So I have a question. I have a friend who is the same age as me (16) and he is really good. I assume he has been playing for a few years. But then at another website forum, I can't remember which one, there was a guy who said he had only been playing for a few months...So my question is, I know practice makes perfect, but how long have (or did) some of you play before you were actually good enough to impress someone. My goal is to join a band later in the future, but I feel like I have started playing the guitar to late.
Never too late to start.....quite a few people on here only started in their 40's....
It all depends on how much you're willing to put into it....how dedicated you are, how structured you are, how methodical in your approach - a bit like life really!
Welcome to guitarnoise BTW...stick around, you might be pleasantly surprised at how much you learn!!!!
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
16's good.
Audioboy:
You have made the first step. You have decided and started to play guitar. All too often we procrastinate, or take the easy route, or drift in a sea of apathy. All too often we get distracted, or find other things we (think we) value more, or life events arrange our priorities for us. You are of an age where choices are readily available; and hopefully, you have nothing or no one holding you back.
If you have the single-mindedness and dedication to do much practice and learn much, then you can do whatever you decide; and take it as far as you want. Like anything else, it's how much you want to invest in yourself.
From reading your post, I suspect that you are worried that talent, or that ability to impress someone (which is cool) arrives one day fully formed. In my mind, learning guitar is not a linear experience, where you put in the time to get from A to B. It's more a process of accretion, where little bits of the experience of others sticks to you: you learn from a variety of sources, coming from all directions. Hang out with your friend who is "really good". Learn from her (or him). Surround yourself with good people (no better place than right here at Guitarnoise)
I know some of the guys and gals at Guitarnoise have started playing at a later age than I did (39); and I wouldn't be the least surprised if most of them are better players than I am.
Stick around and make us proud!
Ghost 8) :D
PS My sig below says it all.
"Colour made the grass less green..." 3000 miles, Tracy Chapman
Well thanks alot, that really helped inspire me a little bit more.
Not a lot to add really after those words of wisdom.
How long it takes to get to as good as you want to be is entirely up to you. Nobody can say you're progressing too quickly or too slowly if you're working at it as much as time sensibly allows.
Best,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
I started guitar when I was 18 years old, joined a band a few months later. If you really want to play in a band there is no reason you couldn't do it. Just get a drummer and bass player together, decide on who will be singing and get going, you'll improve faster from playing with others then anything else.
Minor note: When our band is auditioning aspiring members we are most interested in their character, not how long they've been playing. If you're kind, enthousiastic and willing to work hard I bet there are plenty of bands you can join. At the age of 16 you're so young that you can become as good as you want to, never doubt that.
It's important to remember that you don't need that much 'skill' to 'impress' people.
Punk is basically just power chords which are quite easy.
Lots of hip hop songs are just a beat, one or two notes and vocals.
In my opinion these have the same worth as any other music and some people can be musical snobs in that if it's easy they don't like it.
I think that this is a worry (or certainly a thought at least) that anyone who has picked up a guitar has had at some point. I began playnig about 18 months ago on a (very) old and (very) out of tune spanish acoustic, and that did me fine for a while. But after a few months, my friends and family began asking me things like; "hows the playing going? Why dont you show us what you can do?" which in my head read as "Show us how crap you are after months of practice".
But I contiued practising, and I guess it was about 5 months when my mates started saying "hey, that didn't sound too bad!". This gave me the confidence to keep going, and now, 18 months down the line, I am regularly asked for mini perfomances by anyone who's around my house when I am playing!
So, after that *essay* :) my advice (if you want it) is to keep practising as much as you feel comfortable with. Just because your mate can blast out a decent song after a few weeks, doesn't mean he could play anthing else you put in front of him! Get your parents / friends to give you feedback, both bad and good will help you in the end, and remember; even famous guitarists had to start from the beginning!
"Rock 'n' Roll isn't a type of music - its a way of Life!"
16's good.
And 17 yrs 4 months isn't bad either. 8)
Btw ..10141748....
what does your id mean..
It don't think it means that you were born on 14 october 1748 :shock: :lol:
Hey welcome to the forum and a great new year of guitaring to all...beginner or intermediate ,self learning or aspiring , lunkheads and crunkheads (like me :oops: )
and to the ever MODS GODS :twisted:
Rahul
I started playing guitar at about 10, however 16 is a young age to start at as well. One of my favorite guitarists is Kirk Hammett and I read in an interview that he started at age 16 as well. I've also met guitar players who learned to play in college and are now VERY talented musicians. I think the key is motivation, not age, if you want to be a great player, then you will progress faster then someone who is less inspired.
Steve-0
Alright, so with all that said, and sorry if there is already a post out there about this same thing, what are somethings that you all would suggest a self-teaching guitarist to practice?
#1 thing you need for all instruments: a properly trained ear. For the rest, start by practicing some basic open chords and learning the major scale in one box. That should train both your left and right hand with a variety of movements.
welcome audioboy man wish i would have started 16 .that would give 30 years of practice in stead of the 1 i have now.... stick with it my man. 8)
Cash is cool
These are a few things I wish I had practiced when I started playing;
1) Barring; using your first finger to press down all the strings on a fret. I was advised by some of my peers to leave barre chords until later on, but I found that it uses a totally different set of hand muscles than forming open chords - thus I can make the chord shape perfectly, but cannot press the strings hard enough to barre yet! frustrating? you bet!
2) Hammer-ons and pull-offs. These simple little tricks can open up a whole world of musical delights within a basic song.
3) Use your pinky! Although it is the least used finger, it is by default the weakest. Again, I left using the pinky for a while, and soon became frustrated when it became the only finger that would not do as it was told! Forming G using the 320033 formation is a good way to strengthen the pinky, as it switching between 320033 and 032033, as this requres the pinky and side hand muscles to tense and release as different stages - hence building up thier strength.
4) Optional depending on how you choose to play, but practice using both plectrums and fingers. Obviously there are some differences between the two!
