Home › Forums › Active Melody Guitar Lessons › Strategies on approaching the massive quanity of Lessons on Active Melody?
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August 3, 2021 at 4:12 pm #265610
Greetings! I would like to gather comments and opinions from the community on strategies to approaching the massive quantity of lessons on Active Melody. One approach could be to just pick anything that seems interesting. Or one could simply start at the beginning. I suppose one could use a filter category and do that.
There doesn’t seem to be any sequential type of curriculum or topic pathway. Perhaps that is a benefit to becoming very well rounded as is Brian.
I would be interested in hearing about people’s approaches to this and what they have found effective or not effective. Was random picking of lessons just too scattered? Was attempting something unified too restrictive?
What are your thoughts!
Thanks in advance
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August 3, 2021 at 4:49 pm #265613
Yes. It can be overwhelming. Especially since there are so many good lessons. When I sarted I wanted to do them all at once!
My advice, take your time. Pick one lesson you really like, in a style you want really to play. You don’t have to follow along the video from beginning to end in one take. Pause it. Take it all in. When learning the lesson, do it one bar at a time. Play it over and over until you don’t have to even think about it. Then work on the next bar. Same way. Then play the two bars back to back. Then take on the 3rd bar…So on and so on.
You’ll find that a lot of the lessons end up teaching the same concepts. So once you really learn one well, elements of the next lesson will reinforce what you have already learned. Slowly the lightbulbs will glow.
Stay focused, have fun, try not to bounce around too much too soon, and really sink your teeth to something.
Everyone on the forum is super helpful and encouraging so don’t hesitate to ask anything else!
JFL
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August 3, 2021 at 4:55 pm #265614
Thanks for those thoughts!
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August 3, 2021 at 5:17 pm #265615
im just starting blues and decided it would be best to keep it to one key to get a few chords, licks and familiarity under my fingers. I went to the weekly lessons and chose the category “Key of E”. Then i listened to samples of each lesson in the key of E and added the ones i liked and thought i could manage to my favorites under a category of “E Blues”. Now i have a favorites section with similar songs in the same key that i can pull from to build a decent base.
Longtime banjo player looking for some variety so taking up the blues on guitar
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August 3, 2021 at 5:21 pm #265616
Good Thoughts; Thanks!
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August 3, 2021 at 9:06 pm #265622
Can someone suggest an order of lessons to play lead. To build the best foundation. Active melody is so awesome,I’m overwhelmed. Please advise.
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August 4, 2021 at 5:59 am #265653
Scott and Mike,
This is such a difficult question as we all learn in different ways.
I am interested in polishing my lead ability in dorian. I am finding that I can incorporate knowledge of the minor pentatonic, major scale positions, triads, as well as an awareness of intervals (especially the roots within my CAGED chord shapes), knowledge of notes on the fretboard and some basic music theory. So, the things that help my lead come from all different areas. That’s why I agree with JFL that each lesson introduces or reinforces key concepts and fretboard insights that you will amalgamate if you work to understand them. Having seen the “lightbulb” moment challenge just concluded, it is apparent that Brian’s method is really getting through to people.
Having said that, there are some key concept lessons like CAGED, triads, arpeggios, mixing the major and minor pentatonic that you can search out. Brian keeps teasing us with a music theory course he’s working on but I would suggest learning how to harmonize the major scale as a must.
John-
August 4, 2021 at 10:09 am #265674
Thanks Charjo!
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August 4, 2021 at 9:32 am #265669
Where to start with AM’s lessons was a major stumbling point for me when I first joined AM, It was as frustrating as near everything else about learning guitar and tbh killed a lot of my enthusiasm and passion to learn.
I gave up after a year or so wondering why I could passibly play some lessons and struggle deeply with others, So now I just play/learn when the mood or time allows, I’ve put 5 or 6 fave lessons in a folder and delve in to them from time to time....Billy..
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August 4, 2021 at 10:10 am #265675
Thanks Billy. It’s the journey that counts.
