Have I hit a wall? What do I do next?

I think everyone hits a wall at some point ...maybe not necessarily in guitar ... I hit a 20 yr wall with the piano and my answer was to get off that particular wall by switching instruments ... so anyway here I am. I have been playing guitar for 1 yr give or take a couple days.

FREE EDUCATIONAL THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU ARE NOT PRACTICING BUT THINKING ABOUT GUITAR ANYWAY

- watch other guitarists on youtube ( :roll: I will not mention names) - good guitarists but there are a ton of beginner demos too :roll: not to mention names!
- search thru the easy song section for inspiration
- search thru the beginner lesson section for inspiration (if you like blues you will benefit from the Kansas City and Riders of the Storm)
- read any article on theory or practice or technique etc. Then read another one.
- search thru 911Tabs for the chords to any song that gets stuck in your head, use common sense when deciding whether to tackle a particular song or not but have a look at how the song is constructed anyway. Also transposing is not a deadly sin.
- I am lucky enough to have a stack of sheet music left over from the "wall" and I search thru that for inspiration too. 911Tabs does not have EVERYTHING.

* BTW an unbelievably useful article on song arrangement is hidden in the intermediate section. It explains how to arrange Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 3 different ways. This is invaluable anytime you decide to play something that hasn't been totally laid out for you. As in: how do I get from a handful of chord letters to a real song? I still can't play Twinkle Twinkle worth a flying cuppa :evil: but recently arranged a lovely fingerstyle version of Eensy Weensy Spider, descending bass line and all.
( 8) this message is brought to you with thanks to the Dylan School of Cool )

I think one problem that you may have is that you try to learn too much too soon. There's a lot of stuff that you just need to let sink in, otherwise building on that knowledge will be harder in the end. Have fun and play songs that you like instead of practicing so much! Try to learn one new thing each week that you can incorporate in your playing. But I remember having trouble finding what to learn next when I was a beginner. I've hit that wall twice and each time getting a teacher was the answer.

Oh, and 8 hours of practice everyday can actually be harmful. Research has shown (here I go) than in most domains more than 4 hours of practice every day is not advantageous. That includes instrument practice.

Anyways you seem to be really dedicated about the guitar and I applaud you for that. All my friends who played the guitar at some point (that would be... 5 of them) all quit after a few months.

What to do when you feel you've hit a wall? Take what you know and write a song about your trouble. Post it here and wait for feedback and suggestions. Take a second look at your song and go write a new one. Enjoy.

Hi,

I think we all hit a "wall" sometimes. I know that I have posted similar things on here before now and the usual reply has always been that I am not alone. Nowadays I don't beat myself up and I allow it to happen. After all, we aren't in any kind of race to reach the end (assuming there is ever an 'end'). So enjoy your guitar and don't beat yourself up about it. One thing though - like yourself I used to spend every available waking moment playing guitar. The end product was that practice became a chore and learning a bind. So I went out and bought another instrument (not a guitar). Now I play both and when I get bored with one I play the other.

Why not try it? If cash is a problem go for something cheap - a whistle, or a harmonica. I found that I always come back to the guitar ... and each time I am fresh and enthused again.

D