Topic: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

Hey, I've been playing since last January and it seems like I've kind of reached a plateau with my playing skills.  I can play a good number of songs by quite a few different artists, and some easier solos (slower ones), but it seems that the music I'm finding is either too easy or way out of my playing ability.  What does anyone reccomend? Anyone else have this problem?

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

I went through this about 2 months ago! I think everyone reaches walls in learning. All I did was try to stay motivated. The songs that you think are past you're level may surprise you. I had a few that I wanted to learn but felt overcome by them. I broke the songs down into multiple sections and just took it one lick at a time. Before you know it the songs that were out of reach are under your belt. Just keep practicing... Maybe throw in some new touches to old songs (hammer ons, pull offs, walking bass lines, palm muting,etc...) This is just what helped me through it...maybe some of it will be helpful to you also? Best of luck! Peacefull picking cool

[b][color=#FF0000]If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something.
[/color][/b]         [b]Peace of mind. That's my piece of mind...[/b]

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

Maybe its time to learn some new chords??? Or maybe learn to barre some that you'd been half barring,try laying some lead down over songs you've only been chording, or put some fill in strumming on lead parts you know. Maybe its time to take those 'slow' solos up a notch, learn something on the same level that has a faster tempo, or start breaking down longer solos? MAYBE its time to expand your musical horizons by studying a new style of playing.
Its really all up to you. The good thing is that even when we think we've hit a wall, there's actually a whole 'nother world of playing just beyond our sight. All we need is that one little inspirational 'breakthrough', something so obvious that we'll look back after we've mastered it and go 'My God I can't believe I didn't know how to do this." I'll never forget the day I figgered out I could actually bend the strings lol
SO, what do you do untill the breakthrough comes??? You keep playing, pushing yourself to play new things, and when you encounter something you don't know how to do, its time to learn how. Hit the books, ask advice, look up lessons, whatever you have to do. AND KEEP PERFECTING WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW TO DO, each level of playing acts as a base board to the next, what you master today might be the underlying principle of a new trick,riff,lick, or even picking style, strumming pattern etc.
Its kind of like algebra, except you'll want to do it.

I have to say your learning very fast by the way smile

All You Need is Love smile

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

Try choosing a couple of songs you like. Log onto YouTube and search for your song by typing in the name with cover at the end.
Hopefully you'll find a few covers of the song played by other guitarists.
I tried this and looked for people at my level or better and played along with them. It works for me.
Reading other comments it seems like most guitarist go through the same "brick wall" feeling every now and then.
Guitarpix is dead right about going back to songs that you couldn't play and breaking them down into sections. You'll be surprised at how much you've progressed

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

This is something that happens to me on a regular basis. Maybe it's not a plateau in learning but a point where you get fed up playing the same songs all the time. I find that's what I'd call it for me. Don't get me wrong there is always room for more learning and I'm just at the beginning of my journey with this instrument, but it's always a new song or an oldie rediscovered, or even a song heard in a new light that get's me going again. And if it looks too hard then I keep coming back to it. If a chord looks beyond you, remember there is more than one way to play it.

While at this "stuck" point I usually start to look more into music theory and the mind numbing boredom that is learning scales. From there I tend to drift into experimenting with chord progressions and flat-picking (my finger picking sucks big time). In other words - making stuff up and seeing if there is anything pretty comes out. You'll amaze yourself at what can come out of your fingers. It's also this amazement that keeps things buzzing for me.

I hope I've explained this OK and it doesn't sound like so much pretentious drivvel.

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

This same issue happened to me about 6 weeks ago.
Just before I started college, I could comfortably play what I knew, but I wasn't improving, and wasn't managing too no matter how hard I tried.
However, I met a good friend here and he gave me a brilliant piece of advice.
"No matter how hard you find a song, NEVER be afraid to just try. The more you try the harder stuff the easier it will become"
At first I just thought "what the hell" but it actually has helped me a lot. I'm more of an acoustic player, but stray onto my electrics every so often, and I got home that night, found a solo I wanted to learn, and just played it over and over until I nailed it.
It takes time, but the thrill you get at the end is more than worth it.

Ben

It's not how well you play... It's how much effort you put into the playing

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

Thanks for the advice.  I've decided to devote my playing time to learning a "real" solo, something a bit longer than 20 or 30 seconds, Clapton's sweet Old Love solo off of his Unplugged album.  I can actually sort of play the first few lines after about two nights of practice.  I'm hoping that learning the hard stuff now on my acoustic will help when I get an electric.  Again, thanks.

"A steering wheel don't mean you can drive, a warm body don't mean I'm alive"
Switchfoot

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

When I plateau, I always go back to theory study, and technical exercises.  Scales, scales, scales, and more scales.  When I've reached a point where my hands are tired and sore again, then I go back to the music, and try to put what I've learned to use.

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

Do something totally different.  Listen to a music style you don't like and try to figure out some licks.  Or maybe a music style you do like but have never played. 

I like sissified 70's folk/pop.  So, a music style I don't like would be metal.  Since I very much doubt that I could bring myself to listen to metal long enough to figure out some licks, I'd try the second route.  I love Bossa Nova music but have not been successful in getting that smooth syncopated rhythm and the dorian mode to work together.  Those whacky Brazilians.  Bossa Nova will be a challenge I'll take on some day if I get stale.   

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

Zurf wrote:

I love Bossa Nova music but have not been successful in getting that smooth syncopated rhythm and the dorian mode to work together.

That there sounds like a great opportunity to work on some scales.   big_smile

Someday we'll win this thing...

[url=http://www.aclosesecond.com]www.aclosesecond.com[/url]

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

jerome.oneil wrote:
Zurf wrote:

I love Bossa Nova music but have not been successful in getting that smooth syncopated rhythm and the dorian mode to work together.

That there sounds like a great opportunity to work on some scales.   big_smile

Yep.  I just bought a scales book.  So right now I'm working on getting a clean sounding barre chord (F, F#m, Bm are the ones I'll need the most) and starting work on scales. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude

Re: I'm kind of stuck with my playing. . .

i also sat at a wall (for 27years) stuck in a rut . i did ok singing and playing the songs(mostly old country) that i knew. then recently i found new friends to jam with.  well , i jumped over that wall and started playing songs i never thought to play (blues rock and roll)and doing quite well using lots of new chords. change your circle of friends a little find a new group to jam with it sure helped me

always pickin someting