mikedodge

I was given your name by Rick Forberg. I've been looking for a place to learn - advance. Here's my background.

I started - acoustic at age 16. (For about a year) learned all the open chords - some basic strumming etc. There was no internet back then. (I'm not 51) so being able to get tabs or to continue learning was tough. Also trying to barre chords on a cheap acoustic isn't fun at all! - Found girls! - lost direction with guitar.

My son - decades later - see's my guitar case in storage and blows the dust off. I say - play it or I'm gonna throw it away. (he had 10 years of music / piano, and sax in HS as well). So he takes to it like a duck in water and of course - DRAWS ME BACK IN and I enjoy it now more than I ever did. (well we have the net, and real guitars now). I also really prefer electric. (Though he's still heavily acoustic).

He has Talor 600 series 12 string, my old acoustic, a Ibanez and a line6.

I have T5 Koa, Gibson LPcustom, 2 strats (one John Mayer other dlx ash) and Walnut SB custom taylor and - well maybe one or to more around here.

He's more into chords, songs, I'm more into lead, blues etc. I learned the 5 penta boxes and know of the blues notes here and there, I play mainly by ear. I know basic barres - and how each step up and down changes the chord. (barre shape G to g#, to A to a# etc). I play some more complex chords only because I memorized the chords from tabs. (Ie - John Mayers "waiting for the world to change" for example.

My delema - my penta leads sound to... scalesk. I need to really go from box to box in order to know where I am. My business has become busy last 8 weeks and I tend to forget everything I recently learned. = (

This seems to be a over 40 problem. Strange - I can remember things I learned 40 years ago - but I can't remember things I learned yesterday.
I'm afraid without seeing advancement, I'm gonna loose interest again and I have to much time and cash invested - And I do SO LOVE IT.
I see you teach, but I fear I may not be advanced enough for your teachings. any advice?

Hey Rojoyinc,

Tell Rick I said 'hi', and I hope things are going well for him.

It sounds like you have and the tools in place and can play. That's about all I ask in a student, besides the fact that they also practice, or a least set themselves down to play when they can.

Memorization is a key part of playing any instrument for sure. There are ways to gain "relative memorization" too. In other words, take the things you can't forget, and reference new things to those. This way you're not learning a whole new thing but more as an extension of something else.

I advertise as teaching Intermediate and Advanced students. If you can play through some tunes, know a handful of chords and can play them from one to another, practice what you know, etc...that to me is Intermediate. I just try to stay away from teaching true beginners.

If you're interested in private lessons I'd be more than happy to get you in the schedule.

Since I like seeing players progress I'm pretty flexible with teaching based on how much time they have to practice.

Send me a Private Message or even email me your phone number or email address and we can set something up. I'm sure I can help you get over the hump.

Yes - memory is a problem for me. I did take about 8 lessons with a guy that came to my home. But then stopped because he left the state in search for fame and fortune. With him, it helped that I could video tape the lesson (or parts of) so that I could remember what to do and how it was suppose to sound later to practice.

Funny - I can remember shapes and penta boxes, but it's hard to remember songs. I'm an artist by profession (artist and photographer) and maybe it has something to do with being visual. I seem to need to know "WHY" in order to retain it. And just to memorize a song - really has no why behind it.

Good idea the "extension" of what we already know - that is very true, I can understand that totally.

Ah (the true beginners) yeah - I know it would be a drag... getting the kids fingers on the open chords.

What are you rates for lessons? (your place or mine?) I have a neat music room... nicely equipt. I'm just s. of Standale. (off wilson).
I use to have a lot of time to practice, in this economy - I've had to put in about 4X the normal hours... okay really about 10X normal hours and it's been really tough to find the time lately. In part - why I need lessons as when I had them I felt "pressured" to make time to be able to do it for the next lesson.

I can't "READ" music in any REAL way - I did piano for a bit and given a week - I can figure out music on piano, but not where my head is at. I like shapes, lead tricks, how to practice scales, I like theory (like learning about intervals and adding a 7th and how dropping a 3rd take major to minor etc. Little tricks like that.

My private email is portranet@sbcglobal.net
I own www.houseofphotography.com and I teach at www.portranet.com
Talk to you there in email!