[ics1974]

This question is for the experienced player.
How did you learn to play to get to where you are now?

[LeeB]

I had absolutely no musical background so I started by taking about 8 months worth of lessons to get a start.
Consistent, almost daily practice for over 2 years has gotten me to were I am. and I have to attribute the internet and sites like this one in particular as a huge source of learning, inspiration, and motivation.

[AX7221]

I played trumpet in grade school where I learned how to read sheet music, and count beats and so on. I started playing guitar my freshmen year in high school, which would be in '99. I've played off and on since then. I've stopped playing all together for a 2 year period and for another 2-3 year period. Now I look at playing guitar as all about the journey and not an end result. IDK if I count as one of the experienced players, but here's my 2 cents. Also sometimes if I get disappointed and think to myself that I stink at guitar, I don't worry about it because I enjoy it, and so in 5 years, or longer, I'll be much better.

I saw that you've been playing for less than a year, so I anticipate that you're in the stage were you gotta push on through the boring stuff, then it will get much better. (Also I didn't learn chords until like 2-3 years ago, for all the time before that I just played riffs because I didn't have the patience to practice chords, and when I did get the patience to do so I used to watch T.V. while I practiced them, I wouldn't even attempt to play music, I would just drive home the muscle memory so my fingers went to the right place w/o me having to think about it.)

[Andy S]

A long time ago, in a land far.....oh wait, different story!

Seriously, I was in Jr. High School. Mom signed me up for lessons after much persuasion (that is, whining and constant nagging. Plus that fact that all I could do is sit in my room and loudly strum non-existent chords...drove her nuts!)

Took lessons from approximately January to June of that year. Mom stopped the lessons saying I could start them up when summer vacation was over. She said she considered it a type of schooling and as it was summer time, no school. Took a long while for me to figure out we just couldn't afford the lessons at that time!! HA! Ignorance is bliss sometimes!

Anyhow, I actually played in a band for a short while. A friend new I could sing a bit, they needed a singer. The lead player actually showed me the chords I had to play for all 20 songs we did. That is, he showed me the finger positions and the neck positions and said ,"for this song you play THIS, for the next song , you play THIS."
I had no clue as to what I was playing! Pretty weird!

Fast forward about 4 years , met a guy that played Jazz guitar. He introduced me to the novel concept of Chord progressions and the scales...who woulda thunk!? The thought that ya start with E , then F, then....and that it REPEATS!!! Oh wow! Was I onto something!

Ok, skip another year. I get into another band after being a roadie for them and telling the lead singer he was screwing up a vocal part in one song. He challenged me to sing it right...I did, suddenly I'm in the band as a rhythm player and vocalist.

I learned a lot from that lead player. Then I found a Slide rule with all the chord variations , similar to Kirks, but a bit more detailed...and made of long lasting plastic!!! I STILL have the thing!! HA!! (can you say PACK RAT?) Moved onto another band from there, now figuring out things by ear. And the slide rule helped me see where I could play the chords for different voicings.

Drop out of music for about 16 years.

Get back into music and start over. But this time, there is THE INTERNET and CD's with split tracks!! Makes learning Sooo much easier!

Slowly get back to the point I was when I quit but this time trying to relearn how to read standard notation. Stumble along, making minimal progress. Find the book "Fretboard Logic SE" and realize WHY I was playing some of the things I could play. Really helped to understand what & why of some things, know what I mean?

Then came across Kirk's material, Plane Talk. Had several "Ah Ha" moments and whenever I talk with young, learning players or wanna-be's, I just gotta tell them about Kirk and his sites and material.

So, Now I get compliments on my playing, even though I still don't think I'm all that good (I know I have a LOT of learning to do).

But!!! I feel and know I owe a lot of it to Kirk's material and teaching. Period.

Ok, sorry for making a short version way long. Too many cups of coffee this morning.

Gotta go scrap wallpaper trim off the bathroom walls and paint....lots o fun!!

I'm outa here!

[allthumbs]

Self taught till I got Plane Talk. Them my playing skills took a huge step forward. The most fun I have had playing guitar since I got P.T. 3 years ago.

