Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with selfstudy

I want to really understand the guitar.

Precision — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 12:08:33 -0800

How can I advance from being someone who plays the guitar to a real guitarist? I'm tired of the same old open chords and basic barres. How do I become a true musician on the instrument? Kinda long inside thingy. Some background on me: I took piano lessons through my childhood. I regret quitting, who doesn't? I played on the drumline in my middle school/high school band. I was quite proficient in mallet instruments, playing four mallet marimba parts in 8th grade.

I picked up the guitar a little over three years ago. I took lessons for about a month, and after that decided I'd learned enough for myself for then. My teacher told me I was advancing stupidly fast (mostly because I played every night until my fingers bled, often 6-10 hours). I learned the open chords (C, D, E, A, G, Emin, Amin, Dmin, G7, etc...), and exactly one scale pattern. I've spent the last two and a half years or so learning four to six chord acoustic songs that I like to sing. I guess over the time I've become better at picking up strum patterns, chord changes, rhythm and such, but I'm feeling extremely stagnant, and for good reason. I have zero skill in soloing/improv. Somewhere along the way I had a year of college level music theory and ear training. My knowledge of modes and how they relate to soloing over progressions and changes is extremely lacking.

I'd like to learn the instrument very well, and I'm willing to put in some hard work. If I had to break my goals down simply, I'd do it like this:

1. Learn the fretboard backwards and forwards, up and down. It frustrates me that I can more quickly form complex extended chords on the piano than I can on the guitar still. I want to be able to put my finger on a fret at random and know precisely what note that is.

2. Learn to play jazz guitar, both rhythm and lead. But, I'm not looking to memorize 4820 "jazz chords", I'm looking to develop the ability to build them myself on the fly. I'm also not looking to be able to solo over one scale pattern in one position, but to be able to seamlessly use the entire neck. I have some classical theory education, but zero in jazz theory.

The music I listen to is probably only classified as "indie rock", and that's kinda what I see my style as. Mellow, very melodic, expressive. My hero on the guitar is Chris Walla, not Satriani or Vai.

Lessons are out of the question, as I simply cannot afford them. I'm hoping for a few books that I can work through independently that will advance my mastery of the instrument. I'm not looking for the suggestion that "music is not math--just keep playing and you'll get there." No true, I've just been "playing" for over two years. I'm perfectly willing to put in some hard work every day, just need some direction. Feel free to memail me or anything.

Small projects for a high-school senior on gap year.

zhang.chuck — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:48:49 -0800

Can anyone recommend some projects or self-improvement/self-studying for a high school senior taking a gap year between high school and college? I am already planning on doing some traveling and working at a job/internship, but I've heard from friends who have taken gap years that doing something for too long gets repetitive and detracts from the experience (especially since, as a high school senior, I will probably be going more for the "experience" of living in the real world rather than doing anything terribly meaningful).

I'm planning on doing a couple of different things for about three-four months at a time, and I expect some down-time in between.

I'd like to do something in that time-- but I'd probably want to put in 3-4 weeks of hard effort, rather than something that stretches out over a year. I'm interested in political science, history, economics-- generally, current events.

What can I do in that kind of time that will be personally meaningful and interesting?

Level-up, Economics.

dead_ — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:28:09 -0800

I'm looking for a good, intermediate economics textbook. I would like to get a few recommendations on intermediate/advanced economics textbooks that are well suited to self-study. I am particularly interested in macroeconomics and development economics. What are the standard books typically assigned in college courses? Which books have been particularly helpful in moving you from a beginner to intermediate understanding of macroeconomics? Also, books that have associated online content (quizzes, tests) are a plus.

What are some certifications/qualifications I can study for at home in my free time and get through correspondence, the internet, or a single test in a physical location?

Great Insect Task Force Comet Ranger — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:05:16 -0800

What are some certifications/qualifications I can study for at home in my free time and get through correspondence, the internet, or a single test in a physical location? I currently have a lot of free time that it's necessary for me to spend at home, and this is going to remain the situation for a year or longer. I enjoy studying and memorizing things for fun (long lists of terminology, detailed maps of foreign countries, etc., not necessarily things I have a pre-existing interest in), and I'm not sure where I'm headed career-wise, so I'd like to use this time to get a few qualifications that may or may not prove useful later on. It's important that whatever I do be self-paced, and I don't have the money to take classes online. I live near a major city, and it would be possible for me to go in to take a test -- or, of course, to take a test offered in my town -- if *all* the preparation for it could be done at home. Those things said, I'd like to hear whatever suggestions you can offer.

How do I set myself apart?

DMan — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 15:01:55 -0800

As a computer engineering student about to begin my sophomore year, what can I do on my own to distinguish myself from the scores of other kids in the field when it comes time to find an internship? If you look at my posting history, you'll see that I've asked a question or two about electronics and my major, Computer Engineering.

