How long does it actually take to get better at guitar?

Improving on guitar turns out to be just like improving at anything, it takes time and focus. But it's also important to know what to expect.
Luckily we've got loads of research to lean on to figure out where we are in the learning cycle.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_st...
00:00 Thesis
00:27 Introduction
05:38 Lesson
10:07 Wrap Up
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[@tube77tdf]

It does not happen overnight, but knowing where one is in the learning process might help speed it up. At least, I hope it can. While not directly a guitar instructional video, this topic is incredibly insightful. Thanks to you and your student for educating the rest of us.

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet, Robert. Thanks for being a long-time curious guitarist yourself.

[@Bob48]

Well said. I took up guitar after I retired..around 68, and 4 years later so much still to learn....But what a hoot. With folks like Chris out there teaching us, learning on your own isn't nearly as tough as years ago.

[@icedog75]

This is really timely...I have definitely experienced times where my frustration with seeming lack of progress threatens to derail my learning....I know that my personal tolerance for failure is very low and it is clearly something I need to accept as part of the process.

[@curiousguitarist]

That realization will have immediate and lasting results, John.

[@TheMinorFallsTheMajorLifts]

One of the most important videos you’ve ever made. To hear you recount what is was like for you not to know a thing is hugely valuable. ❤

[@curiousguitarist]

All my heroes seemed to have just been born this way...but that's not true. I'm so glad this has been helpful, Mark. Thanks for all your support.

[@toddplager8676]

I hate not knowing.....reading theory even half of what i know has helped insanely. Now my fingers have to catch up!! LOL and thats PRACTICE PRACTICE ......... and i want it and it's hard as ... well you all know !!! LOL

[@wuldntuliktonoptb6861]

I e been playing for over 15 years now I’m still an intermediate player but I’m still going at it. Had a horrible left wrist fracture so playing is part of physical therapy. The time you’ve played goes by in a flash after a while.

[@smelltheglove2038]

My little brother, who took piano lessons for five years before he picked up the guitar, finally picked up mine, and could play almost immediately

[@curiousguitarist]

Wow! That is fantastic. Once you understand how music works you can do stuff like learn a new instrument MUCH faster.

[@smelltheglove2038]

@@curiousguitarist I kick myself everyday for not learning piano like my old man urged me to.

[@curiousguitarist]

@@smelltheglove2038, yeah I wish I had done that too!

[@boomerdell]

Add my voice to the list of people who wishes he’d started on piano first. I’m slowly learning it now and even just the few small steps I’ve made have shown what a huge help it is. Makes me see the fretboard and under it musically so much better.

[@toosmoothtomoove3510]

Excellent video😊

[@joycegrove5602]

Great video, Chris! And cheers, Eric! 🍻

[@capbubba]

Very cool video Chris,definitely looking back I can see my stages and stages to come😉

[@craigmccolm285]

Thank you Again for great lessons

[@softailspringer9915]

i needed to hear this! Thanks Chris

[@curiousguitarist]

You are so welcome! I needed to hear it too, we often teach the things we need to learn.

[@boomerdell]

This is superb. Thank you so much, Chris!

[@curiousguitarist]

My pleasure, BD!

[@Hh-yd3dj]

Right video at the right time. Thanks Chris and Nick!

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet!

[@patrickhuhn9193]

That was a great lesson!

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad you liked it!

[@KB24toogood]

Very encouraging and timely Chris, thanks very much.

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet, Richard!

[@freesk8]

Great framework for thinking about progress in learning! Thanks!

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@iaindavies-moore5061]

Really interesting and I can definitely relate

[@tone-glide2402]

Great!! Stuff!! I know I'll never stop learning !!

[@TomKaszuba]

Now THAT was an important and brilliant presentation. Thank you very much.

[@curiousguitarist]

You are so welcome, Tom.

[@kenlindner4348]

Very Interesting and Useful.

[@curiousguitarist]

So glad you enjoyed this one, Ken!

[@punchrunliftoutdoortrainin2871]

Brilliant lesson thank you

[@curiousguitarist]

Of course! One of the first steps, as you already know, is identifying the "need" and value of the new thing. Thanks for being here!

[@WillUK]

Thanks for this video man, I’m new to guitar, many many things ahead for me to learn!

[@curiousguitarist]

You got this...it's a long journey, but totally worth it!

