Members Rockambition Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 Long time reader, returning poster. I am having a real problem here and I can't figure out how to fix it. Here I am trying to improve myself as a guitarist and every time I get amped to play I do so and after about 20 minutes I get bored and stop. I have Troy Stetina's r. gutiar 1 + 2 as well as lead 1 and 2 (as I want to be an all around player). I have not gone through all 4 books but have played some stuff here and there from each. I made this detailed routine schedule splitting up with the books and alon with just rehasing scales, chords and techniques. Even with that it feels like too much. Most places around here (south short area in massachusetts) are ridiculously over priced and not worth the time for lessons. (18-25 bucks a half hour) I am into classic rock, alt, punk, hard rock and metal if that helps. I hardly play songs and learn them because that is all I would be doing playing songs not actually practicing my craft. It is as if I do things too easy for my level its repetitive yet if I do things way out o my league its too challenging. I know I wrote a lot here guys but I don't know what to do. I have no thoughts on quitting or anything like that. Thank you in advance. Mike
Members bongfodder Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 If 20min is all you feel like practicing,play 20 min then go brush your teeth or something 20min,play 20 min ect. Isn't the end to which practicing our craft is put,playing songs?
Members jazzbo Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 Keith Richards said that his song writing often comes from playing along with a record, and then when it's over, he keeps going and something else "sort of dribbles off the end", in an interview I read... So he is still playing along with those old Chuck Berry records etc... That might be an inspiration, to play along with the music you like If you want to have regimented practice, scales are good, but you need free creative time too... just to play whatever you feel... so like 10 min scale and ten min free or something like that... ten min running up and down the scale, and then ten min try to invent melodies with it... try playing along with a beat box if you have one available...like one of those little casiotones or whatnot, see where you get with a bossa nova rhtyhm or whatever... it leads you in new directions...
Members rhat Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 Originally posted by rhat I still think lessons are worth the money .... if your teacher makes good use of the time. He can show you a lick and write it out in tab pretty fast ,,, just a couple can keep you busy for a week... especially if you are creative and seek out different ways to apply it and learn to transpose it into different keys and use it with backing tracks ..... Think of what kind of money guys spend gassing on equipment ... for touch over a grand you an have a years worth of guitar lessons ...... For me its been the best money i have ever spent when it comes to my guitar playing. It keeps me motivated and i keep getting better ..... rat
Members Tesha Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 I know how you feel. You are trying to build the first floor with no foundation and no ground floor. That foundation is knowledge of music. It seems you have some very wrong ideas and that definitely leads to frustration and a dead end. Listen, you can't learn an instrument without learning about music. Don't kid yourself thinking you have the option of not learning songs. NO GREAT PLAYER has ever ever evolved from just practicing scales and chords. The big guys have all studied music for years. You need to learn about rhythm and harmony to have a reason to practice scales in the first place. Do it in the right sequence. Doing things out of sequence is the main reason why so many quit their instrument. Think about it. I hope this helps. Jes
Members Rockambition Posted March 11, 2006 Author Members Posted March 11, 2006 Tesha I know what you are saying about having a knowledge of music and all. I do have some if it but a lot of times when it comes to applyng what I know it just doesn't register.
Members gennation Posted March 11, 2006 Members Posted March 11, 2006 Originally posted by Rockambition Long time reader, returning poster. I am having a real problem here and I can't figure out how to fix it. Here I am trying to improve myself as a guitarist and every time I get amped to play I do so and after about 20 minutes I get bored and stop. I have Troy Stetina's r. gutiar 1 + 2 as well as lead 1 and 2 (as I want to be an all around player). I have not gone through all 4 books but have played some stuff here and there from each. I made this detailed routine schedule splitting up with the books and alon with just rehasing scales, chords and techniques. Even with that it feels like too much. Most places around here (south short area in massachusetts) are ridiculously over priced and not worth the time for lessons. (18-25 bucks a half hour) I am into classic rock, alt, punk, hard rock and metal if that helps. I hardly play songs and learn them because that is all I would be doing playing songs not actually practicing my craft. It is as if I do things too easy for my level its repetitive yet if I do things way out o my league its too challenging. I know I wrote a lot here guys but I don't know what to do. I have no thoughts on quitting or anything like that. Thank you in advance.Mike One of the BEST things you can do is play songs, hand down, but it sounds like you've already X'ed that idea.... Ok, here's what you do. Since you're "practicing guitar" instead of "playing guitar"...don't practice scales and stuff from one end to the other but, take your scale and practice making music out of it. You can play songs and practice guitar...and the two may NEVER meet. The hardest part is taking your practice and turning it into music. Once this clicks, and you change your underwear, you'll always be back for more. Just listen to the notes your playing, and try to make music out of them. It's a GREAT way to practice. Also, whistle or sing or hum something...then try and play it. See if you can do it. That one of the hardest things for people to do, but it's also one of the easiest things to practice. People don't realize it, so they never do...and they also keep coming back asking how to turn their playing into music. Just a couple of quick pointers.
Members can't remember Posted March 11, 2006 Members Posted March 11, 2006 Originally posted by Rockambition every time I get amped to play I do so and after about 20 minutes I get bored and stop. You have a television mind!!! You're interest last for 20 minutes because you're conditioned that way from the tube (imo). After that 20 minutes, take a commercial break and come back to it. Keep doing that until your "showtime" grows longer. You can even set a little timer for yourself the goes off in ten minutes, so you don't get to that bored state. I hardly play songs and learn them because that is all I would be doing playing songs not actually practicing my craft. That's crazy talk Then what "craft" are you practicing for? Why even bother with chords and scales if you're not gonna learn how to play tunes? Learning a tune IS practice and a great source of inspiration.:jb
Members Tesha Posted March 12, 2006 Members Posted March 12, 2006 can't remember wrote:"You have a television mind!!! You're interest last for 20 minutes because you're conditioned that way from the tube (imo)."Very interesting note. Good that you brought that up.
Members Little Dreamer Posted March 12, 2006 Members Posted March 12, 2006 What I do with Troy's books is to work on one song for say 10 minutes, then go to the next and the next, etc. So you've got an entirely new challenge every ten minutes. If you've got both the lead books, that should take two hours. I got excruciatingly bored with some of the stuff after a while, so leave those out and come back to them later. You also need to learn some basic music theory so you can write a chord progression and know what scale to play over it, and then spend a lot of time improvising. Don't just try to play memorized licks, make it up as you go. After a while (years and years) you'll start noticing that some of the ideas in your own solos are better than the ones in the instructional books.
Members ozzyozb Posted March 14, 2006 Members Posted March 14, 2006 Originally posted by gennation Once this clicks, and you change your underwear, you'll always be back for more. I'm still laughing at this it strikes me funny...your statement is very true...good on you bro..
Members stephenslr Posted March 16, 2006 Members Posted March 16, 2006 Originally posted by can't remember You have a television mind!!! You're interest last for 20 minutes because you're conditioned that way from the tube (imo). It is actually less than 20 minutes - it is the length of time between ad breaks. Notice how classes all go for about 45-50 mins? This is the peak time before your attention starts to wane. Anyway getting back to the question, my answer is to get yourself in a band as soon as possible, then you won't have time to get bored and you can concentrate on writing and learn as you go along. s
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