Yeah, dumbing it down, that's pretty much the level I'm at. I started playing in 1982. Started out with one term of beginning guitar class (where I learned words like "mixolydian," which I still remember but can no longer define, unless by some chance it has something to do with bartending). I do still know some basic chord theory, intervals and the like. Can't sight read at all. Learned the scales I use from Arlen Roth's column in Guitar Player. Wish I could break the habit of letting my hands find the same old patterns. This is what happens when you have no organized practice regimen.
I can play standard first position and E/A barre chords, movable chords like G-form, C7 form etc and a few oddball voicings I've picked up along the way. As I'm not a chord/melody player, this gets me by OK, but I still struggle with devising interesting rhythm parts (so, like, beyond power chording and shuffles). Leads...ehh. I can play short leads fairly fluidly, but have a hard time formulating longer statements. On the upside, I no longer feel the desire to play two-minute solos, although I like hearing them if they're good. Guess you could say I like to punctuate. I'm learning to play less.
To address strum's scale, guess I'd have to say struggling intermediate, keeping in mind that I think Robert is far beyond intermediate. With a slide, I play songs like Dark is the Night, Fred McDowell tunes and Leo Kottke's Broken Down Bicycle fairly passably, even though I am a sloppy fingerpicker. In standard tuning, I suck-diddly-uck, although I may not be quite as bad as I think I am. I can, however, play Pinball Wizard on the ukulele.
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