Knocked on my keister yesterday - please help!

[mstreck]

I met a guy yesterday that is self taught (not one lesson) and has been playing for only few years. The guy can fingerpick, play leads, and knows every type of chord formation there is. He is awesome. I, too, have been playing for only a few years and I felt like a day one beginner next to him!

 

Where did I go wrong and, more importantly, what can I do to fix me?

 

Mike

[Fendercaster]

His level of expertise is probably in direct proportion to his work (practise) ethic. I've been playing seriously for 25+ years, and am nowhere near as good as I'd like to be. I'm not very fast, and I find that after awhile, most of my playing starts to sound the same to me. But then again, I don't practise for hours a day, and when I do practise, it's usually playing along with songs I want to learn, rather than working on scales. etc. The player you met yesterday probably lives with his guitar, practising endlessly. There's a player here in Frederick who has intimidated me since he was 17 years old (he's about 40 now), he was THAT good then. But he worked at his playing for 8-10 hours a day, and it showed.

[Dave da Dude]

Yes, practice makes, not perfect, but very good.

 

When I practiced faithfully, I played pretty well. Now I hardly practice, and it shows.

 

This is true with things other than guitar too. Yes, there really are other things

[mstreck]

This guy is 40 years old, ex-navy, and has a family. I just can't understand how someone can progress that fast. I'm 35. I play every day (and play in a band) so I am always with my guitar and I'm seeing progress, but I can't imagine playing like him even after 3 more years of practicing.

 

Very disturbing... almost discouraging. Might be time for me to start taking lessons.

 

Well, back to practicing!

 

Mike

[Tedster]

Originally posted by mstreck:

I met a guy yesterday that is self taught (not one lesson) and has been playing for only few years. The guy can fingerpick, play leads, and knows every type of chord formation there is. He is awesome. I, too, have been playing for only a few years and I felt like a day one beginner next to him!

 

Where did I go wrong and, more importantly, what can I do to fix me?

 

Mike

Here's a clue...the "self-taught" thing. Lessons don't make you a better guitar player. They can make you a better guitar player, but many self-taught players smoke because they are driven. That's not an argument against lessons, it's an argument, rather, for the work ethic that drives people to succeed in spite of the normal channels. And the guy has been taking lessons...from everyone he watches, from every CD he listens to, from every magazine he reads...everything.

 

That said...some folks are born to burn. I know I'm not one of 'em, but little by little, I've adjusted to that. What I lack in speed I'd like to think I make up for in finesse, gearing more up to play like B.B. than Yngwie. Ultimately, it's not about how many notes you play, it's about playing good notes and making them sound as sweet as you can.

 

So, that said, if finding someone (a teacher) to help you in the direction you want to go is a priority, by all means do so. And, in the meantime, assess your playing, and unapologetically characterize your strengths and your weaknesses, and maximize your strengths...

 

Rock on, Mike!

[DIAMOND DUST]

Dont let envy get in your way. Being unique is what makes great players. Let his motivation be a force of inspiration for you. There will always be more advanced players, but nobody can hear things the way you do. Take whatever it is about guitar that you love and make it work for you. I have been overwhelmed many times by trying to cover to many bases. JEFF BECK is no John Mclaughlin and vice versa. Be yourself, and always play from your heart.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Now, there are people I know who think I'm some kind of uber-monster player, and I know I'm not. (Not even close!) Then I meet other people (much fewer, I might add) who I think are stunningly awesome, just smokin'.

 

It's all relative.

 

"Ex-Navy" might have more than a little to do with it, to... that is, the aforementioned work ethic and drive. If he was a Seal- heh, forget it!

 

You didn't do anything wrong, you just might want to reassess your specific short- and long-range goals, and plan in detail how to reach them. Then all that's left to do is to fill in the parts from the beginning to the end- that is, the work part!

[pauldil]

Originally posted by Dances With Werewolves:

Now, there are people I know who think I'm some kind of uber-monster player, and I know I'm not. (Not even close!) Then I meet other people (much fewer, I might add) who I think are stunningly awesome, just smokin'.

 

It's all relative.

Good point,Caevan. I wonder how this guy feels about his own playing. I just got back from visiting a player friend that I had not seen in over 15 years. He totally blew me away, yet he kept saying how he had not progressed any and wished he had kept it up like me I was thinking the same thing about him! It is all relative. The grass is always greener...

 

Just be yourself, do your best, and enjoy. It's not a competition.

