You study hard to learn guitar. Or do you? For years I messed around with 6 string guitar in a desultory fashion dusting it off when I was bored or inspired by romance trying to write the 'Out Law Love' song to quote Mike Ness. I had song books too: Beatles, Doors, Dylan, Stones, Beach Boys. Still got 'em. Close by too. And David Bowie of course.
With a little bit of effort you can have fun, and if you can sing, get away with a lot, like Elvis, who was a surprisingly good rhythm guitar player according to Steve Cropper in Guitar Player Magazine. If you can't sing you better play well!
Only later when had I time, some money and inclination to semi-seriously practice did I start to improve and am still in that stable relationship too. Possibly I regret not starting younger. But it wouldn't have been the same. For the past 5 years I've practiced at least an hour and half a day with the metronome. Then later play what I want for an hour or more.
Anyway, 5 or 6 years ago I bought this great jazz method book by Jodie Fischer. It had the basic stuff in there presented in a way that made sense and it is the A-B-C building blocks that most rock or song books don't show you.
Info that I never knew. I have a Mickey Baker method and a Wes Montgomery method too and other books but this particular book lays it out good and proper, the basic rudiments necessary to all guitar styles and western music. Far Better visually at any rate than Mickey Bakers stuff.
The triad shapes blew me away and he gives you the triads for the three string sets and they all interconnect of course and I am still trying to piece together the modes and how to play what scale over the changes. I guess a lot of the theoretical aspect of it hasn't gelled yet. The 'Jazz' theory. ii V I - So when something like this 50 Jazz Style Licks Jazz DVD comes along that lets me use my pentatonic boxes orientation in a jazz way I start to feel far more like a jazz guy!
Keep your feet on the ground, but let your heart soar as high as it will. Refuse to be average or to surrender to the chill of your spiritual environment.
-- Arthur Helps