Let’s say you really want to play a song – any song will do but let’s pick Stevie Ray’s “Pride & Joy” as an example.
But right now, you don’t play very well. You can’t play any songs at all.
So you spend the next 3 months hunched over the TAB and Youtube videos until you’ve learned all the notes to Pride & Joy.
You feel great now, right?
Probably not – it’s not going to sound very good.
But let’s say that instead of spending 3 months trying to learn “Pride & Joy” (which is probably too hard of a song to start with anyway… but I digress) you instead spend 3 months learning a few common chord voicings, some common rhythm and strumming patterns, and a couple of lead patterns.
You spend a little time each day focusing on your technique, and a little time each day focusing on the building blocks of guitar playing and blues playing specifically.
When you’re done with that 3 months, you decide to go back and learn “Pride & Joy,” but this time you discover that you’re able to learn it in 2 days instead of 3 months.
And not only does it sound better, but you realize that you can also play “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Guitar Hurricane,” “Mary Had A Little Lamb,” “Purple Haze,” “Born Under A Bad Sign,” “I’m Tore Down,” and a bunch of other tunes without too much additional trouble.
So using the “direct route” you learned 1 song in 3 months. Using the “roundabout” way, you learned 12 songs in 3 months and a week.
More importantly – in 6 months you’ve learned 20 more songs instead of 2 songs.
Now I’m not against learning songs – quite the contrary as I’m all for it. I think it’s a big part of learning to play and you should devote some time to it every day once the basics are down.
But if you don’t have those basics, those fundamentals, and you’re just going for gold right off the bat, you’re really setting yourself up for some disappointment. And if there’s one thing I’ve seen that takes people from playing their guitars to using them as closet decor, it’s frustration.
Think about some of the things you need to know in order to actually play a song like it sounds on the record:
- Chords – you need to be able to play all of the chords in the song. If you don’t know some of them, you’ll have to learn them.
- Scales (or melodic lines of some sort) – If there are melodies or lead lines, they all come from scales and will require your ability to play single notes to be up to par
- Rhythm – you have to be able to play along with other people or the recording. If you can’t play in time that’s going to be a problem
- Dynamics – you have to be comfortable playing this stuff or it won’t sound good. If it’s forced, it’ll sound forced. Just looking up how to play an E7#9 chord won’t make it so that you can play it easily on command. You’ll have to give it some time to sink it.
Do you feel comfortable playing most any chord that comes along? If not, obviously you’ll need to get that way…
Do you know what scales are likely to be used when trying to learn the solos? Can you play them comfortably?
I realize that everyone wants to learn songs, I was the same way…
But in my own learning journey I discovered quickly that trying to learn songs first wasn’t going to help me be a guitar player, it was only going to help me play a single song…
In the years since I’ve learned the basics, I’ve learned thousands of songs, and if I need more I can usually learn them within an hour or less.
Take your time and learn the basics, the building blocks, first. Any of my “Unleashed” courses will have those things for you.
Griff
19 replies to "Learning Guitar The Roundabout Way…"
Great advice, Griff, as always. You have made learning much easier and more fun than any other instructor I know or have watched.
It doesn’t matter what stage you’re at, it always applies. I totally agree, Griff. Right now, after a life time of playing by ear, I now have to apply some theory and it ain’t easy! Just trying to get my head around things like half-step diminished scales and runs is not easy. but what an adventure! I have always tried to be a life-long learner and this kind of thing gives me lot of satisfaction, tho’ it does do my head in sometimes!. Thanks for all your great videos. and courses You are a first class teacher and player!.
Thanks Griff,as usual a great lesson,I look forward to every one.
Wow Griff along with the “if you can’t hum it you can’t play it” this is the best lesson you have put out. I also like the play without a pick for a day advice, or if you play with fingers play with a pick. Always when tuning start from below and bring a string up to pitch. Stuff that new players need to learn. Ty Griff
Thanks Griff for putting that out there for us new bgu members.
Simply put – just plain good advice. Thanks for contributing to the growth of my guitar pickin’ and playing.
– Bill
Well said Griff, your comments are 110% correct. Nothing else to say!
Very good advice. Thanks Griff.
