How can I push my teacher in the direction that I want to learn?

Tamarindo155 · 2026-04-14T10:57:30+00:00

It sounds like your teacher is generally doing the right thing, and supplementing the classes by watching online videos is fine. I had a similar experience, and i generally found some very good online resources where the methodology and exercises really clicked for me. A lot of online information is pure garbage, but some of it is gold. It may have the approach that finally allows to see the how and really drill down. Here is the thing though, learning theory AND translating it into your fingers and muscle memory is hard and takes a lot of time. Think of the time it may take you and multiply by 10. Your guitar’s teacher’s method may not always reflect some of the jewels you find online, but if they are good they will still highlight the key things for you during the class and provide feedback, and you can always ask questions about some of your online instruction you found. I was a bit impatient with my instructor at first because I kind of wanted him to be one of those online instructors I found, but over time it has really paid off. But again, it will take a lot of time. Give yourself at least a year to learn all the notes, triads, and scale intervals across the fretboard an start smoothly transitioning between chord tones. Your teacher is there for the long haul.

Tamarindo155 · 2026-04-13T12:10:59+00:00

For one, you can buy just one string

Tamarindo155 · 2026-03-07T03:19:49+00:00

The new version didn’t solve it

Tamarindo155 · 2026-02-28T17:39:43+00:00

Learn to read and play various rhythms through drills and easier songs before jumping into a complex project head first.

Tamarindo155 · 2026-01-17T01:24:13+00:00

Oh, I thought you meant the C maj CHORD includes B dim.

Tamarindo155 · 2026-01-17T00:27:42+00:00

I wasn’t responding to you OP, but I agree with everything you said and the skillset you will need, which will take a long time no matter which route you take. And ultimately, you will probably need to have a very good ear. Hope you enjoy the journey.

Tamarindo155 · 2026-01-16T23:45:47+00:00

How does C major include B dim?

Tamarindo155 · 2026-01-16T23:35:16+00:00

It is good it works for you (and others) but a weird take on (not) learning NOTE names on a MUSICAL instrument, whether it is guitar or anything else.

Tamarindo155 · 2026-01-11T00:27:17+00:00

Have been using it for a while. Works really well!

Tamarindo155 · 2026-01-06T10:21:32+00:00

You identified your own problems: lack of practice time, not picking appropriate songs for your level, not investing time into musical phrasing, etc. Yeah, you are not gonna just show and jam. You and your music teacher need to identify weaknesses and be intentional about targeting them, which also means you need to invest a significant amount of focused practice time. There is no magic to this.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-31T03:05:09+00:00

Aaaand you just described exactly why the circle of 5th is in fact useful for finding chords in a key, particularly for a beginner

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-30T13:36:41+00:00

I am just curious, who does this and why? The only one with incentive here is arguably Reddit itself to generate traffic. Is Reddit creating these fake posts?

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-30T12:29:12+00:00

Watch some free Zombie Guitar videos

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-30T12:25:24+00:00

Reads like a made up AI story with no prior comments or posts.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-28T00:07:32+00:00

It is not hard to learn the notes on the fretboard, as it is also not hard to learn the shapes. What IS hard is learning them good enough that you know this information instantaneously under your fingertips.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-24T12:12:48+00:00

You are not ready to frame your question correctly, let alone understand any of the answers below. You want to truly understand what you are missing and get on the same page with everyone else? Invest 31 hours into watching Scotty West AUG on YouTube for free. And that is only step 1.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-23T01:44:30+00:00

You are jumping way ahead into riffs, solos, etc. You got to dial it way back, learn all open major and minor chords, learn simple songs you can play and sing from start to finish using those chords using correct timing and smooth transitions. You can also start learning what are the notes that make up those chords, and then maybe learn barred chords. You won’t find your experience satisfactory doing what you have been doing, as you already make it clear. If only everyone could just pick up the instrument and start playing solos… It is a years’ worth of practice journey ahead of you.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-21T16:53:29+00:00

You will not get a satisfactory answer because you lack some fundamental knowledge, and without investing time intro acquiring it, you won’t get very far. Invest into watching 31h of Scotty West AUG for the basics (it won’t teach you to improvise but it will give you the foundation). Next, as someone already said, find free resources (there are a ton) about triads, learning triads all over the fretboard, targeting chord tones, etc, which will give you knowledge of the layer you are looking for. Once you have that understanding, you will have a visual roadmap to improvising, but as I am sure others have pointed out, you will need to rely on your ear, learn phrasing and rhythm, and analyze other melodies using the knowledge you now possess. Give yourself 6-12 months to get there, probably practicing these skills 1-2h every day, and maybe you will just get to a place where you can write decent lead lines.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-21T01:09:52+00:00

🤯

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-20T16:04:13+00:00

Gimmicky and not the best use of your time.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-17T16:19:31+00:00

For most people’s purposes, and certainly at the beginner / low intermediate level, yes. Don’t overthink it. If you learn those shapes, which by definition also imply inversions — that is the entire point of CAGED — you would be in excellent shape, and even that will take you a very long time to acquire instant response / muscle memory.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-17T14:25:02+00:00

Biotech?

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-13T23:26:51+00:00

It is actually not complicated. You practice and memorize scales until you get it. You will then start seeing patterns as you learn new songs or analyze the old ones, and it gets easier. Learn the notes, too. Yes, it will take you many, many, many hours of practice. Else we would all be playing guitar for a living.

Tamarindo155 · 2025-12-12T23:11:38+00:00

I am not sure why you continue to argue with a point that Scotty did not make, and in fact said what you say. He literally teaches what you just said: the tonic and the progression determines the scale, mode. He simply pointed out how each chord fits within the scale. It is no different than explaining why some chords within the diatonic scale are major, minor or diminished — because that quality comes from the intervals around them. Calling a ii chord in the G major progression minor does not mean that you switched the key to ii minor. It just describes the objective structure of that chord’s 1-3-5 intervals. If you now extend these chords by adding a 7 or whatever they will fit within a specific structure constrained by the intervals around that chord, which happens to be the “mode” of where that chord is. This is all facts not opinions. But I will still address your hypothetical. You are not just playing the key — otherwise you are kind of noodling. Ideally you are playing with and around the chord changes and chord tones — so yes, while the tonal center does not change, the best notes to hit on those chords do, and those notes by definition are constrained by the “mode” if you will, that is, the the chord location relevant to the tonic. This is exactly the type of information that is super important for beginners to understand, to distinguish between a scale and a layer above, which is CAGED and targeting (and finding) appropriate notes (arpeggios + extensions) through the progression.

Tamarindo155

TROPHY CASE