Now this is a topic that I can relate to! I wonder if there's a record for the longest time spent farting around with guitars before actually deciding to learn to play them properly.
I bought my first guitar when I was 18, having farted around with a borrowed one for some time before that.
I have decided to knuckle (ahem) down to some proper learning.
I am 37.
To this end, and with your last request in mind, .50 Caliber Bob, I am using two books:
'10 minute Guitar Workout' by David Mead and
'Fretboard Roadmaps' by Fred Sokolow
The Mead book is the main one I'm concentrating on. The 'workout' of the title mainly consists of exercises designed to improve fingering skills, but it's about getting used to scales, too, and there's loads of other theory in there, not just the workout; The Roadmaps book is a slightly different approach to getting your head and fingers around the important stuff.
Between them I'm working out a practice program which so far I think is hugely enjoyable, at least, and what's more I seriously believe I'm learning something. Fact is, most of the books out there are utterly useless, so it's nice to find a couple that seem to have been written with some wit behind the method. I reckon that most people could come up with some good ways to practice by looking at one or both of these.
There again, everyone likes different teaching styles...
'Nuff rambling, hope that helps!
