimes use modes in playing, but i really depends on the song.



I'm teaching my 13yr granddaughter to play, and plan on buying her a Gdec, once I'm sure she's going to continue to play. Right now she has my acoustic, and I've started she off learning the pentatonic scale in ALL keys, as well as where the notes are on the fretboard. And, we're learning 'cowboy chords'.

I also showed her the relationship of the I-IV-V progression and how 90% of most pop songs are from this progression. This fact literally blew her mind! So now she doing single string I-IV-V (for example A, D, E) and she's starting to write songs.

Next is barre chords, I saw a pink Squire Strat at GC, I'm really sure that I'm going to get it for her.

_________________
Tony Houston

Hal Leonard books have been very useful, I worked through in order;

Guitar method, all 3 parts
Introduction to blues guitar
Blues guitar songs
Introduction to classical guitar
Classical guitar songs
Acoustic guitar
Book of 100 or so christmas songs.

The classical books and christmas songs are all in stardard musical notation, so I can read music now, can't play too well but can slowly work it out.
The odd bit of internet instruction, premier guitar has a few blues / finger picking pieces I've found helpful.

Oh, time, lots and lots of time.

Funny you mention George Benson, because he was the first person I thought of when you said you should envision yourself singing when you solo... I believe he actually does quite a bit of that out loud when he plays...

I have seen him around town maybe 3 times in my days here in Arizona (not as a performer)... I believe he lives in Scottsdale... I would think he would play more live shows here, but I rarely hear of him playing around town...

_________________
In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

I took music lessons when I was about 9 years old.
I was also in the school bands playing various instruments.
When I was in my early teens, I played guitar to sheet music of songs I liked.
Some of my friends played guitar and bass.
Most of my early technique came from sharing experiences with those friends.
I quit playing guitar for about 15 years, but I picked it back up about 3 years ago.
For the past three years, I just improvise original songs and learn songs from tab I
download off the web. My technique is even better now than ever.
I watch videos on youtube to see how an artist holds his pick and positions his fretting
hand and experiment to find a natural balance for my own playing.
I don't really study any music theory since I already have a strong background in that.

OK so I just added a new poll choice and it completely blew away all the votes... Jeesshh, I had no idea it was going to do that... Would be great if you could vote again...

_________________
In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

I mostly learn from tabs and instruction books. A friend of mine got me a book with the tabs for 150 songs for my birthday and I'm going to learn some of those. I took a long break from guitar, but got back into it a few years ago. I have no intention of being a professional musician, just want to sound like one

_________________
2005 Fender Hardtail Stratocaster
2012 Peavy Predator plus
Ibanez Performance acostic
Marshall VS30
Fender G-Dec-3