How Did You Learn to Play Guitar (Scales/Box Patterns etc.)?

[rodeo_joel]

Hey folks,

i've been noodling around a lot lately, trying to expand my tele prowess and i got to thinking about how other folks learned what i'm, apparently, in the midst of learning now.

Did anybody here study box patterns?
scales/modes?
did you take lessons?
did you read music notation and/or other music theory?
or did you simply listen to music and snatch licks and riffs from here and there?

i'm sort of working through box patters and scales at the same time, trying to map out my fretboard in more depth so i can move around more and become more versatile. I'm studying music here at college, so its sort of got a bit to do with my studies, hehe. They want me to learn to read notation (heh, that's a good one...). Not that i don't think its a good idea, i just know it'll be hard for me as an 'ear' learner.

So ya, i'd love to hear as many sides of your guys's stories as possible

Cheers!
Joel

[viking]

Like many people before me , I started out trying to play what I heard others do. I made-up my own patterns , and found out what I could do , based on playing blues in different keys .

I still think a bit like this while playing , sometimes its a blessing, sometimes it limits my playing.
After a few years a local jazz cat ( now a very global jazz cat , btw!)
showed me some scales and pointed me in a different direction , and that helped me a lot.

Only problem was that I suddenly found out all that I had found out myself , was hidden in the scales anyway, only it required the use of the correct fingers !
Even after all these years , I sometimes screw up and use the wrong fingering , so I have to do something different to what I wanted to next!

My 17 yo son , is really progressing as a player , and I have made sure he knows certain things from the start , uses his pinky etc. Other than that I stay away as much as possible. He doesnt need to learn any of my hack " techniques" , and with all the on-line help he can get these days , Im only watching his progress in the background .

We play together sometimes off course , and Im very proud of him.....MAN , he is gonna be a great player !

[tonebender]

Hey Joel, your in calgary right? Do you know of Cory Bitner? He is an amazing guitar teacher (and player). I did take some lessons from him and some was scales / modes and learning different fingerings for triads and such. I didn't think of him as much as a tele player or country player till I heard him pull off some of Vince Gil's songs that he was working on for stampede. Sounds like you are already taking music but if you ever want some outside input himself and Andrew Gingrich are great guys to learn from.

http://www.corybitner.com/

[Paul in Colorado]

For me, a self-taught player, I learned chords. I worked out of songbooks to learn songs and started learning common patterns. Then I figured out a few simple solos and noticed common threads. I aslo started picking out melodies. Then someone taught me a few scales. A classical player I met taught me some figerings using all of my fingers so I use my pinky a lot. Most of my soloing comes out of scales and melodies rather then the "blues box." It's only in the past few years that I've really started using those patterns. Suddenly I discovered all of those rock and blues licks I never quite played right. I'm still learning this stuff. It never ends.

Another helpful study was to learn major and minor chords all over the neck. Three note chords on the top three strings, then four note chords on the four top strings and middle four strings. Did I mention that I like playing rhythm and songs?

[Buckocaster51]

The Buck Owens Learn How to Play Guitar Book.

Really.

[beep.click]

I learned a lot of stuff in a lot of different places and ways. You pick up concepts all over the place.

Broadly, I'd say I learned ABOUT music in school and various books. Frankly, it wasn't all that helpful, except for the practice, and giving me a vocabulary to talk with other musicians (sometimes).

I REALLY learned how to play music by PLAYING SONGS. Not by practicing exercises; by PLAYING SONGS.

[rodeo_joel]

Originally Posted by tonebender

Hey Joel, your in calgary right? Do you know of Cory Bitner? He is an amazing guitar teacher (and player). I did take some lessons from him and some was scales / modes and learning different fingerings for triads and such. I didn't think of him as much as a tele player or country player till I heard him pull off some of Vince Gil's songs that he was working on for stampede. Sounds like you are already taking music but if you ever want some outside input himself and Andrew Gingrich are great guys to learn from.

http://www.corybitner.com/

Hey man, ya i'm from Calgary! Where are you at? I'm living right at the school dorms, we're on the south corner of 17th Ave. and 69th St.

I've never heard of this fellow you mention, but if he's another local guitar enthusiast i'd love to meet him sometime. I'm sure there's some other local TDPRI'ers in Calgary or the area, we should get together and have a jam sometime, or at least get together for a drink.

