My first step in learning to play the guitar was practicing a four-finger exercise that involved fretting a string with each finger of the left hand in turn and picking the string with the right hand. It doesn\u2019t sound hard, but it was more of a challenge than I expected. A year later, it\u2019s hard to remember why it wasn\u2019t easy.<\/p>\n
Then I began practicing the G-minor blues scale. After I was comfortable with the first position of the scale in all keys (fortunately, the fingering is the same as you move up the neck), I added the second, third, fourth and fifth positions. I was pleased to notice that learning each new position got progressively easier.<\/p>\n
At the same time, I began learning a few simple blues chords. The big challenge was fingering barre chords, which require you to press down all six (or five) strings with your index finger while pressing one or more additional strings with other fingers. It took a lot of practice to get these chords to sound right (without buzzing) and my left hand quickly got tired. It took most of the year to be moderately comfortable playing these. I\u2019m still practicing on getting the \u201cgrip\u201d of a chord reliably. When I watch musicians play without looking at their guitar, I\u2019m in awe. I can\u2019t imagine how long it will take me to get to that point.<\/p>\n
Among the other building blocks was memorizing the \u201cCircle of Fourths<\/a>\u201d (also called the Circle of Fifths) for the sixth and then fifth string. This is helpful in learning where notes are on the fretboard. I\u2019m still working on learning the fifth string.<\/p>\n One of the essential blues rhythms is the \u201cshuffle,\u201d which is based on a triplet rhythm with the middle note missing. I learned to play \u201cShuffle in A,\u201d \u201cBoogie in A,\u201d and \u201cBlues Shuffle in E,\u201d from Kenny Sultan\u2019s Introduction to Acoustic Blues<\/em><\/a> (2001).<\/p>\n After I was able to get around some of the scales, my teacher recommended a book of music with a play-along CD:\u00a0 Ultimate Blues Jam Session for Guitar<\/em><\/a>. I began trying to improvise with some of the tracks on the CD. Even at my initially primitive level of skill, it was fun to play with music. This is one of the most challenging aspects of playing, but also one of the most creative and satisfying\u2014especially when my soloing feels in the groove with the music. I still have a long<\/em> way to go, but I\u2019m gradually adding to what I can do with what I know.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve practiced the five types of ornamentation: vibrato, hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides and bends (especially vibrato). I\u2019ve by no means mastered them, but am getting better at them and am trying to add them appropriately to my soloing. They aren\u2019t yet unconscious expressive tools that I can draw on.<\/p>\n After a year of lessons and practice, I\u2019ve begun entertaining fantasies of some day playing with a band. In the past that would have seemed an deluded pipe dream, but now it seems within reach if I keep working long enough. It\u2019s a challenging and ambitious goal, but not impossible. As I listen to the music of the performers I admire, I think about what I\u2019d like to play and the sound and tone that appeals to me most.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s possible to teach oneself guitar (many great blues guitarists are self-taught), I have found it very helpful to have a teacher. A weekly lesson provides a regular structure and helps maintain my motivation. One of the issues I always faced in my writing was that no one else noticed or cared if I didn\u2019t<\/em> write. A teacher is someone who notices. Jim Goelitz<\/a> has been a very helpful resource. He notices progress at times when I don\u2019t and provides useful feedback and guidance on what or how I\u2019m playing. I often have questions and appreciate working with someone who can answer them. Books and videos have their place, but nothing can replace a teacher. I have no doubt I\u2019ve progressed more than I would have without one.<\/p>\n In addition to my weekly lesson and daily practice, I\u2019ve been learning about music in other ways. Whereas in the past most of my reading was fiction, during 2009 I\u2019ve mostly read non-fiction. My teacher recommended Kenny Werner\u2019s Effortless Mastery<\/a>: Liberating the Master Musician Within<\/em>.\u00a0 Werner, a jazz pianist, takes a spiritual approach to playing music that feels very much in line with my spiritual path. The book includes a CD of guided meditations.<\/p>\n