Guitar Roadmap
♫ Because the guitar is such a versatile and flexible instrument, it can feel a little overwhelming if you’re not sure what skills to work on next. The goal of this roadmap is to provide some ideas for how you can take the next step forward, inspired by your musical interests.
♫ Let’s begin by sketching out some broad topics representing popular musical styles and key skill areas. The great thing about learning an instrument is that you have the freedom to explore the areas that are most intriguing to you right now.
♫ Questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome! You can post a comment below, or contact me directly.
Played on an electric guitar with a pick. Classic rock, blues, modern and indie rock styles, etc.
Played fingerstyle on a classical or nylon string guitar.
Played on a steel string acoustic guitar using a pick.
Picking technique (either with a pick or fingerstyle) is almost always the first important skill to focus on, and is related to which of the above stylistic areas you are currently exploring. If you are having trouble pulling off a song or melody technically there is often a simple technical principle or exercise you can practice to solve the problem.
Having a good feel for rhythm is often closely related to practicing the correct picking technique for whatever style you’re playing. We can also look at different songs and styles as relates to the underlying rhythmic patterns, and mapping out the rhythmic elements of a riff or song can be very helpful.
Understanding how chords are built, and how they relate to each other in a major or minor key can make it much easier to learn songs by ear and write your own songs.
I’ve developed a simple but powerful system for quickly learning how to take a great solo in any key, anywhere on the fretboard. It can take some time to get fluent in this, but the underlying concepts are easy to learn with a little practice.
It is very helpful to establish a foundation of correct technique and rhythmic principles from the beginning. The most common reason for getting stuck or hitting a plateau on the guitar is missing a key piece of the foundation without realizing it!