I'm about to begin my sophomore year in college, and I've been researching internships at various companies since in a year or so I'll be looking for one. One problem with the computer field in this regard is that it's very crowded--it seems like there's a ton of people studying computer science/engineering, both in the U.S. and elsewhere.

So I've determined that I need to do as much as I can to distinguish myself as someone in the field. I want to do things that will catch the eyes of employers and things that I can talk about in the interviews. Basically, I need to find things to do in my free time that will teach me a lot of practical information about the computer engineering field, and hopefully in the process complete a few major projects that will help my chances of landing a job later.

For reference, right now I have a pretty good foundation on C++/C#(about a year spent on this, altogether), and I know how to solder and understand very basic electronic circuits.

Thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated!

The Birth of a Film Critic

strangeleftydoublethink — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:56:21 -0800

I'm starting a self-study program in film theory and history. I want to approach it in a systematic way. Chronological seems to be the easiest but I'm open to other approaches. Are there any particular resources (books, blogs, etc.) you have used or would recommend to help me create my film theory and history study guide (think graduate degree level)?

Seeking reading material before jumping into a master's in applied math...

Bugg — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 16:57:11 -0800

Starting this fall, I plan on taking some preparatory undergrad coursework with the intention of eventually applying to a master's program in applied mathematics. I am seeking suggestions for reading material concerning the field of mathematics in general, both as a refresher and as insight into current focus areas and work being done. As a working engineer, my situation and background might be a bit different from most considering this route... I have a bachelor's degree in computer engineering, as well as a master's in the same that was earned while working full time. I continue to work full time, though I have reason to believe that both the school to which I'm applying and my employer will be accommodating. The master's was recently completed, but it has been five years since my undergrad work. Unfortunately, my undergrad coursework is far more relevant than the coursework I've recently taken.

This undergrad coursework largely covers the prerequisites I need for grad study -- core calculus, a class in differential equations, some proofs through a discrete math course, linear algebra, etc. I'm already in contact with advisors regarding further coursework to be taken before applying to a formal grad program and trust their advice. I'm not really seeking additional input concerning this. However, I would definitely consider advice on approaching the mathematics field from an engineering background.

That said, my primary inquiry concerns specific reading material about the field in general. I'm looking for something a bit above pop-science level, but not quite textbook level. I'm by no means afraid of a bit of dense reading; However, I also don't expect to attempt to master the field before entering. Naturally, I already intend to break out my old textbooks, so that's covered. What I'm really seeking is material to give a taste for parts of the field that I wouldn't have been introduced to in an undergrad engineering program. Although probably not a perfect example, I'm looking for something a bit like Knuth's 'The Art of Computer Programming' is to the computer science field, if that's familiar to anyone answering this.

Anyway, I'll attempt to monitor this and answer clarifying questions as they come up. Thanks in advance!

Foreign-language music, for fun and learning

thumpasor — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 10:58:15 -0800

Foreign-language music, for fun and learning I'm looking for fun popular music to help me with language lessons. For example, Rammstein, the Fantastischen Vier and Die Prinzen for German. Or MC Solaar and Yves Montand for French. Or Seu Jorge for Portuguese, etc. Bonus points for musical value.

I'm focused on Spanish right now (sure that will be an easy one) but basically any language would be helpful. I think foreign-language rap is especially fun to listen to, but am pretty open. Other languages that come to mind are Italian, Japanese... Irish? I should mention that I am specifically not looking for audio language lessons. Thanks!

How do I teach my child a foreign language?

davar — Sun, 29 Jan 2006 08:39:01 -0800

How to teach my child a foreign language (English)? My daughter is 2.5. We are thinking about homeschooling, but even if we are not going to do that, I think it is useful for her to know more languages. She seems interested in language (she likes the alphabet, little word games, rhymes etc.). We are Dutch, so that's not terribly useful in a globalized world. I want to start with English.

My questions are:

* At what age should we start?
* What method do you recommend? I want it to be fun for both of us, and I prefer something that does not rely (much) on tv or computers.

I know it is recommended to go to a class, but there are no foreign language classes for children where I live, and the few adult classes that are there, are not much fun. My own English is OK. I can read it as if it were Dutch, but my writing and speaking are not so good yet.

How should one go about teaching oneself to read a foreign language?

Lush — Wed, 06 Jul 2005 08:09:03 -0800

Languages: I would like to teach myself a foreign language with the primary motivation of reading literature written originally in that language. (Italian, in this case.) For now, speaking and pronunciation are not as important as learning grammatical rules, sentence construction, and growing my vocabulary. Ideally, I would like to learn at my own pace, without having to hire a tutor or enrol in language classes, and I would prefer to skip general phrasebook greetings. Apart from a dictionary, what should I arm myself with? Are there any good resources on the web for this? How should one go about teaching oneself to read a foreign language? Thanks!