Originally Posted by: john of MTSitting in my college dorm room one afternoon, I 'heard' the progression in a record on the radio and that ah-ha moment allowed me to hear and play progressions for the rest of the time I played guitar (I have come back to guitar after a decades-long break). But my skill level is not up to playing melody/lead by ear...yet.

I really agree with this statement. Think of having the ability to hear something and play it back as taking the same amount of work as anything else you have learned. Scales, chords, triads; none of those things just made sense right away. It took time for that information to digest, and making that connection between what you hear and what you play is no different. Apply the same patience to your new obstacle :)

For me that "a-ha" moment came when playing along to Metallica albums as a kid. I would spend weekends jamming in my room, and after learning "Enter Sandman" from a friend I was hooked. I spent nearly a whole weekend trying to figure out "The Four Horseman." Once I did, I found that I was able to play several songs off of that same album (Kill Em All.) Sure, the songs all had similar traits but I was playing by ear! Finally! From there I couldn't get enough and I just kept developing that skill by learning songs I liked, and today I still do that all the time.

You don't want to depend on that "a-ha" moment to just arrive, you want to work at it. But it will, and once it does; be ready to explore a whole new world of your playing. Don't give up just yet. Stick with the lessons, and I look forward to knowing when that moment happens. It will. :D

Also, there has been a lot of mention about singing what you play. That will help tremendously as well. Remember; anything you can hum, you can play.