a general observation about the guitar from a beginner...

I've found that since becoming obsessive (didn't do anything for my first year playing), I've improve much more quickly. More time practicing yes, but all the other stuff too, like reading up on techniques (never had a teacher/mentor).

I pick it up whenever I'm bored and the guitar and listening to music has almost entirely replaced watching the TV.

I've found that I'm starting to get picky about stuff, always a good/bad sign. :)

Sounds like we have a bit in common. I was pretty obsessed with motorcycles for about 20 years (don't have a cool website like yours but here's my ride: ). Picked up guitar a little less than two years ago and I've played every day since. My kids are almost exactly the same age - 5 (cheapie acoustic) and 8 (mini strat). I wish I could find a couple of hours to play every day. I probably get in about an hour myself. But I'm thinking about guitars and music all the time. It's a lot more "family friendly" obsession than motorcycles.

I'm extremely obsessive, to the point where sometimes I used to practice a piece so long and so intensely that my fingers would get too sore to play the next day! Sounds like you're on top of it, but if you get that urge, make sure you break up your practice sessions and vary what you're playing, so you work out some different muscles!

I'm extremely obsessive, to the point where sometimes I used to practice a piece so long and so intensely that my fingers would get too sore to play the next day! Sounds like you're on top of it, but if you get that urge, make sure you break up your practice sessions and vary what you're playing, so you work out some different muscles!

Samething

My father thinks I'm not able to play a whole song because everytime he hears me, I'm practicing the same riff over and over to get it perfectly.

I have another passion: soccer. I started to play when I was 5 years old and still play after 15 years! I'm not tired of it and keep practicing to get improvement!

When I started, I was so bad I didn't want to touch the ball and I was running away from it. I think I actually touched the ball 2 times in the whole season :lol: But I didn't get discourage and I became one of the best of my team couple of years later

Maybe it'll do the same thing with guitar :roll: I started to play 1 year and a half ago and these last few weeks I see BIG improvement on my playing! :D

Nice bikes guys. Of course, I don't know if there's ever been a bad one. :D I've got an '03 Softail Heritage. I've had one each Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki up until I got the Harley 5 years ago.

My hobbies have always been a bit of an obsession for me until recently. I've played golf for about 20 years, but stopped a few years ago. My low was a 68, but mostly an 85-92 range.

I gave up golf for Senior baseball. Had fun with that for a few years, but arthritis in my knees put a stop to that. No fun hobbling for a few days after every game, plus with travel time and warm up, it bit most of every Sunday away for 7 months a year. I did get to play in two minor league parks though. One was the ballpark that they filmed Bull Durham in. Adding to that, I got to play Double-Day field in Cooperstown during High School.

I'm a bit of a cook and enjoy that a lot still. I've also done some photography, but for some reason, I have not done much with that this year.

I guess as I got older, I stopped or greatly reduced the obsession factor. I have more fun at things when I don't obsess. A great example is golf. There was a period of time that I could go out and shoot low-mid 70s on most days, but it took a lot of work. If I shot a 78-82, I'd be all angry and grumpy. I stopped playing for a few months one winter to let my back heel from a bad swing. I went back out and shot probably close to a 90, but I had a blast. Just being out there was enough. At that point, I decided that I would focus on enjoyment more than outcome. I've taken that attitude with everything else since then.

I might get back into golf next year. Who knows. Would have this year, but I had one rough year. I've been getting the itch though.

I can understand what you mean about having fun and not obsessing..

But that is not me... I don't obsess about anything I don't have fun at... they have to go hand in hand or I don't do it... life's too short...

I know guitar will get frustrating (who am I kidding it IS for me i'm brand new to it) but I guess I'm both committed (my wife has said I should be for quite some time) and obsessed with guitar.

I've found that since becoming obsessive (didn't do anything for my first year playing), I've improve much more quickly. More time practicing yes, but all the other stuff too, like reading up on techniques (never had a teacher/mentor).

--Same here, although I wouldn't call myself quite "obsessive" about the guitar. I've been playing for 1 year and 11 months, but the first 9 months I hardly played at all. I got a new guitar after 9 months of playing and I started playing at least 2 hours a day. I improved very quickly after that, and started reading about theory and techniques.

:oops: er, I guess I must be one of those obsessive people - I love that article on 'how often to practice guitar' which asks the question: is there anything to life BESIDES guitar? Other than eat, sleep, earn a living and interact with loved ones as necessary lol ....

I am a little more obsessed with music and a little less obsessed with skiing these days :wink: and always thought that one was good balance for the other (and what does an obsessed skier do in summer you ask - train for ski season of course!) and now have my own babies to juggle around but definitely not an obsessed parent :twisted: more like, here's some glue and scissors, now go play!

