I just need to rant here for a minute and any advice will be greatly appreciated. I know what most of you will say but I'm looking for the creative and insightful responses.
I've been playing for about 3 1/2 years at this point. Up until about 7 months ago I was solely an acoustic player but added electric to my arsenal and love it. I feel like I've lost a bit of interest in playing-not because I don't love it, and not even because I get frustrated and want to quit-with my current schedule I'll occasionally go days without touching an instrument. Then when I do play I love it. However, I feel like I'm stuck in a really deep rut. As far as technique goes, I have quite a few skills-easily play chord progressions (short of some funky jazz chords I don't have much problem with chords), can pick, trem pick, want to learn to sweep pick and Im working on it. I am absolutely awful with theory and that probably frustrates me the most-I can sit down and learn almost any tab with enough time but I have no idea why I'm playing this note at that time, etc. I've tried to learn theory and it is like gibberish to me. I've lost interest in playing alone and want to play with others but face two main problems-1) When I'm home from school like I am now I have no one to play with and 2) when I do play with people I always feel inadequate because I either am not as skilled or I'll hear something in my head and can't apply it to my instrument. This gets very frustrating.
I know most of you will say I should get a teacher but there aren't any reputable teachers around here and if there were, financial reasons would stop me quickly. For that same reason, please don't recommend GASing. I can't afford it.
I already own and have read Noteboat's book but like I said, theory makes no sense to me.
I apologize for the rant but any advice or recommendations would be great.
"How could you possibly be scared of being bad? Once you get past that, it's all beautiful." -Trey Anastasio
What is your practice regimen like?,
are you burning yourself out doing the same thing all the time?
do you have friends you can jam with?
are you able to record yourself, create loops to jam with etc?
#4491....
So you've got an accoustic and started with electric? Go write some of your own progressions on the accoustic, record that, and solo over that with your electric. It'll help wonders with opening all kinds of new options, it's fun, it's good to hear you progress over time and you need noone else for that.
As for theory, take baby steps first. Do you know the difference between a major and minor chord? Can you write down a major scale or minor scale? Start from there and you'll see that in no-time you'll be applying it to your playing. Merely reading random chunks of theory will confuse more then it helps. :)
So you've got an accoustic and started with electric? Go write some of your own progressions on the accoustic, record that, and solo over that with your electric. It'll help wonders with opening all kinds of new options, it's fun, it's good to hear you progress over time and you need noone else for that.
As for theory, take baby steps first. Do you know the difference between a major and minor chord? Can you write down a major scale or minor scale? Start from there and you'll see that in no-time you'll be applying it to your playing. Merely reading random chunks of theory will confuse more then it helps. :)
Backwards-started acoustic, moved to electric.
As for the theory aspect, I do get the absolute basics, I know major vs minor, I know the scales, etc. It's moreso application that confuses me.
To answer Lefty's questions-
Practice regimen is almost non-existent at the moment. My work schedule is so insane and variable that some days I have hours to play while others I'll have 15 minutes if that. When I can, I run scales, work on finger dexterity and picking skills and then run a few songs if I have the time.
While I'm home from school Im in the middle of a musical wasteland. I don't know a single person here who plays guitar, bass or drums. I'm not particularly interested in jamming with trombones and oboes.
And yes, I can record myself and create loops but I get bored jamming over chord progressions all the time. I get my musical jollies from interplay with live musicians, not my own recorded riffs/chords.
"How could you possibly be scared of being bad? Once you get past that, it's all beautiful." -Trey Anastasio
Don't want to sound anti-theory ('cause I'm not), but you do not necessarily have to be a scholar at theory to play guitar well.
I am pretty much self taught, although I would purchase books at the music store, read magazine articles, and still do to this day. But mostly I learned the hard way by just learning songs by ear.
My approach to guitar is kinda like driving a car. I understand cars and am even a pretty good mechanic. But my understanding is very basic. Still, that does not keep me from driving a car. And I am pretty good, never had an accident or ticket in almost 30 years. :D
The more you play the guitar, the more you will understand it. I can hear a song like Crocodile Rock by Elton John and immediately recognize the old I, VIm, IV, V progression. I can hear this progression and play it immediately. Why does this progression sound good?? I don't have a clue and don't care. I know that it does and can play it when I want to hear this sound.
Each genre of music has it's own set of sounds and cliches. You learn them and you learn the genre. You don't have to understand why they sound like they do, just accept that they do sound like they do and learn those sounds.
