Feeling a bit lost

[u/Beamaway]

Hey guys,
I started playing electric guitar back in April, and I’m slowly realizing that I’m kind of missing a roadmap to follow.

I can play all the open chords, I have a basic understanding of the Circle of Fifths, and I know all the pentatonic shapes. I’ve also learned a few songs along the way.

But now I’m kind of stuck on what to work on next. There are just SO many different things you could learn that it’s honestly a bit overwhelming. I don’t really know what’s actually useful for me at this point and what I should maybe leave for later.

One thing that might be helpful to mention is that I absolutely love John Frusciante’s sound and playing style, so that’s kind of the direction I’m aiming for. I’m not trying to become a Frusciante clone or anything, but his way of playing is definitely a big inspiration for me.

One of my next goals would be to be able to move freely around the fretboard and actually know where I am instead of just relying on the shapes. But even there, I’m not really sure where or how to start.

So if anyone has some advice, a learning path, or maybe some exercises/resources they’d recommend, I’d really appreciate it!

Thanks in advance!

[u/ObviousDepartment744]

Learn songs. When you're self taught, you can't really go looking for hurdles to jump over, you need to experience them naturally.

Make a list of songs you want to learn, pick one and start learning it. If it is just too much of a struggle, give it a break and try a different one, then go back to the song that you struggled with later down the road.

If you learn songs you want to play, you will by default learn the techniques you need to play the music you like.

Then you can learn the theory behind them once the sound exists in your head, and is a part of your musical vocabulary.

[u/CyberRedhead27 → u/ObviousDepartment744]

This. The people that want to hear scales and chord shapes is very small :)

[u/KalMacBron → u/ObviousDepartment744]

agree 100% focus on learning a wide range of songs, most people want to hear songs and riffs and be entertained, not someone who can play a scale in different modes

[u/Longjumping_Dog_6936 → u/ObviousDepartment744]

this tracks. do you find that applies to theory heavy stuff too or mostly technique?

[u/ObviousDepartment744 → u/Longjumping_Dog_6936]

While you're learning the physical act of playing (technique) you are also hearing and internalizing what is happening in the song.

Trying to learn theory without knowing what its supposed to sound like in the context of a song is like being handed a grammar book and a dictionary and getting to learn a language before you can speak or read the language.

At least in the beginning, most people learn to speak a language by mimicking what they hear other people do. They build a basic vocabulary, learn the syntax of the language, and how to properly construct sentences all by mimicking others. Then, when there is a basic understanding of how to use the language then they start applying names to things by learning grammar.

Music theory is the same thing. Get a working knowledge of how to play music, and hear it, then learn what its called.

There are basic things you can learn to start out with though, like the musical alphabet and intervals. Through learning songs you'll by default learn some chords, and probably some scales though you might not have an understanding of how or why they work. But if you know the musical alphabet, and if you know all the notes of your fretboard, you will be able to start seeing how things kind of relate.

For me, I started by learning 100 songs. I printed off the TABs for 100 songs I wanted to learn. And I started learning them, bit by bit. I got through them in a few years. By the time I got to college where I majored in music composition, I hadn't studied music theory at all, but because I could play so much music, and I'd written a few albums, and jammed with other people in my band I had an understanding of the language. As a result music theory was simple for me, all I was really doing was learning the "correct" terminology for the things I had already figured out.

[u/mjs4x6]

Work on your ear. Learn how chords are constructed from the major scale. You should know the names of all the notes on your fretboard.

[u/The_Dead_See]

So for Frusciante style playing you're going to want to work on your blues and your funk. Start with blues because that's the gateway into most other genres anyway.

Rhythm is super important so put a big focus on that. I even recommend buying one of those cheap drum pads from Amazon and learning the rudiments.

Double stops will be a big part of your learning progress. I recommend learning Little Wing - it's a rite of passage.

Frusciante is a barre chord fiend, so get those into your practice routine early on. He often frets Hendrix style (thumb over top to fret the sixth string), and that gives him the freedom to embellish with his pinky and ring finger to get all that character in the riffs.

Fret hand muting is also a huge part of his style. You should be able to hit all six strings and only let the one or two you choose to ring out. This is a fairly advanced technique but it's good to get started on it early.

In terms of scales, the good news is Frusciante usually sticks to only Major, Minor, or pentatonics, and if you already know your pentatonic shapes that's great. But I challenge you to actually know them, rather than just memorize patterns. Like - can you play just the roots? just the 3rds? just the 5ths? can you play them forwards and backwards? from 6th string to 1st and from root to root? can you connect them diagonally? Can you hear the differences in tension and resolution between all the interval combinations? do you understand how they come out of the major scale? can you pick out the arpeggios and triads in them? do you understand how chord progressions come from them? etc.

Spend a whole week on each shape, figuring these things out. Five weeks and you'll understand music much better than you already do.

Most of all - relax and have fun, Frusciante isn't a technical wizard or a speed demon, he's a feeler, an emotional, rhythmic player, and that requires a certain level of being able to just hear what's coming out of the instrument and shape it to what's in your mind. Try really hard to "get in the pocket" and stay there. You can even practice this when just doing something as simple as drilling your scales - don't just go up and down the pattern, put some feeling into it and make it a beat.

[u/Beamaway → u/The_Dead_See]

Thanks for the brief breakdown of Frusciante. It’s really helpful to me. I’m sure I’ll come back to it a few times.

[u/dcamnc4143]

In my opinion, if you want to move freely around the fretboard, you REALLY need to know your note names. This opens up the board for you. Say you're in B, and you're playing a over a B-E vamp. To hop to any B (or E) you want, you need to know where they are on the board, and you need to know that info instantly. The chord roots are your baseline grounding notes, you can then transition from there to whatever interval/chord/scale/arpeggio/lick, you want. How else are you going to move around the board without knowing where you're going, and then applying the musical idea to that spot. Just imo.