I have been playing piano for years with mixed results but playing guitar obsessively for just over a year. The moment my interest starts to wane, I'll wind up learning a new song which I am then really, really obsessed about.
BTW am I the only one here making up my own arrangements? I am hearing about TAB - well what gets me really obsessed is figuring out a song WITHOUT tab (but I am not too proud to look up the chords :roll: )... and there's no rhyme or reason for the songs that I obsess about either, some are favorites and some I never did like before :roll:

For example I am currently obsessed with (since yesterday) Wanted Dead or Alive the Bon Jovi chestnut - which I never did like that much! - I found a playable transposition that still relies heavily on the dreaded F chord but jolly good practice :? and then I have been obsessing with the intro since I can't find tab and no point in looking since my version has been transposed .... think I'm getting close on the intro but willing to take suggestions!
"..... IIIII'm a cowwwwwboy......." 8)

That's where I'm a little different. I find if I obsess about something, I get tense and stressed.

Stellabaloo, you can do the simple version of the f chord. Sometimes it sounds decent and sometimes the barre sounds better. I think the simple sounds decent enough for that tune though. Oh yeah, and skiing. These old knees won't take that anymore, but I grew up in Vermont where we had all four seasons. Fall, Winter, Spring and Damned-Poor-Sleding. :lol:

For example I am currently obsessed with (since yesterday) Wanted Dead or Alive the Bon Jovi chestnut - which I never did like that much! - I found a playable transposition that still relies heavily on the dreaded F chord but jolly good practice :? and then I have been obsessing with the intro since I can't find tab and no point in looking since my version has been transposed .... think I'm getting close on the intro but willing to take suggestions!
"..... IIIII'm a cowwwwwboy......." 8)
That intro's played with a slide in an open tuning on a resonator guitar.

For example I am currently obsessed with (since yesterday) Wanted Dead or Alive the Bon Jovi chestnut - which I never did like that much! - I found a playable transposition that still relies heavily on the dreaded F chord but jolly good practice :? and then I have been obsessing with the intro since I can't find tab and no point in looking since my version has been transposed .... think I'm getting close on the intro but willing to take suggestions!
"..... IIIII'm a cowwwwwboy......." 8)

I know that!!

I've been obsessed with the same song when I first started to play.

1 months after learning the basic chords, I wanted to learn that song and got no teacher. It was long but I got it! I also learned the solo, which was difficult at that time...

I'll post a video of the intro and the tab for you! Check out soon in the beginner video thread :wink:

For example I am currently obsessed with (since yesterday) Wanted Dead or Alive the Bon Jovi chestnut - which I never did like that much! - I found a playable transposition that still relies heavily on the dreaded F chord but jolly good practice :? and then I have been obsessing with the intro since I can't find tab and no point in looking since my version has been transposed .... think I'm getting close on the intro but willing to take suggestions!
"..... IIIII'm a cowwwwwboy......." 8)
That intro's played with a slide in an open tuning on a resonator guitar.

I don't believe that's correct.

The intro, as can be seen in the video on YouTube, is a fairly simple series of inversions of Dm and C running down the neck. It looks like it's being plucked with a pick on a 12-string guitar (a double-neck, in the 'concert' footage in the video). While that's not definitive, since they could show any old footage of anything, it doesn't sound to me like it's played with a slide. Not to mention that it moves from Dm to C to Dm to C to Dm to C again, so I'm not sure what kind of tuning that would be.

Here's a tab that looks pretty straightforward on the intro.

I'm not a Bon Jovi fan, but that's an awesome song :) On the Beatles "Anthology" video, Paul McCartney tells a story about being kids and travelling all the way across Liverpool to find somebody to teach them a new chord--B7. That's how I felt when I was a teenager and met somebody who could teach me that intro! Back before the internet and tablature archives :)

Wow :shock: thanks for all the suggestions....
... but I finally got it! I am SO proud of myself - as I've said before, 30 yrs of piano and I couldn't play from memory or ear to save my skin so the guitar is a complete revolution 8) or is that revelation?

Either way ..... anyhow my tab writing skills are non-existant, so for anyone who cares (Claudine?) I am playing in the key of D so the verse goes something like D-C-G-C-G-F-D (on the simple version I found) - and for the verse I hit low F and then walk up to the simplified F chord and then in the chorus I am sliding down from A to G to F and playing the barre version (Lord knows I need the practice :oops: )
... and for the solo I start at high D (10th fret of high E string) and fingering this chord (xx0-11-12-12) in this order:
(top note 12 - open D string - 11 - repeat top note) and then keep sliding my fingers down in the same position, repeating on high C-A-G-open E- D and wrapping up on 3rd fret of B string (D) with segue into D chord.....
... and then it just happens that if you play around on the bottom 3 strings, alternating 3rd fret and open string you get the other opening riff (sorry again about the non-tab :oops: ) - but for some reason, figuring out this stuff, which is totally independant of my technical skill or lack thereof, is incredibly satisfying for the obsessed mind. I feel like I just discovered plutonium :lol:
".... on a stee-eel horse I ri-ide .... " ('cept mine's chro-moly and doesn't have a motor :roll: )

That intro's played with a slide in an open tuning on a resonator guitar.

I don't believe that's correct.
The version they play on the local "classic rock" station clearly has a slide reso in it. Nothing else sounds like that.