For those of us frustrated guitar players....

[GermanCdn]

http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2013/Jul/How_to_Play_Beyond_Compare.aspx

A pretty good read, but nothing what you'd expect from the title.  Kinda been my mantra over the last little while as I'm trying to find a teacher who gets what I want to do, i.e. I want to learn to play like George Lynch, I don't want you to teach me how to play Mr. Scary, there's a difference (and no, I don't really want to play like Lynch, but been listening to his Orchestral Mayhem disc, and his technique is just fantastic.  When his project with Michael Sweet comes out next year, watch out).

[Gledison]

Very nice! I totally agree!!

[jimilee]

Theory and stuff. It's all about scales and shapes. I don't want to know how to to play it , but rather why you play it that way.

[aballen]

Great article.  Totally true too.  Still I would be nice if I could play like bonamassa

[Gledison]

Great article.  Totally true too.  Still I would be nice if I could play like bonamassa

I love Joe's tone and playing. you still can play like him!! It will sound like you. Getting influences from all kinds of music styles helps a lot to bring "out of the box" licks to your playing.
That's the beauty of Guitar playing, even if you get the same techniques and gear of someone else, you will still add your own way of bending notes, vibratos, timing!
cheers

[jkokura]

I resonate with this idea.

I never took lessons. I've taken the odd one for particular reasons much more recently, but when I was young and learning, I never took a single lesson. A lot of the reason why was because I asked the question 'why?' Most of the people I knew who took lessons could play more songs than me, but that was what it was - learning to play songs. I figured I could teach myself the songs, I didn't need someone else to teach me.

Looking back, I think I did alright. I had a head start because I had taken piano lessons from a young age, and had picked up sax and percussion in school band in Jr High. When I was late in High School and wanted to go for lessons, I actually chose to go back for more piano lessons and learned some Jazz. My teacher recognized that what I really needed was some more theory, which I could apply to any instrument.

Now I'm one of those frustrating guys that can pick up an instrument and play along alright. If I put work in, I can be pretty good at anything I try, as long as I get a tutorial in basic playing technique. The theory of music applies to any instrument.

Likewise, I learned enough about guitar by teaching myself some songs that I can learn any song if I really needed to. I'm sure my technique isn't perfect, nor is my skill level super high (don't ask me to shred Malmsteen). But I can play the kind of music I like to play very well, and I love playing a lot! It's become more than learning a few songs in the bedroom, it's about creating music I enjoy.

Now, if I went for lessons, it'd probably be a short run on how to practice better and more effectively to get the results I want. I'm terribly undisciplined and unfocused when I practice.

Jacob

[hammerheadmusicman]

One way to successfully manage your practice time, is to pick say ten exercises of different things you wish to work on, and set a certain amount of time per day, say 5 minutes per exercise. Use a timer, and play the exercise with a metronome for 5 minutes, either focusing on the aspects you want to work on with that excercise, be it keeping relaxed, changing the mechanics of how you pick, angle of the pick, the sound of the notes produced, whatever.. then after 5 minutes, good or bad, move on to the next exercise, and ado this everyday, in a couple of weeks you'll notice all of the exercises have improved massively. This method goes really well with a 'tick sheet' of the exercises, after the 5 minutes on an exercise, if it went well put a tick in the box for that ex and that day, if not put a cross, when you get 20 ticks in a row, take that exercise and replace it with something new.

This method really works, especially with technical advancement. But, the most important thing, is to be hyper-critical about yourself, and really analyse what you are doing.

Obviously, this gets a lot done in a small amount of time every day, after which you can 'jam' to your hearts content, or work on whatever you are working on etc..


George

[Gledison]

That is the most important thing! To be able to play or make the music we love!
I agree that only learning songs is not the way, but after having some theory and understanding what others are playing is very cool to identify doria, mixolydian licks for example and transposing them to ur music! Llong live rock'n roll"

[pickdropper]

I agree with the article to a point.  To me, there are upsides and downsides to being exposed to people that are clearly superior.  This applies to guitar, sports, science, literature, anything really.

If you come across somebody who is better than you are and it inspires you to work harder and improve, then it is clearly positive that you've been exposed to it.

If it frustrates you to the point that you put down your guitar and give up, then I think that you aren't looking at it the right way.

I think a lot of people post in threads that they are going to give up playing guitar, building pedals, basket weaving, etc... because they view it as a compliment to the original poster.  I doubt that the majority of people who post it mean it to be taken literally.


As far as guitar lessons, I think they can be a wonderful tool.  I took some lessons when I was a teenager, then stopped.  About 20 years later (a few years ago), I decided I wanted to take lessons again because I came across a teacher who was a great player and had a wealth of knowledge.  I wanted him to help me loo at things from a different perspective.  My playing was sort of in a rut; I knew what I knew, but wasn't expanding my knowledge enough.  Lessons have accomplished two things:

1.)  It exposes me to different elements than I may naturally be exposed to.

2.)  It makes me accountable for practicing, which is something I really need.  I work too much and I tend to focus on things that must be done.  The accountability puts practicing on my "To Do" list, even if I do occasionally get too busy to practice.

There seems to be a mindset that, once you pass a certain level, you are too good to take lessons.  My mom was a professional singer for over 35 years, and I remember her taking lessons from time to time, even though she was a voice teacher herself.  There are always people out there than can show you things from a perspective different than your own.

[PhiloB]

I ended up in school for classical guitar by a strange series of events.  Didn't have a real interest in classical, but anyway.  I learned how to learn.  I learned how to practice. 
My problem now is focusing my goals, carving out the time, and following through.
I strongly encourage everyone at least have a mentor if not a paid teacher.  It's important to have an objective eye and ear to critic our playing (it was done all the time in school, I rarely see this in the 'rock and roll' world.)