Members guitarman63mm Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 i have been getting real close to quitting this whole year. somebody talk me out of this:( i thought that if i didn't take lessons for a year, i would have money to buy guitar stuff. but i didn't. on guitar stuff, I want to solo, play blues based rock, and stuff like that. i want to improvise and costruct chords. i can afford almost any normal workshop, and lessons, books, courses etc. i live within a short 30 min drive to tampa if that makes any difference. somebody help me:freak:
Members MorePaul Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 are you playing in any sort of ensemble? (doen't have to be performance oriented)
Members MorePaul Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 ah, that can be a MAJOR boost to both the motivation and a learning driver
Members guitarman63mm Posted March 9, 2006 Author Members Posted March 9, 2006 well, telling somebody actually helped a bit on it's own. but, should i take lessons and workshops, or learn theory and scales in books?
Members MorePaul Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 I would suggest lessons - esp if you are feeling like quitting and you have questions about what to study An instructor can help you out with that also, an instructor can help you access a practice ensemble
Members pos69sum Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 i get impatient that i'm not getting better fast enough, even with all the practicing. sometimes it feels pointless, so i give it up for a while but then i start up again later.
Members Slave_New_Wurld Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 You don't NEED lessons. Use books and the web for theory, and challenge yourself - apply it in your own style, learn it and understand it in your own time. There's a wealth of info out there for you to interpret your way.
Members Knottyhed Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 Originally posted by Slave_New_Wurld You don't NEED lessons. Use books and the web for theory, and challenge yourself - apply it in your own style, learn it and understand it in your own time. There's a wealth of info out there for you to interpret your way. I agree that nobody NEEDS lessons, but I think when you're stuck in a rut or thinking of quitting that they're probably the way to go. I've been self taught for 12 years, but after leaving Uni 4 years ago and not having endless time for playing guitar I've been stuck in a rut with almost no improvement. I took the plunge 4 months ago, found a guy down in london that can shred the arse off me and started studying with him once every 2 to 3 weeks. Completely broke me out of my rut. After 4 years of barely any improvement I'd say i'm noticably better than i was before lessons and have never felt more motivated (simply because i can tell i'm improving). It's been really helpful having somebody analyse my technique, tell me what's right and what's wrong and show me ways of fixing it. It's also helpful to just have someone better than you to jam with.I suppose in fairness part of my breaking out the rut is probably cos when you've got a teacher you've got pressure each time you go back - you're expected to have learnt stuff and improved and if you haven't then you're wasting everyone's time. I don't need to find time to practice anymore, I *make* time. But hell i'm happy to pay to have that pressure on me if it helps me get where i want to be as a guitarist
Members Knottyhed Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 Originally posted by MorePaul are you playing in any sort of ensemble? (doen't have to be performance oriented) Do you mean a "band"?
Members Li Shenron Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 I have the strong feeling that you really need a band.You can work as hard as a dog on exercises, lessons, books and stuff, but if you don't PLAY you may be stuck in the feeling of being always a guitar student and never a guitar player.IMXP no one willingly quits when they have a band unless something very serious happens, like an accident or a pregnancy. Maybe they change bands, but they don't quit.
Members RaVenCAD Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 and make sure you go see live music. Seeing a guy up there doing what we do always inspires me to play. I don't mean big band concerts either. Go see some local bands, and talk to the guitar players. Get into the local scene, even if it's just socially. Being a musician doesn't work if your audience is limited to your bedroom furniture. I'm talking to myself here too, cuz I've been where you are.
Members Nick Layton Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 Two things come to mind: 1) Surround yourself with the music that inspires you--this includes your cd collection, going to concerts, instructional materials,etc. Learn from this stuff. 2)Find a teacher that specializes in the music you love
Members MorePaul Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 Originally posted by Knottyhed Do you mean a "band"? not specifically, a "band" may be a bit too specific an entity and carry with weight and preconceptions, really just an assemblage (hence "ensemble") of musicians [ for instance : an ensemble class at the local uni, participating in practice "jams" or "hootenanaies", or other such group activities ] would be, maybe, more appropriate
Members gennation Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 So where are you at as a player? That will determine whether you REALLY need lessons or not. IOW, the stuff you can play, can you play it good? Like do you have decent motor skills, hold the guitar correct, can make it sound right, etc...? Or, can you just not pick the string at the same time you fret the string with the other hand, etc...? If the later is true...lessons will help, as will hanging out with another guitarist or friend who has these basic skills. If it's that you can play what you know well. Then it's a matter building on what you already know, constantly. If this is your situation you just need to be shown some cool things that'll keep your interest while at the same time help you get better. Come on over to my web site... http://lessons.mikedodge.com There's god beginners "straight theory" stuff and there's a also a couple of on topic tutorials that will show you some cool stuff that'll keep you interested. Give them a try, and have fun!
Members Kinetic Posted March 9, 2006 Members Posted March 9, 2006 Some good stuff here.A teacher is a good idea but a band/ensamble/hootenanny(Fantastic word! ) is better. A teacher will help improve your playing but a band will give you a reason to play.
Members guitarman63mm Posted March 9, 2006 Author Members Posted March 9, 2006 i do hang out with other guitarists, and in skill level at guitar, i'm probably at a begining intermediate level, playing fairly simple stuff, like bron-yr-aur, and over the hills and far away, stairway to heaven, some pink floyd and deep purple(highway star). i'm really in a rut guys. no clue what next.
