• Registered: 2008-01-15
  • Posts: 48

Topic: What should I learn next??

As some of you may know I recently went through a quest for a new guitar that ended with my Taylor 810ce (woohoo, yeah me)!  But, now it’s time to get back to learning guitar instead of learning ABOUT guitars.

So, I know my CAGED chords, Em, Am, E7, A7, etc (the easy ones),  I’m working on F and can do it SLOWLY, but that’s a start.  I have 20 - 25 songs that I can play, some pretty good but most have “one little spot† that’s tough.  I can play the song and sing at the same time (harder than it sounds at first!) and I really don’t have to look at the fret board when playing those chords.  So for only playing a few months, that’s pretty good I think.

Soooooo, where do I go next?  My practice for the last 2 months has just been songs, songs, songs.  That has helped a lot but:

1)    Should I keep on with the same songs and add some more until I’m really really good with the CAGED chords and songs?
2)    Should I continue with the F chord and then start with the Barre chords and then learn lots of new songs until I’m really really good with those
3)    Should I start to learn to finger pick the CAGED chords?
4)    Should I be practicing scales?

My goal is to play “songs† not lead guitar.  I would like to know the chords to the point where my song options are NOT limited by the chords that I “can play†.  I want to be able to finger pick songs because now I’m playing songs by strumming that I know should be played finger picked (oh yeah or flat picked what’s the difference?).  Finally I want to be able to play some of the recognizable riffs as intros, outros and breaks in the songs I’m strumming.

So I know many of you have taken lessons, some have given lessons and all have opinions to express and stories to tell!   What’s next for me?

Yee Haw
  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,311

Re: What should I learn next??

Very interesting Ranger - You and I seem to be in about the same place, and I believe that by your handle (1964) the same age. I also will be interested in what the seasoned experts have to say here, but I'll offer my 2 cents on what I have been working on.

- Like you I can play most common open chords pretty well and have a printed song book that I can play half decent. While I still like to peruse the new song books posted here to see if something tweaks my interest, I'd say playing songs is now less than 20% of my practice routine.

- Things I am working on simultaneously (I don't think I could do either / or, would bore me out of mind). Barre Chords / Fingerpicking  / Scales / Theory. Not to say I don't play songs while doing these things. for example I will practice playing Jack Johnson songs to work on my barres, John Prine songs to work on fingerpicking.

- Like you I don't have any desire to be a screaming lead guitarist, but I believe theory and scales are necessary to tie everything together, like those opening or break riffs.

Good luck!

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • Registered: 2008-01-15
  • Posts: 48

Re: What should I learn next??

Yup, born in 1964.  To be honest, I don't know how to begin learning finger picking so I'm looking for advice in that area too.  I have a feeling that to take the "next step" I'm going to have to parctice some things that are less "fun" than playing songs and I'm willing to do that especially now that I can always play a few sad country songs for fun.  I'm just curious what conventional wisdom, and more importantly experience has taught some of our compadres here.

Yee Haw
  • Registered: 2007-07-02
  • Posts: 4

Re: What should I learn next??

Hey guys

Age wise you guys are a little ahead of me (1971) but my driver for starting was an injury that meant I couldn't play any sport for 1 year.  Like you I have no desire to be in a band but I do like the idea of playing a few tunes for me and some mates every now and again.

After all that I've been playing for about 10 months and went down the 1:1 lesson route.  My instructor is a great guitarist but isn't following structured progamme.  This either means that I'm not as far on as I could have been or it is a good thing because he exposed me to all of the above (and more) as part of our wanderings.

Although I wouldn't consider myself very good at any of it we have covered

Lots of songs
Scales (Major, Pentatonics, Phrygian
Basic open chords
THE F CHORD (a nightmare if ever there was one)
Barres
Finger picking styles
Bass strum style
Changing strings
and even one very odd session on electric guitar

Maybe a couple of lessons could point you in the right direction.  It doesn't have to be a long-term arrangement ...

Hope this helps?

Weeginger

  • Registered: 2008-01-15
  • Posts: 48

Re: What should I learn next??

I guess I'm not surprised that a teacher (read conventional wisdom) is using a broad brush approach.  A little of everything.  I'm wondering if others think this is the way to go, or has experience taught them that it's better to concentrate on one discipline prior to another? 

I agree that it may be time for me to take some lessons, BUT, I'm just a big enough of a  bull-head that if I got good consistent advice as to which way is preferable, I would insist that a teacher teach me that way or I'd find one that would.  BTW-the most common complaint that I've heard about teachers is that many are good players but have a tendency to meander around and pay little attention to how individual students learn.  Certainly not all teachers are that way, but if I knew WHAT I wanted to learn, I think I would have pretty good luck keeping the teacher on point. 

I just don't know which point(s) I should be focusing on.

Yee Haw
  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,311

Re: What should I learn next??

Hi weeginger - I just happened to notice that was your first post. Welcome to the forum and thank you for your input! I look forward to additional contributions, we are all friends here.

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,912

Re: What should I learn next??

Ranger1964 wrote:

Yup, born in 1964.  To be honest, I don't know how to begin learning finger picking so I'm looking for advice in that area too.  I have a feeling that to take the "next step" I'm going to have to parctice some things that are less "fun" than playing songs and I'm willing to do that especially now that I can always play a few sad country songs for fun.  I'm just curious what conventional wisdom, and more importantly experience has taught some of our compadres here.