[@francocerasuolo1200]

Some of my favorite guitar lessons were just great conversations. This was a great example. Very inspirational. Great job, Chris. You have some wise students, btw

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad you enjoyed it, we owe Eric a thank you as well. I;'m so glad you enjoyed this one, Franco!

[@timsellsted521]

Great video Chris! Being real about where I am on my guitar journey has helped me understand where I need to improve and what I need to learn.

[@curiousguitarist]

It’s so good to be on the journey with you Tim, thanks for your trust and support. Looking forward to doing more with you this year!

[@MikeyBakerMusic]

This resonates on so many levels; not least that you picked one of my favorite solos from one of my favorite albums as an example of your own process, and that the same artist and album sparked my own desire to move out of unconscious incompetence with triads. Gonna be chewing on this for a while, Thank You!

[@curiousguitarist]

Awe Mikey, you're the greatest. I was just talking with Cory Conjillio and Brett Papa tonight over a beer... "Fair Warning" Eddie's best.

[@johnCjr4671]

Thanks for the logical encouragement brother Chris !

[@curiousguitarist]

You bet, John!!

[@joeurbanowski321]

Having these stages really helps to keep our short term goals manageable.. and not frustrating… And that keeps my fingers on the guitar.. Thanks Chris..!👍🏼❤️

[@curiousguitarist]

Indeed! Just keeping it on your lap is a huge part. Thanks for all your support, Joe, I really appreciate it.

[@corey412]

Excellent video!

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks, Cory!

[@corey412]

Hello Chris. I saw you on Marty's channel and liked your lessons and explanations. I really enjoy the cage system and all of its dynamics. Are there any tips on becoming more proficient at using it? Thanks again!

[@vincemincevince]

this so good thanks for this video

[@curiousguitarist]

You are so welcome, Vince.

[@ochayethenoo15]

Great video Chris, you totally nailed it and explained it so well. I am a barely there 3!

[@curiousguitarist]

Glad you enjoyed this one, Stephen.

[@nyzombiesquad182]

Really good...enjoyed it very much...reminds me, its gonna take time, even though I know, i need to constantly remind myself

[@curiousguitarist]

Yes, getting that long haul in mind helps to control expectations. Go go go!

[@slinkytones1736]

This highlights for me to have an increased tolerance for failure when learning something I don't have down fully yet. Thank you!

[@curiousguitarist]

You are so welcome. There have been many times in my journey where I wish, looking back, that I had given myself that slack and rewarded my hard work instead of wishing I was somewhere further down the line.

[@joeurbanowski321]

I can’t watch this one enough.. When I feel like I’m in a rut this gets me back in a groove.. Thanks Chris.!👍🏼❤️

[@curiousguitarist]

Of course Joe! So glad this one has some "get me back in the groove" mojo for you. Thanks for all your support in The Studio.

[@rayjames9835]

Great teacher! 🙏👍

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks, Ray.

[@sbpsychology1109]

Another great lesson. Thanks Chris. You talk about the stages of competence. I'm an Educational Psychologist, so learning is my thing! Some of the latest stuff about learning in Ed-Psych land talks about the concept of the Learning Pit. The Learning Pit lies between that which you know and that which you have yet to learn. There is little progress to be made by re-learning what you already know and , obviously, you dont yet know what you havent learned...so youre somewhere in between the two. This is The Learning Pit, where you learn stuff...and then make progress. This is where you have to work if you want to get better at anything...the Learning Pit. Its the most important place. You scrabble around in there, trying to join what you already know with what you want to learn next until it makes some kind of sense and you are able to crawl, tentatively, out of the far side of the learning pit...and stand again on solid ground. Phew! But then it starts all over again...if you want to make more progress, you have got to get back in that learning pit again where things are muddy, slippy and a bit difficult. The art of teaching is to make the Learning Pit an interesting place and somewhere that people recognise and value the fact that it is a bit confusing, muddy and slippy underfoot, but it's still the place where you make most progress, so its a good place to be. Good Teaching. Great lesson. Keep ;'em coming!

[@curiousguitarist]

This is an inspiration for me, thanks so much for posting it. Going off to research The Learning Pit now. Thank you!

[@sbpsychology1109]

@@curiousguitarist ❤

[@fendr1962]

Well, I think I found the right guy to help me actually improve. It sounds like your talking directly to me. And you are explaining to me what it seems I am feeling about my playing and practicing. Your giving me a way out of this long long rut that I’ve been in. It’s really up to me to take the knowledge your giving me and to start actually applying it. Thanks 🙏!