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August 4, 2021 at 12:04 pm #265688
Hi Scott, for me, I think about what areas of my playing I’d like to work on. As I browse the lessons I ask myself if this one might be good for developing my rhythm playing, my lead playing, or maybe it’s a solo piece that might be fun to play and develop my emotional delivery of the music. I’ve created a few favorites folders broken into similar categories. When I find a lesson I like I add it to the appropriate folder for later work.
While working through the lessons I generally stick with one until I have it well under my fingers before moving on to another. 6 or 7 have become memorized pieces that I return to when practicing and work toward full mastery of them.
Along the way, with all the lessons, I find Brian repeatedly ties licks, scales, or other musical ideas to chord shapes from the CAGED system. The reinforcement of these connections slowly builds my internal ‘map’ of the fretboard. For instance, a stand-alone blues piece might make use of the minor pentatonic pattern 1 scale tied to an E-shaped chord from CAGED. Then, a rockabilly lead lesson which sound very different makes use of the same minor pentatonic pattern 1 scale tied to an E-shaped chord. Then a rhythm lesson has a fill lick which is minor pentatonic pattern 1 off of an E-shaped chord. Ah, that connection is now happening in multiple contexts and becomes accessible to me when I’m improvising because I’ve seen it so many times. This also makes learning additional lessons quicker. Brian uses a lick and you suddenly realize it’s a piece of the lick you leaned in some other lesson, and, really, you already know it.
I guess that’s a long way of saying to just jump in with the lessons that appeal to you and fit what you want to work on. There is a cumulative effect over time as you work your way through the catalogue. Your internal ‘map’ will begin taking shape too.
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August 6, 2021 at 1:15 pm #265966
Excellent; thanks!
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August 4, 2021 at 4:16 pm #265712
It depends on your current level of skill. The lessons range from very simple to very difficult, but you can’t do a search for difficulty level (even though some members have asked for that option). I have been a member almost since the first lessons were posted and here’s what I noticed: The earlier lessons are often shorter and easier than the more recent lessons. And during the past year, the lessons are trending toward teaching specific concepts, like CAGED, use of secondary dominants, and this month’s tips on using dim chords. I often recommend to new members to check out EP065 and EP066, which can be played together and even intermixed. Learn to play them both with a pick and fingerstyle. See if you can play them by using a drone bass where possible. See if you can come up with a few original licks as variations. Voila, you are becoming a good guitarist!
Sunjamr Steve
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August 4, 2021 at 5:09 pm #265718
Great comments, 😊
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August 5, 2021 at 6:31 am #265760
Scott lots of good tips here. I think the ethos is just choose what you think is doable and get stuck in if you hit the brick wall move on but make sure to return from time to time that way you will realize that you are sneaking up on the difficulties and slowly overcoming them but by moving on you keep the interest alive but the return visits are essential to ensure progress. And the other point is I don’t think you will miss out wherever you jump in if you do the courses or know that much then there is a mass of choice and because of the methods used Brian will bring you up to speed virtually from any angle of approach so long as you put the time in.
JohnStrat-
August 6, 2021 at 1:16 pm #265967
Cool; thanks for the perspective!
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August 9, 2021 at 1:17 pm #266307
I am in the same boat. I can understand that I am improving, however at the same time, I remain overwhelmed with the amount of good content and lesson there is in this site. I am a premium member here sincelast 5-6 months, yet, I have not been able to listen or see everything available to make a good choice. However, whenever I have some free time, I click on a specific CATEGORY and then first see the title to understand WHAT IS THE FOCUS of this lesson, and then click on “PLAY SAMPLE” to listen to the final outcome…. THAT MAY BE A START-POINT to understand what is available.
If you do a search, there is a Pdf (or a spread-sheet) in the Forum, which lists all the EP (Episode) lessons and LEG (Legacy)lessons and VG (Weekly Vlog) lessons, the EP list was updated about a year back… I think; You may want to take a printout of that to at least read the topic titles to see again what is available.
