Guitar Chords: II-V-I Progressions In The Key Of C

How do I become a better musician?
I have taken piano and guitar lessons at various times in my life. I want to get better at either or both the guitar and piano. A lot of the books I have discuss how the fretboard is layed out, how to form chords, how scales are set up, how chord progressions work together and so on. I can read this theory and understand it all, but how does this help me when I play? It seems like I understand it, but don’t internalize it.

So now that I know how a dominant seventh chord is formed, do I just monotonously play a dominant seventh in all 12 key signatures, over and over and over again until I can play such a chord on the spot? I just can’t see that being the best way to familiarize myself with the chords. How can I possibly remember so many chords? The same goes for playing scales considering how many there are.

Then there is putting chords together. My jazz book says the II-V-I progression is important. Do I do a II-V-I progression in every key signature with every type of chord? I guess I’m asking what kind of exercises should I be doing to make this theory stick?

My first piano teacher was such a great musician. He wasn’t just good at playing pieces – he could sight read very well, but also change the music while playing and improvise, putting a jazz twist on it. He could also play by ear with accuracy and speed. That’s the kind of musician I want to become, but I just don’t know how to get there.

Hi

The best way to memorize your chords and scales is to learn them in one position only.
By this, I mean that all the notes and all the chords on a guitar can be played in-between 5 frets. After that, it is repetitious. I would suggest learning chords, the scales that go with the chords, and the modes.

Ex… I learnt every chords from A to Z and the scales and the modes and the sweeps (arpeggios) on the the 5th fret which is the key of A. Once I mastered that, it was just a matter of going down one tone to G or going up to B or whatever. The FINGERING STAYS THE SAME. This is the advantage of the guitar.

The II – V – I progressionis just an idea of progression and you can substitute any chords which is what makes a solo interesting. Having said this, it would be a waste of time practicing it in every key because the fingering stays once you have learnt the chords and scales in one key across the fingerboard.
References :
Berklee Graduate / Studio Guitarist