MATTINGS wrote: Firstly, sorry if this is in the wrong section - I see most topics are about lessons, rather than requesting them.

So what I'm asking in short it, when I feel like playing guitar, are there any steps I could take to help improve perseverance in my jam sessions?


If you're still confused here's an example:

1)Tune guitar
2)practice chords, as well as switching between them
3)practice finger picking and moving over the fret bored
etc.
etc.

OR is it just

1)tune guitar
2)play songs!


Thanks in advance!

If you move over the fret and get bored... find a new hobby.

It all depends on how good you want to be. By playing songs, you will more than likely be playing from tab = look at numbers, forget that it actually has a name, blindly swerve left and right and hit a pedestrian for 50 points.

The other side of the coin is, your first set of a routine focuses on technique... which you need to play songs anyway. You need to practice chords and changing regardless of whichever path you choose. The way to focus on technique is to make things up as you go along. Make music. If you practice a scale, make music out of it whether its a one octave, 2 octave, complete fretboard... doesn't matter... make music. The quicker you get into the practicing of this aspect, the faster you will develop as a musician and pass puberty. Please don't forget to read a theory book or two on your journey. Don't forget to breathe, don't hunch, don't shag the drummers girlfriend or dog. Have fun

I was never big on lead solos or scales but could strum a steady rhythm and found that when jammin' with buddies I could hold a steady rhythm while they played licks.
You gotta find your own comfort zone and get a friend to jam along... 8)

A typical jam I used to enjoy way back in the previous century...
Slabo Day by Peter Green from In The Skies (one of his first albums after his time with Fleetwood Mac +- 1979)
Peter Green plays rhythm guitar while Snowy White adds some lead guitar.
It's the easiest strum (in danger of being totally boring) and it does not require complicated chord changes.
The lead guitarist can add his own flavour ?

http://grooveshark.com/#!/search?q=slabo+day

Hey Mattings

My suggestion would be to find out what your goals are.
In doing so , you might want to note who your favorite players/ bands are.
Write down what it is you want to accomplish on the guitar and perhaps what you want to sound like.

That might give you an idea what to practice.

I usually create a practice schedule or curriculum for myself and stick to it for 3 months.
Then go back , re-evaluate and set up a new schedule.

Also depends how long you played for.
Complete beginner might learn chords, how to read tab, learn your favorite tunes etc.

I usually write out the topics I want to spend time on over the next 3 months then divide those up so you get to cover them in a week.

My topics may include: *Songs from the players i'm studying (maybe even only one player for the next 3 months)
*Jazz harmony / Theory (I personally would apply it to a rock setting, for me)
*Technique ( Legato )
*Jamming ( Creating modal Jams , writing, improvising)
*Funk rhythm

Just as an example.

Then you can break each topic down further, and be specific about the topic. Like with Legato for example.
If you ask most players what legato is they will say hammer ons and pull offs. cool. what I do is separate the terms as they are 2 different things.
I would work on hammer ons only, ascending and descending. Then pull offs ascending and descending. Really working on each technique.
3 note per string players for example, work on speed with a metronome, but usually start every scale on the 5th or 6th string , starting with their first finger.
Thats great but once you can do that, take it further. Work on being able to play the scale starting your run with your middle finger and pinkie, being able to play any scale or mode on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th string.

once you can do that, change it and delve deeper.

only you know what you dont know and you can use that to create your own schedule.

Hope that helps in some way ?

Good luck with your playing!

Quintin