"What play guitar if you cannot play a whole song?&quot

To begin, I will say this is a great question. Albeit entirely subjective, it's a great question to hear from some older players on what got them started, what keeps them going, and younger players and why they even started. However, your aim is a bit off. The reasons you listed for playing guitar are fine. I can relate to some of them myself. The only issue is that you know why you play the guitar, you know you enjoy it, you know you can express yourself creatively playing. Justifying your playing the guitar just doesn't seem necessary, especially to a non-player. In my experience, I just don't think it translates for some people because of the 'typical' notion that every musician is really a wannabe rock-star living some pipe dream.

The more you reason, the less you create. I know it sounds terribly elementary but still ... to each their own.

regards,

btw ... I play because I love the sounds of a guitar and it's a perfect way for me to combine my passion for writing & music.

I don't know where you are in the skills department but if you know a fair amount of chords and can change chords pretty smoothly and have a little rhythm then you may be selling yourself short.

If you can do the above then you can either pick up a tab or sheet music and play through many different songs as accompaniment by just figuring out even a rough strumming pattern. Lead is another story and requires more digging into the song but still doable.

So, you can probably play quite a few songs all the way through you just haven't taken the time to do it yet.

Test yourself, play open D, A, Em and G chords using say a DDUDU strumming pattern for 2 minutes and 36 seconds. If you can do that you played a song all the way through and now you just have to figure out what song it was.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I play because I love the sound(s) a guitar makes, I love the feeling it gives me when it sounds good, I love the challenge of learning, and I love being able to do something that not everyone can do.

So, you can probably play quite a few songs all the way through you just haven't taken the time to do it yet.

That IS the key. You have to have the discipline to be able to concentrate and learn a whole song. It seems, as you have stated, you don't prefer to do “covers” which is fine but, like the old saying goes, “If you start something, you NEED to finish it”. Original or cover.

I myself, play to have other people enjoy my music as much as I do! If I played a couple of riffs in front of someone, guess what…….they would get as bored as me. I also like to bring the “complete package” to the table, singing and playing….. Why? Because I enjoy doing it and the more I practice it, the easier it becomes.

Like Nils said again, 2:36 is a song, a short one but, still a song.

I think I read before that you have been playing for a few years (5 or 6 maybe off and on), correct?

Thanks for the responses.

I think this is actually my seventh year playing. In those seven years there have been a few periods where I did not even touch a guitar for several months.
In my experience, I just don't think it translates for some people because of the 'typical' notion that every musician is really a wannabe rock-star living some pipe dream.

Exactly, that is why the question was uttered by my friend to begin with. He does not play the guitar or any other instrument. I was not actually looking for justification from myself, it is just that a question like that cannot help but make one wonder "why?"
I don't know where you are in the skills department but if you know a fair amount of chords and can change chords pretty smoothly and have a little rhythm then you may be selling yourself short.

If you can do the above then you can either pick up a tab or sheet music and play through many different songs as accompaniment by just figuring out even a rough strumming pattern. Lead is another story and requires more digging into the song but still doable.

So, you can probably play quite a few songs all the way through you just haven't taken the time to do it yet.

Test yourself, play open D, A, Em and G chords using say a DDUDU strumming pattern for 2 minutes and 36 seconds. If you can do that you played a song all the way through and now you just have to figure out what song it was.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I play because I love the sound(s) a guitar makes, I love the feeling it gives me when it sounds good, I love the challenge of learning, and I love being able to do something that not everyone can do.

Yes, I can strum and change chords with ease. I can figure out strumming patterns as well. I do not have much time to play the guitar between school (currently taking a summer course for college), work, and everything other little thing that takes up time (including other hobbies, which actually aren't so little). Yes, there are songs I would like to know all the way through (as I said earlier, I found some in my sheet music folder) and I would like to get into them soon. I really enjoy just letting my fingers do what they want. With a limited amount of time, that is what I do most.

Oh yeah, I play because I love the sound(s) a guitar makes, I love the feeling it gives me when it sounds good, I love the challenge of learning, and I love being able to do something that not everyone can do.

That's pretty much the reason I play too. I feel inspired by the sound a guitar can make, I love it when I sound good, and I love being challenged.

