String Joy 30 day challenge

I am not a finger picker, and don't want to be. I had a younger Instructor at the time, which I quit. He wanted me to try finger picking, I said no, I don't want to try that. I want to use a pick, well after a short time he wanted me to try Classical. I was paying him to teach me what I want, he seemed to have other ideas.

So at my next scheduled lesson, I told him I wouldn't be needing his services any longer..
 
Session 5 said:
I am not a finger picker, and don't want to be. I had a younger Instructor at the time, which I quit. He wanted me to try finger picking, I said no, I don't want to try that. I want to use a pick, well after a short time he wanted me to try Classical. I was paying him to teach me what I want, he seemed to have other ideas.

So at my next scheduled lesson, I told him I wouldn't be needing his services any longer..
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I’ve never taken lessons. I’m not bragging. I needed to. Learned too many bad habits I’ve had to unlearn in recent years. Like you. I use a flat pick. All I’ve ever used. I can also see some validity in learning some classical guitar. There are techniques learned that would have carry over into flat pickin’ rock and roll.

And there are some pretty big names that don’t use flat picks. Lindsey Buckingham, Derrick Trucks, Nils Lofgren. Just off the top of my head.

But yeah. Guy needed to teach you what you wanted to learn. Not what he wanted you to learn.
 
Yes , I am paying him to teach what I want. He wanted me to learn some classical stuff. I told him from the beginning I wanted to learn classic rock, but he was vey pushy for me to learn other music , not interested in the least .

Right after I left him, my Wife said you should give Rick ....... a call. Rick is well known in my city, Played in a working band for 20 years, plays in two local bands now , teaches at a local music school. Well he took me on, told him exactly that I wanted to play Classic Rock. He said to me that's right up his alley. Him and I hit it off right away, he is the same age as me.

He said Norm, you don't need an Instructor, you just need a Coach. He has asked me several times, to come play with him at open mic night, but I am not into the bar seen. As a matter of fact he just asked me again last week. I do gigs on my own, but since covid, I haven't done any in the last two years, but I still get calls to perform.

What I have learned from Rick, has been amazing, he is a great Coach and friend. He is also my Luthier..

I am thankful to my Wife, for leading me to Rick! And he doesn't fingerpick..;)
 
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Session 5 said:
Yes , I am paying him to teach what I want. He wanted me to learn some classical stuff. I told him from the beginning I wanted to learn classic rock, but he was vey pushy for me to learn other music , not interested in the least .

Right after I left him, my Wife said you should give Rick ....... a call. Rick is well known in my city, Played in a working band for 20 years, plays in two local bands now , teaches at a local music school. Well he took me on, told him exactly that I wanted to play Classic Rock. He said to me that's right up his alley. Him and I hit it off right away, he is the same age as me.

He said Norm, you don't need an Instructor, you just need a Coach. He has asked me several times, to come play with him at open mic night, but I am not into the bar seen. As a matter of fact he just asked me again last week. I do gigs on my own, but since covid, I haven't done any in the last two years, but I still get calls to perform.

What I have learned from Rick, has been amazing, he is a great Coach and friend. He is also my Luthier..

I am thankful to my Wife, for leading me to Rick! And he doesn't fingerpick..;)
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Totally agree. First guy was not the one. Sounds like the guy you have now is the right fit for you. And I like the word coach. Little known fact. Neil Peart used a coach (I think he referred to him as teacher) right up to the end. As good as he was, he was always striving to get better. And the thing about a teacher/coach. They hold you accountable. That’s what I missed out on with the self teaching.

As for finger style (picking), I actually do some. Pretty crappy at it and mostly when I play my acoustic. I’ve always wanted to do it better. But at the end of the day. I prefer the pick.
 
Don O said:
Pick you starting point:

2212221 221222
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I'm guessing no one got this? These are intervals. I remember the major scale with this "phone number":

221-2221

These are the intervals ( whole and half step) that make up the major scale. After I discovered that graphic above, it all makes sense that each of the modes are this same pattern (221-2221) with the 221222 added on. Each mode is just a different starting point, second mode Dorian starts on the second position, etc. What a light bulb moment.

Now I just gotta remember 221222 after the phone number and I can play all 7 modes anywhere on the neck.
 
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iblive said:
Totally agree. First guy was not the one. Sounds like the guy you have now is the right fit for you. And I like the word coach. Little known fact. Neil Peart used a coach (I think he referred to him as teacher) right up to the end. As good as he was, he was always striving to get better. And the thing about a teacher/coach. They hold you accountable. That’s what I missed out on with the self teaching.

As for finger style (picking), I actually do some. Pretty crappy at it and mostly when I play my acoustic. I’ve always wanted to do it better. But at the end of the day. I prefer the pick.
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Yes for sure, being taught by an Instructor is so important. They do hold you accountable like you say. It can be difficult to find that right fit for you. I was very discouraged after the 1st Instructor I had, to the point I wanted to quit. If It hadn't been for my Wife encouraging me to see Rick, I am sure I would have quit.

I see the importance,of those that wish to have lessons to be able to find that teacher, that will bring out the best in them , and it must be fun. Fun is one of the biggest factors in learning,
 
I’m actually having some fun “wandering” the modes. I want to skip ahead, but I won’t. I’ll stick with the program.
We are coming up on lesson 18. We are more than halfway to the end of this.
I feel I have benefited from this so far. I’ve learn a couple of things here and there. But I think most importantly it’s expanded my daily exercises. These “wandering” exercises are great. I am guilty of being that guy who runs the scales up and down, and basically doing nothing creative with them during those exercises.
This guy isn’t showing us anything new. He just got me out of that “practice the scale” mentality and into a “noodle the scale” frame of mind.
 
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