Starting to lose interest...Help!

Lessons tend to be boring. However, I think they are very useful and are essential if you want to be a really good player. However, you can work on other stuff too. I recommend you check out Songxpress tapes. They will get you playing hundreds of songs very very fast. That way you can move from guitar student to guitar player.

I've been taking lessons for a little over a year, and I think I've made some good progress. Here are some thoughts...

If you want to lay the foundation for good techniques down the line, then work on your scales and repetitive exercises now (knowing the fretboard, strumming with a metronome, etc.). It WILL pay off.

It is important, I believe, to have something that you can relate your exercises to, meaning some song that you enjoy. Once you see how your practicing can help you with learning some simple starting songs (Knocking on Heaven's Door, Eight Days a Week for example), it really starts to get exciting. But don't get too far ahead of yourself yet.

I found that it is better to pick up the git at least once a day and sit with it for a while...doesn't always have to be hard-core practicing, but sometimes just simple strumming for the pleasure of hearing the music. Better 15 minutes each day than 1 hour once a week, comprende? Keeps your music muscles ready.

Also, I think it is good to either find a new place to practice (if practical) or time to practice. I have had some wonderful practice time early in the morning or out on my front step or in my backyard...shake it up. I still have a desire to climb a mountain and play...

Well, that's all

most of all...have fun...there is not time table fore these things!

:)

I think it is wise to remember that we all learn in different ways. Myself, I can't stand structured classes. Give me a book and an advisor to ask questions of and get feedback from, and I'm set. I learned DCL (Digital Command Language) when I worked at DEC using HELP commands. Then I taught others how to do it. :)

Staying motivated is the key to learning and learning well. If you aren't motivated, then something needs to change, whether that be your teacher, your goals, or even your attitude. Consider what's holding you back - what's making this not fun, and then change it.

Most of us play for the joy of music, and because it's fun. It will be difficult to get joyful about your playing quickly. One of the things that I like about the beginner lessons on this site is that they don't just teach you a song, they teach you something about technique or theory and then teach a song that showcases it. That is perfect. You build knowledge and technique and have fun playing a song at the same time.

I agree that your teacher needs to be told exactly what is going on. He needs to know what your exact goals are. But remember, he is a teacher and even if he's a bad one he knows more than you. Try to get "his plan" for you out in the open and see if you can see the logic and benefit to you of that plan. I would not be playing today if I started with intense excersises and theory. That stuff came later (or should I say is still coming :)) and only after I knew that my playing was not going to progress without it.

Everyone is different in approach both with regards to teaching and learning. Find what works for you!

I set up a practice scheduler and a progress sheet/goal sheet.
So let's say I want to learn this or that scale (that's what I'm doing right now), I'll write it into my scheduler and it is part of my training. I'll write down tempo, how long I have played and how good (approximatley) I am in this speed. That gives me a reference for the future (normally next day).
Then I'll enter my aim for this scale-pattern, for example 160bpm.
I'll enter start time (when I first started this training)
and approximate end time (whne I want to get to this aim
and one part with another ovarall progressline to see hoiw far away I might be.

I'll do this with all my things, otherwise I would be completely lost (or i WAS completely lost)

You can enter whatever goal (technique, chords, songs, patterns) you want, but be precice so you stay focused.

there were a few articles which inspired me for doing this. I think it's the best to progress focused and fast AND you it's put RIGHT IN YOUR FACE if you are doing too much at a time (as I did).

I've been taking lessons for about a year now.
And yeah, I had to do the same boring stuff you had to - scales, chords and all.

You should definitely know some basic chords by now, so go check out some songs online and see what you can play (and what you can't).

Then, after a period of time, return to what you can't play, but wanted to. You should be able to play a little more of it.

Case in point - When I started guitar, I really, REALLY, wanted to learn how to play some Metallica. (I also wanted to do killer solos, but one step at a time, man.) I looked through all the songs, and found a few riffs that I could do - Fade to Black's intro, Unforgiven's intro, One's intro. I went back 3 months later, after more lessons, and checked to see what I could play - more of Fade to Black, more of Unforgiven, not so much of One. Two weeks ago, after 8 months of lessons and practice, I went back, and can play about 60% of Fade to Black. (working on the verse part and the later solos are a bit out of reach now, but i'll keep working on it!)

Why?

Learning a song requires you to break it down into separate elements, same as writing a song. The intro is usually the easiest part of the song, and you can learn that first. The Verse or rhythm of the song, once you know the chords or can do them well, is next. The solos / filler, they come when you can do scales, and learn to recognize what scales they are done in, as well as the key of the scales relative to the key of the song.

Don't get PO'ed. It takes time to develop skill with an instrument. And in reference to "Sunshine of Your Love", it is in a particular key, and Eric switches things up a bit so it doesn't sound like he's playing the same riff in the same place all the time. Every good musician should figure out "their way" of playing a song, which makes sense to them, and learn from other people who do things "their way". If something makes more sense, steal it. If it doesn't, teach them what you do.

(I personally use barre chords to get that chordy sound in Sunshine, and continue to use barre chords for the chorus, out of sense of economy and preference for sound. You can play it a thousand different ways with different variations on the basic chords, because no "one way" is exactly right!)

Don't feel trapped by the "right way", but at the same time, don't give up on your teacher. He obviously has a plan, and you should definitely let him know what your interests are so he can cater his plan to you.