This is me Griff!!you have described me in one email…I’m stuck in a rut,I sure that I’m tone def.Although I can play most basic chords.I need a system or structure to practice daily.I find it heard to recognise chords on the radio or cd straight up..but when I’m just sittin around doing chord shapes (very slowly) in no particular order I might recognize a song or chord turnaround.Then spend Most of the night/week trying to get the rhythm down (unsuccessfully).Feeling very frustrated but its still heaps of fun trying.
Hi Griff, I am 69 and play in a duo playing 50’s, 60’s and 70’s music, but everything I have learned is by coping other guitarists. I purchased your “Blues Guitar Unleashed” recently and I am slowly working through it. I am learning chords I have never used and theory I never knew. I find I can spend anything from 15 minutes to 30 minutes learning, which makes it enjoyable. I love your style of teaching and I am enthused and revitalised. Thank you.
Wow that struck a chord with me. (that was me 35 years ago) I am now 12 months in to being a born again guitarist after a 35 year break due to frustration and “I’ll never get the hang of this, I must be tone deaf” syndrome. Now I am more structured in my aproach, I am focusing on the blues and the building block principle, Its great and I am making progress (very modestly of course) but best of all I am enjoying it. Learning is now great fun and the frustration has gone, I know believe I am on the right track. I have so much time to make up for, I have wasted 35 years because I didn’t understand. Griff you are magic
Kind Regards
Martin
hey griff
Thanks, thank you and thanks again. Another great comment and as usual, another progressive peice of advice. i ‘m playing with light’in now…. the texas bluesman…. great jaming album…..
Gosh and Holy Gosh….Griff , you have helped colour in the blurrry spots on my musical journey into the blue.
I’m lov’in it.
Thanks Griff. I’ve been playing for 12 years now without a lesson. I play every day and enjoy your insight and lessons. For Christmas my wife bought me a Taylor 814ce tobacco burst. Yes, I’m lucky. Thanks agian for everything Griff.
I piidled around with the guitar for years and never really learned anything that was useful. I have now had Blues Guitar Unleashed for 2 months and can honestly tell you that It will change how you play and how you approach new songs. I literally mastered the Albert Collins solo included with Blues Guitar Unleashed in less than 30 minutes, and it actually sounds good. I have learned that it is not hard to learn the guitar if you have the right teacher breaking down the fundamentals and teaching you the right way from the beginning. Griff’s course is truly worth 5X what I paid for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Once again,your spot on.Most youtube videos DON”t show you the whole song so you only end up learning (actually just copying) only the main riff.When your done you may be able to put your fingers where the instructor showed you,but you won”t know WHY.I”m guilty as charged.Have learned parts of lots of songs,but can’t play one through.So with that being said,I have to get back to learning the neck.Where the notes are,learn scales and chords,and when I need a distraction,learn the main riff to a Joe bonamassa song etc…just to break up the day.Thanks Griff for stating the obvious once again. kevin
Good message! No, make that a GREAT message and one I personally learned the hard way. Love your e-mails Griff. Very helpful. I’m still learning and have a better attitude thanks to you.
Mark Weber
I also agree with your basic premise, and I also think you should be working on songs all along. I’ll say why: The biggest trick is to make yourself practice, and to do that, something about practice has to be fun. One way I do it is to work at stuff I need to work on first – say practicing a scale or a mode, then afterwards, I reward myself with playing some music. Even playing two strings I can show someone how to make a rudimentary bit of music in just a few minutes. It is the joy of making music that it is all about. I would agree that you have to start simple – don’t try and make “Classical Gas” your first song, but there are still things you can do to sound musical no matter how much of a beginner one is. I am afraid that few people have the self-discipline to work for months at preparing to make music. I don’t know, maybe it is just me – but I suspect that a lot of people are like me.
Griff I took your advise about learning the notes on the fret board and it truly does open doors. I have been working on it everyday because of the rapid progress in my ability to go to the correct next note even if I’m doodling or practicing some riff.
Thanks for the good advise.
I agree with your basic premise, but I think I went about the whole thing too far in the complete opposite way — I learned too many chords, scales and fragments and no songs for the longest time. I think it is important to learn some basic things and then some complete songs that use those basics and work up from there.