[@curiousguitarist]

That warms my heart! I'm glad you're here Fendr!

[@yak9147]

Great stuff , really giving an overview with these stages and of your journey is so helpful and rings true for me. Learning the lesson of being patient and sticking at something to get it to the unconscious competence stage (performable) can be painfully slow and for me, probably the hardest thing. This brings me to the problem of how to choose what to concentrate on , with the thousands of lessons out there and only so much time.

[@curiousguitarist]

Set some big goals and then catalogue where you’re deficient against them. Then you’ll know where to start focusing.

[@yak9147]

@@curiousguitarist thanks.

[@stevecrockett6619]

this is such an important and motivational video for me. part of my mysterious journey with guitar are those moments where you've been putting in the time with practice...making the same stumbling mistakes over and over...feeling like you're never going to "get" it. and then, one day, you DO get it. I'll never forget the day I amazed myself when I was able to start landing on a C chord shape without looking at the fretboard. at the time, I was in disbelief and had no idea how that had even happened. but every little step of progress gives me the same satisfaction as I felt that day. this video takes a little bit of that mystery out of how getting better happens and motivates me to keep moving forward (patiently) at the same time. THANKS SO MUCH, Chris!!!

[@curiousguitarist]

What a great comment, Steve. Thank you. It’s so good to share these moments so we can all rally around the truth of how challenging this journey can be. Im glad you’re here.

[@CarlWhitehead-qg7ii]

Brilliant Chris thank you. I first came across this 35 yrs ago in a sales training course. It has stuck with me ever since and I have taught it as well! Great to see how you've applied it to learning guitar . If I may, the next stage and one to be aware of is slipping back to Unconscious Incompetence - we rarely go back to Conscious Competence!! Please keep up the great work you do on here, a million thanks from the UK.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thank you Carl! More on the way! Thanks for the context.

[@grievouserror]

Yet again you've offered a video that has implications and value far beyond the realm of guitar or music. You are a fascinating individual, Chris, and thank you for another first rate entry.

[@curiousguitarist]

Of course! When I filmed this one I had some doubts, but I’m so glad it’s landed well for you. Thanks for being here, C-string

[@johnpauldamato62]

All I can say. You make way more sense than any teacher (school and work) in my 60 year life . Man....the students you have and had been so fortunate!!!!

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks, that means a lot to me. Take a look at what I offer through Patreon if you want to work with me, I just turned 60 as well :)

[@QBRX]

Totally ignoring the topic, but I thought it was a learning point there the way you started off playing an Em arpeggio and came back into the relative major G arpeggio. Thanks, very cool!

[@curiousguitarist]

Yeah! Gmaj7 = Emin9 All hail the relative...

[@phoenixdoglover9403]

Every once in a while, I will be playing a song I have been working on for months, and in the middle of it, I will become aware that my left hand (fretting hand) has been doing its thing without me thinking about it...and when I become aware of this, the spell is broken and I have to concentrate again. Such is the mystical difference between "Stage 3" and "Stage 4". One of those things that "the harder you grasp, the more slips through your fingers". Anyway, this video was great, and it pairs very well with concepts around "muscle memory" and the uneven pace of progress. Thanks!

[@curiousguitarist]

Great comment, thanks. I really love the focus on the uneven pace. It really allows some space to learn in.

[@stfu5617]

Chris! Just wanted to tell you I bought the guitar theory 101 course on Marty’s channel a few days ago and man! I’ve levelled up big time.. your lessons kick some serious ass

[@curiousguitarist]

That’s great to hear!! Warms my heart!

[@KASKASM]

Great video. I think I remember your wall color from a very old TGP post of home studios. I painted my guitar room that same color back in 2008 after seeing your pic. I could be mistaking it from another post though.

[@curiousguitarist]

Yeah I love this color! I think it’s called “Morocco Red”. Glad you enjoyed this one!

[@JohnPaulKhoury]

Great video! I think this applies to any activity that takes knowledge, understanding, and a skill set. I, as a chef, in most areas have unconscious competence- able to apply technique and formulate recipes instead of simply following them (except baking for me is more conscious competence)- years of hard work. As far as music, it's still conscious incompetence but I'm really enjoying the journey that was recently taken up again. Thanks for leading the way.😉

[@curiousguitarist]

Great comment, it’s so beneficial to contextualize this kind of info. Thanks, I’m glad you’re here and that the content is helpful!

