3Donkey, I don't think I did anything unusual. I've taken a number of lessons here, but didn't follow the courses in a very disciplined manner. I probably did more of that early on. I focused mainly on the blues and I think that helped because learning the 12 bar blues format and being able to play the I-IV-V chord pattern is pretty easy, fun to play, and can be applied to so many songs.

I practice probably about an hour a day, sometimes 2-3. There's no substitute for that, I'm sure. Certainly the best thing that happened to me was playing a couple songs on stage with a friends band when I had been playing for about 18 months. I only played a few songs, but it hooked me deeply. I then talked him into starting a new band with me and a few other guys. He has years of band experience and also play most lead guitar parts and is our primary vocalist. No way we could have pulled this off without his experience and leadership. So find a talented friend or three!

Finally, we keep our songs pretty simple, living by the principle of "Three Chords and the Truth". We've got a long way to go to be a professional band, and have no aspirations to do that. We just love to play.

Good luck and have fun!

Bruce