I wanted some time with your lessons....scales and 1-4-5 before giving you some feedback. I am a 60 yr old guy who has been playing music since the age of 5. Was coerced by my mom at the age of 5 to take piano lessons... we moved and I resumed the piano with another teacher and quickly asserted my independence and took up a serious 12 yr study of the trumpet.... weekly private lessons, jazz, classical, marching band, all that stuff... auditioned for the college orchestra at the age of 15 and for the audition we had to sight read orchestral trumpet parts and transpose them on the fly...boy that was stressful!! Anyway, I made the orchestra... auditioned for a jazz band that involved a month in the woods of Maine and we played at the resorts.. Played in a soul band for years while in high school.... total trumpet immersion..,
I picked up the guitar along the way and never had any instruction... I know you mentioned you were a trumpet player in your earlier days and you know what a demanding mistress the trumpet is... I couldn't take a day off of practicing for 12 yrs or at the least I would bring my mouth piece with me on family vacations..... while in grad school in North Carolina... 1977, I picked up the guitar and have been pretty focused on that since that time... after teaching myself out of a book and jamming along with records I quickly joined a band and off I went.... even after more than 30yrs I never had any "lights come on" in terms of my theory that I learned many times over the years.... it just never made a whole lot of sense... mainly memorized positions... but again I have always conceptualized theory through the piano... it is so linear that it makes sense to me...
Recently a friend was in bad times and offered me his guitar at a great price... Epiphone Les Paul.... been playing a strat... so I primarily wanted to help out the friend but started playing the new acquisition and decided to take on a more serious study of the guitar... this is where you come in.
I started with your scales course and have spent a good bit of time working on those.... your method and written material have been excellent for me!! Your pace and explanations are great and visuals are most helpful. Last night I had a friend over and we started jamming and guess what??? THE LIGHTS WENT ON!! Your scale instruction came through like a CHAMP. I have never been shy about improvising but in just a few weeks of studying your course, I was playing at a whole different level and wasn't just faking it!!! The use of my fingers was so much more efficient and clearly the knowledge of the scales gave me so much more in terms of tools and knowledge to work with!!! By the end of one 20 min jam the adrenaline was pumping through me and I have never played so well and felt so satisfied on the guitar in my life!! Your lessons clearly helped me accomplish this wonderful experience... THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
I purchased your 1-4-5 and have watched the first 50 minutes and think it is a good theory for guitar but so far I haven't learned much new stuff... I do think that the remaining lesson will prove helpful.
Again, I can't thank you enough for helping me turn on the "light".
That was great.Thanks for the info
Helpful info Thanks
I like the way you take the time to explain things…….
not in a overbearing attitude…..like other online teachers
I don`t want to call out any names (claude johnson) BUT…..
THANK YOU…..WALT…
Wal of the`RAPIDS` `CEDAR`that is………..
LATERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Right on my guitar playing brother….It IS DEFINITELY appreciated when someone takes the time and remembers that we are students trying to learn. Some teachers approach lessons like they are showing someone in their band how to play a riff…they forgot who their audience is.
Yes this is great stuff thanks so much for your tips and is so appreciated …the scale would be great to look at and pratice…thanks dude
Thanks John, now i know what i could do with the key of E Pentatonic Scale.I just couldn’t register it in my mind
before. Thanks for your perspective
Gregory Wilson
John,
my name is Angie Randall, i ordered NEW Blues Turnarounds DVD on the 1th of March. As of the 20th now it has not arrived yet
order reference: 46885/ 2889764395
date and time of pymt: 03/13/2010 10:32:39
29.95
i have been learning a lot with your riffs and Really wish I could afford your Guitar ScalePatterns book an DVD but i’m headed for a major surjery an live on disability pay so unless you have a spar on for someone really in need i’ll have to wait.
thanks for youf your time
Angie Randall
I would assume you’ve seen or heard of Fretboard Logic. How does your system differ?
Hi Eric,
I hadn’t actually heard of Fretboard Logic until you mentioned it, but a quick Google search told me a little about it. It appears their course is far more in depth than what I’ve done here… Although my lesson would be in agreement with theirs, from what I’ve read theirs is more complex and comprehensive. I’ve really focused on giving people a few patterns and the understanding required to really make use of them in their playing, without diving into all the background. Hope that helps.
Thanks, Eric, I have your fretboard in the key of E and it is really putting some things togeather for me. Also, the quick access to the notes and where they are was awsome, it has been explained to me many times but either your method finally caught my attention of I finally get it. hehe
I am 67 years old and have been studying Guitar for three pluss years. I do like your techniques and will keep a watch on what you are offering. Gene
Very simple and to the point. The problem with a lot of guitar scale instruction is they are so confusing. You do a great job of keeping it simple.
Ed
this didnt teach me a thing, i think its funny how all your comments are good. lets see if mine makes it
CLEAR.
No Tricks and not Over Produced.
Really nice Improv “noodle”, Sir
(and fine timbre from the D-28HD, too).
Compliments,
jte
THANKS! I was reading about relative and parallel minor scales today and I’m still a bit confused. But hearing/seeing someone who knows is sweet.
What is common about the shapes?
What gives us the ‘ok’ to connect the shapes?
Hi Mark – you can move that whole pattern around anywhere you want. The thing that is ‘common’ between everything is really the spacing between the strings, and the spacing between the notes in the scale. Due to that, the same pattern can be played anywhere on the guitar and you’ll get a scale out of it… the only difference being that your root note determines which key you’re playing in.
I enjoyed this etude.
Would it be possible for you to generate a graphic of the run on the fretboard.
That would be helpful for me and possibly others.
Thank you.
Hi Rafe, I do have a cheat sheet that shows the pentatonic run, but I’ve only made that available for members. Cheers.
Great lesson. This will help us beginners maintain our excitement by expanding our abilities in moving up and down the fretboard. You reference getting a cheat sheet on your site. I cannot find it. Please help- I want to nail this NOW!
Nick
Hi Nick – you can see it in the posts near the top right of the page – or click here:
https://courses.playguitar.com/gsp-cheat-sheet/
Finally, I found the information I was looking for. I have been doing research on this subject, and for two days I keep finding websites that are supposed to have what I’m searching for, only to be disappointed with the lack of what I had to have. I wish I could have found your website sooner! I had about 30% of what I needed and your site has that, and the rest of what I need to finish my research. Thank you and keep up the good work!
i am not an advanced player by any means but for those of you that who have just learned this pattern i recommend the following…. buy a tape recorder. learn a few chords that go together- whether they’re open position chords or barred. play these chords over and over and over again while taping. then playback the tape and with your guitar play the scale pattern over the top of it. you will have to move your “starting position” around until your in the right key- you’ll hear it! doesnt matter what set of chords you use- this pattern will work with them somewhere on the fretboard! and it actually sounds like i’m making some kind of music-thanks Johnathan