A Moment to think, How to continue

[WTVintage]

Hello Folks,

Well, first let me post for the first time It is not my first forum but I will try to help you at some area that even not mastering it, electronics, I can give you advice to your projects.

My problem is the following, I have been playing guitar for about ONE year, and I feel that I am not advancing, I do not know much about theory, I would like you to know how I can SEARCH for information, which method is the best or most effective.. I know some scales, but If you tell me "this Zeppelin song namely 'rock and roll' is a blues in 'X' key.. I can not figure out even how to play, I am really frustrating. Hire an instructor? I have tried 2 instructors without major advances while an year.. Only I played Stairway to heaven without the solo (Which later I do not know how I figured that, but some tabs maybe.). And finally my last question is how you get your songs, are tabs really trustable? are not they? I do not know which road to take, I am really lost. I need your help guys.

I leave you things that I've learn,

Major Chords
Minor Chords
Some blues songs
Some scales (Minor, Pentatonic Minor..)
Some tabs

I think that I have not learn anything, I remember arpeggios that they are playing a chord note by note,

Well I'll stop here, and I hope you give me a hand, I'll practise as lot as I can.

Thanks for leaving me to tell you my problem,
Goodbye, WTVintage.

[tunghaichuan***]

Hello and welcome.

This is a great forum with a great group of people posting.

You may want to post in the "Fret Players" section of the forum and introduce yourself, your likes, your gear, etc.

I would recommend you get a copy of the book Mastery by George Leonard. It explains what mastery really is and how to achieve it.

Other books that have helped me:

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner.

If you don't want to shell out the cash, check to see if they are available at a local library. If not, maybe the librarian can get you copies via interlibrary loan.

Part of our Western society is the want for immediate gratification; we want it, and we want it now. But like many people, things have never come quickly or easily to me. For me, I've come to believe that the only reality is in the present moment; the past and the future are illusions which distract from the present moment. How does this apply to learning? Simply this: acceptance that where I am now is where I am now. That doesn't mean I can't have goals or dreams, but I try to focus on what is rather than what I want it to be.

In a way this is kind of a dichotomy: on the one hand I believe that it is important to accept the present circumstances as reality, but on the other I feel it is important to be dissatisfied to a certain extent. Disastisfaction when used positively will cause a person to grow.

Ultimately though, you must examine your motivations. Why do you want to become better? Why do you want to advance? The most important thing is to enjoy the ride. Enjoy the sound your instrument makes, even if you make the wrong notes. Enjoy the way the guitar feels in your hands.

Consider that the grass may be greenest right under your feet.

Sorry if this is too New Agey for you

tung

Hello Folks,

Well, first let me post for the first time It is not my first forum but I will try to help you at some area that even not mastering it, electronics, I can give you advice to your projects.

My problem is the following, I have been playing guitar for about ONE year, and I feel that I am not advancing, I do not know much about theory, I would like you to know how I can SEARCH for information, which method is the best or most effective.. I know some scales, but If you tell me "this Zeppelin song namely 'rock and roll' is a blues in 'X' key.. I can not figure out even how to play, I am really frustrating. Hire an instructor? I have tried 2 instructors without major advances while an year.. Only I played Stairway to heaven without the solo (Which later I do not know how I figured that, but some tabs maybe.). And finally my last question is how you get your songs, are tabs really trustable? are not they? I do not know which road to take, I am really lost. I need your help guys.

I leave you things that I've learn,

Major Chords
Minor Chords
Some blues songs
Some scales (Minor, Pentatonic Minor..)
Some tabs

I think that I have not learn anything, I remember arpeggios that they are playing a chord note by note,

Well I'll stop here, and I hope you give me a hand, I'll practise as lot as I can.

Thanks for leaving me to tell you my problem,
Goodbye, WTVintage.

[just strum]

Tung,

When I first joined this forum I had a brief discussion about Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo, but I couldn't remember who I discussed it with. I figured it was either you or Tot - I think I may have just found out who it was, then again...

[sunvalleylaw]

Hi WTVintage! You've come to a helpful place.

[WTVintage]

Thanks guys, I'll answer in parts.

1.- I can't get the books because, I live in a country (South America) where these books are not available, It's too expensive to afford one, they are not in library. :S (Damn!)

2.- Thanks for the comments, they are a real motivation

3.- Actually, is it possible to learn to play without a teacher? (I know that yes, but, It is impossible I mean?)

I've learn a lot using Internet, And I think I will!
Many thanks, one last thing, Please recommend me what I can learn, so as to Start

PS. : I have used the video of Robert about Chords (Bar) . Is there enough information in internet?

Thanks! I'll post my small setup

[Spudman***]

Hi and welcome.

Since you have access to the Internet Youtube is a great place to learn. One of the best things that you can do for yourself to learn is to immerse yourself. Watch everyone that you can and try to emulate what they do. That is a great place to start. Then once you have basics down you can focus on mastery.

You aren't alone in feeling frustrated. It seems everyone from the great down to the beginners get frustrated with their development. Like Tung says, just appreciate the grass under your feet right now. More grass will come at some point. Be patient.

[just strum]

WT, there are plenty of things that will help you on the Internet, just keep searching. Save all the sites you find and then structure them into some sort of daily lessons (or preferred scheduled sessions). There is a lot out there to keep you motivated, you just need to do a little searching.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Tung,

When I first joined this forum I had a brief discussion about Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo, but I couldn't remember who I discussed it with. I figured it was either you or Tot - I think I may have just found out who it was, then again...

