icarusi

One thing I do is to extend what you already do. So take a lick you already play/know. and alter some of the notes, or the note order. until you get something you like. Once you have the new lick, make sure to play the old lick, then make sure you can alternate each at will, so you can use the new lick as the alternative, but still use the old lick. If you primarily use minor pentatonic shape/position 1, which is a good start for any line, add in the notes from the top 3 strings of shape/position 2,(used 1 position higher than your start position 1) and also the notes of the bottom 2 strings of shape/position 5 (at 1 position lower) . The aim is to have a diagonal group of notes, larger than shape/position 1, but not having to think too much about the whole of positions 2 & 5, you just know when you're on the high strings, you can go higher, ditto on the lower strings. Get comfortable over 6 fret spans, extended off the corners of position/shape 1. Get used to playing within the 6 fret 3 string area of each corner. Add in the rest of the adjacent positions, when you want to vary what you can already over position 1, and the 2 corners. If you play something you like the sound of, record it. I use a Zoom H2N, but previously a microcassette. It's so easy to remember a lick incorrectly, especially if it sounds 'unforgettable'.

A local shop for local people, has a website, with stock showing, but not the LH stuff yet. Are you a lefty?

I wanted to play bass, but couldn't get my folks to buy me one, so while I was saving up to get a bass, I used my sister's acoustic guitar to work out bass lines. As a side line, I worked out some chord shapes by ear, the major, minor and dom7 on the top 4 strings. Eventually I bought a chord book, so I could extend what I was already using to full barre versions. I didn't use much of the 1st position 'campfire chords' because I was learning tunes from the record, and barre chords were easier to use for that. It was all early Stones, and similar bands, 12 bars Cuck Berry style. It wasn't until the Yardbirds, with Clapton & Beck, that I wanted to play solos etc. The there was the problem of getting the Clapton/Beck sounds with no info on how. ATT I was playing bass, acoustic guitar & blues harp, but manged to buy solid guitar and got the sound by using the banjo 1st trick, and plugging into the mic socket of a valve tape recorder. From my experience I'd tend to recommend trying a short scale (30") bass first (if you can find one!). I think guitars are relatively hard to start with. With bass you only need to finger one note at a time, the lines can be be simpler but stiff effective and you can probably join a band quicker than getting proficient on guitar. Obviously if you're looking for singing accompaniment, or solo line guitar then bass is less useful, but I think it's a good option, especially if you don't progress well on guitar.

A local guitar shop had a batch of s/h LH stock recently. It's a bereavement lot. If there's any interest here, I'll post details of what I can remember from a brief look. There were 2 acoustics and 5 electrics. Upper mid-range price types. Home use only AFAIK.