It is not too late to learn...

Rocker · July 2015

how to play songs/riffs/solos 'properly'.

A chance meeting with my guitar playing cousin, he happens to be a much better guitarist than me, and he reminded me that I had asked him on advice on how to play the intro to Johnny B Goode. So he sent me links to a few websites that show exactly how it is done. But his big bit of advice was to learn a few notes each day, to gradually extend the intro/solo until I had it all down. Down in my brain and down in my fingers. He suggested taking up to two months to be able to nail it. As I am not a gigging musician, there is no pressure to learn anything but this challenge is achievable.

In the last few days I made good progress with Johnny B Goode but find the slide double stop to be difficult. But I am getting better at it even if I thought I knew how to do it before. Knowing the theory is one thing, being able to do it is another!

Songs/solos etc that I hope to be able to play correctly before 2016 is out are:

Folsum Prison Blues by Jonny Cash

Parisienne Walkways by Gary Moore

Hotel California by The Eagles

Whiskey in the Jar by Thin Lizzy

Another brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd

Some or all of these I can 'sort of play' but I never got round to learning them as they were recorded. In other words learning them correctly. Not all my own fault as forty years ago there were few aids to learning the guitar in Ireland. And nobody gave guitar lessons, you picked it up from listening to the radio or a record. Or from friends. And they learned it from listening to the radio....

So suggestions for websites that would help me learn the above songs are appreciated. Thanks.