I am not anti-theory at all. The more you know, the more you have advantage at being a good player. But by and by, music is not a mental thing. Music comes more from the heart and emotions and listening with a good ear. The old Blues players couldn't read a note of music, many did not even know how to tune their guitar to standard tuning. But they played with soul and feeling and touched millions, their influence changed popular music forever.
Theory is kinda funny. They will tell you a certain chord leads to another. Well, someone played these two chords first and everybody knew it sounded good. Then theory comes in and tries to explain it. You can't really explain it, if it sounds good, it is good, that's all.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Wes, that's what I needed to hear. Theory is just an accessory, and I know this. I guess it's just being in a musical sinkhole that's getting to me. 10 months out of the year I live with another guitarist and can jam on a moments notice. Being home, I have no one to play with and it kills me. Music is like a lot of things in life...you can only do it by yourself for so long but eventually you want someone to join you. I could continue the analogy but this is a family friendly forum.
"How could you possibly be scared of being bad? Once you get past that, it's all beautiful." -Trey Anastasio
it is too bad your schedule is so. getting excited about playing becomes more difficult.
I understand totally about feeling in a rut. that has happened to me many times since I've
began guitar. you are on a plateau in your accomplishments with guitar. everything feels the same, sounds the same, ho hum. everyone has been there. the good thing is something will happen one day and you will be on another level.
you will play something that opens another door of fretboard wisdom or chord making. you will become occupied for days.
that is the best.
and then eventually you will feel mired again.
I try to find inspiration when I can't stand it any longer. I play along with CDs.
maybe post somewhere (school?) about starting a beginners jam session.
you could buy another guitar and feel so guilty about the purchase
you will have to play it much more often. that is not good advice.
Its funny how fate can come into play now and again. I was feeling EXACTLY the same way for the past two weeks. I was growing bored with how I have been playing. Everything sounded the same to me. Every time I tried to improvise a lead, it would sound the same. Its the limitation of my skill set for sure. So I can relate to how you are feeling. Last weekend I went over a friend's house to jam, (he is much better guitarist than I) and although I had a great time, I walked away feeling very inadequate.
Two days ago I set out to learn a song by ear. It took me two nights but I did it. I learned the entire song by ear and wrote down the chord progressions along with the lyrics. Turns out this was the best thing that I could have done. I feel better about my ability and have added a new song to my play list. Here's where the fate part comes in, as soon as I completed the song, I logged onto GN and read your post. My advice to you would be to put away the tabs for now. Sit down and learn a song that is slightly above your skill level and figure it out by ear. It is tremendously rewarding. You will feel much better about your playing and be more confident.
Teamwork- A few harmless flakes working together can unleash an avalanche of destruction.
Theory is useless if you don't know what the words SOUND like. Ear training is very important, don't just learn how to play a scale learn the intervals and SING the intervals. You should be able to play your guitar in your head without touching it. Visualize the fretboard and how each note would sound.
"And above all, respond to all questions regarding a given song's tonal orientation in the following manner: Hell, it don't matter just kick it off!"
-Chris Thile
Why does this progression sound good?? I don't have a clue and don't care.
Even learning all the theory in the world won't answer that. Theory is just a verbal way to represent musical events, if theory could really explain *why* something sounded good then we all would have the same taste and no composer could ever find a job anymore.
Theory is kinda funny. They will tell you a certain chord leads to another. Well, someone played these two chords first and everybody knew it sounded good. Then theory comes in and tries to explain it. You can't really explain it, if it sounds good, it is good, that's all.
Theory doesnt try to explain, it just labels. G7-C is called V7-I. Why our brain resoponds so strongly to that is a question that neurologists should answer, not music theorists. Theory also doesnt say which chord should follow which one, after a C you can play an Dm, F, Fm, G, Gm, Am, Ab, etc. None of them are more 'correct' then the others, they just sound different. As such 'application of theory' doesn't mean 'following the rules', because there are none. It means playing music you love while being aware of what you're doing. Personally I'd bet willing to be that you know way more theory then you believe, you just don't know the official words for it. But you can hear the sounds and respond to them creatively, which is what theory is all about: understanding and reacting to songs. It's simply impossible to play for many decades and not learn the major scale, for example. I know some people that don't know that it IS a major scale, but when the music asks for it they will play it.
