What surprises you about your own playing??????

[Bungo]

I'm surprised that after playing for 20 years or so, on and off, I'm still rubbish!!

27 years over a hot plank here and I'm definitely worse than I used to be!

An old grumble I know but time is not what it used to be, several hours of playing a day when I was young and job-free are now reduced to a few a week after all other annoying necessities have been dealt with.

It's a bit of a cruel irony really, when I was young I would have killed for the stuff I have now and would have had more chance to use it.

Time machine please!

 

[philiprst]

Nice playing SteveB. Your lines and vibrato at times remind me of Steve Rothery.

Goodness, doesn't he have the best vibrato......

 

[Ali]

It's pretty much a matter of hitting record, trying something out, making an intolerable goof, screaming out an obscenity that clips the recording, and back to step 1 until I either get a goosebump flush for something that's really cool or I don't make any mistakes with what I was going for.

Yup, my approach too

I just sit in front of the computer, hit record and see what comes out as a backing track. Then get to work trying to construct something resembling a song. Then start just jamming along for the lead part before playing at cut and paste to see what bits will fit where. Then do it again, and again, and again, and again.

Whenever I actually sit down to write a song I just get frustrated and end up giving up too soon. When I put together a backing track, it then sits for a year because I can't think of what to play over it. I just find improv so much easier as I'm totally self taught and I did it through listening to other peoples records and improvising along. I guess that's why the sit down and go for it approach works for me. Though I need the wind to be fully in the sails to have the energy to complete a track.

As for what surprises me. Well, just hearing a track that I've burned to CD and thinking "that's me" just makes me proud that I managed it. Everyone else might hate it but that's not why I play. I'm too old to be "discovered" and have very little musical theory knowledge. I just play what I feel and its great stress relief. It's my hobby, pure and simple, and I love it. Modern technology has lifted my playing no end because otherwise I'd still be sitting with the amp, guitar and playing along to Toto DVDs forever more without really accomplishing something.

 

[candid_x]

27 years over a hot plank here and I'm definitely worse than I used to be!

An old grumble I know but time is not what it used to be, several hours of playing a day when I was young and job-free are now reduced to a few a week after all other annoying necessities have been dealt with.

It's a bit of a cruel irony really, when I was young I would have killed for the stuff I have now and would have had more chance to use it.

Time machine please!

I can relate. For me it's more like 40 years, and my kids are grown and on their own, and so am I. It's one reason I've called my new SS Sundown, referring to the sunset phase of life. So don't give up moving forward with your playing just yet. You'll likely be glad you kept on when you reach the sundown of your life, when you have more time and infinitely more patience.