It is easiest… if you know “WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU WANT”, if such clarity exists you can do a search and directly choose a lesson… However I do not have such clarity, I am often tempted to flutter from lesson to lesson (which I have understood is not helpful at all).
I am still not exactly clear of the pathway I am going to take, however I am definitely improving… shared my experience and thoughts, which might help a bit.
I would also like to add that… if you are an Advancing Beginer, like me… other than the lessons itself… you may have to dedicate specifically around 20-30 minutes a day only to do Non-musical TECHNIQUE practise (playing scales, shapes, runs, chord changes, new chords, bends, vibrato, alternate and hybrid picking etc) to do justice to any lesson you choose. What technique, exactly to practise will flow from the lesson you choose… thats my personal opinion and experience.
Storming Heaven's Gate
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August 9, 2021 at 6:54 pm #266326
Personally, i am taking Brians lessons in as, what do i want to learn this month? I am a blues nut, so for the next few weeks i am taking anything in towards B.B. Kings style he has to offer. Next month i may feel something totally different, or hone in on slide techniques i already know. So find whatever turns your crank at the moment and group lessons together that has to do with that moment. Just my 2 cents.
Success doesn't happen through spontaneous combustion...You must set yourself on fire.
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August 9, 2021 at 8:08 pm #266328
Thanks Michael and Sumanto. I am also discovering that each lesson at my level has way too much in it for easy digestion especially with a whole slew of new licks in a performance piece. So I am going to settle into getting the main concept, perhaps one critical take away and perhaps one new lick to study and not getting obsessed with learning the entire solo. Several times Brian states “if this is all you get from this lesson…..” I am going to take his “suggestion” to avoid overwhelm. 🙂
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August 11, 2021 at 5:41 pm #266435
I have been playing guitar for 62 years, bad habits galore, so many guitar lessons that were wasted money, but for some reason I understand Brian. (That should scare him) I currently play in cover band with no problem. If I go to guitar shop or if someone ask me to play this or that……freeze brain. Just would like to find one lick to play at guitar shop, other than 1 4 5 chord rhythm. I am bouncing all over the lessons here. Suggestions
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August 13, 2021 at 6:37 am #266605
My two cents – whatever lesson you choose and start, try to finish it properly before looking at another. I was terrible for this and I think it just leaves you feeling dissatisfied.
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October 13, 2021 at 6:17 am #276027
Maybe it’s a good idea to start writing down your own goals.
A website does not necessarily have to have a clear path to success which, by the way, is very hard to accomplish anyway seeing everyone here has a different skill level and different goals.
If you write down your macro-goals (your larger goals that is) and divide them into more manageable sections a.k.a. micro-goals, you can work on your macro-goals by learning your micro-goals one at a time.
For instance: Let’s say you want to improve your acoustic guitar chops so you could build a repertoire of covers and original materials and do some solo gigs. This would be your macro-goal.
Then you think about what it is you need to do to accomplish this goal. These will be you microo-goals. to get to this stage one might want to:– Improve understand of arranging for writing original material
– Improve rhythm chops on acoustic guitar
– Learn how to incorporate rhythm fills, double stop, traids and solos into your playing
– Improve theoretical knowledge (see what is personally applicable here seeing this topic is vast)
– look into “play in the style of …” lessons depending on the covers you’d want to play to get a good grasp on the guitarist your covering’s specific style and to incorporate some signature licks and rhythms.
Etc.On all these topics you can find a multitude of lessons on here. You don’t have to complete one micro-goal to go to the next by the way. You can switch it up. Keep a journal about which lessons you are doing and for which purpose and where your weaknesses are to improve them. Identifying a weakness is also a key element and can bring you to completely different lessons altogether. Using this method I was working on improving my rhythm on acoustic guitar only to notice that my fingerpicking was really below the level it should be to continue the lessens so I ended up first brushing up on some fingerpicking lessons before going back to rhythm.
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