• From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,912

Topic: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

I started learning the guitar almost 11 months ago..(I'm 33) I think I have progressed fairly well. The first 4 months for me were spent  just learning a wide variety of chords and progressions, a few scales, and several strumming patterns to practice the chords and progressions with. After that I allowed myself to start on songs. I made sure to work on multiple songs with diffrent rythyms and patterns as to not fall in the habbit of alway playing the same ones. At 6 months I started working on some tecniques trying to add style to the songs that I had learned (hammer ons, pull offs, walking bass lines, palm muting, chord variations, learning barr and power chords, etc..) That's were I'm at know. Playing a good variety of songs and still trying to perfect them. My question  is once you get the fundamentals down does your learning become faster or do you pretty much progress at the same rate? I realize everyone is diffrent so I'm just looking for your experiences. I practice constantly (atleast 4-5 hrs a day) and don't plan on changing that habbit. What can I expect?



Man to turn back the clock to when I was 12 and quit guitar after 3 lessons....

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

Guitarpix's Website

  • Registered: 2007-09-15
  • Posts: 30

Re: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

Guitarpix. you didn't state what kind of guitar you are playing ?  Acoustic or electric?  Are you a singer ?  I have found through all of the years that once you have reached your full ability, find someone that is better than you to play with..  If you are a singer, then you don't need to master the guitar, you just have to play it to your vocals.  Having a partner with lead guitar abilities is all you need. If you are not a singer, the trust me, take lessons from a pro..  Teaching yourself guitar theory and scales at your age is fruitless.  Its not too late..    I mean no disrespect by this post, just the same thing i told my son..  He has now produced his first CD, with only 2 years of guitar with me teaching him.. He is a singer/songwriter just like his dad. I don't comprehend most of what he writes, but thats not the point..  Its his music..    Peace..

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
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  • From: Balloch, Scotland, UK, Earth
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 3,290

Re: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

legate
very good advice and something I had never really thought about.
About the singing and playing. I would consider me a singer more than a guitar player although I love playing the guitar. But I think sometimes it is the song and the way I sing it that carries off the song. Also about playing with someone you know is better is really good advice, I knew this already but I dont thin kI have dished this advice out.
Once you get to a certain stage where you think ye cant go any further, you can and will always learn from others.


Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending

4 Reply by Guitarpix (edited by Guitarpix 2007-09-15 22:54:35)

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,912

Re: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

I play acoustic mainly although I do tinker with an electric from time to time. I'm not interested in becoming a professional....I just play for the self satisfaction! I'm not much of a singer but have been working on it.. My main question was .....Do you ever get to a point in playing were most new ostacles are conquered with more ease? Or is it always as challenging to learn new techniques?

I have a few friends that play very well and you're right they are invaluable!

I took a set (5) private lessons from a local insturctor to help with barrs, scales and theory. I know it's not enough but it helped to fill in the blanks from the info I had allready gathered.

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

Guitarpix's Website

  • From: Almancil, Algarve, Portugal
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
  • Posts: 6,198

Re: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

Hi Guitarpix,

In my opinion learning new songs does get easier as you get more experienced as your fingers automatically press the right string or strings in the right place on the fingerboard or, in the case of your right hand, pick the right string/strings.

You will be able to play a new song immediately on seeing the music score or chords and lyrics. You will be able to jam along with others without knowing the song at all as your ears will tell you what to play.

However you can still have difficulties. I recently decided to learn Carole King's "You've Got A Friend". There is a Csus in it, a chord I have never used before, so I had to spend a couple of hours learning it which was fine but then I found I could not play C7 correctly so I had to re-learn that. It all adds to the fun of guitar playing

Take care,

Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Roger Guppy's Website

  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2007-07-31
  • Posts: 950

Re: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

I think you go through phases with learning.... or I did at least. Sometimes I don't really learn anything new for a while, but I do perfect what I've already learned. This is really progressing too, its just slower. Then sometimes I'll learn a bazillion new things at once and for a while I'll be soaking up knowledge like a sponge, then of course you have to stop and take time to perfect the new things, then it starts all over.
Anytime you're practicing you are progressing, it may not be as obvious to the ear, but your mind and fingers are becoming more and more accustomed to playing, its becoming more natural for you.
If you're practicing as much as you say you are, and you can keep it up, you'll look back one day a few years from now and see how far you've come and go 'dang'.... lol

All You Need is Love smile

HannahBeth's Website

  • From: Orpington London
  • Registered: 2006-10-22
  • Posts: 390

Re: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

the speed of learning doesn't get quicker - you learn a lot in the first year or two and then progress seems to slow a bit but the good news is

that you do get better better at being able to play what you want to play - when you start you have to learn exercises etc - later you apply them

and when you play new songs you can more quickly get the basics together by applying already learnt skills       

imo

johncross21's Website

  • From: south africa
  • Registered: 2007-07-20
  • Posts: 135

Re: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

I think that as you get more confident you will pick things up a little easier, mainly because you are not intimidated by your instrument anymore. The more confident you are in your ability, the less you will shy away from more difficult things.

  • Zurf
  • Zurf
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
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Re: Does learning get easier (and faster) as you progress

Check back in a year.  I'll let you know then.

- Zurf

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If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
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