For the aspiring guitarist

[surrealforreal]

I can't count how many threads I've seen regarding the obstacles of learning to play guitar at a higher level. "How can I get speed?", "How can I learn this or that?"

Here's the trick, you must accept that learning the guitar can be a frustrating thing and realize that in frustration you will learn. You must realize that even though you don't know it, you are getting better everytime you play. You may think you are getting nowhere but in reality, you are. Forget your perceptions.

Every time you say "I can't do this!" you are getting closer to doing it. You just don't know it yet. It may take one thousand 'failed' attempts but one day it'll click. It's just getting though those one thousand attempts without quitting that makes it frustrating.
For myself, I love to be frustrated...because I know I am learning. If a day comes where I feel no frustration I am sure I'll quit. That will never happen.
A longtime player and a newbie have the same frustration, providing they are trying to expand their abilities.

I'm sure other long time players can add to this...I hope...

 

[puppyonacid]

+1. Good post. I hope others will be encouraged by this

 

[edensdad]

A longtime player and a newbie have the same frustration, providing they are trying to expand their abilities.

I've been playing for 25 years and I still get tweaked trying to learn a new song that has challenging passages in it.

I'm a huge fan of Michael Hedges (unorthodox acoustic player) and have been trying to learn his style.

I just don't seem to have enough hands.

There're times when he's playing 3 different things at once - tapping rythmic chords with his right hand, playing a chordal melody by hammering and sliding with his right, then playing bass notes with both his thumbs - holy sh*t my brain can't take it - it's going to explode.

But I know I'll get it . . . Must go on . . .

OK. enough drama. I can say that at the end of frustration is an incredible feeling when you play it, you nail it, and you feel it.

That can't be rushed or reached with a shortcut.

Woodshed time.

 

[fogman]

Wow!
Excellent post for number 13.
Very encouraging. Thanks.

 

[surrealforreal]

I've been playing for 25 years and I still get tweaked trying to learn a new song that has challenging passages in it.

I'm a huge fan of Michael Hedges (unorthodox acoustic player) and have been trying to learn his style.

I just don't seem to have enough hands.

There're times when he's playing 3 different things at once - tapping rythmic chords with his right hand, playing a chordal melody by hammering and sliding with his right, then playing bass notes with both his thumbs - holy sh*t my brain can't take it - it's going to explode.

But I know I'll get it . . . Must go on . . .

OK. enough drama. I can say that at the end of frustration is an incredible feeling when you play it, you nail it, and you feel it.

That can't be rushed or reached with a shortcut.

Woodshed time.

Turn your brain to the 'off' position when tackling complex patterns. Thoughts get in the way.

 

[SharonG]

Great post. I've been playing 30 years and I'll let you know when I stop getting frustrated!
Slowing it down until you can nail it and then gradually building speed, or even letting it rest a day or two sometimes help if you really feel like you've hit a wall.

 

[Max]

I agree entirely with this. Frustration is a healthy part of music, since it'll annoy us to the point that we won't give up until we get whaterver it is we're trying to do,

But you guys are right about the feeling you get when you finally figure out something. There's no better feeling in the world.

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

Regardless of your ability, you will never master the guitar. Thats the beauty of it!

 

[Astrofreq]

I've been playing for 25 years and I still get tweaked trying to learn a new song that has challenging passages in it.

I'm a huge fan of Michael Hedges (unorthodox acoustic player) and have been trying to learn his style.

WOW, man. Me too! I LOVE Hedges. I have learned and APPLIED more from Hedges to my playing than probably any other player. He was it for me. He just totally understood music and what it was about. DId you ever get to see him? I saw him probably nine times and talked to him once. I really miss that guy. I have probably 70 bootlegs shows of his.

 

[edensdad]

I discovered Hedges about 3 years ago and he shot right to the top 5 players for me. (Subject to revision, but today it's: John Petrucci, Michael Hedges, Jimmy Page, Joe Pass, Duane Allman)

Unfortunately I didn't get to see him or meet him. There's a couple of videos on YouTube of him, that's as close as I'll ever come.

The funny thing is that my girlfriend in college was the babysitter for the president of Windham Hill records and I blew it off because I was only into Metal at the time. I have a bunch of "Sample Artists" cassettes she gave me that she got from him, some of which have Hedges early stuff.





>^..^<

 

[surrealforreal]

Michael Hedges fans should check out Billy McLaughlin (Narada records). Similar guitarist who has been playing that style for decades.