I am new to guitar and trying to learn how to actually play the guitar and not just play the intro to numerous songs. However it seems that there is no structure out there and everything just jumps around, thus the reason I chose to subscribe this week. I had read several reviews for many platforms and the reviews for gss seemed to talk about how well it was laid out and structured, but as a new player I'm finding the complete opposite to be true I made it through the beginner's corner then there is no guidance as to where to start and go from there I want to give it a fair shot before I cancel my subscription so If anyone can tell me if I doing something wrong or is there really no structured path to follow in this system I would greatly appreciate any assistance.
I would suggest, Music Theory, there is so much good learning content in this system. I believe the reason Tyler has set up the course this way is you can effectively choose your own path so to speak.
Thanks for the kind words, and you are correct. I appreciate you conveying this so well!
That seems counter intuitive to learning for new players that don't know what they should learn and when the best time to learn it is. Seems that all education comes with some form of structured path building block so to say, It would be nice from somebody that knows regardless of who that person maybe to say hey i would recommend start here then go here etc.. you can chase your own tail forever it feels like without that guidance, at least in my particular case lol.
The reason guitar learning isn't linear like that is because people are interested in different things. You need to figure out what your goals are for the guitar. What sort of music do you want to play? What level of understanding are you wanting to accomplish when it comes to the music you're playing? What style of playing are you interested in? There are so many different methods that can be applied to guitar instruction. It isn't like learning mathematics for example. Maybe you want to be a fingerpicking guitarist in which case you need to design your path so that your learning incorporates things that help in those areas. Maybe you want to be a badass rhythm player, in which you'll need to take a different direction. Or maybe you want to be a lead solo player. Acoustic or electric?
There is no cut and dry path to take. If you seek that out, you risk losing that personal journey and start traveling on someone else's path. Which is why many guitarist don't stick with it. General guitar teachers for example will guide you in a way THEY want you to go. The GSS offers tons of different branches to expand in to.
With that being said, figure out the answers to some of the questions listed above and we'll be able to give you opinions that are more in tune with the direction you want to go. But don't treat guitar as some task or chore for which you need to learn. It's a hobby that is fun and brings you joy. Just open up with it a little bit and the answers will start coming to you.
I would like to change my answer to this. Well said.
It appears that people asking these questions don't know what they don't know. I find it amazing that so many people will respond to these questions basically telling people to figure it out rather than taking 1/3 of that time and giving a quick suggestion. It's possible to do both.
Hey there, late to the party. One of my favorite musicians, Steven Wilson, said that he doesn't really view himself as a guitar player, that he views himself more as a songwriter. The instrument lends itself to each player and molds to that player's interests, emotional influences, and physical properties, and he works his guitar playing to his songwriting. One of the favorite phrases used on the YouTube Channel is that tone is in the fingers, but that is only half the statement. You can buy signatures or replicas of complete sets of certain player's gear and never sound or even play like them, not because you cannot be good enough, but because you don't share that player's body, experiences, or influences. That's the truly wonderful thing about this instrument: there are better and worse ways to play it, but unlike almost every other instrument out there, there is no specifically prescribed way to play it. You play it how you want to play it. Your knowledge can be the same, but the way you use that knowledge will be different than literally everyone else that plays.
Seeing new players gives me so much joy man. I'm living vicariously through your new experiences. Don't lose patience, keep the faith, and have a fucking blast with this. Get you some, I'm rooting for you.
I'd like to say I really appreciate the thoughtful discussion in this thread, and while my teaching method is perhaps slightly different than conventional, I like to think that I made something that I myself would want to use as a guitar player wanting to learn (which I still am, and I do indeed use GSS to this day).
I definitely accept critiques that are ultimately the most healthy thing for my business, because it helps keep me accountable and make something worth paying for month after month. That said, I'm really looking forward to some new improvements coming to GSS very soon. Thanks again for your support!
-Tyler