[@jonaguilar4362]

It was weird that I asked everyone to teach me theory but no one would teach me. But I knew it would answer some of my curiosity. I just didn’t know why at I was playing and why it worked. Great video and info. Also I remember someone told me to play an arpeggio and I was like what’s that?! So thank you for taking it a step further than what was explained to me way back when.

[@curiousguitarist]

You're welcome, Jon. Thanks for being here on the channel.

[@redstep-child3096]

I will never be half the man this guy is. But, that doesn't stop me from loving & respecting him. Thanks, big CHRIS! ❤

[@curiousguitarist]

Thank you big Red...that means a lot to me.

[@redstep-child3096]

@@curiousguitarist credit where credit due.

[@johnmoyer5515]

I had lessons when i was young the beatles had just exploded on the scene , i learned how to read music but my teacher only taught church hymns an became disinterested iin playing guitar but picked up again at about 25 yrs old became friends with jr members of the Sllepy Hollow Gang. But most of.what i learned came back to me . Just knowing what 3 chords are your primary chords to figure out & find your key.. i would not stand in front of the class for a book report but as long this guitar is between you & I I'm ok. But i have to say thanks to mom & dad for getting me lessons❤.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks for this comment, I love these stories. Cheers!

[@scottjones6624]

I have always been amazed at how much I don't know what I don't know. I also remember Donald Rumsfeld being unmercifully laughed at when he talked publicly about not knowing what you don't know which was a perfect and ironic example of the listeners NOT knowing what they didn't know! (by the way this was NOT a plug or approval of Rumsfeld). Ignorance often reigns supreme and these concepts have always helped humble me.... Nice video!

[@curiousguitarist]

Exactly! Glad you enjoyed this one, Scott!

[@johnfritzenjr.1240]

The Journey is the best part of the trip

[@frannyd1217]

Thanks Chris. You're always inspiring and I always come out of your videos with more knowledge. Question...Do you have any advice on how to better finger Barre Chords? I always have an issue getting clear sounds when playing down the neck.

[@curiousguitarist]

When you say “down the neck” you’re referring to going higher in pitch? Towards your strumming/picking hand, right? If you mix A-string-root chords, with E-string-root chords, you never have to play above the 5th fret, in this way you can avoid the areas of the fretboard where the frets get too close together for your hands.

[@Ynherag]

Chris, I'm in stage 2 of learning your "Play Little Wing All Over The Neck" video, some of the most important lesson one can find on YT. It blew my mind (thanks to Tomo of course). It's my ultimate goal right now.

[@curiousguitarist]

Yeah when I saw Tomo do that I knew I had to TAB is out and do a video on it. Triads are so dramatically impactful.

[@GuerreroGamez]

went to sleep wanting to break or burn my guitar. Woke up wanting it on my lap. Thanks CHRIS!

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks for this comment, heart:warmed

[@splashesin8]

Good morning Chris❣️ Caught me here on your channel for about the last six or seven hours huh? 🤣 I took almost the full anaphylactic shock dose of antihistamine thinking I would settle into this lesson while I let it kick in. 😅My phone gently woke me up with a notifier of you saying, "Yo Audrey!" 😁 I know I had listened through at least three or four times. So a lot of seemingly awake time travel dreams with you there when we were younger, and on through time going through these learning skills and routines, in the music rooms, and somewhere over near the giant Flesher-Hinton sheet music store, and that Felter photography studio, and I keep trying to see if your there with us in the Elks club, for that quick gig, and thinking like I did then, "I wonder if this is sort of like Sammy Davis Jr felt?". That was the first time I was aware of no women allowed in the Elks club. I think I thought you might've been there but had parked out back so you could run to your car to quick drive out 7 towards Lafayette, the second we finished. The Elks had to have some special meeting to let the females of the ensemble in for their lunch entertainment. (antlers with raised eyebrows emoji) 😅. Those CLC rooms were kind of all 2001 A Space Odyssey like. ✈️ It's the music and existential connection Chris. The GE plant gig was existentially interesting too. I flubbed filling in the scat for That Spain Again at one of the two of those. The security process of entering GE blew my mind. This was before even Stapleton International had any real security process. People may be thinking, "What does this have to do with learning?" There's a way we all file and cross reference things in our brains, and I'm just having a stream of consciousness waking up with you after having crashed while listening to you earlier. I vaguely remember Thomas handing out what looked like xerox'd pages of a mimeographed hand written copy of an arrangement of That Spain again, asking you and us, if we might could have it ready to perform roughly in the following day. I sort of froze, and then started thinking about it while also thinking, " I don't know, but I will try to hash it out over the piano. I looked at your face, and thought, "I don't know how anyone would ever do this on a guitar. I was blown away by you and anyone else who could play the guitar like that and had no idea how I could flip the switch to transpose my brain from piano to guitar sight reading sheet music. You said it was gonna be tough but you would try. You were also on your way out to drive quickly to work again. So you weren't getting to listen to the record multiple times in the next forty minutes. You may have listened once nervous you'd be late for work and cutting it close for that one listen. What I didn't know then was that you didn't read music like that then. I didn't read it fast myself, my face was always buried in it trying to put it all together with what he played us, and then modifications he would ask us to make experimenting as we went along, mixing and matching quartets, having us change vowels and match vowels, and change from vibratos to straight tones. It was a lot of very malleable learning in short amounts of time but I think kept us all open, and maybe helped us store things in several areas of our brains. So, there's all that and the biographical memory as well. ...and now your trying to keep us cognizant of the well focused short snippets of absorbing what we discover. 😊 Sweet way to wake up.

