I feel like I am spinning my wheels...

This is not due to any of the instruction and I have definitely learned to correct some bad habits but I finally (with a new job) am able to dedicate true time to practice and developing the weaker parts of my playing. My question (and maybe some others have)...I know all my basic open chords, as well as bare chords along 6th and 5th strings to include minor and 7th shapings for them. Chord changes, shapings and voicings at different locations are something I practice regularly. Sometimes for 20-30 minutes, sometimes for 3 to 4 hours, just however I am feeling. Individual finger dexterity, scales (major, minor, blues, chromatic) and speed and confidence with these as well as learning the fretboard as a whole are necessities as well. I am more confused as to if I should simply begin at step one in Beginning Fundamentals 1 and go through everything or if there are suggestions for lessons I should focus on while keeping up with the things I have already learned? I only ask because with some of the things, I find it very hard to focus (i.e., learning the open chords) while my mind is drifting more to those things I know I am struggling in. Any help, from students or instructors, in how to atack my lessons would be welcome. Best regards to all who reply.

-Michael

Hi Michael,

I am very much a student here. But since you asked:

Two things hit me in your post:

1) New job.

2) Hard to focus.

I would not mizimize a new job.

On the hard to focus it sounds like you are bored with what you are working on meaning it is not challenging enough for you. From experience - this can have 1 of 2 causes:

1) the person is delusional

2) the work load is insuffecient and they have lost interest.

I assume in your case it is the 2cnd.

I think for all of us, no matter how old we are or how much experience we have, it is important that we have a goal in mind. And our goals will not be the same. There is no right or wrong, this is entirely personal.

I have my goals and they keep me focussed and motivated. Have you thought about why you play guitar and what you want out of it? That should lead you to were you need to be.

Best of luck!

Originally Posted by: mdrose725

This is not due to any of the instruction and I have definitely learned to correct some bad habits but I finally (with a new job) am able to dedicate true time to practice and developing the weaker parts of my playing. My question (and maybe some others have)...I know all my basic open chords, as well as bare chords along 6th and 5th strings to include minor and 7th shapings for them. Chord changes, shapings and voicings at different locations are something I practice regularly. Sometimes for 20-30 minutes, sometimes for 3 to 4 hours, just however I am feeling. Individual finger dexterity, scales (major, minor, blues, chromatic) and speed and confidence with these as well as learning the fretboard as a whole are necessities as well. I am more confused as to if I should simply begin at step one in Beginning Fundamentals 1 and go through everything or if there are suggestions for lessons I should focus on while keeping up with the things I have already learned? I only ask because with some of the things, I find it very hard to focus (i.e., learning the open chords) while my mind is drifting more to those things I know I am struggling in. Any help, from students or instructors, in how to atack my lessons would be welcome. Best regards to all who reply.

-Michael

GF I is going to get you through your basic open chords and effcient changing between them. Sounds to me like you are already there, so I don't know that GF I will be very beneficial to you Maybe jump into GF II and also work up some songs to keep from getting bored?

My availablity to practice sounds much like yours and I also tend to meander a a bit. I have learned (accepted) to call this my "creative" time. Sometimes it is fruitful (I have the begginings of some interesting riffs worked up), sometimes the only thing to show for it is having my fingers on the fretboard for a while!

Regardless, I try to hit a couple of GT lessons, some scales, and work on a couple of sections of songs each session. I try to limit my "creative" time, but I can start to meander at any time! When I do, it means I was probably getting bored with whatever lesson, scale or song I was on, and so I just move to the the next thing on my list when I am finally able to re-focus.

Fortunately, I love playing scales, and this has been immensely beneficial to my progress as you can well imagine.

Sorry to digress - or should I say meander :-) , but I think from re-reading your post that your are ready for GF II.