Must'a been tung, strum because it wasn't me.
I've never read any of the books mentioned here (but I've certainly heard of Tolle), but I may just do so know.

Alot of it sounds similar to how I approach the guitar & music anyway.

Good luck WTVintage! I understand that you are frustrated, but you've done a lot.

A year ago you didn't know about major & minor chords & couldn't play Stairway to Heaven.

It might help to get a good guitar method book (preferably with CD). This nice thing about these is that each new piece comes in manageable chunks that progressively help you expand your abilities. They're not for everybody, because you'll have to relax & go for the Long Now. On the other hand, you will be progressing.

[tunghaichuan***]

Tung,

When I first joined this forum I had a brief discussion about Zen Guitar by Philip Toshio Sudo, but I couldn't remember who I discussed it with. I figured it was either you or Tot - I think I may have just found out who it was, then again...

Could have been me. I love that book. The very essence of Zen boiled down to help a potential learner study the guitar via different path. Sudo also posthumously published another book, The Book of Six Strings. I have it but much to my embarressment, I have not read it yet. :

Additionally, here is another book that I have but not read (short attention span? ) Zen and the Art of Guitar. Similar to The Book of Six Strings.

tung

[tunghaichuan***]

Must'a been tung, strum because it wasn't me.
I've never read any of the books mentioned here (but I've certainly heard of Tolle), but I may just do so know.

Reading that book was like getting smacked in the head with a 2x4. It made sense on a both an intuitive level and an intellectual level, at least for me. His book boils things down the to one essential truth: the present is the only reality. All else is illusion. The book is also free of religion and dogma. It is stark in its simplicity.

Alot of it sounds similar to how I approach the guitar & music anyway.

Good luck WTVintage! I understand that you are frustrated, but you've done a lot.

A year ago you didn't know about major & minor chords & couldn't play Stairway to Heaven.

It might help to get a good guitar method book (preferably with CD). This nice thing about these is that each new piece comes in manageable chunks that progressively help you expand your abilities. They're not for everybody, because you'll have to relax & go for the Long Now. On the other hand, you will be progressing.

+1 on that suggestion.

WTVintage: There has to be a guitar instruction book/CD available locally. At this point it is better to do something than to do nothing. Although one trap you want to avoid is develloping bad habits. This is where a teacher can really help: correcting bad habits early so you don't have to spend a lot of valuable time correcting them later after they have been established.

Still you can do it without a teacher, but as Spudman says, practice patience. It's like anything else, if you want it badly enough, you'll find away.

tung

[WTVintage]

Thanks for the advices They are really useful, Ok I'll try to search as more as I can IN order to reach mastery. I think that all of you are excellent musicians, this is not just another forum.

I hope to be one like you.

Another interesting thing is Zen thinking, I have read about Budism but not particularly about Zen. It will be a great development Many thanks, after christmas I'll start.

[Spudman***]

+1 for The Power Of Now. It's a great book, but only while you are reading it because by the time you think about it it is too late. Then you would have to say that it "was a good book."

[WTVintage]

I'll comment here my advances, later I read some of these books Maybe they are the key to be an excellent in all (not just in guitar).

:

[Iago]

WTVintage, bienvenido or bem vindo in case you're from Brasil like me.

I'm completely self taught, and never bought a single book about theory, scales and chords..Hey that doesn't mean I'm good, but also I'm probably not the worst around.

I know how it's hard to find the books people recommend over here in the Forum in our continent, though I'm completely sure there are many great books printed in spanish and in portuguese, and that will be a lot easier to get.

What helped me a lot in the beggining was learning the pentatonics (by that time it was more "memorizing patterns" than really learning it tho), and listening to the 60's blues-based bands like Black Sabbath, that had solos and riffs that were a piece of cake to copy and watching videos of my favorite players.. how their hands moved up and down the scale when they built a solo.

[WTVintage]

Excellent! I think I'll buy a new guitar, a Squier Telecaster - California Series, which I think is a good one, not the best, but excellent like all Fender product.

I'll start with some blues now, I know some pentatonics, they are a great way to improve speed.

Chao!!

PS: I think I'll be someday a good guitar player There is faith in my, I hope that my dream come true.

[pie_man_25]

these guys all have good perspectives, a good book and a lot of practice can get you far, but at the same time self-learning from watching other people play is a good thing too, I've tried both methods, and they both work great, while I still have a ways to go, I've made improvements. just remember to keep doing what works and to keep listening to different music, whether its the same genre/different artist or a different genre altogether, you can learn from different playing styles.

[WTVintage]

I'll start reading some Zen Literature, maybe they are the way.. Zen is a great way to continue, as I've already read.

I got some troubles, with tonics, scales and modes.. But I'll soon get them

[WTVintage]

Hey all, finally I bought 'Effortless Mastery' it's great, I am Great, I am a Master. This book is excellent, now I fell that I can be a master without Ego, like an instrument.

After hearing the cd I can say that:

'My fingering in fretboard has been more quick' - This is absolutely as I am explaining here, I was a bit rusty, now I can get more Speed.

If I hear a note, on any part of fretboard, I can say which Is! - Sometimes I am 1 o 2 Semitones Up / Down.

This book is the way to continue. Now I'll buy the power of Now, and finish reading EffortLess Mastering

Remember, You are a MASTER.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I just picked up Effortless Mastery & Zen Guitar. I'll read them when the moment is NOW .