[@davidt9841]

Always something new to learn, right? Example: Matteo Mancuso Lesson: There are No Limitations - You're either inspired (hopefully), or you want to use your guitar to start your next bonfire. Everyone has something to offer/learn. Let Your Love for the Instrument be your Driving Force! Passion, Perseverance, Patience! I'm quite sure it's what worked for Chris! Thanks Chris!

[@curiousguitarist]

Bowing deeply. Thank you David.

[@canadianintheukbrian]

this is a really important lesson one for those that need a reminder to learn anything like the guitar is not an overnight things, Van Halen Fair Warning I remember that record, we all wanted to be Van Halen in Spanish Guitar glass we got thrown out for trying to hammer ons and pull offs, we all wanted to be like Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen but we must thought it was instant thing no it certainly was not lol , when I took up the guitar in my 50's I understood that, but still the old man here needs a reminder you have to keep working at n it , don't rush, Fair Warning is part of the bible of modern day metal guitar, the New Testament , a song I love to learn is Hear About it Later that's a killer solo, but I have some work to do before I get to that , I would ask Chris I know your on the other side of the world what time do you have these live sessions from the studio ?

[@curiousguitarist]

I teach on weekend mornings US time.

[@guitarista666]

Chris, there is something that is very important that you didn't mention. To say that to reach unconscious competence won't happen overnight is a massive understatement for some techniques. Years and years of practice are necessary to attain a very high level of playing skill. Students need to be aware of what they are in for depending on what their goals are. To sweep the truth under the rug, could end badly for some learners.

[@curiousguitarist]

The folks who recognize that the pain of not knowing is greater than the hard work, will always prevail...no matter the size of the effort, or the distance to the goal. The rest may indeed leave their passion behind because it's too hard, or takes too long.

[@Jake66564]

Everything good in life takes time and practice!

[@curiousguitarist]

Truth!

[@jonathancarry1363]

inspired by this message

[@curiousguitarist]

Yeah, we all need to keep this in mind, and allow the time it takes. Glad you're here, Jonathan

[@iaindavies-moore5061]

I think it also suggests that, depending on what you’re working on, you may be in a different stage of competency. This further stretches a. Your level of expectation and b. Your level of curiosity

[@curiousguitarist]

@@iaindavies-moore5061 that is so right on. Great context

[@maryk6780]

Thanks for telling me it's ok to sound crappy. Too bad I forget how far I've come and focus so much on what I need/want to learn. Even if I never get to where I dream of being, I've learned more than I ever imagined and am having fun. And Fair Warning is the 1st VH album I ever bought. Still have it. Awesome.

[@curiousguitarist]

Yeah, fair warning slays me every time I put it on. Glad you’re here Maryk

[@maryk6780]

@@curiousguitarist I’m glad, too. You have taught me a LOT

[@michaelvarney.]

Yup… stage three… then on to another KZbin video. Rinse and repeat!

[@curiousguitarist]

Exactly!

[@nikoloff]

Opening youtube and this drops 2 seconds later. Today is my lucky day I suppose :)

[@curiousguitarist]

My fingers are crossed :)

[@barak363363]

1:40-3:00 important! Har habaiit dayan

[@goofyjohn6191]

Its a talent and a skill it must be done often and seriously the rest of your life.

