# Where to go from here?



## ryrylen (Nov 16, 2011)

I have been playing guitar now for 3 years. I've pretty much masterred the standard chords and can play quite a few songs now. But I don't really know what to do to advance further.
I took lessons for 2 years, but now I'm just on my own.
Any tips?


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

Two big things most people will tell you to do is listen to other musicians see if you can figure out what they are doing and jam with anyone who is willing to sit with you and play. play and listen like birds of a feather.


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## jeremy_green (Nov 10, 2010)

Play with others - as many as possible. 
Form a band (s)
Learn some new genres of music - study blues, jazz, country, latin, classical, whatever you can stand - blues for sure.
Sit down an define a list of goals you want from the instrument (be specific). Draw up a plan to help you get there. You don't know how - ask here.
Get a copy of Transcribe software and spend the next year or two learning songs ONLY by ear. As many as you can.. all the way through. Note for note.
Study Theory (go to a teacher and complete the Rudiments grades (one and two at least). Single best thing I ever did from a learning perspective)

"Mastered the standard chords" 
Huh??? Dude, not to be a goof, but I have been playing almost 30 years and I wouldn't dare make a claim like that. Grab a copy of Ted Greenes "Chord Chemistry" and then tell me if you still feel that way. There is SOOO much to learn inside the chords it is not funny. I wish I made this revelation earlier. Chords and Arpeggios are the shiz.


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## hummingway (Aug 4, 2011)

jeremy_green said:


> "Mastered the standard chords"
> Huh??? Dude, not to be a goof, but I have been playing almost 30 years and I wouldn't dare make a claim like that. Grab a copy of Ted Greenes "Chord Chemistry" and then tell me if you still feel that way. There is SOOO much to learn inside the chords it is not funny. I wish I made this revelation earlier. Chords and Arpeggios are the shiz.


I bought a copy of Greene's book in '72 when it first came out and I still have it! It's a great book.

To the OP: Where you go next with it may depend on the type of music you play or want to play and what you see yourself doing with it.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

More songs....


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## ryrylen (Nov 16, 2011)

Thanks for the tips.

And "masterred" was the wrong word. I guess I should have just said learned.


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## jeremy_green (Nov 10, 2010)

I know you didn't mean "mastered", I was being dramatic to make a point.

Often with guitar people fail to mine all the gold out of things they already know. You need to dig deeper into those areas and make sure you own them. For instance I "mastered" the major scale over 20 years ago.... yet to this day I still find new ways to play the damn thing! 

Same with chords.... chords are even worse because there are so many different fingerings. Each one yields new note clusters and timbres. Remember too that every chord you learn is also an arpeggio. So the more fingerings you know of each chord - you are slowly piece by piece mastering the neck wide arpeggio.

Players move on FAR too quick. I should be able to name any song you know and say "Play this ONLY in the 5th position" go! and you should be able to do a rendering of it.... then the 7th position - GO.. I suspect you may not be able to do this. You should, so if you can't spend the time on it.

Sayin?


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## Lil'Demon (May 3, 2011)

I agree with learning other genres of music. The blues is a great starter, as it relies on a simple framework. Definitely learn more music theory. It makes all the difference between simply memorizing things and knowing why and how something works.


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## Guest (Nov 30, 2011)

Dig into the "C A G E D" system for the Dorian scale. Google will get you going.

It uses the open chord names as a reference to the bar chords that are formed from the open chord shapes. Example: The open E chord barred at the 5th fret is the A chord. This would be an E form A chord. 
*C* form A = 9th fret
*A* form A = 12th fret
*G* form A = 2nd fret
*E* form A = 5th fret
*D* form A = 7th fret

For each CAGED position there are scales and arpeggios. I suggest you start with the Dorian scales.

PS- just writing this out made me think. If I have something wrong please let me know!


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