GC made me want to quit guitar

Fellas, when I was in college and aspiring to learn to play and to enjoy doing so, I chose a seemingly impossible song to learn. At least in my eyes I saw it as such.

I had help in learning it, but it was only me who would be expected to play it from beginning to end and to do so in front of an audience as part of my guitar class. My teacher is only a few years older than I am, and he was such a good teacher he'd listen to my cassette tape copy and then write down the parts for me, and then figure out the rhythm chords for his accompanying parts.
For my part, I played the leads. In this one song, I learned so much. Bends, vibrato, slides, volume swells, dynamics, hammer ons, pull offs, and above all else, timing and confidence I could do it.
To this day, I take great joy in this beautiful song.

 
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Another wonderful song by Triumph says a lot with some simple words and power chords, but in doing so; it speaks volumes of how to bear fruit in all we do.


Lyrics
The days grow shorter and the nights are getting long
Feels like we're running out of time
Every day it seems much harder tellin' right from wrong
You got to read between the lines

Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid, we can
Make it through another day
Make it worth the price we pay

The Good Book says it's better to give than to receive
I do my best to do my part
Nothin' in my pockets I got nothin' up my sleeve
I keep my magic in my heart

Keep up your spirit, keep up your faith, baby
I am counting on you
You know what you've got to do

Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
It's your only way

All your life you've been waiting for your chance
Where you'll fit into the plan
But you're the master of your own destiny
So give and take the best that you can

You think a little more money will buy your soul some rest
You'd better think of something else instead
You're so afraid of being honest with yourself
You'd better take a look inside your head

Nothing is easy, nothing good is free
But I can tell you where to start
Take a look inside your heart
There's an answer in your heart

Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
Make it worth the price we pay

Every moment of your lifetime
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
Make it worth the price we pay
 
Dont give up, Ray! Watch some Jerry Springer or in the future, listen to my sound clips.


My 21 yr. old son started playing in March this year. I have been at it almost 3 years.
He has my Epi G-400.
I have a more complete skill set as far as variety of skills, including full barr chords, etc..

He plays a lot of power chord rock, riffs, and leads.
He learns stuff way faster than I do, even just remembering the song arrangements.
He is better than me already.
Way better.

I'm envious, but not jealous; its cool to hear him run through Number of the Beast and now he is getting The Trooper down.
At least the whole rhythm and riff parts and at least some bits of the leads.

It grates on me a bit sometimes but he is younger, has a better natural knack for it and has the time to practice 3+ or more hours a day.

I do the Pebber Brown picking thing and practice it a bit each day, but not for a long time.
It helps me warm up, especially since I am a lefty playing righty my picking hand is at a disadvantage.

I play because I like it,
I want to become a reasonably competent intermediate player and know and understand the fretboard, and a decent amount of theory.
I play for me.

But sometimes, ehhh.

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Ray.....................this reminds me of the adjustable pick up debate in a way--

Its all in how you look at and approach guitar----
Do you have to be the next Joe B.? Are you going to switch careers and go pro? Do you have to be the BEST on the block, the county, the state?

Or does guitar give you a break from your stress? A respite in a torrential downpour of lifes poop? And a common ground with which to relax and chat with friends who share that interest?

ALL about perspective.

I suck--- and I dont care--- I might BE that douche at GC ---I never turn amps above about 1.5 or 2 so no I am not-- but I know it is a relaxing affordable (for me profitable) hobby the misses doesnt mind because I am at HOME enjoying MY hobby.

I dont have to be the best --- I dont even HAVE to get any better than I am right now--- because I LIKE what I am doing and how I am doing it---and frankly the rest of the world can get stuffed.
--I spend a MAJOR amount of time and money doing what I "Have to" working paying taxes, bills, keeping a home and family functioning and fed.....all these are MANDATED and somewhat controlled by society/govt/commitment..... Guitar ---is for ME -- when and how I like it and that makes ME happy.....what could be so wrong about that regardless of skill level I make a JOYOUS NOISE>

So --- burn all your work to the ground ---or relax and enjoy it----
 
eSGEe said:
Ray.....................this reminds me of the adjustable pick up debate in a way--

Its all in how you look at and approach guitar----
Do you have to be the next Joe B.? Are you going to switch careers and go pro? Do you have to be the BEST on the block, the county, the state?

Or does guitar give you a break from your stress? A respite in a torrential downpour of lifes poop? And a common ground with which to relax and chat with friends who share that interest?

ALL about perspective.

I suck--- and I dont care--- I might BE that douche at GC ---I never turn amps above about 1.5 or 2 so no I am not-- but I know it is a relaxing affordable (for me profitable) hobby the misses doesnt mind because I am at HOME enjoying MY hobby.

I dont have to be the best --- I dont even HAVE to get any better than I am right now--- because I LIKE what I am doing and how I am doing it---and frankly the rest of the world can get stuffed.
--I spend a MAJOR amount of time and money doing what I "Have to" working paying taxes, bills, keeping a home and family functioning and fed.....all these are MANDATED and somewhat controlled by society/govt/commitment..... Guitar ---is for ME -- when and how I like it and that makes ME happy.....what could be so wrong about that regardless of skill level I make a JOYOUS NOISE>

So --- burn all your work to the ground ---or relax and enjoy it----
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I do not have to be the best, especially since there is no such thing. But I MUST find a way to be interesting. I think I will start gearing my efforts to play to my strengths more, even though at present, I am not certain what those are.
 