[@brianjohnson1797]

This vid taught me learning skateboard tricks is exactly like learning guitar. 4 stages are exactly the same. Once you nail the kickflip it almost feels meaningless like you knew it all along. All along the 1423 attempts it took to get there.

[@curiousguitarist]

A kick flip seems like an entire universe away for me. But bashing out some STP on stage with you seems like we could do it with our eyes closed :)

[@chefdave12118]

Im 48 and just started using the fender play app for lessons 3 weeks ago. My parents were 18 in 1968 so you can imagine my misical imfluence (hendrix, dylan, young, the beatles, stones, buddy guy, zeppelin, you get the point). I have an ear for misic and always have, but holy cow this is difficult. I teach culinary arts and see my students strugging to hold a knife properly and even get their dices the right size. I know how they feel 😂. Really difficult for me

[@curiousguitarist]

No matter what anyone says, no one has this journey easy. It’s a lot of work, but it pays off. Glad you’re here, Dave.

[@chefdave12118]

@@curiousguitarist I appreciate that man. And I will be going through ALL your videos on this journey and send ya a one year progress vid ☮️❤️👨‍🍳

[@curiousguitarist]

@@chefdave12118 I would enjoy that!

[@stevenwingo8348]

The conscious incompetence stage is quite frustrating for me right now. I might be better off if I was still just strumming open chords with a pick and pleased to be sounding better than I did a few weeks ago. But at least all the available great resources now available online give me vision of where I want to go.

[@curiousguitarist]

Indeed, I feel the same way sometimes. I also believe it’s important to sit back on what you DO know and DO well to keep that joy in it all. I still hit that wall myself when I’m pushing to learn something new. Best of luck, Steven! Keep on playing!

[@catdaddy57]

Chris, maybe you can help ; I'm 65 yrs old and just picked up the guitar about 5 yrs ago.. my parents didn't have the money when I was a kid for lessons and it's been something I've wanted to do my whole life...Better late than never I guess. Anyway, I've been taking lessons for a few years and feel like I'm still stuck in the late beginner to early intermediate stage of learning... my problem is my memory or maybe my muscle memory...I read the music/tabs and get it down ok but after a while I forget most of a song and have to restart from scratch.. Also improvising within a scale is a problem for me too...any advice offered is greatly appreciated...tks much...Mike

[@curiousguitarist]

How is the information you're "forgetting" attached to the fretboard? Is it just the "dots" or "patterns" or are you bringing along the note names and deeper context? Usually students need to attach these deeper connections in order to make it all stick better. As far as improvising within a scale I'd suggest getting to know the scale's DNA, what makes it sound the way it does. And focus on that for a while. Then, the big win is targeting chord tones that relate to the chords below you, so you're not just running the scale and hoping for the best. Hope that helps!

[@FlaschDJ]

It’s easy. Just yesterday, I saw a video entitled: “Guitar secrets. Play like Clapton in 2 weeks”.

[@curiousguitarist]

It took me a lot longer than that (hahaha)

[@michaelvarney.]

Getting better is a continuous thing… so how long to get better? Instantly.

[@curiousguitarist]

I really love this, a lot. It helps me to bring the success along, the hard work. Brilliant.

[@sanchezz4387]

We have to fail to learn, if we knew everything then the basis of learning would never exist. The biggest barrier to learning I have found is the fear of failure.

[@curiousguitarist]

"Fear is the compass" always head INTO it to grow.

[@sanchezz4387]

@@curiousguitarist amen to that Chris keep up the amazing videos 👌👌

[@tunatuna1783]

Is there such thing as a guitar flow chart? i mean, if you wanted to reach top of the pyramid you need to know these(1-2-3 things?) but before you can do them you'll need to know these (1-2-3-4-5-6 early things) but even before that right at beginner level you'll want to be efficient at these (1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 things)??? I'm clicking and taking all sorts of turns and sometimes landing in over my head but then sometimes cruising through things. Hope some else is having the same experience?

[@curiousguitarist]

Well Barre chords and both pentatonic scales are probably first, with all the context you can stand (theory). Then the major scale and the diatonic structure (the chords in a key). Solving technical issues all along the way as they arise. Always learn a song per week or so. That keeps you playing music. Hope that helps!

[@xcanadian1]

Oh hey, you like arpeggios? Well here's a way to classify your understanding on them and any other interest in your life. How ya like dem arpeggios? Next: Quantum reality's relationship to improvisational decisions. Who's really playing your guitar?