[u/markewallace1966]

~~~

This is a link to a set of canned bullets that I have developed and like to send to new/new-ish/returning/wandering/lost/struggling guitar players.

If I pasted this in for you, it is because somewhere in there is something that I think is relevant to your post. Not all of it will be. I leave it to you to pick out what I felt was relevant.  🙂 Even the stuff not relevant to your specific post might very well be helpful eventually anyway.

Enjoy!!!

https://www.reddit.com/user/markewallace1966/comments/1s7ujsy/guitar_is_hard/

[u/Beamaway → u/markewallace1966]

Thank you very much for the list. I’ll definitely check it out.

[u/markewallace1966 → u/Beamaway]

You're very welcome.

[u/mrpoopnpee → u/markewallace1966]

That's an incredible resource.

[u/markewallace1966 → u/mrpoopnpee]

Thank you!

[u/rmagnuson]

Turn off the radio. Close your eyes. Listen for the music that sounds right to you. Figure out, without opening your eyes, where to put your fingers to get those sounds. Open your eyes, grab your guitar, work it out.

[u/Sss00099]

Sounds like you don’t play enough songs.

You can drill shapes and scales all you want, but if you’re not playing them in practical application (songs that you like), then you’re basically teaching yourself to be a boxed in robot.

Playing songs helps you master the fretboard better than any technical/theory stuff.

Play some songs from the genres you like, do some that focus on chords and some that focus on picking - it’ll help your development, and it will exponentially more fun than what your normal routine sounds like.

[u/Ok_Pineapple4015]

Learn caged,then triads and intervals. Learn to improvise.

[u/mrpoopnpee]

Well, John frusciante plays songs, right?

Maybe you could learn a couple of those.

Start learning under the bridge, and practice it until you're as smooth and fluid as the recording. I'll see you in 16 months

Literally just learn songs. Learn 25 songs this year, the way the artist really played it, and I guarantee you'll learn 1000 lessons, have 1000 questions, and you'll never feel lost like this again.

The problem is that you're so new to it that you don't even know how little you actually know.

An instrument is an entire world to learn, and you've just got your neighborhood memorized right now. Get in the car (learn songs) and go get lost somewhere in the USA (learn songs)

Learn songs

[u/theginjoints]

Learn more songs that excite you, come back to the theory

[u/toby_gray]

Well, it sounds like the next, albeit intimidating, bridge to cross is barre chords.

You’ve got your open chords. You’ve got some scales. Time to open up the fretboard with barres.

Also, as you’re starting to get a good base of skills down, one good bit of advice I’ve always found help is to try and learn new songs that are just outside of your current ability.

Can’t do hammer ons? Find a song that uses them. No good at 7 chords, try and find something they feature in. Maybe you can’t do palm muting well yet, try and learn some chuggy stuff. You get the idea.

The theory being that if you can play most of the song, it gives you something to laser focus on and improve while learning a song you actually like rather than just ‘whatever your teacher/online course said to learn’.

Structured learning is great, but it’s also good to try and push yourself by doing things outside of your comfort zone. If you only play things you can do comfortably, you’ll stop growing.

[u/Beamaway → u/toby_gray]

Then I’ll look for a few songs with some barre Chords.

Thank You very much

[u/The_Dead_See → u/Beamaway]

Space Oddity is a great song for practicing E shape barres.

[u/GeneralQuinthope]

Major Triads and improvising with pentatonic over chords, hitting the root note of the chord as the last note in a lick.

This is THE guide to music theory and guitar skills:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeS8txkoUH4&t=2s

Pick and choose as you want to, but listen to his justifications for learning each skill

[u/SleeplessInTulsa]

CAGED is the fretboard roadmap.

[u/raiderfan0855]

Scott West: Absolutely Understand Guitar, you tube Start there lots of your questions will be answered. I was same place on guitar ,where you are excatly. Now I am on to ear trainings. Completely helped my understanding of this wonderful instrument named guitar. Nothing fancy just straight crucial and essential understanding of the instrument. Opened my eyes wide open . Wishing well on your journey.

[u/Beamaway → u/raiderfan0855]

Thank you very much, I’ll definitely check it out.

[u/NorthCountry01]

Longtime teacher here.. if you’re just starting out you have to put the Jimi Hendrix headband in the drawer for a minute and get your basic chops down. Everyone wants to play like ____(famous player) day 1…they typically try to just mimic the bullet points of stuff written by master musicians, then hope that will make them good instead of going through the fundamental steps like everyone else did before them..

I’d say the ability to play some basic foundational rhythms is what you need to be officially on the road. This means holding down the chord changes in the open position with some common 8th not grooves. Don’t add in bar chords n licks right off the bat.. Nobody really can skip this step and be good. It’s where you develop timing, touch and how to hold down the pocket.

Nowadays most of the people who seek guidance are running around on the internet lost. Learning some scales, bar chords, alternate picking etc.. but couldn’t play basic cowboy chord changes all the way through a tune. Horse goes before the cart! There’s a lot of info out there but how to pull it all together and what/when etc is why I have work. Plus the guitar is laid out kinda gnarly too lol, so having a guide helps. Learn your open chords, strum through the changes and match up tunes like you’re a rhythm player in that ensemble. If you can rip through your cowboy chords in a few usable grooves then you can feel good about moving down the neck and diving into theory. Some free material posted on my profile🤙

[u/pocketfungus876]

Learn triads over your scales. Boom map of the fretboard.

[u/Jameson-Mc]

Learn Satellite by Dave Matthews Band