Originally Posted by beep.click

I learned a lot of stuff in a lot of different places and ways. You pick up concepts all over the place.

Broadly, I'd say I learned ABOUT music in school and various books. Frankly, it wasn't all that helpful, except for the practice, and giving me a vocabulary to talk with other musicians (sometimes).

I REALLY learned how to play music by PLAYING SONGS. Not by practicing exercises; by PLAYING SONGS

I've discovered that i'm learning more and becoming a better player because of the free time that studying as a musician allots me. My schedules are pretty slack, and as a result i've got a lot of time to sit around, noodle and make up riffs to help me broaden my use of the neck. But don't get me wrong, the stuff i learn in school helps fill in the gaps. Music theory etc., especially having teachers/fellow students to jam with. Its all a worthwhile experience to me. I'm enjoying it quite thoroughly

Cheers!
~Joel~

[Fatmanstratman]

What? Doesn't EVERYBODY learn from the great man himself? "Play in a Day?".....
.
.
...................
.
.
Just kidding!....

I don't read much notation (too lazy at school - I bitterly regret it), so I taught myself to play by learning all the nut chord patterns with the help of this book:



The only thing about playing by ear is that you need to know what the tune SOUNDS like to start with, and I guess I knew just about all The Beatles songs.

Over the years, I learned most of the chord positions up the neck using barre chords (boy, does that "unlock" things!), and then started playing around with some lead stuff (pentatonic mainly). I've played a lot of different scales, but never found a teacher who can transfer all this knowledge into that magic moment when you suddenly say "Ahhhh! NOW I get it!".

FWIW, a friend who plays pro once said to me that he wouldn't teach me any more until I learned EVERY note on the fingerboard; he said "How can you play your instrument if you don't know all the available notes?". Y'know what.... I'm SO lazy I still can't name them to this day. I'd sooner just pick up my Tele and play it. And THAT is why I never seem to improve....

[Steve G]

Originally Posted by rodeo_joel

Did anybody here study box patterns?
Yes, learned a lot of pentatonic and major/minor positions. Played them for so long that even a trained monkey would have learned how to use them by now. (Trial and lots of error!)
scales/modes?
see above
did you take lessons?
No, but I probably should have.
did you read music notation and/or other music theory?
Im self taught and read simple notation very slowly, have a basic understanding of harmony
or did you simply listen to music and snatch licks and riffs from here and there?
YES! Constantly! Just listen a lot...

In all seriousness I think the best thing to do is approach it from any angle you can, read, play, listen, experiment, take lessons. It'll all help a little... and eventually...

[Steve G]

Originally Posted by Fatmanstratman

What? Doesn't EVERYBODY learn from the great man himself? "Play in a Day?".....
.
.
...................
.
.
Just kidding!....

I don't read much notation (too lazy at school - I bitterly regret it), so I taught myself to play by learning all the nut chord patterns with the help of this book:



The only thing about playing by ear is that you need to know what the tune SOUNDS like to start with, and I guess I knew just about all The Beatles songs.

Over the years, I learned most of the chord positions up the neck using barre chords (boy, does that "unlock" things!), and then started playing around with some lead stuff (pentatonic mainly). I've played a lot of different scales, but never found a teacher who can transfer all this knowledge into that magic moment when you suddenly say "Ahhhh! NOW I get it!".

FWIW, a friend who plays pro once said to me that he wouldn't teach me any more until I learned EVERY note on the fingerboard; he said "How can you play your instrument if you don't know all the available notes?". Y'know what.... I'm SO lazy I still can't name them to this day. I'd sooner just pick up my Tele and play it. And THAT is why I never seem to improve....

Thats a great book, that Beatles book.

[Scotland]

I'm completely self taught, can't even read tab. I listen to something then play it. I instinctively know if something sounds wrong.
I do feel I must be missing out on loads by not studying it but I improvise a lot and that has created my own style.
I once played in a band that the other guitarist could play any solo perfectly and get the same sound...ask him to improvise though and he was completely lost.

[byrdbrain]

It started with an open D chord and noodling around that pattern,
"discovering" the major scale and applying it to my favourite records.
I recently found out about the CAGED system, which I sort of stumbled
upon by accident all those years ago.
I think of everything in major scale terms, don't even know what a blues box is,
though I probably use them from time to time.

