Paging ZepSinger! Paging Lzen!

Paging ZepSinger! Paging Lzen!

This is exactly where I am with it, but am only 10 years in.
I can rock some shit.
Even play a little solo if it falls into the area of what I'm capable of (just learned how to play Don't cry from beginning to end) but I have come to the conclusion that I just don't have the Talent to Dimebag a guitar. Little Wing is not in the forecast. Although I have broken through many barriers before, I think everyone has their limitations. Not saying I can't get better, but knowing that I will never truly shred kind of kills my motivation.
Maybe I'm being a defeatist here, but when I play with kids who are 22 years old, who have been playing for 3 years who can literally rip the frets off of an ax, the writing becomes pretty clear.

Yeah, this is kind of tough for me too.

Of course, I have something to fall back on. I grab a mic and start playing some shit I wrote. Usually the only thing they say afterwards is "you wanna hit of this?"

:D

I never really considered myself a great soloist. I'm adequate at that, but not great. In my band, we had 2 guitarists. Sure, I played some leads, but he always played the really cool, intricate stuff. So, by the sounds of it I may be a little more advanced than you in that area but by no means am I an expert or anything.

When I was still early in my learning guitar, a friend showed me some theory stuff. Can't say I truly understood it all but I think I've always retained a bit of that. Between that, reading lesson books on occasion and/or lesson snippets out of guitar magazines, and learning cover songs via tabs over the years has allowed me to pick up a few things like different scales and patterns, etc. Plus, I think you gain an ear for what sounds good and what does not.

In the end, my recommendation would be to check around and find out who is really a really good instructor in your area and start going to lessons. Tell the instructor what you're looking to do and he/she should be able to get you started in the right direction. The reason I recommend this rather than doing what I did is that when I see those young guys who can shred I realize that they most likely took lessons from an instructor. Learning the correct way from the get go is a much more efficient way to get to where you want to go as opposed to what I did. I always wished I had taken lessons.

On a related note, I can't tell you how many times someone asked me to give someone lessons. Family and friends always seemed to think that just because I was a guitar player in a gigging band that I must be able to teach it, as well.

Besides the fact that because I was in a gigging band and also had a young family I really didn't have the time to give lessons, there was no way I was capable of teaching very much beyond just basic stuff. Perhaps if I had taken formal lessons with an instructor, I might have been capable of giving lessons properly myself someday.

Thanks man.

I was leaning towards taking lessons because I agree with you, these punk kids are learning by taking lessons.

I've got access to the Lick Library collection. Pretty good stuff in there.

Thanks for that. I haven't had good luck with DVD/video stuff. Hard for me to follow.

I've had a lot of the same. I have to really bury my head into some of them. Course it always helps to hang around superior players to help with trouble spots. I love having the books with "band tracks" to play over and over again. You may have tried this, but I discovered a lot of solo lessons on youtube with speed breakdowns that have really helped. (long as you can get passed your anger at the 14 yr old prodigy teaching you). Then I just break down to sections and repeat, repeat, repeat. I keep my guitar on my lap while watching TV and do the same (also helps as you tend to play melodies you hear on TV which helps you play what you hear in your head) The stuff my big hands cant keep up with I cheat with oh so clever hammers and pull offs. ----Now I need to go practice....

If you have big hands, you're lucky. I have small hands and it makes everything more difficult.

LOL, you don't play lead for the same reason I don't play lead. Neither of us want to spend 2 hours a day hammering through scales all over the fret board until we know them like the back of our hand. That's really what lead is all about in my mind.

I used to spend quite a bit of time at it but I never really got "better".

That's why I'm leaning towards lessons - so that when I do spend 2 hours a day on it, I'm learning the RIGHT things.

Like, I can go to the gym and work out and lose weight. But if I consult with a personal trainer and have them put together a routine for me, I'll lose weight twice as fast.

It seems like that would be the case, but somehow it doesnt work for me. I'm great on stretch, but my fingers get all tangled up. If only my les Paul hadnt been stolen! little extra room there!

I've tried that and probably should. Problem I have is I know just enough to get bored and impatient. I just need to shut up and connect the dots. I always let it slide because I can sing, but its just my laziness not doing the work.