I play to entertain my audience, please myself, and to get those songs out of my head onto a sheet of paper or CD - all in equal measure

Best,

A :-)

I play for me, myself and the people I play with. I don't think learning a full song is very important if you're starting out or have extremely limited ammounts of time, but once you get further and have the time learning full songs is a big step forward. And whether that are other people's songs or your own really matters little. Myself I have been playing my own songs pretty much exclusively lately, but I know others really just like to play their favourite songs. Whatever you prefer, do yourself a favor and learn a few complete songs.

Why do some people do sketches on a piece of paper but never do a complete drawing? My guess, it's for their own enjoyment. No difference than playing guitar. All of us do it for our own enjoyment first and foremost. If all you do is noodle around that's perfectly Ok as long as you are relaxing and enjoying yourself. Let's face it, after the initial cost of a guitar it's pretty cheap therapy.

It sounds like you can learn to play a song all the way through, you just choose not to. If you enjoy it and are happy then you are doing what's right for you!

Dude,

Don't worry about it do what ever you want. That person is just jealous that you are doing something they can't and it's their way of bringing you down.

I would bet that even if you played a song all the way he would still have a comment about something not being quite right.

Just do your own thing and don't worry about anyone else.

I have had a guitar for 20 years or so and still regard my self as a learner because for the first 18 or so years I only picked it up ocassionaly. I have a book "Beatles Complete" that over the 18 years I learned the notes on the 6 strings up to the 4th fret and most of the open chords. So I could pick out the meledy lines but my rhythm left a LOT to be desired..

The recently I was realy bitten by the bug and I finally got the courage (at 47) to go and have some lessons. Now 12 months later after learning some barr chords and a bit of theory I am palying some of those songs that I before would never attempt.

So I guess my answer to your question is "whatever at the time suits your fancy" I was happy for 18 years just tinkering but now I want to learn.

I still suck, but I SUCK a LOT LESS !! lol

Thanks
Keith

I've just started - a little over a month now

I've started because i wan't to play for fun, i want to learn to play other peoples songs (all the ones i like) - so i can play them and sing them with friends.

now i'm learning i still want to learn other peoples songs but am thinking once i'm a competant player i can think about writing. So i didn't start guitar to write songs but it could be a possibility for me - i've always liked jotting lyrics and stuff but never had any musical knowledge to with it!

i wonder if drummers think about this?...

I think that it is good to learn “whole songs” because you learn a bit about composition, structure, theory, etc. But don't let anyone tell you that that is the only reason to play. I listen to much ambient, droning music that does not fit the usual 3-4 minute rock/folk/blues patterns. A lot of people don't understand this or even think it is music. If you are playing for enjoyment there is absolutely no reason you have to be confined to someone else's idea of what makes an acceptable “song”. Play what sounds good to you. Sometimes I'll be practicing some fingering excercises or scales or whatever and I screw up but the mistake sounds real good so I explore that for half an hour till I have to go to work. So what. It's not like someone was paying me to play Freebird for them and instead I just noodled away.
(Of course my goal is not currently to get gigs playing 3-4 minute covers of popular songs either. When that becomes my goal, I better start learning some of those songs. Gotta be realistic about it. :lol: )

I think that it is good to learn “whole songs” because you learn a bit about composition, structure, theory, etc. But don't let anyone tell you that that is the only reason to play. I listen to much ambient, droning music that does not fit the usual 3-4 minute rock/folk/blues patterns. A lot of people don't understand this or even think it is music. If you are playing for enjoyment there is absolutely no reason you have to be confined to someone else's idea of what makes an acceptable “song”. Play what sounds good to you. Sometimes I'll be practicing some fingering excercises or scales or whatever and I screw up but the mistake sounds real good so I explore that for half an hour till I have to go to work. So what. It's not like someone was paying me to play Freebird for them and instead I just noodled away.
(Of course my goal is not currently to get gigs playing 3-4 minute covers of popular songs either. When that becomes my goal, I better start learning some of those songs. Gotta be realistic about it. :lol: )

Im not sure what you mean by ambient music, but I have the same problem that a lot of my musical interests dont fit the everyday person's standards. I listen to a lot of jam rock (Phish, MOE, Widespread Panic, etc) and playing one of those songs (which many times top 20 minutes each) for someone with a radio pop mentality doesn't go over well. I do listen to and play other stuff that does please others though.

To answer the question though, I for myself. I get a huge release out of playing. There is nothing like sitting down with an acoustic and hammering out an emotional version of Creep to get over a bad day. Yes, I love performing, but that's because I get a form of a high from it, not because I care what others think. I guess that's why I keep picking away.