[felixdcat]

I believe you never really learn how to play, you just don't know less stuff.

[fireblade]

Originally Posted by felixdcat

I believe you never really learn how to play, you just don't know less stuff.

I like that. I'd love to meet the guy who knows everything about playing the guitar. They must be very old. LOL

I started playing when my thirteen year old daughter started to learn at school. She's seventeen now and has stopped playing so much. I got the bug and carried on.
Learnt a lot of stuff I know from the internet, sites like this and ultimate guitar are just invaluable.
Most stuff just from messing about and finding my own way around the fretboard, picking up things from one song and applying it in another.

[cush66]

I started when I was in the 7th grade way way back then (1960s). One day I go to my friend house and I see him playing this gorgeous Vox guitar that kooked like a Strat. He tells me he had been taking lessons for awhile but never told anyone. That got me interested but my parents would only get me an acoustic so I took them up on the offer and started taking lessons. After about 3 months the instructor wanted to start on notes. I quit and that was really a bad mistake. I started playing everyday after school with my friend and soon more kids were coming around and before you know it I was playing pretty decent but all self taught with the help of friends. We found another friend who played drums and the garage band was formed LOL!! I played rhythm. After about 3 years our bass player left so I took over on bass. The group was now down to 3. One drummer, one lead/rhythm and one bass. After high school I went into the Army and continued to be self taught (hinderance). Now after a long dry spell I decided to start again. I guess I finally grew up and have accepted the facts that you gotta know either notes or tabs to progress further..preferably both. By the way, Im 54 years old and finally grew up....I think LOL!!

[scorpius]

During my early years of playing guitar (early 70's), there was this local magazine, a chord book which has both local and international songs with chords (of course, ), which became a regular companion to me (sort of a teacher). I would choose a song which I know and try to learn the chords of that song, which are illustrated near the back page. It was not a case of learning the chords only, but leaning how to fret the chords while I was playing the song very, very slowly. I can remember strumming with all down strokes only.

That became a routine for me. Until I found out that I can already strum Jose Feliciano's "Once There Was A Love" and Cat Stevens' "Father and Son" (the intro part of this song was learned much later).

That chord book has a new issue every 3 months at first (which became a monthly publication after some years). We ended up having a collection of that chord book. In effect, I got exposed to strumming the songs that were familiar radio tunes.

Around late 70's, (the late) John Denver's songs became popular in the radio and with some high school friends, I learned the fingerstyle playing (plucking, as we call it). This time I would bring my sister's guitar (a cheap acoustic guitar) to school and we played on the school grounds after classes, singing and sometimes jamming. (Aaah, sweet memories. ) And it went on even in college days, but this time I had my acoustic guitar already.

It had been mostly strumming and plucking for me for the years that followed after that. And as you would guess it, I had been bored many times too, but I always come back to playing the guitar. This time around I am trying to learn many things new to me, like hybrid picking, theory lessons, and improvising / soloing.

[Beholder]

Originally Posted by scorpius

During my early years of playing guitar (early 70's), there was this local magazine, a chord book which has both local and international songs with chords

haha that seems funny, you still have those magazines from that time?
would be interesting to see them

[scorpius]

Originally Posted by Beholder

haha that seems funny, you still have those magazines from that time?
would be interesting to see them

Yeah, really funny, but not anymore. .
Since we (in the Philippines) are regularly visited by typhoons, almost all of them got damaged already, while the "few survivors" were destroyed by termites, too. But still if you visit big bookstores you will find lots of different chord books (I assume the stores still display them up to this day).

[Aunt Doty]

Took a few lessons when I was 13, learned 2 songs and quit. When I retired at 55 I found out that a guy was teaching guitar for free at the Senior Citizens Center and started going there to learn. I'm still going and play with a group from there called the Silver Strings. We play at Nursing Homes and for a lot of church events. I still have a lot to learn and am trying to learn finger picking and I have Kirk's Planetalk and am practicing with that to improve my skills. Most fun hobby I've ever had!