Yeah, honesty is good ... but the post said "Need Encouragement" not need the cold hard truth or need discouragement. :lol:
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
I'm 20 years old and I started when I was 18.
I didn't remember being discourage about guitar, even if I was bad at it at the beginning
I just played because I like and and focus on the positif aspect of it. You should know that by playing guitar, you'll improve.. If you don't play, you'll not :wink:
So the best way to keep enjoy playing guitar is to focus on what you're doing right and keep practicing the thing you have difficulties with.
Able to play a little note-by-note song?
Able to play 3 different chords?
Able to change between chords?
A good strumming will come later, but don't get discourage!
" First time I heard the music
I thought it was my own
I could feel it in my heartbeat
I could feel it in my bones
... Blame it on the love of Rock'n'Roll! "
I am also 20 years old and started when I was 18. I guess I have got a little better now. Though sometimes it happened that I felt like smashing the guitar against the wall next to me (while trying to play the damned C chord and then barre chords).
You should try to learn a song completely. When you are able to do that, it will be the most encouraging thing on guitar.
Guitar ain't for everyone.
haha Arjen - you DO have a way with words ... :evil: as I've said before, I decided that guitar was not for me and forgot about it for 25 yrs ... I don't know if there's a moral in there but maybe I wasn't in the right state of mind? :?
This time I started out with "beginner's mind" - IMHO an useful skill regardless - which is all about keeping your expectations LOW and your enjoyment HIGH.
Some random suggestions:
Do not expect to sound like Hendrix or whoever, maybe even in this lifetime. If you do sound great, then it can be a pleasant surprise.
Do not expect to be able to play for hours at a stretch in the beginning or maybe ever. Your fingers will hurt like hell anyway.
Try to be happy for the small miracles, like when you understand how TAB works or when you play a chord and it sounds like a chord. :wink:
What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's really all about?
~ why yes, I am available on youtube ~
http://www.youtube.com/stellabloo
Do not expect to sound like Hendrix or whoever, maybe even in this lifetime. If you do sound great, then it can be a pleasant surprise.
With some dedicated practice of the pentatonics and blues scales, one can expect to play like hendrix. However, to sound like Chet Atkins in one's lifetime is something to reckon for.
With some dedicated practice of the pentatonics and blues scales, one can expect to play like hendrix.
:roll:
With some dedicated practice of the pentatonics and blues scales, one can expect to play like hendrix. ...
wait, you mean to tell me that I can play like Hendrix by practicing my scales? That's all it will take? What have I been waiting for? :P
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
The strumming will come - don't give up. I'm not an ace strummer - in fact it's one of my weak points. That said, I have many weak points. But heck they get better every time I plug in, turn up, and tune out. Playing is a great escape from the everyday stuff.
Don't give up. I've had a neighborhood guitar guru once tell me - 'well - either you've got it or you don't' - way back when I was a teenager. Nice thing to tell a beginner eh? I almost put down the guitar never to pick it back up again. But eventually I did - and I made progress. Slow, painful progress. So don't expect large outputs without large inputs. Persistence and hard work do pay off with this guitar thing as far as I can tell.
To be a little more pragmatic, as far as practicing, know 'when to say when.' Some days are way better practicing than others for me at least. If it's a true struggle (and I think only you will know this)... put the guitar down and go do something else - anything - and come back to it later. If you really like playing, you'll come back to it real sooner than you think.
Also, you are the only one that sounds like 'you' - Page never did sound like you - Clapton never will either. Their stuff is great - don't get me wrong. Enjoy emulating those folks! Stand on the shoulders of giants and learn from them - but keep strumming, picking, and learning for you! It's good for the soul, mind and fingers as far as I can tell.
Don't play for anybody but you - if other's get a kick out of what you're playing - well that's really cool - but do it for you!
Peace and good luck! :mrgreen:
