John Mayer Fan here!

[zer0]

Hi I'm the BIGGEST fan of John Mayer ever!!
I've just started with guitar last year,with the Ibanez Gio GRG270 my dad gifted me last january and the Fender Frontman 15R practise amp I'm so thankful to my mum..:) I suck at mostly everything but changing chords,which I caught on fast.I've learnt all my guitar from Justin Sandercoe's site,which is wonderful!!
I really need to learn to play like Mr.Mayer....:) my friend told me i should start with blues and stuff,but i don't know...
hope somebody lends me a hand here....:)..my friend reffered me here cause he said there are guys so awesome in here,they may just beat John mayer to it!!! hope i get through...:D :)

[Tig]

Welcome to The Fret, zer0!
Look around the sub-forums like Beginners & Newbies (http://www.thefret.net/forumdisplay.php/50-Beginners-amp-Newbies)
and Technique, Theory and Playing (http://www.thefret.net/forumdisplay.php/38-Technique-Theory-and-Playing) for plenty of useful tips and help.

Best of all, this forum is run by guitar teacher Robert Renman, who has hours of video lessons over at
http://www.dolphinstreet.com/guitar_video_lessons/

[sunvalleylaw]

Hey there! I really enjoy Mayer's stuff too, and have attempted to learn a bit about his playing. Make sure you work on your rhythm chops, as John combines often combines rhythm styles and techniques with single note lead stuff, especially when he is in trio format. He uses and switches back and forth sometimes among major and minor scales, both full and pentatonic versions, and often plays the notes in a manner that is not always "in the box" as those scale patterns are often learned. So you will have to learn those scales and shapes, but also learn how to find those notes along the strings of the guitar, rather than in a box pattern. You will find lessons about the scales and pentatonic shapes etc., in the links Tig provided.

Also, just play along with some of your favorite songs of his, and figure out what is going on, and attempt to make the same sounds he is. That is great way to learn, and pretty dang fun too!

[player]

Hey there! I really enjoy Mayer's stuff too, and have attempted to learn a bit about his playing. Make sure you work on your rhythm chops, as John combines often combines rhythm styles and techniques with single note lead stuff, especially when he is in trio format. He uses and switches back and forth sometimes among major and minor scales, both full and pentatonic versions, and often plays the notes in a manner that is not always "in the box" as those scale patterns are often learned. So you will have to learn those scales and shapes, but also learn how to find those notes along the strings of the guitar, rather than in a box pattern. You will find lessons about the scales and pentatonic shapes etc., in the links Tig provided.

Also, just play along with some of your favorite songs of his, and figure out what is going on, and attempt to make the same sounds he is. That is great way to learn, and pretty dang fun too!Excellent advice SVL.starting at the bottom of your post I literally learned to play off vinyl records.back then I heard something I played it on the fretboard.== those Were the days.absolutely learn rhythm styles and techniques emphasize on techniques.
any good lead guitarist knows full well you need both to create exceptional lead sound.while too many to list a good example to listen to is Kim Simmons of Savoy Brown fame.their tune Louisana Blues exemplifies this much like John Mayer does his.just different technique.it's all good.oh and I cut my teeth on Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck with some Ventures and Beach Boys along with Beatles thrown in for good measure back in the day.Still fun re inventing myself as music never ends.

[zer0]

Plus a guy in my college told me how mayer uses blues scales with dorian modes and stuff...i tried looking up modes but didn't get the hang of it. Any resource anyone?

[player]

maybe here: Desi is a member where I moderate

GUITAR MODES & PROGRESSIONS
In order to understand modes, modal scales and modal chord progressions, you need to understand how the notes of the major scale are used to build chords. Once you work out the major/minor chord sequence by number for the major scale, then you can play progressions revolving around any scale degree. Different scale degrees, or roots, create different modal sounds. There's no need to re-work out the chords for modal progressions because they are the same as the major scale. Get it?

THEORY LESSONS
Here's a free theory lesson about guitar chord progressions: http://guitar-music-theory.com/chord-progressions.html

Here's an introduction to guitar modes and modal scales: http://guitar-music-theory.com/modes.html

Play Until Yer Fingers Bleed!
Mr. Desi Serna (Google me!)
http://www.Guitar-Music-Theory.com
Scales, Chords, Progressions, Modes and More