Guitar Lessons

[JW123]

Im a 45 yr old guitarist. Ive probably played off and on for 25 yrs. I played in hard rock club bands for 15 yrs and consider myself to be a pretty good player. But, I would like to get better. I was curious what are some good training sites for guitarist. I would like to understand more about chord construction and some more advanced scales for soloing.

Thanks in advance, Im sure other would be interested.

 

[justin2354]

The best way to improve your soloing is practiceing technique and understanding what your practiceing and it`s not always easy to understand the working of music threw an online site.

My advice? work with a teacher once a week. lessons will seem no were near as boreing if you already have a good understanding of your instrument and it really isnt that expensive 60 bucks a month with get you your 4 lessons a week to

But if your intent on not doing lessons stop in a music shop and ask them for a good book to improve on your knowlage of music (Many good books out their) The internet i have found isnt exactly that great for learning advanced music theory but it is suitable for learning the basics

 

[crestwood1972]

I have yet to find what I consider to be a worthwhile site for anyone other than the beginner.

That being said, I am surprised that you could play 15 years in a rock band and not have picked up what little in the way of music theory you need to know to handle blues, rock, and metal.

You obviously know the major scale and the minor pentatonic. if you slide down the fretboard 3 frets and play the same minor pentatonic pattern you have the major pentatonic scale for the same key (which now begins at the note underneath your pinky finger - the same note that began the minor pentatonic scale under your index finger).

If you begin the major scale pattern at the 2nd note of the scale and play thru to the 2nd note of the octave you have just played in the Dorian mode. 3rd to the 3rd is phrygian mode (used in metal a lot), and so on for each of the 7 modes.

It's dead simple and can be found via Google.

These guitar lessons sites are a ripoff in my opinion for anyone but the complete neophyte. For the beginner they can be quite a good kickstart.

YouTube is excellent for getting new ideas and picking up things.

Google guitar modes and you'll get a number of lessons on it.

If you want to play jazz THEN i'd get a good local teacher.

 

[justin2354]

I completely disagree with crestwood Theory is like learning to read for musicans.

Would you only like to be able to read the back of books and get the jist of it? or would you like to read the book and understand whats happening in the story?

 

[crestwood1972]

lennon and mccartney couldn't read music. neither could almost any bluesman you'd care to mention. it didn't stop them from creating beautiful music. i know a lot of music students who can regurgitate facts about theory that they learned in school but who can't play worth a ****.

I am not saying that theory is completely unimportant. I am saying that for blues, rock, and metal you need to know the pentatonic major and minor and the major scale and it's modes and that stuff is dead simple to learn IF it's taught to you correctly.

Knowing the major scale gets you chord construction. You never need to consult another book on that subject.

The USE of the modes and scales is something that can be Googled. When do you use the dorian scale, under what circumstances.

Then it's just playing. A lot.

 

[JW123]

Thanks for the replys.

In response to crestwood, I know a lot and can hold my own, Ive just hit a wall. I can play anything I can think of, its just in my song writing I would like to add some different flavors instead of relying on what has worked in the past.

I think the teacher route is the way I should go, and go back thru some basics.

Thanks once again.

 

[justin2354]

So your advice is to stay inside the same little box of playing that everyone else does and never expand into new ideas?

 

[AustinK]

try doug marks metal method. I used that with conventional lessons so i could lean technique/theory from the dvd and groove/style with the lessons.

 

[Elpelotero]

branch off into a completely different style of music. Then pick up how they do common progressions and transitions, etc. Then incorporate into your own.

 

[backwordsman13]

Get the "Al Di Meola guide to chords, scales and modes" it has got ten lessons, definitely worth the $15, fo sho 8)

 

[crestwood1972]

So your advice is to stay inside the same little box of playing that everyone else does and never expand into new ideas?

No. I don't think I said any such thing. I merely said that if you know BASIC music theory, the minor and major pentatonic scales, the major scale and all its modes, then you know everything you need to know to create music, solo, and write songs.

John Lennon, before he met Paul McCartney, was playing BANJO chords on his six string. That's all he knew. McCartney learned all the chords and theory he knew from listening to Buddy Holly records.

Basic music theory gives you all the colors you need on your pallette. Artistic talent allows you to create something with them. Knowing how to read gets you nowhere unless you are performing a set piece of music.

Why on earth would having all the colors available and the knowledge of how and when to use them force you to "stay within the same little box"?

Is Dylan still in his same little box?

Were the Beatles still making the same music in 1968 that they were playing in the Reeperbahn in 1960?

Does Keith Richard have the same level of comprehensive competence in his instrument and music theory background as the average Berklee College of Music graduate?

And as for staying in one box, I seriously doubt you could touch Robert Johnson, Son House, John Lee Hooker, or hundreds of other true bluesmen known and unknown even though you can read and they can't.

In fact, you could spend your entire life in that "little box" trying to match them and fail miserably. Because that little box turns out to be INFINITE in its possibilities.

 

[JW123]

As a follow up. I bit the bullet and bought a full series of lessons that takes you from what string is what to advanced soloing.

At first I brushed over a lot of the lower level lessons, but then I went back and just started going from the first one on and have already picked up a lot of things that I just forgot or set aside.

Might be good for all us know it alls to start back at square one sometimes.

 

[BobL]

So your advice is to stay inside the same little box of playing that everyone else does and never expand into new ideas?

No. I don't think I said any such thing. I merely said that if you know BASIC music theory, the minor and major pentatonic scales, the major scale and all its modes, then you know everything you need to know to create music, solo, and write songs.

John Lennon, before he met Paul McCartney, was playing BANJO chords on his six string. That's all he knew. McCartney learned all the chords and theory he knew from listening to Buddy Holly records.

Basic music theory gives you all the colors you need on your pallette. Artistic talent allows you to create something with them. Knowing how to read gets you nowhere unless you are performing a set piece of music.

Why on earth would having all the colors available and the knowledge of how and when to use them force you to "stay within the same little box"?

Is Dylan still in his same little box?

Were the Beatles still making the same music in 1968 that they were playing in the Reeperbahn in 1960?

Does Keith Richard have the same level of comprehensive competence in his instrument and music theory background as the average Berklee College of Music graduate?

And as for staying in one box, I seriously doubt you could touch Robert Johnson, Son House, John Lee Hooker, or hundreds of other true bluesmen known and unknown even though you can read and they can't.

In fact, you could spend your entire life in that "little box" trying to match them and fail miserably. Because that little box turns out to be INFINITE in its possibilities.

I fully agree.