I went with listening to it. Guitslinger is right and his ability to tune by ear is incredible!!!

Chords and Scales and Arpeggios, just choose a book and get down to it.
But, priceless, is the opportunity to hang with people who get around to
transmitting you what Pulse is, that you learn to feel it within as a source!

_________________
FIGHT!

What helped me the most is taking lessons. Unfortunately, I could not take them until recently. What helped me in the beginning was tablature and recordings.

_________________
RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

I took guitar class in junior high, which hopefully has not been defunded along with every other art class (cause taxes an' learnin' are bad!); and then I learned off of Aerosmith, Beatles, Buddy Holly, Van Halen and Kinks albums; and played along with the radio.

_________________
Fender American Series Stratocaster
Marshall JTM612
Marshall JTMC12
Gibson Vintage Reissue strings
DiMarzio pickups
Souldier guitar strap
Spectraflex cables

That's very true. Immediate feedback!

When I was learning there was no online, lessons were expensive, high school music teachers tried to steer you away from the guitar (especially electric ones) and toward a "band" instrument. All I had was books and other guitar-playing friends to share tricks, tips and licks with.

I wonder if I would have been any good at the clarinet?

Let me add a little to this....

I took lessons for 2 years way way back in the day on acoustic guitar along with my older sister back in the early 70's. My sister stayed with acoustic and I moved to electric and could really rock out as a lead player. I also learned new songs by ear and used the technique I developed from the years of lessons. I would guess that I am decent guitarist and can hold my own, but there are others who can smoke me off the stage - and that's fine. I accept that and have no problems with it.

I knew another guy (old ex co-worker) who bought a guitar after hanging out with me for a while and really got into the sound of the electric guitar. I told him that I could also teach him some chords and a lead lick here and there, but that he should go to the music store and get some serious professional level music lessons, if he really wants to play good and develop very quickly. He never took any lessons, never understood theory, never understood rhythm or anything. I don't know if he still has the guitar or not.

On the other side of the coin, I remember meeting another guitarist (an old friend of the band leader's, back when I was playing in a rock band on weekends). The guitarist had a college degree in music, knew theory and chord structures inside and out, all the various types of lead lines and modes. To put it mildly, he blew both me (lead) and the band leader/rhythm guitarist right off the stage that night!

I see that TAB is not a choice. I was a band student, trumpet player. I read music, but for guitar, TAB ruled in the beginning, besides the Mel Bay Volume #1, which is what I started out on. Back when mags (ie. GFTPM) had standard notation and tab below (1986), I could read the length of notes and the tab at the same time. The tab that is used now is confusing to me. I no longer use tab, since I mainly play blues, and a little classic rock. I still have all my GW, GFTPM, GP, and TAB books, but they don't really get used much anymore.

And to add, I've never had a one on one lesson. I just watch, listen, learn, and practice!

_________________
2000 American Deluxe Stratocaster
2011 Gibson Les Paul Trad Pro 50's
2007 Epi Les Paul Custom
90's ESP Eclipse
JH-1B Jimi Hendrix Crybaby
Analogman KOT
Korg Pitchblack
Boss NS-2 PH-2
Blues Deluxe Reissue
1999 & 2007 Marshall TSL 100 w/1960BV cab

Yup... me too.

I was gonna say guitar mags, that's where I cut my teeth. I had been in orchestra playing cello since 5th grade, when I picked up a guitar in 8th grade. I really started getting competent in 9th grade, so I said "high school music classes", since that's where most of my actual musical training was received... I just applied it to guitar on my own.

I had about 6 months of lessons back in 67, and that does give you some necessary theory and technique. I'd also taken 3 years of violin lessons in school, and that theory and practice also helped. I chose "listen" because after that (funds and time issues), it was listen to songs, figure them out and then adapt to my style. Nowadays, I certainly use the Internet a lot to pick up new songs and hear performances.

The one missing choice (others have mentioned it) is playing with others. My weakness back when is that I was in the same band with the same guys for nearly 7 years. I occaisonally played with others, but not often. This I came realize tended to limit my style and also the genres I could play convincingly. A recent proof of that is that I decided to get back into playing a few years ago and didn't make much progress except in getting back my technical skills. But a few sessions jamming with some other people recently moved me way ahead.

So my full choice is: listen and get out there with other people, preferably playing as many styles as you can.

" listen and get out there with other people, preferably playing as many styles as you can. "

Couldn't agree more with that!

I started playing guitar when a longtime friend (who had been playing for a while) had an idea to form a band. I bought a silvertone bass, he taught me to read TABs, and then after a few weeks I decided bass guitar didn't have enough strings, so I traded it in for a dean baby v. for the next 5 years or so I didn't learn anything, on purpose. I had this terrible idea in my head that learning anything would taint my sound, right? lol. such a dork. but then I got serious-ish a few years ago and actually started seeking out things online, books, whatever I could get my hands on. I'm still not great, but after you've built a house with no foundation, it takes a while to get things up to code.
I'd say if I could go back and do it all again and know what i know now, I would've tried to get a real live person to teach me basics. get me started. I mean, really.. learning the bass lines to "black no. 1" and "money" and then just winging it for a handfull of years is not the best way to go.

_________________
~Dan

oh, and as far as forming that band goes..ha. i think we actually "jammed" maybe twice.
and it was terrible. I couldnt keep up. had no idea what he was doing. and i am terrified to play with other people to this day. I know i'm always the one going "wait, what?" I just prefer recording my own stuff, all by myself.

_________________
~Dan

What style of music was it ?

Not to mention, guitar magazines were also a huge driving influence. Seeing the cover and the guitarist on front wanted me to learn more!