Me, I could care if some plays one note or half a billion notes, is kind of sloppy or dead on drop your jaw accurate all the time. It's music. Some people like a good melodic line and others are into neo classical, etc. Some people want every little glitch removed from a recording and others think you ruin the music if you don't leave the glitches in it. I pretty much like it all music/styles MUSIC wise. I'm not sure if there really is a correct or incorrect thing with it. I mean, if you like it cool, if you don't cool type thing for me. The thing that has turned me off BIG time as far a music and entertainment goes are the award shows as of late.
 
I always tried to pick more obscure songs to play in the guitar store. Something off side 2 or 3 of Electric Ladyland; Burning of the Midnight Lamp, Come On, Rainy Day..., 1983. It doesn't matter if you play it 100% correct, because know one knows it.

I played one of my own developing riffs in front of my friend who bought and sold guitars all the time and who was in a band signed to a major label (Luis Peraza of Lucy Brown, owner of Atomic Music in College Park, MD). He was like, "What song is that!?!?!" "That's your own riff? That is awesome!!" 1973 SG Deluxe with factory Bigsby through a JMP 2204. I bought the SG.

One of my favorite riffs and songs to play at one time. Everybody recognized it, great riff; nobody else ever played this in a music store. :rolf:

 
I've found that I excel at sucking on guitar.
My playing sucks to a much greater extent than most other people that suck.:eek:
Doesn't matter, I still pour tons of cash into great guitars and amps that are worthy of much more gifted players.
Why?
Cause it's fun. I get a rush out of playing and buying shiny new toys.
It's called a hobby and I reckon I'm considered a hobby musician.
 
RVA said:
I do not have to be the best, especially since there is no such thing. But I MUST find a way to be interesting. I think I will start gearing my efforts to play to my strengths more, even though at present, I am not certain what those are.
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Finding those ---in itself --could be very fun and rewarding ;)

If its not FUN then its WORK and I think we ALL have ENOUGH work----lets have some fun
 
Hackmaster said:
I've found that I excel at sucking on guitar.
My playing sucks to a much greater extent than most other people that suck.:eek:
Doesn't matter, I still pour tons of cash into great guitars and amps that are worthy of much more gifted players.
Why?
Cause it's fun. I get a rush out of playing and buying shiny new toys.
It's called a hobby and I reckon I'm considered a hobby musician.
Click to expand...

Nothing wrong with that, man. I've got one brother that used to continually by/sell/trade/mod/cut up/customize cars, motorcycles etc. My other brother would buy an antique vehicle, strip it down to the frame and build it back up and never get rid of it. Neither was wrong for keeping or getting rid of them. Just depends on what you enjoy with it.

Me, if I have a reason to play covers or record originals, like a gigging band, I get motivated and do it. But, if I'm not in a paying band I generally don't learn/play covers or feel motivated to record originals. However, I love to sit and noodle, noodle some more, and write tunes that sooner or later I hope to recored and play in a band. Just me, not saying it's correct or incorrect.
 
Hmmmmm. I stopped playing in bands altogether recently simply because I wasn't "digging" what I was doing...although the pay was good.

Phil Collen said in a recent interview to "play what you like and enjoy no matter what." For me that's 1980's/1990's era rock...and I play it constantly.

I would say this.

When I was a kid (I'm 51 now) I spent hours jamming to records and tapes. That's how I learned, and it developed within me a most impeccable sense of timing.

Some nights, I still just jam along to old videos for the timing benefit. Other nights I work on original material.

My point is play what you like and compete with only yourself...
 
Ray, work on that Santana stuff I sent you, work on some other songs that interest you that challenge you yet are not too complex that you give up. When we see ourselves actually learning songs or techniques and doing them enough to make it a thoughtless muscle memory type result, it should yield positive frame of mind to keep us going. As we did as children when learning to walk, talk, read and write, once we took one step, all we had left to do it is take the next one. Eventually they added up to us not even having to think about how to do it. Then to keep yourself engaged, find a new technique/teaching that refines your methods. Something along the lines of that Speed picking video I posted, or how to practice with a metronome, practice finger style etc.

If that doesn't work, let me come up there and arm wrestle ya a little. :ROFLMAO:
 
RVA said:
Now, I know where I stand in the world of players. When judged on a scale of casual players, I am an intermediate. When judged on a scale of true pro's, I barely make the left edge of scale. And all this was OK...until today.
I truly feel that if I cannot convince myself that I will one day be a worthy player, I should just stop and do something I have a shot at being good at rather than just disturbing the peaceful air with my playing just because it "relaxes me."
Click to expand...
RVA said:
I do not have to be the best, especially since there is no such thing. But I MUST find a way to be interesting. I think I will start gearing my efforts to play to my strengths more, even though at present, I am not certain what those are.
Click to expand...

Enough of this!

Please define casual player for me.
Please define true pro for me.
Please define this "scale" for me.
Please define worthy player for me.

Your pediomandibular insertion is so severe that I can no longer see your knee.

Does your playing bring you joy?
Does it relax you?
Is it fun?

Why would you ever take that escape and incorporate it into the awful self
imposed daily grinding rat race that it is supposed to be an escape from?

I am not a particularly good guitar player.
My playing will never dazzle anyone
I am slow and at times I am sloppy.
None of that matters because...
From day one I have played purely for fun.
No other reason.

Yes I have been recorded.
Yes I have been on television 3 times.
Yes I have played in front of some large audiences.
Yes I have been on the cover of a paper with a large circulation.
Yes I have played the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia (19,000 seats).
Yes I have been recognized in a shopping mall and on the street.
You might say I am almost locally famous if you want to.

All side effects of me just having FUN WITH MY GUITAR.

It's all about the fun and joy of making music.
That's where the true success lies.

Stop beating yourself up for no reason.
...unless it is fun for you....
;)
 
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