 

Paul

[mstreck]

Originally posted by pauldil:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dances With Werewolves:

Now, there are people I know who think I'm some kind of uber-monster player, and I know I'm not. (Not even close!) Then I meet other people (much fewer, I might add) who I think are stunningly awesome, just smokin'.

 

It's all relative.

Good point,Caevan. I wonder how this guy feels about his own playing. I just got back from visiting a player friend that I had not seen in over 15 years. He totally blew me away, yet he kept saying how he had not progressed any and wished he had kept it up like me

 

Back to my search for progress!

 

Mike

[Dave da Dude]

pauldil,

He totally blew me away, yet he kept saying how he had not progressed any and wished he had kept it up like me I was thinking the same thing about him! It is all relative.

You both think the other is better, but that's not the case, the other is different, not better. And we always want to be able to play like somebody else. Play like yourself.

 

Dave

[pauldil]

Originally posted by Dave th Dude:

pauldil,

He totally blew me away, yet he kept saying how he had not progressed any and wished he had kept it up like me I was thinking the same thing about him! It is all relative.

You both think the other is better, but that's not the case, the other is different, not better. And we always want to be able to play like somebody else. Play like yourself.

 

Dave

Right. That was my point, Dave.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[skipclone 1]

mstreck

This is just my opinion but playing in a band often makes progress in ways that don`t relate to technique-reading other musicians and where they`re going, relating to a crowd, setting up and packing out quickly, knowing where all the exits are in a public space, that sort of thing. It`s not going to make you more technically great, although it can expose you to musical genres you may not find otherwise. But to advance technically you have to practice outside of band time unfortunately, you have to be able to bring something new to the table when you play out. The band won`t give that to you.

[Tedster]

Although playing with a band will do wonders for your timing. I notice when I just practice on my own for a couple of months, or whatever, without actually jamming with other musicians, when I do, my timing sucks.

[Dave da Dude]

Tedster,

Although playing with a band will do wonders for your timing. I notice when I just practice on my own for a couple of months, or whatever, without actually jamming with other musicians, when I do, my timing sucks.

Me too.

 

The one song I learned from the Ventures' "Play Along With .." series that I could NEVER get the timing on was "Louie, Louie", Kingsmen. I could get every single note, and all fast enough, but my timing sucked. And I had a record to play with (w/o lead part)

 

Dave

[Blue Strat]

There's always going to be someone who can play faster, bend strings farther (without breaking them), riff "better", etc. Do what you do best, and do it the best you can. That's what counts.

[The Thrashole]

Some go0od advice here. One thing that helped me realize where I was as a player was to record to a very basic beat. It doesn't have to be a great recording, just get the sound. Now put the recoeding away for a few weeks or even a month. When you break it back out you will be amazed on how you sound. After doing that my skull grew at least three hat sizes.

[magicman]

Originally posted by thrashole369:

Some go0od advice here. One thing that helped me realize where I was as a player was to record to a very basic beat. It doesn't have to be a great recording, just get the sound. Now put the recoeding away for a few weeks or even a month. When you break it back out you will be amazed on how you sound. After doing that my skull grew at least three hat sizes.

cool idea!

[DanielT]

I feel your pain mystreck. I also agree with what eveyone is saying here. My own advice is DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. Do what you do. Everybody progresses a different pace and we're not even all headed in the same direction. I'm sure you have impressed the heck out of somebody at some point.

[Bonedog]

Originally posted by DanielT:

I feel your pain mystreck. I also agree with what eveyone is saying here. My own advice is DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. Do what you do. Everybody progresses a different pace and we're not even all headed in the same direction. I'm sure you have impressed the heck out of somebody at some point.

I'd like to stress that again...Everyone progresses at their own pace. I learned very fast and got to be good really fast. And there were (and still ARE) lots of guys that blow my doors off (as far as I'm concerned) that have been playing half the time. I don't look at it so much as one being better than the other (because this same guy is probably thinking that I'm twice the player that he is....at the same time I'm thinking that he mops the floor with me) but more as a mutual admiration thing. Learn what you can from the guy and he'll pull stuff from your playing...keep practicing and enjoy.

 

Scott

[BiC]

Keep this in mind... you never want to become satisfied with your playing. Happy- yes, but statisfied to the point when you "relax"- no. You want to always be striving and achieving to be better, but never "the best".

 

Because once you are "the best" there is no more to be accomplished, no more goals to be reached, then playing becomes a bore.

 

I hope that makes sense.

 

Peace