re: Need Advice From Musicians - Training Your Ear

Man, I'm at a similar place. I've been playing guitar since I was 15. I took guitar lessons then that consisted of "OK, what song do you want to learn today?" So I learned stuff like Wonderwall, Hotel California, Black Dog, etc. and I went from there. At 17 I was playing Dave Matthews at open mic night at The Daily Grind/Mason's Grill. Then I just hit a lull when I went off to college.

I'm 32 now. I have literally zero music theory knowledge aside from being able to read tabs, mimic rhythm styles, and whatever I learned in choir in HS. And as of right now I am obsessed with jazz music. Jazz guitar, to be more specific. Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Grant Green.

So I'm in this world right now, trying to learn this shite. And it's all completely new. A completely different way of thinking. I've got my 6th edition Real Book. I know the most basics of how to read sheet music. I still don't know how to see a C note on the sheet, and know where to go on the fretboard, other than '2nd fattest string, 3rd fret'. I've been playing Autumn Leaves now for 2 weeks, trying to learn theory. Trying to get an idea of what chord substitutions I can use. What funky little riffs I can throw in. But at the end of the day, I still don't know what the frick I'm doing. It's frustrating. But I'm sticking with it.

I bought a jazz guitar book by Ted Greene. I'm going to see this bitch through. I don't know what I'm in for. I don't know what I'll be once it's done. But I'm still excited to do it.