settling for one style?

Somewhere down the line, you WILL settle on one style of playing - but it'll be a composite of ALL the various genres you listen to and play. You'll use all the parts you like, throw out the parts you're not keen on, and in the end it'll sound like YOU. Your style, your taste, your quirks and idiosyncracies. That's the day we ALL look forward to!

:D :D :D

Vic

Al I also sense that you are questioning you skills abit (just a guess) I wouldn't worry about it your still fairly young and you are a solid player now, the rest will come.

I'm older than you and started much later in life and when I first started I thought that if I got to where I'm at now I'd be happy but I'm far from it. I mean I play regularly with the same guys, we have plenty of songs down and I think we sound pretty good and have alot of fun playing BUT, this also causes alot of self doubt.

The more I've been playing and the more I see other musicians/guitarists I really tend to get down a bit on myself. I still can't rip off blistering solo's whether or not they were memorized or improved' and it seems every guitar player that I have run across lately seems to be great at it.

I've been trying to work on the soloing skills more, but like you with a job and family and everything else (like learning new songs with the band) I don't spend enough time on it. I'm not sure if it will ever come but I can't see myself playing "rhythm" guitar forever it just doesn't do it for me.

The goal posts are always moving arent they. when i started all i wanted to be able to do was strum along to some songs on the radio using open chords. A few weeks later I wanted to play barre chords, a few more weeks later and i wanted to do or know something else, and that process hasnt stopped, nor has the feeling of being a complete beginner as i realise there are so many things i cannot do.

i doubt any of us will ever be satisfied with how good we are, especially, like you say, whenever we look at youtube, or see some other guitarisit in a band, they always seem to be better than we currently are :oops:

sometimes i feel really down about it, as i put a lot of work into practice, which is difficult with a young family, but most of the time I try not to think about it like that, and just think about what i will be able to do in 10 years (which is a lot more than now hopefully). On top of that, it is great fun isnt it? :D

<...>Does anybody else find that your skills progress in all styles even when you're just focusing on one thing?<...>

Playing other instruments helps, listening to other kinds of music helps, playing other styles helps, doing anything else musical helps. We are the sum total of our musical experiences.

And no TV definitely helps.

I quit watching TV in the mid 1980s. No antenna, no cable, no satellite, and in my fringe area that means no TV. Disclaimer: Leilani and I do watch a Netflix movie once or twice a week. Mostly non-blockbusters and movies that don't appear in your local Blockbuster store, many music oriented disks, and other things we find interesting.

Instead of watching TV I:

To sum it up.

I would rather live my life by doing things than to live my life vicariously by watching actors pretending to do things.

Of course, this is my life, and this is my way of living it. It's the best way for me, but might not be the best way for anyone else. But it is my life and I choose to live it the way I want.

Insights and incites by Notes

Too bad there isn't a TV show about a guy like you for us to watch. :lol: You are absolutely right. We should do things instead of being couch potatos. Live life, don't watch it sail by.

I would rather live my life by doing things than to live my life vicariously by watching actors pretending to do things.
Notes, I agree with you! Practically I never watch the TV: too many interesting thing for spending in that way.

Too bad there isn't a TV show about a guy like you for us to watch. :lol: <...>

Thanks. I loved that line :-D

Notes

8)

Man TR I missed that one the first time I read it but I'm LMAO now..classic!

There's a lot of rubbish on TV these days, but on the other hand in the last few weeks I've watched concerts by the Who, the Stones, Queen, Paul Rodgers and Queen, Bowie, Hendrix, The Sex Pistols, The Specials and Roxy Music - and that's before I even count the documentaries I've watched on various musical genres. On top of which, the sound from the TV (through the surround sound system) is so crisp and clear that I take advantage of the various radio stations available through Digital Broadcasting to listen to oldies or a specialist rock station. And a lot of the time I'll practise guitar by playing along with various songs. So TV CAN be good for you!!!!

:D :D :D

Vic

There's a lot of rubbish on TV these days, but on the other hand in the last few weeks I've watched concerts by the Who, the Stones, Queen, Paul Rodgers and Queen, Bowie, Hendrix, The Sex Pistols, The Specials and Roxy Music - and that's before I even count the documentaries I've watched on various musical genres. On top of which, the sound from the TV (through the surround sound system) is so crisp and clear that I take advantage of the various radio stations available through Digital Broadcasting to listen to oldies or a specialist rock station. And a lot of the time I'll practise guitar by playing along with various songs. So TV CAN be good for you!!!!

:D :D :D

Vic

Hear Hear!