Randy120

@DianeB "Process, not product. Feed your soul, not your ego." I like that quote. I think you have it just right. Too much instant gratification leads to shallow experiences. Guitar is not easy, but the rewards are great. @Nutty1 You definitely have some challenges on your hand. Keep fighting the good fight!

@Wim VD Nice tune for a hot day.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/how-10-guitar-gods-got-started-20131101/jack-white-0183208 They didn't magically appear one day.

I am approaching the 10 year mark, and I played almost everyday. I still haven't caught Jimmy Page, but I can play the guitar. There have been many times where I didn't seem to be progressing, but I was. Then the magic day would happen when some new sound came out of the guitar. I have been working on pentatonic scales, three notes on a string, and learning the entire neck for months now. Slowly, but surely I am making progress. You get out what you put in. No one ever became a great guitar player without putting in the work.

@Wim VD You are welcome. I enjoyed watching one of my favorite Guitar Hero's giving a lesson. I wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to see it. He has other songs in the series also.

@matonanjin I use the V-Picks thick and thicker mostly, but mine are all clear. I got some free picks at the Taylor Road show and they are pretty good with very little slippage. D'Addario sent me a large sample of heavy picks when I bought some strings, and I must say they are a very nice assortment so it was a pleasant surprise.

@Blue Dog That is what I was thinking. All my friends would know exactly who's key it is on sight.

@matonanjin I like the Blue. My V-Picks are clear and they disappear if you don't keep an eye on them which is my only complaint. I bought the starter kits years ago and they are still going strong. The Tradition Lite Sapphire Blue doesn't really look Lite to me, is it fairly thick? Does it have a hole in the middle?

@Blue Dog Those are pretty cool. How much do they cost?

I just received an e-mail from V-Picks. Vinni Smith had a heart attack and 5-way bypass. He made a new pick while recovering.

The case is the safest place for the guitar. I have seen humidity levels at 18% here in New England during the winter so the humidifier is very important.

@Dave White You are welcome.

Alex Lifeson shows how to play Tom Sawyer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OtV_2A6fSo&t=1152s

@matonanjin The best way to know is to check your user manual, or the Fender website. I notice they recommend Bullet strings which would exclude pretty much every other string made. I changed strings on my friends Strat and it had no problem with standard 10's. You can use many types and gauges of string, but the guitar may need to be adjusted for different gauges. Almost 10 years now and no string breaks.

@matonanjin Yeah, I think you should stick with 10's. The 9's are not going to help you bend 10's; you will have to re-learn your technique when you move back to the thicker string. I have never broken a string. I always stick with the string gauge that came with the guitar.

What kind of strings did you have when you broke the E string?

I think detailed information on Arpeggios would be a great benefit for me learning how to solo. I really want to break out of playing in position. Playing chords and progressions in 6 different positions would also be helpful.

I have experience and it wasn't good. I took my Song Hits copy to Staples. I also wanted the spiral bound treatment they did for my Bonus Resources which was excellent. Unfortunately, I got an inexperienced person. They printed out each page on a different page with no double sided so the song was on a page then blank then another page which is useless. I complained and they told me they couldn't do what I knew they could. I complained to management, and the manager informed the employee yes you can. Unfortunately, they did a poor job slicing the binding off so the pages were crooked. All they needed to do was trim the pages, but quality was not on this person's mind. Yes I have the book, but it is very poor quality.

@Jason You are welcome. I would say the Major Scale would be good after maybe session 4. Because the scales are really important. The Jazz workouts you should save for later. You have a lot to learn so don't spread yourself too thin. You want to be challenged, but not overwhelmed so that you don't make progress. Start to play songs early. Record yourself so you can judge your progress. I like your attitude. Stay optimistic. You can do this.

Lighten up! It isn't a strength contest. Pressing too hard will actually pull notes out of tune. Learn to play with a light touch. You will be amazed at the difference. As for Barre chords. Add a song that you want to play with a Barre chord. Play and repeat. You will fail for a while, but you will improve over time. You will be successful with Barre chords when you stop fearing them. Have fun with it!

You can add speed and agility anytime. Use it for warm-up. Just don't make it the main focus of your practice.