[@chrispeleshenko9226]

In a life of stuck in stage 3.

[@catdaddy57]

Me too

[@curiousguitarist]

Not true...you're only in stage three for SOME things. Think about the stuff you know SO well you can talk on the phone and still play... THAT'S stage 4!!

[@abnerlouischarles]

What I'm finding is a lot of the information on youtube are scattered and layered with other knowledge that are just assumed and I have to make the connections from a video here and a video there and go back to learn something in the middle of the instruction before continuing on.

[@curiousguitarist]

Have you tried the “WATCH THESE FIRST” playlist here on my channel? That might help solidify things a bit. Let me know

[@jayfluegel7401]

I started playing about four years ago at age 55. My biggest struggle is I have a lot of stuff that I know (stage 3) but nothing that I would classify as stage four. It seems like no matter how long I practice something I can't get it to phase four. In the Eddie example how long was it from phase 3 to 4, 2 days?, 2 weeks?, 2 months?, 2 years? Did you drill it for hours at a time or for five minutes at a time? I hear about people that practice for 8 hours a day and I can understand why they would be so good. That is never going to happen for me. I'm more in the 30 to 60 minutes a day category since this only a hobby.

[@curiousguitarist]

What about playing G,C,D in the open position, those cowboy chords. Can you do that without thinking? For arpeggios I stayed in stage 3 for years. For the pentatonic scale it was months of work...hard work.

[@austinsandefer649]

Wish there was tablature. 👍👍

[@curiousguitarist]

Bunch more context here: www.patreon.com/posts/how-long-does-it-81511830

[@duckman12569]

"How long does it take" How much do you practice. I've only just started picking up my axe and taking another swing after.. I think about a year. Axe is appropriate term for an acoustic, right? Weapon of Choice?

[@marcsullivan1168]

CONSCIOUS

[@wadewalla1398]

Had to laugh at “conscious incompetence”. Nice to know where I am at.

[@curiousguitarist]

I'm currently there on a few things myself. Thanks for the comment Wade~

[@gilldanier4129]

A very wise person once said 'Dont try and pick up the glass of water' 'Pick it up'

[@curiousguitarist]

I love that, very Yoda :)

[@melodymp2844]

Heel muting. News to me :) Didn't realize there was even a technique going on there.

[@Glensully]

A little everyday. And learn plenty of songs fully learning.

[@noahtenshen]

I live in conscious incompetence.

[@curiousguitarist]

Truth! Don’t we all!?

[@ecojot]

Malcolm Gladwell wrote that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill - and that's focused hours not noodling

[@curiousguitarist]

Indeed, Gladwell is one of my all time faves.

[@Hereweare75]

This is similar to the stages of Motor learning.

[@curiousguitarist]

Ahh right, nice context. The Motor Learning Theory folds this idea into 3 stages I believe, a cognitive phase, an associative phase, and an autonomous phase.

[@cleftturnip7774]

40 years

[@curiousguitarist]

...yup...that feels right :)

[@treaceeames4697]

It actually does happen overnight Im better every single time i wake up and play

[@curiousguitarist]

This is great, I love this. The progress is THERE, it's all about being able to spot it. Thanks for this comment, Treace!

[@JaysonT1]

Chris needs to male T-shirt merch that says "put it on the neck"

[@curiousguitarist]

Ha! We're working on this right now in fact :)

[@johnnyblue4799]

I'm unconscious incompetent in most things and conscious incompetent in a few... that's it... never made it to level 3.

[@curiousguitarist]

…haven’t yet I say

[@kevinmorris7722]

It does take time. You can shorten the time by actually LEARNING the info Chris provides right here. It can still take years and it actually never ends. But just watching the info is very different than polishing the techniques.

[@curiousguitarist]

Truth here.

[@clust11]

Somedays my tone is fantastic , the next day it sound like shit then the next day it is great again. Same for my playing ability

[@curiousguitarist]

Eventually the good tone and playing days are far more common, and the shit days become rare. Keep working!!

[@HeadRoaster]

wait..WHAT? I suppose next you're gonna tell me I won't just get phone calls from local bars asking if i want to play a blues night...

[@curiousguitarist]

Haha! Maybe not, I’m afraid 😳

[@malcolmbrewer]

I knew that... haaa

[@curiousguitarist]

Nice! Where did you first hear about it?

