What am I supposed to practice once I'm done with method books?

Question

I went through all of the Berklee modern method for guitar books and now I'm not sure what I'm supposed to practice. I play at jams and play along with records, but what am I supposed to practice that will continue to further my musical education?

Are there any method books that are more advanced than the Berklee books?

I'm talking about what I should practice on a daily basis. I know I could make a band or something, but what am I supposed to practice when I'm by myself?

Answer 1

Hi John

So you went through the Berklee method guitar books. They have 3 volumes equalling 3 years of study. These books are made to take 1 lesson a week and each book, if I am not mistaken, last one year.

I studied and completed Berklee myself. I jsut find it out that you don't know what to do next .

If you know your modes and looking for techniques over the Berklee stuff, then get Howard Roberts guitar book. They will b,ow you away .

They only teach techniques such as arpeggios, sweeping, compling, legato etc....

These books are very advanced and i gather that you are since you don't have nothing else to learn. Their is also Joe pass Guitar solo  and Alchemy from Howrd Robert.

I would suggest getting Saxophone books that contain mostly riffs. They are very good for guitar players and that should leep you busy opening up new avenues.

Finally, diminished arpeggios and scales combined with whole tone scale, in your solos, are other wild ideas and often used by metal guitarist such as Malsteem, Symphony-X etc....

Answer 2

order music at sheetmusicplus.com or at a local music store. Just playing different music will help you develop your skills as a musician and at sight-reading.

Answer 3

Take lessons. You're stuck and lessons will get you on the right track faster than trying to figure out where to go next on your own. A teacher will help you GREATLY.

Ask your local music store if they offer guitar lessons (majority will). Remember that lessons are expensive (my teacher pays on a monthly basis of $100) and finding a good teacher is hard to come by, but you won't stop searching if you really want to learn and get the ball rolling again.