Hey Ranger, This vids a good place to start on fingerpicking..IMO http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Play-G … -1-2459701  Here's a good song to practice the pattern with http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/?url= … ranspose=0  At least it's were I started on fingerpicking... Hope it's helpfull! Peace!

[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: 2007-07-02
  • Posts: 4

Re: What should I learn next??

Thanks topdown.

Think my arrangement with my instructor may be coming to an end (he hasn't been able to give me a lesson since mid Dec) so I'll probably be looking to soak up some advice from the forum on next steps too.

Cheers

  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,311

Re: What should I learn next??

Guitarpix wrote:

Hey Ranger, This vids a good place to start on fingerpicking..IMO http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Play-G … -1-2459701  Here's a good song to practice the pattern with http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/?url= … ranspose=0  At least it's were I started on fingerpicking... Hope it's helpfull! Peace!

Thanks for that 5min video you had sent me a week ago or so. I've been working on that pattern for a while, and that video made it "click". I've got it down pretty good now, but that just leads to learning... more patterns!

Jeff

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2007-02-08
  • Posts: 1,912

Re: What should I learn next??

topdown wrote:
Guitarpix wrote:

Hey Ranger, This vids a good place to start on fingerpicking..IMO http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Play-G … -1-2459701  Here's a good song to practice the pattern with http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/?url= … ranspose=0  At least it's were I started on fingerpicking... Hope it's helpfull! Peace!

Thanks for that 5min video you had sent me a week ago or so. I've been working on that pattern for a while, and that video made it "click". I've got it down pretty good now, but that just leads to learning... more patterns!

Jeff

That's the way it goes topdown! smile It seems like the more you learn the more you realise you don't know. So much to learn and so little time...There's a follow up lesson on the site also. Just search for travis picking and you'll find part 2. This site is full of good tutuorials. For me learning to play has been a satisfying but very humbling experience. You start to think your doing really well then you see someone ,that can really play, do his thing and you realize all over again just how much you still have to go...Always a beginner or so it seems for me. Peace!

[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: 2008-01-15
  • Posts: 48

Re: What should I learn next??

Guitarpix wrote:
Ranger1964 wrote:

Yup, born in 1964.  To be honest, I don't know how to begin learning finger picking so I'm looking for advice in that area too.  I have a feeling that to take the "next step" I'm going to have to parctice some things that are less "fun" than playing songs and I'm willing to do that especially now that I can always play a few sad country songs for fun.  I'm just curious what conventional wisdom, and more importantly experience has taught some of our compadres here.

Hey Ranger, This vids a good place to start on fingerpicking..IMO http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Play-G … -1-2459701  Here's a good song to practice the pattern with http://www.chordie.com/chord.pere/?url= … ranspose=0  At least it's were I started on fingerpicking... Hope it's helpfull! Peace!

Excellent!  Thanks.  Does he or anyboby else have videos on flat picking?  Dumb question, what's the difference.

Yee Haw
  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,311

Re: What should I learn next??

Ranger1964 wrote:

Excellent!  Thanks.  Does he or anyboby else have videos on flat picking?  Dumb question, what's the difference.

Ranger - the difference between flatpicking and fingerpicking, in flatpicking you actually use a pick, finger picking - fingers only. Some also use a hybrid method - but I don't even want to think about that yet! smile

Check this guys vids - he shows some examples of both

http://www.youtube.com/user/Fretkillr

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • Registered: 2008-01-15
  • Posts: 48

Re: What should I learn next??

topdown wrote:
Ranger1964 wrote:

Excellent!  Thanks.  Does he or anyboby else have videos on flat picking?  Dumb question, what's the difference.

Ranger - the difference between flatpicking and fingerpicking, in flatpicking you actually use a pick, finger picking - fingers only. Some also use a hybrid method - but I don't even want to think about that yet! smile

Check this guys vids - he shows some examples of both

http://www.youtube.com/user/Fretkillr

He's great!  I watched Mr. Bojangles and I guess flat picking songs is what I'm envisioning.  But I watched some finger picking videos and I'd like to do that also! 

So, what's next? Should I expand my chord selection, work on finger picking, flat picking, or the dreaded ALL OF THE ABOVE!

Yee Haw
  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,311

Re: What should I learn next??

My youngest son (9 yo) eats his dinner one item at a time, actually rotates the plate as he finishes one thing, then goes to the next. Myself, I like to sample or enjoy everything at the same time. I have even been known to eat potatoes and peas on the same bite - egads! smile

What I'm saying is it may a personal choice in how you prefer to learn. Like I said earlier, if would focus on just barre chords, I don't know if I (or my guitar) would make it, I'd probably pull a Pete Townsend on the darn thing!

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!

15 Reply by dguyton (edited by dguyton 2008-02-01 19:52:56)

  • From: Central Flatland
  • Registered: 2007-05-30
  • Posts: 223

Re: What should I learn next??

Conventional wisdom says to learn the chord changes first.

BUT, and this is a real kicker, if you want to learn Travis picking, I am here to tell you that getting the changes down with that is almost like starting over.  So if you're interested in Travis, find yourself a good book or video (I've heard good things about Paul Pigat's DVD at http://www.learnrootsmusic.com/, but it's apparently not for the beginner), set your metronome to about 48, and start in.

I personally don't think there's anything wrong with combining some left-hand learning with some right-hand learning.

"There's such a fine line between genius and stupidity."
                              --David St. Hubbins