Incredible experience - what's the use of playing?

Comparing myself to other guitarists always led me to the same thing: quitting. I spent my life (not counting the last 3 months) wanting to play but becoming quickly discouraged after hearing anyone I considered "better" than me. (I'm counting Jeff Beck and other legendary guitarists here!) So, I'd say to myself that I'd never "sound like that" and I'd grow my fingernails back and stop playing. Where did that get me? I could now be better than I am, but everything led me to the place I'm in right now.

Now I'm committed to playing even when I get those loser-type feelings. I had breast cancer this year but it looks like I'll be fine. I wanna make the most of life, and music has always been the biggest part of it (along with love). So I feel somehow more confident in knowing that each of us has our own voice, none of us sound exactly the same (how boring would that be?)...it's like a fingerprint or snowflake, I guess. Even though we can't change certain qualities, we can improve the ones we have by practicing and just messing around with guitar. I feel I've improved more in the past 3 months than I did over the course of my life beginning at age 13 or so. But I'll NEVER sound like Jeff Beck!

I can definitely relate to your post, larsko. Thanks for writing it down for us, and I hope you feel less depressed somehow. If you love music like I do, don't ever give it up unless you're forced to! :)

wow - musica, sorry to hear about that, but glad to hear that prospects are good.

Such experiences tend to make one start thinking don't they. Seems like you have found a positive, self-confident attitude - that is clearly a valuable asset.
Best wishes - lars

Yes, playing guitar can be very depressing at times. No matter how long you play and how good you become, there will be days where you feel you are not as good as you should be.

Guitar plays with your mind a lot, it just comes with the territory. You cannot let your feelings control you. One day you will feel you are lousy, the next day you will feel like you are the best player in the world. The truth is somewhere inbetween.

Feelings come and go.

You just have to realize that as a player and keep pushing ahead. If you stay at guitar and keep playing you will become a good player. That is really all there is to it. But there are ways to advance quicker and become a better player sooner. Take some lessons, learn to read music, jam with others, or join a band. All of these things will help you to advance much quicker.

If you keep playing, someday some kid will hear you and get discouraged. :wink:

Hey Lars

look at on the far side of the coin you find yourself on.... what if you woke up tomorrow morning and everything you've learned about playing so far was no longer there. Somehow, overnight you'd acquired the relative skills of a non player, a person with no calluses, no linear fingering capacity, no ability to fret, no knowledge of chords, no melodic concept, and on top of that you'd become tone deaf too! WOW! now there'd be quite a challenge for ya then wouldn't it.

Come to think of it you've been there before haven't you? yeah....it was right before that light bulb went off in you're head that sold you on that crazed notion that, somehow....you were going learn to do all that wild stuff with a piece of wood and some strings .o matter what! Funny thing is, whilst pursuing this awkward vocation (guitar playing) I can't personally recall ever pausing even once to consider whether the end ever justified the pursuit of it, nor whether there was foreseeable end to it! There's just this strange intangible connection to it that I get whenever I pick up an instrument! It's strange isn't it?

I can't personally recall ever pausing even once to consider whether the end ever justified the pursuit of it, nor whether there was foreseeable end to it!End? What end? :wink:

Playing guitar can be depressing at times - but being unable to play is a whole lot worse! Earlier this year, I broke my arm and a couple of fingers.....had to lay off guitar completely. Then I severed a tendon in my right hand - you've seen the pics, Lars, you know how bad it was - there were times I honestly thought I'd never be able to play again.....now that was truly depressing!

I'm still getting a bit of pain when I play - nowhere near as bad as it was - but I'm playing barre chords again, hell I even picked up the bass a couple of nights ago, I'm trying to get that 5-fret stretch back I used to have playing a fast blues shuffle, it's not there yet but it's coming......

I used to play with a bunch of guys in a local pub, nothing fancy, just bring a guitar and a few songs you know (or as JF once said, "Bring a song and a smile for the banjo....") and I learned so much from them - technically, most of them were far better guitarists than me, but I learned a lot - different styles of picking, different musical genres - they liked to play a lot of Country, which I had very limited exposure to.....

But I never once thought, "I'll never be able to do that"......I always thought, "One day, I'll be able to do that...." - I suppose I'm one of life's eternal optimists, I know I can get better, I WILL get better, and sometimes I surprise myself and actually do improve......

What I'm trying to say, in a round-about way, is don't bother comparing yourself to other guitarists....you'll come off worst, a lot of the time. But - those guitarists will never be you - they might never hear of you - but you've always got the potential to surprise them.......

I play because I love playing - when I write a song, then record it, I get a huge buzz from it, even if my playing doesn't do the song justice - but it's mine, I wrote it, I recorded the rhythm, the lead, the vocals, the bass etc....and they can't take that away from me......and someday, maybe I will be able to do my own songs justice....and that's what keeps me going!

:D :D :D

Vic

What an attitude you have, Vic!

Here I am hurting a bit after playing too much a couple of days in a row, worrying that I'll one day lose use of my hand(s) and my hearing somehow...I guess you could say I'm your opposite: the eternal pessimist! I guess I'm not all that bad, but you certainly have an outlook that I'll have to adopt! Thanks for your input. I, for one, appreciated it!

Yes, playing guitar can be very depressing at times. No matter how long you play and how good you become, there will be days where you feel you are not as good as you should be.

And there are days when you come out of a practice session and know you've been on blistering form - if I can keep that going until my exam on Thursday I'll be laughing.

Sometimes I listen to my students and think "that's really good", and sometimes they listen to me and express admiration. It works all ways round.

Best,

A :-)

Felt almost sad to come home and strum a G chord

That could be the start of your best adventure to date on the guitar. The humble G sounds just as good as a Bm7b5 in the right place.

Bob

Posts: 5000
That's some landmark! :shock:

Posts: 5000
That's some landmark! :shock:

Yes, Alan Green is now officially Musically Insane.

Greybeard achieved this milestone a few weeks ago.

I am glad to congratulate both of you.Thanks for your valuable services.

8)

...Unless you're Steve Vai ofcourse, he compensates for all of us....
Hahaha! :lol: