Finally taking lessons.....

[sage97]

...... and I am almost depressed!

I am primarily an acoustic player with a below average skill (never took lessons as well). I bought two new PRSi to play around with and add a little something to my acoustic recording hobby. I planned to try the two that I bought and sell one but it's been several months and I've decided to keep both for now.

Anyway, I've always known I suck pretty bad. Heck, I'll be honest and say I really don't know how. He started by asking me to play a few chords etc, and he immediately "diagnosed" significant basic problems like palm muting and strumming techniques that are usually for acoustics but don't go too well with electric. We tried his technique several times and he sounded awesome but I sound worse than _______.

He's very nice about it and very patient so I'll keep going but I almost wanted to give up right away, sell my PRSi and go back to acoustics and playing JT and Croce.

Anybody else ever feel like their talent is just not there and there's no way they're going to learn something that they really like?

[San]

Keep at it bro!! There have been plenty of times when I feel my playing wwas at a dead end and each time all that was needed was a break and practise, practise, practise! I'm still pretty crap but I enjoy playing more than anything and that's the key.

Take it slow, listen to your teacher and - relax! The joy will come back as will your chops!!

Best of luck mate!!

San.

[sage97]

Keep at it bro!! There have been plenty of times when I feel my playing wwas at a dead end and each time all that was needed was a break and practise, practise, practise! I'm still pretty crap but I enjoy playing more than anything and that's the key.

Take it slow, listen to your teacher and - relax! The joy will come back as will your chops!!

Best of luck mate!!

San.
Thanks for the encouraging words San but I guess we're the only ones who can relate. :)

[butterfly]

I think every player at one time or another in his or her development can relate--unless you are one of the few really gifted ones who have an innate ability and immediate mastery of the instrument. One of the things to try and remember is that music has a relativity to it in that almost everyone thinks someone else is "better" or has more chops etc. It was said in another thread about lessons that over time people come back to the fundamentals--rhythm, timing, etc. Learn the basic chords, scales intervals. That should give you the fundamentals to go for it. Read Zen Guitar. Remember that in a lot of rock music its not what you play but how you play it.http://forums.birdsandmoons.com/forum/images/icons/icon7.gif
R

[BIG GINGER GIT]

I'm totally stuck in a rut these days and tired of my own playing. I'm looking to take lessons but it's hard finding the right teacher, most of them around where I live are eighties shredders but I want something more than that these days.
I really regret not learning scales, modes and theory etc and I wonder if it will bore me even now :confused: :(

[sage97]

As I listen to Neil Young's Greatest Hits, I am reminded that I don't have to play like Yngwie or EVH to sound great and enjoy the gift of music.

Don't get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for Neil's talent but he's not the greatest guitar player either.

Nevertheless, he's always been one of my greatest heroes.

Go Neil!!

[San]

I think another thing you can do if you're not already is get out there and join a band. For me this was a massive boost in both terms of technique and confidence. I must admit when I turned up for the post of rythm guitarist in my first band many moons ago I was terrified but now serveral bands and gigs later I'm much more confident.

Get out there and find that band!!

Good luck,

San.

[Pointbreakd]

I think another thing you can do if you're not already is get out there and join a band. For me this was a massive boost in both terms of technique and confidence. I must admit when I turned up for the post of rythm guitarist in my first band many moons ago I was terrified but now serveral bands and gigs later I'm much more confident.

Get out there and find that band!!

Good luck,

San.
That's great advice. The best way to get better is to play with people. It's basically like taking lessons.

[sage97]

Instead of practicing more electric stuff, I went back to acoustic this weekend but learned 3 new songs - End of the Line by the Traveling Wilburys, More than words by Extreme (I know, I know. It's pretty sappy but it does have a nice percussive rhythm to it) and Norwegian Wood.

Thanks for everyone's advice. I feel like I need to be a better player before I have the confidence to join a band as an electric guitar player.

All learning this week will be focused on electric rhythm guitars.

Thanks again.

[amstaf]

just to let you know, after my first teacher I almost quit for good... that was back in '79. just have fun and enjoy, this isn't a race, have fun. If you like music, all will follow.

[scottyboy]

congrats Sage. at 45 i took my first lesson and it open the fretboard up like nobody's business. the one bit of advice i would give is to make sure you spend sometime playing with your teacher and getting his/her advice on playing style and technique. my teacher was a theory teacher and we never really worked on my playing. the theory was great, as i said, but i would have liked to spend some valuable time on technique, style etc.

keep up the good work. you will be glad you did. trust me.

scott

[sage97]

congrats Sage. at 45 i took my first lesson and it open the fretboard up like nobody's business. the one bit of advice i would give is to make sure you spend sometime playing with your teacher and getting his/her advice on playing style and technique. my teacher was a theory teacher and we never really worked on my playing. the theory was great, as i said, but i would have liked to spend some valuable time on technique, style etc.

keep up the good work. you will be glad you did. trust me.

scott
Thanks Scottyboy,

I should've learned theroy when I was a lot younger but I never did. This teacher is actually showing me techniques for electric guitar that I didn't necessarily need for my acoustic playing style. He did have somewhat of a reaction when he heard me play knowing that I don't know any scales or theories. I have no doubt that he will not be able to help it but teach me some basic theories. We cancelled our last two sessions due to my busy schedule - single parenthood is a full time job.

I've been learning quicker than I expected thanks to tabs over the internet. So far, he's only shown me how to use my right hand to palm mute rhythm styles. I will practice a couple of songs before we meet again. I think I've got Godsmack's "Awake" pretty close - not necessarily my favorite but that guitar tone is interesting to me. I'm thinking about Kravitz's version of American woman as the second one or "Fly Away" but Z. Wylde's tones also keep calling. I will figure out which one is the easiest and go from there.

I'd appreciate suggestions for easy rhythm guitar with a good rock tone.

[Peter]

I'd appreciate suggestions for easy rhythm guitar with a good rock tone.
John Lennon. Whatever his band was called in the sixties.:p
AC/DC

And, of course, it depends on what counts as "good rock tone" to you. I think you can't do much better than Elvis's guitarists - Scotty Moore in the beginning, James Burton later on.

I'm just beginning lessons myself! Starting out is hard no matter what level you're at. It takes time to get momentum going, especially at the beginning when you probably have to spend time dismantling old, bad habits before you can learn new ones. Keep at it! There are plenty of us suffering out there just like you.

[scottyboy]

one last thing Sage-it is O.K. to miss lessons and to take a break from lessons if you are learning too much to absorb into your playing. i stopped after a year of lessons just so i could spend endless hours trying to make sense of what i learned and to really absorb all the info i just learned. i am now ready for more lessons.

godsmack's awake-drop c tuning? pretty cool to start with IMO.

keep the faith.

scott

[sage97]

Peter,

ACDC certainly is a great rock tone for me.

Scottyboy,

Drop C is correct. I'm having fun with electric guitars and distortion and overdrives, etc. but I did succumb to a couple of acoustic tunes last night and learned Ozzy's "Mama, I'm Coming Home" and an acoustic version of Kravitz's "It ain't over till it's over."

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone.

[Stoptail]

I have come to terms with one fact about playing guitar. I am not a natural!:o

I have to work hard at it. Keep it up.