[caspersvapors]

When I first started learning guitar at 9 I never new it was this complicated

It is amazing the more I learn about the guitar the more I realize how little I know. It is overwhelming and it is just not about learning the guitar, it is about learning music. But the good thing is that it is not a race and we can learn one thing at a time.

So I'm going back and learning the whole neck instead of just the shape of scales without knowing the notes.

Learning the notes is very important. I have found that the majority of players that I jam with do not know the notes they are playing beyond the 3rd or 4th fret. They only scale and arpeggio patterns etc. Which is fine and you can sound great knowing just that but eventually a serious player will learn the notes. It is not easy learning the notes and there are many techniques ( we can discuss that later) but it really comes down practicing.

It would be interested to start a thread or a poll to see how many people know the notes of the fretboard.

yeah, at least knowing the root, third and 5ths are a huge advantage. Each note in the scale is important, some give the feeling of closure and some do the opposite.

[JonnyBoy]

I really dig the fact you are as young as you are and understand as much as you do about music. There is so much crap out there in your generation that gets shoved down your throat by Disney, and its not really music, at least how we would describe it or understand it. The more I learn the more I find out I don't know much, is a true statement. This is NOT a race but a process, true again. We all get something from it, it means more than a song or the popularity, or the chicks or even the free beer and cheese sticks. Its art and we are all artists to some extent, bedroom player or frequent gigger. In a year or two you'll have this down and be worried about something else. And when your 45, the same will be true. At least know this, you are ahead of a lot of guys three times your age and that's something to be proud of. I especially like the fact that when I'm dead you'll be teching 16 year olds on RUKIND the caged method of Jerry's lead playing. Jerry always believed this will live forever through the generations, and so far he's right.
The chord stuctures unlock a lot of secrets to lead playing, learning the basic structures, their root notes, the scale paths, and where you can form a D or C or any chord anywhere on the neck is important to my playing. If you have learned how to crawl around the neck in key, and don't know the positions or notes you are playing, I agree, you may want to take a few hours to study that. It is a tremendous help when you play things you're not so familiar with. Some songs won't follow the scale structures you are use to playing often. I learned that especially with Big railroad blues and Deal. A simple pentatonic or major/minor scale with a few chromatics doesn't cut it to sound like Jerry. Keep on Rockin Bro!!! Your moving in the right direction. One day all the free beer and cheap apitizers will be yours every weekend!

[cumberlandmine]

I also think it may be a good idea to learn some solos note for note, which I've just recently started doing again. I learned a bunch of Jerry solos note for note a couple years ago, so now im gonna do it with Trey and try and get some of his style incorporated. Anyone have any other ideas?

Learning solos note for note has really helped me learn some sweet licks. Also looking into the theory can help you understand whats going on in the mind of a great guitarist.

A couple borrowed licks from SRV's "Pride and Joy" sometimes bring out the biggest cheers from the crowd.