[mickg]

Well I took lessons when I was about 7 or 8 but was sent home with a note saying "he's not practicing so don't waste any more money" so the lessons stopped. I think now that the 60 year old lady who was teaching me to play polly wolly doodle and such just didnt inspire me, or I was just lazy. I took it up again when I was about 13 or so then had some classical lessons. The theory and such I picked up there has been invaluable over the years. I continued to teach myself through Bob Dylan books and songs and then, when I left home at about 16 I moved in with a blues band. that was the beginning of really playing. Since then i'm mainly self taught and friend taught. I have played professionally since age 15 - wow I was crap then in a little italian pizza restaurant. Picked up, and still picking up so much from all of the great musos I have been privelaged to play with over the years. Mainly countrsy and blues nowdays.

[GuloGulo]

I don't know too many scales. Being an ear player like Gatton was, I kind of like only know really basic scales. I've tried to memorize some with a scale book but I forget them. So I figure if you can figure out a pattern it applies anywhere. If you the first 12 frets then you got it.

[Mr.Reed]

Picked it up, hit a note. All down hill from there. Needless to say, I learned reading music in middle school. I felt that, that puts me a far step in front any person that doesn't have it. They normally can't communicate their ideas as well. Also had 2.5 years of lessons (late high school), got a good direction and started walking... Since then I've been wandering all over the place, just learning whatever I can get a hold of. I know probably 3 songs, but I hear a lot that I'm a good player, so I must be doing something right.

[Verne Bunsen]

I grew up listening to my dad play solo fingerstyle, lots of Leo Kottke and the like. Thats what I wanted to learn and thats where I got my feet wet. Forget Mary Had a Little Lamb, grab The Fisherman and get learning! I stuck with it quite faithfully because I wasn't learning little drills or memorizing the fretboard alphabet, I was learning tunes I could impress chicks with! I never received much "formal" training, although I did have some excellent mentors who helped me along the way. Mostly though I just played stuff I liked and the learning part happened naturally. 15 years later I'd flatter myself to say I know my way around a geetar purdy good. And I'm not ashamed to say that I think box pattern scales are the absolute bee's knees. If it's good enough for Zakk it's good enough for me. I think Neil Young put it best, I don't have the exact quote handy but basically he said "Quit studying the guitar and start playing it!!"

[jefrs]

Initially - Bert Weedon's "Play In A Day", how else?

On the obligatory cheap plywood chinese acoustic with three inch action.

Later I had some lessons, first on violin but didn't like the teacher and 'polly wolly' repertoire, then classical guitar for a couple of years, then self taught.

Learn the notation even if you can never play by sight reading, learn piano notation so you get both clefs (bass too). Tab is quite often wrong (published score is often wrong too).

Learn the scales. Major and minor(s). Learn the boxes and how to move between them. Chromatic notes, where are they?

Learn the chords, all the way up the neck, learn those three and four string jazz chords. How to move from one chord to another without performing gymnastics or growing another finger.

Learn another instrument or two e,g, keyboard/midi controller.

Listen to all the music.

Play with other players!

Practice.

Have a little patience and don't stop learning, it doesn't end.

[smoke]

I am in the extreme minority because I never learned 'boxes'. My first teacher was a maniac. We never learned 'licks'. He never had me learn 'boxes' because he found them limiting. He had me learn major scales starting from the lowest possible note, shifting up the neck at various times to the highest possible note. It helped me early on realize that there are no 'boxes'. The neck is one continuous whole. It was a massive amount of work (still is), but I see the benefit now, 20 years later. It is a great way to learn more about how the neck is connected.

[tele salivas]

I went to Catholic grade school in St. Louis, and Kasten House of Music would send instructors around to teach a group of us open chords to play songs in church..I was 8 yrs old...then we moved to another neiborhood and the guitar was put on a shelf for about 5 years...Kasten House of Music comes around again just as I'm getting into CCR, hendrix and Black Sabbath, now they are teaching pop tunes as well and the instructor they send over is a real hot stoner type girl who wears tight slacks and real low cut silk blouses, I learned the crap out of 99 Red Balloons...

[HighTower]

Originally Posted by tele salivas

and the instructor they send over is a real hot stoner type girl who wears tight slacks and real low cut silk blouses, I learned the crap out of 99 Red Balloons...

How were you able to concentrate on the fretboard? That would be very distracting