Members can't remember Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 Originally posted by guitarman63mm i do hang out with other guitarists, and in skill level at guitar, i'm probably at a begining intermediate level, playing fairly simple stuff, like bron-yr-aur, and over the hills and far away, stairway to heaven, some pink floyd and deep purple(highway star). i'm really in a rut guys. no clue what next. I felt the same way for the last two weeks...For general practice, I make it a goal to learn a song within a week or week and a half. Then that tune is polished during the next month if I like it and/or find it challenging.For the last two weeks, I couldn't find a tune that could get into so I just simply noodled around. For the most part I was uninspired.Last night, I jammed with one of my buddies and we had THE best jam ever. Every phrase, solo, and note just seemed to fall into place. We had each other pegged like two psychics. We were both firing on all cylinders.My point? Maybe you need this rut. This is typical in my "bio-rhythm." I go through a real dip/trough in my inspiration and guitar playing only to come out of it hitting a higher (for me) level. I figure, it's just a way for my mind/body/soul to adjust and digest all the info it receives. :jb
Members Nick Layton Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 I think can't remember has some valid points. I've noticed a similar thing with my own playing and inspiration.
Members guitarman63mm Posted March 10, 2006 Author Members Posted March 10, 2006 is a month really neccessary? For a song like stairway or the rain song or the song remains the same or maybe another brick in the wall or something to that extent. but i assume your not talking about smoke on the water's opening riff, right?
Members guitarman63mm Posted March 10, 2006 Author Members Posted March 10, 2006 that's it. i'm getting my ass out. time to get some theory and tabs. Maybe the perfect pitch system(like in the back of guitar world). and lessons, i don't feel to comfy about em. don't know why. it might be some ego thing so when i'm older i can say "oh yeah, well i'm mostly self taught" i probably sound like a shmuck right now, :cry:but it just seems like something i wanna say. but, the last lessons i had, he was mostly acoustic, and i was listening to stuff like the offspring and stuff, so it didn't really work well. but,now i listen to zep and pink floyd,ozzy, black sabbath, ac/dc etc. but i wanna do blues based rock. whoo, that's alot to type
Members MorePaul Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 Originally posted by guitarman63mm it might be some ego thing so when i'm older i can say "oh yeah, well i'm mostly self taught"i probably sound like a shmuck right now, :cry:but it just seems like something i wanna say. Why so? (why do you find it important to be able to say that?)
Members guitarman63mm Posted March 10, 2006 Author Members Posted March 10, 2006 i don't know, maybe it will make me sound more original. also, with my last teacher, he would teach me songs he liked, so that kind of turned me off to teachers. self taught sounds better to me than "i studied with a teacher for 8 years". to me, it sounds like it takes more skill to teach yourself,and that you'd develop your own style quicker.
Members gennation Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 Well guitarman, I've been teaching for over 25 years. I've taught people beginning who didn't even know how to hold the guitar, to prepping students who were on their way to GIT and resumed when they returned. To me your issues are not uncommon...meaning a LOT of people know the answer to your question, they've seen it before, they've helped other people through it. Sure everyone wants to "do it on their own" and have everything fall into place. But I think you need to also be very honest with yourself, you posted your questions for a reason. You are searching for something "to work", and take the work out of it. Sure, you can definitely 'get there' on your own but there's a lot of knowledge on this board and people who can help with things to at least keep you occupied, interested, focused, and on the right path to acheiving the things you're looking for that we once, and still are, looking for. For everything you said I think you can you take an hour or so out of your life, head over to my site, and I'll show you what has worked for MANY people I have taught to 'turn them into a guitarist and a musician'. And, you owe it to yourself to take the advice from others on this board who have tried to answer your questions...there's is no "one path" to acheiving anything...and you've been given a LOT of different paths here, none more important than the other. Before you ask us questions to help, you make a decision I think. And, you ought to be willing to try the answers we all know and have lived through... if not, maybe it is better to quit (even though you shouldn't), or at least stay where you are with things now and keep playing. You don't have to get any better if you don't want to. I don't mean this in a pompus way, just a self-realization way. Have another look at it.
Members Knottyhed Posted March 10, 2006 Members Posted March 10, 2006 Originally posted by guitarman63mm self taught sounds better to me than "i studied with a teacher for 8 years". to me, it sounds like it takes more skill to teach yourself,and that you'd develop your own style quicker. It doesn't matter how you get there, only that you get there - do you want to play guitar well because you love music and have musical ideas you are unable to express due to a lack of skill, or do you play cos you want to impress people and be able to boast about how you got good without help from a teacher? Studying with a good teacher will get you there quicker and with less trial and error... besides are you really self-taught if you go around reading other people's theory sites, downloading other peoples tabs and getting advice on the lesson loft - i would say not... I don't get the idea that being self-taught means you develop your own style better either - it's like saying having technical skill or theoretical knowledge means you can't play with feeling... and is so obviously not true i don't know where to start. I think most people would agree that Steve Vai has his own style... and musicians who never took *formal* lessons almost undoubtedly developed in an environment where they were jamming with and surrounded by other guitarists whom they learnt off (not to mention spending hours *copying* their favourite guitarists.) You're right about one thing, it is harder teaching yourself and your progress will be slower - but that sounds like a bloody good reason not to do it unless you have to.
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