Looking for a lesson plan/curriculum to improve for lead guitar

generallee25

Hi folks,

I've been a guitar player since 1995, was big into indie bands (Bluetones, Stone Roses) at the time and never really progressed much past basic pentatonic playing in 2 or 3 positions. Of late I've started getting a bit of hankering to really try and improve my knowledge and my playing. I enjoy melodic rock and blues (Peter Green, Allman Brothers) and have been looking at this chap Seth Rosenbloom on Instagram whose sound I really like and who has inspired me to improve.

I don't really have time to commit to going to a guitar teacher, and I had one recently who was a bit unreliable anyway. I was wondering if anyone could suggest a kind of lesson plan/curriculum (e.g. lesson 1 the major scale, lesson 2 minor scale) so that I can improve my knowledge and my playing concurrently bit by bit. I have no idea where to go and to be honest I don't just want to pick videos at random on YouTube. I don't want to be Steve Vai or anything like that, just a bit more free on the fretboard, a bit more fluid in my playing. 

Any suggestions or guidance to anything that's already out there on Fretboard appreciated.

Thanks

Dan

Roland

You say that you don’t have the time to use a guitar teacher. You will however have to put in time. Little and often is more important than weekly or fortnightly lessons. Twenty minutes is more useful than two hours at the weekend?

Learn technique through learning actual solos. Every player has a slightly different way of constructing and playing solos. Use YouTube, but focus on particular solos rather than lesson plans or curricula. Pick a solo you want to learn. Watch a number of lessons on the solo from different players. You need to watch several because people have different teaching styles, some of which you might not like. They often use different fret positions and fingering. Some of them get it plain wrong. (For an example watch different lessons about Jeff Baxter’s solo in the Donna Summer version of Hot Stuff).

Approaching learning this Way will teach you lots of different ways of playing lead lines. Occasionally you’ll need to branch sideways to learn a specific technique or bit of theory. You will learn these in context, rather than focusing on technique but not how to use it.

viz

I also think Justin Sandercoe has done a great job of simplifying stuff, and he’s always music-led, not theory- or technique-led. Most of his stuff is free I think and he has lots of series of things, so you can advance, video by video. 

But if you REALLY want do do things in the right order, do the ABRSM theory grades 1-8. 

generallee25

Thanks guys. Roland - I do have time to practice, what I mean is that it's difficult to commit to a guitar teacher who's about as reliable as me at the moment

These are all helpful suggestions, I know about Justin's guitar videos on YouTube. Any suggestions of a list of basics I should aim to know to help me move out of the pentatonic trap? One of my first plans is to focus on Jessica by the Allman Brothers and learn major scales to help me improvise over that.

viz

generallee25 said:

Thanks guys. Roland - I do have time to practice, what I mean is that it's difficult to commit to a guitar teacher who's about as reliable as me at the moment

These are all helpful suggestions, I know about Justin's guitar videos on YouTube. Any suggestions of a list of basics I should aim to know to help me move out of the pentatonic trap? One of my first plans is to focus on Jessica by the Allman Brothers and learn major scales to help me improvise over that.

Yep, A major all the way through apart from that chord in the 2nd theme (G major) and the long scale (A dorian, which has the same notes as G major anyway)

But although those notes are your palette, obviously try at all costs to avoid thinking in a scales-led fashion. Try and play the musical melodies in your head - you will find they fit the palette anyway! And if they don’t, well you’ve just invented jazz 2.0

Barnezy

Can you do Skype lessons? 

I've recently started having them again and I've had more lightbulb moments in a few months than I have in a few years. 

A good teacher is invaluable.

Rocker

Play in a covers band.  This IMHO is the best way to learn how to play guitar.  You find out what you need to learn very quickly - intros, solos, fills etc.

Lestratcaster

I do Zoom lessons (and have been doing so for 4 months). Consistency and routine is the key. I usually do the minor/major pentatonics first as they're the easier ones to learn and then add major/natural minor/blues. Then stuff like arpeggios and modes, etc etc.

the_butler

Lessons from a good teacher is head & shoulders the best, easiest & quickest way, if you don't can't do this however, & want to play melodically I'd shy away from pentatonics & play arpeggio based ideas following the chords underneath, just start with root 3rd & 5ths when you have this in your ear add the 7ths & when you have this in your then add the other scale tones.

Learn the Major scale inside & out forwards & backwards & the chords that are built out of it.