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Hi @KevinAppel , I will attempt to answer your question “How does it all fit together?” as succinctly as I can. When I started I was laying on the ground with my nose touching it and I could see that which was in front of me and a lot more in my peripheral vision but it was not as easy to see. As I began doing the lessons, day in and day out, I started to gain elevation and my vision/knowledge (the clarity of musical guitar real estate) increased in area. I spent a good deal of time trying to force my perspective to try and see over the horizon as it were but to no avail. After a prolonged period of trying to intellectualize and anticipate to no avail, I decided to trust the process be in the moment with the lessons. I reveled in the process of each lesson, enjoying the process (I paid Tony to teach me so I decided to let him instead of trying to teach myself). The process provided the elevation to which I could then see more. This allowed me to gain perspective and understanding of what was going on faster without the frustration I had previously experienced. My theory knowledge increased as my physical capabilities developed: two distinct things developing in tandem. It was as if everything blurry became clear but then I would begin to notice details that had not been remotely apparent before. This process continues to this day. Surprising details continue to fill in the picture. No lesson is ever old as I have learned so much since the last time I played it. I am 6ish years into the process. At a certain point you see that the whole thing is a big loop. Music is big loop. There is only one scale with infinite variations depending how small the detail is you are willing to see. I realized there was a whole music world right where I started with my nose on the ground…I just didn’t know what I was seeing there.
Sorry, longer than I wanted but that is my summary in answer to your question. Maybe the shortest answer: It fits together in time but you have to stick to it. Every day, do it! Observe your progress! It will reveal itself. The quality and focus of your effort will be the speed of your enlightenment. I guess I could have led with that 😊