[@xpursangjock8724]

Ruts..? The easiest way to overcome ruts is learning how to read music. When one can read the music, half the battle is over. What remains is the technique to meet the music. Even fumbling with tablature and the usual crappy fingerings associated with it will make learning a song much easier than learning it from a recording or sitting across from someone as they dictate what string and fret to place a finger on.

[@curiousguitarist]

Thanks for the comment. I would argue that learning to read music, while definitely beneficial, is not the “easiest” way out of a rut. But I do get your point; access to the context of WHAT we are playing and WHY it sounds the way it does, is ultimately the operational underpinning of the art form. Great comment!

[@waynegram8907]

CHRIS, Most guitarist think they can use 1 minor pentatonic over i-iv-V but only using just 1 minor pentatonic scale is NOT Diatonic over the iv chord and V chord. This is a major problem because most guitarist will only play 1 minor pentatonic scale over the i-iv-V progression landing and hitting those sour notes. Why isn't the minor pentatonic scale Diatonic over the i-iv-V progression? and also why isn't the major pentatonic scale Diatonic over the I-IV-V progression? The Main Question is how can you make the minor pentatonic scale and major pentatonic scale become "Diatonic" to the chord progression? try to make a video lesson about it because you have to modify the pentatonic scale to convert it to being Diatonic to the chord progressions.

[@curiousguitarist]

I already have :) In fact I've made a few that touch on that already, Wayne. Thanks for the comments!

[@waynegram8907]

@@curiousguitarist I typed in on the search: minor pentatonic scale is Not diatonic or minor pentatonic scale is not diatonic over chord progressions and nothing came up

[@curiousguitarist]

@@waynegram8907 hopefully these will help. kzbin.info/www/bejne/q2LIhJmXgJafgM0 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rHqldqBnjMiIp7c kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGjbdHWujtmUnqs

[@waynegram8907]

@@curiousguitarist Try to make a video lesson about "cross harp" harmonica because if you play in key of E minor i-iv-V the harmonica player would have to use an A major key harmonica to play the 5th of E minor which the 5th would be the mixolydian scale and would have to bend the major3rd down to a minor3rd. IF the guitarist would play starting on the 5th of the E minor blues playing A mixolydian scale

[@waynegram8907]

@@curiousguitaristHow to find the mixolydian scale when playing in the Key of Minor blues, its called Cross Harp effect. A lot of times harmonica players would use a totally different harmonic KEY and play it against the minor blues progression to get "outside blues notes". Try to make a theory lesson on how to apply this cross harp effects and using outside blues notes when using different mixolydian scales playing against the minor blues progression.

[@markantonelli53]

And what if, despite 6 years of time and effort, I still haven’t become competent at any aspect of the guitar? At this point, I have no patience and a very low tolerance for failure. I just want to be able to see even the slightest hint of progress

[@curiousguitarist]

Well I'd need more detail to give you a meaningful answer, but... Learn the major scale and all the "diatonic" chords. Be able to play any triad in any position on any string set. That can't leave you in the dark!

[@markantonelli53]

@@curiousguitarist how is this supposed to help me be able to play the open chords in first position, which is what I need to be able to play the few simple songs that I want to play?

[@markantonelli53]

@@curiousguitarist what other detail do you need to help me figure out this most basic of guitar skills? One which I still have no ability to do after 6 years

[@curiousguitarist]

@@markantonelli53 ahhh I think I see where you are now, thanks for the context. If you haven’t been able to master the open chords in 6 years of trying then there’s more than likely a technique issue in the way. Have you had a live lesson with a good teacher yet? If not, THAT is the advice I would give you.

[@markantonelli53]

@@curiousguitarist I have had live lessons with a good teacher. Once a week for 30 minutes, for the last 6 years (for the most part). I’ve found that I can’t contort my fretting hand into the position my teachers have recommended without feeling like I need to break some of the bones in my hands/fingers. Is the inability to correct this issue reason enough to give up and stop trying?

[@matt-fn9gr]

I don’t get better at guitar, if I practice a lot I just suck a little less.

[@curiousguitarist]

Haha! That definitely is one way to look at it!

[@ekw555]

concious incompetence. where you sound crappy all the time. yup, that describes me since forever. then Chris says, "then you put the work in and move to concious competence." nope. never happened. apparently my goal has been to prove definitively that you don't develop a skill that has both a mental and a physical component by practicing neither.

[@curiousguitarist]

Yeah, but...look at where you are now vs in the past and note the changes. THAT is where you can start to pry away the stagnation and capitalize on the momentum, however small it might be.