I feel like i dont progress.

[ARi]

I have only been playing guitar for a couple of years. For a year and a half i have taken flamenco guitar lessons, and i have played en electric guitar for about 3. I practice about an hour or tow a day, but I feel like I dont improve very much. Does anybody have any recomendations, suggestions or anything that will help me. I appreciate any help that anybody can give.

[Shred Fan]

Try to play a ridiculously hard song/piece, you will see that its futile. Then, take a look at what it is exactly that makes the song hard, difficult elements such as phrasing, picking, string skipping, complex bending or the like. The isolate these elements and work on them individually until what was once hard becomes easy and second nature to you, make sure you can do it flawlessly.

After this, reattempt the song/piece and keep working at it, to get all the hard elements and such down may take an eternity , but at the end when you can finally play what you were trying to you'll know you've improved.

Hope that helps, or maybe I'm just rambling.

[Axe-aholic]

Follow Shred Fan's advice. But don't forsake playing songs that are at your level. It's supposed to be fun afterall. It shouldn't ALWAYS be a chore.

However, unless there is something terribly wrong with you, then you are improving. I've been playing for 8 years and I've never FELT like I was improving. Think about the first time you tried to finger a chord. You've obviously improved since then. Improvement is slow for most of us and you'll rarely notice it.

For some practical advice. Try recording yourself playing the hardest song or lick you know. Put the recording away and listen to it again like...a year later. You'll be suprised how far you've come I'll bet.
Another thing that will help you come along faster is a regimented practice routine. Eric V has written some great articles on this topic.

[fastfingersfunk]

1-2 hours IMO isnt enough to see great leaps in a beginner. maybe for a few people but i would be willing to bet most of the guitar giants have put in 10 hours days (and more). that much time isnt possible for everyone but if you have weekends and things like that, practice as much as you can. its one of those things that my students deal with all of the time. they have their friends, homework, video games, etc. if you are SERIOUS about the guitar, that stuff comes secondary.

1 1/2 years worth of lessons should have you feeling good. you might want to try a new teacher as well.

[axe_man_oli]

It doesn't take much. If you put in 2 to 3 hours a day of solid targeted practice (working it up in stages), in about 3 years, you WILL be a super killer of a player, no doubt. Technically at least, you will fly. If you can't, you haven't practiced the way you need to. Just get some picking exercises, some chord work and some super hard songs, and work through them slowly. Start of very slow with the exercises, work up in tempo.. blaaa blaaa....

MAKE SURE TO USE A METRONOME!!!!

Its all about managing your time and focusing on what needs work, rather than just relearning stuff you can already manage.

[smallbusrider]

1.Find a band, any band...join it...play with others
2. Three hours a day is optimal for concentrated learning.actually the average human mind can only concentrate fully on a subject for only 2 or three minutes. use that time to just learn the basic concept at basic speeds and move on to another...once you grasp it you can find time other than the three hours to mindlessly (only a figurative term here)practice it.
3. Yes you can practice watching TV(the midless stuff) I forget the guys name but he once said to get a metronome with a light and watch tv in a dark room. I believe Jon Finn said to turn the volume off on the tv and try to compose themes for the programming.
4.You will always feel like you are not progressing WHILE PRACTICING...thats normal. Your brain needs to assimilate all this stuff and depending on the person that could mean penetrating a few years of alcohol and bong resin...lol
You need to apply what you learned.Thats where jamming to tracks or bands (or both) come into play.
5.Stop thinking about how you are progressing because every time you pick up a guitar, whether you think youre progressing or not, you are!
6. Its a good idea to listen to yourself practice on tape, but not too often. Like AXEAHOLIC said:Pick a series of licks from your practice schedule. Record yourself. listen to yourself (or do not listen to yourself- its up to you.) After a few months record the same things you did then...Then you can listen to them side by side. If you don't hear improvement, i think someone chopped off the fingers on your left hand in the meantime...lol

Anyway hope that helps...
SBR

[smallbusrider]

Thats funny, Axeaholic, I wrote my piece and realized that i said something you already mentioned. (i really should read all the posts!!!) So i made sure i went back and gave you credit for bringing it up..Its just so scary how guitar players think alike!!!

[JailHouseRock]

You can always write down your long-term, mid-term, short-term, weekly, daily and monthly goals on paper. After each day/week/month , you may want to see whether you've achieve it or not by looking back at the paper.

[smallbusrider]

I still say the best practice is playing with others....you can really hone it in your bedroom....but if youre lazy ...just play with others and listen to all types of music...that got me by for a long time in earlier years....lol. its funny i was technically lacking all those years ago and people thought i was great...now i honed my chops and its like HO HUM...an occasional guitar player will give me kudos now and then though....I do miss the chicks!!!! lol :D

SBR