• Registered: 2007-03-13
  • Posts: 23

Topic: tips to avoid this

Hello every one,, I need some advice,

I have like 8 months trying to play guitar , I can play a few tunes now,, but
I hear my music sound all the same , I guess it's part of the process

the thing is that I have a friend at church who plays in the chorus, and his music sound so repetitive  he says that he has been playing all his life and he is  like 50 year old  but until now , he does not know any song by memory,,
and to be honest every time I see him playing instead of getting motivated I kind of get sad,, I mean I don't want to fall on the same thing,
also since I started playing guitar, I found out the life is so short, but that is another subject

don't get me wrong  I like this man He's my friend but,, I don't want to fall,, doing the same thing,

Any advice?
besides practice

pardon My English since it's my second language:-)

2 Reply by cytania (edited by cytania 2007-12-13 10:31:05)

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: tips to avoid this

1) Practise different strum patterns, try them out on songs, see how well they fit.

2) Have you learnt finger-picking? If you can master the basic 'clawhammer' travis pick you will sound different. Great for softer, slower songs.

3) Buy a chorus pedal, switch it on for numbers that need more oomph!

4) Get a different guitar. Say you have a bright, sparkley acoustic look to buy a boomy, boxy semi. Change guitars to fit different songs.

5) Get Ralph Argesta's 'Blues: Jam Trax' book and CD. Get your repetitive friend to play the basic I IV progressions whilst you improvise. When you get a nice sounding improvisation tab it out for Sunday best ;-)

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • From: Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-01-09
  • Posts: 85

Re: tips to avoid this

Hi Gus!
To me it seems like your problem is more psycological than anything with your playing...

Anyone can learn to play a guitar, BUT to be good at it (as with everything in life) you have to like what you do AND let that joy shine through when you play.

I have been playing for 1 year now and I fully enjoy every time I get a moment with my beloved Takamine accoustic. It doesn't care if I play alone or have anyone listen, I enjoy, and it shows.

Last summer (when I had played for about 6 month) me and a friend was asked to be trobadours on a wedding. At first I was petrified, thinking I can't play/sing well enogh to have an audience of 110 guests listening. They talked us into it and there we were, nervous as hell, playing easy songs (a couple of open chords, no bas runs, no barré chords, nothing fancy what so ever).

All through the night people were singing along, dancing, giving us compliments. Why?
Because how ever rookies we were, however nervous we were, we fullheartedly LOVED playing for them.

So Gus, the next time you grab your gear, FEEL what you want with your playing. If the answer is that you want to play because you enjoy it and want to bring joy to others, you are home safe. If you don't find that feeling you should do something else.

And Gus, life is very short. Spend it doing stuff that are primarily good for you. If your happiness shows it WILL wear of to others around you.

/Missen

If you love what you do, there's no need to be good at it...
  • aj1
  • Member
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  • From: UK
  • Registered: 2007-11-02
  • Posts: 75

Re: tips to avoid this

Great reply from petermiss. That's what it's all about.

One thing I'd suggest is looking on YouTube.com

There are a lot of guitarists posting lots of song covers. They all have different styles and some make a song sound good, others not so good.

Browse through and you'll be able to pick up lots of good tips to enhance your playing.

  • From: Renfrewshire, Scotland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,359

Re: tips to avoid this

What you are going through I think seeems to happen to EVERYONE and regular intervals while they are learning. If I find myself feeling like this then it's time to learn a new technique or scale or song.

Listen to the radio a lot. Every day I hear a song and think "Oooo that sounds like it'd be good to play". Look it up and start learning it. I love it! Once you've learned the song and can play it then start to look at ways you can improve how it sounds. There may be a bass run or hammer on that will bring it alive again. It's all part of the fun for me.

Don't get me wrong, I am just a beginner like you (2 years maybe), so I have a lot to learn. But I'm loving learning it.

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

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  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: tips to avoid this

There is no other advice other than practice. Playing the guitar well is a very difficult thing to do. You don't see as many great guitar players as you see great waiters or janitors. I don't mean to knock the afore mentioned professions but a great deal of intelligence and self-discipline is needed to become a "wow, look at that guy" guitarist. Be patient and don't let your friend get you down. Maybe he's perfectly content with the level of guitar playing he has attained. Practice is the key, the only key to open the door of guitar greatness.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • arkady
  • arkady
  • ambient moderator
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  • From: England
  • Registered: 2006-11-23
  • Posts: 2,147

Re: tips to avoid this

Hi BBDGus
I've played for over twenty five years and in that time I've just about tried most froms of Guitar playing. From Bach to Pop. (Not being much good hasn't stopped me trying) smile
But I do feel finger picking is well worth the effort to learn as it brings a whole lot of variation into art of playing. Also it makes the Guitar stand out as an instrument in its own right.
Walls come and go with any art form it just requires a love of what you are doing and practice as you have already said and some advice as have been given in the replies.
good luck.

Ark

  • Registered: 2007-12-02
  • Posts: 8

Re: tips to avoid this

Oh Petermiss....
Your post hit home big time.....great words!

I've been playing on and off for years (mostly off) but have gotten back into it  because I love music and love to play.
I get no support from my family....my son is a drummer and tells me I have a deaf ear.
My hubby is not a musician at all so he has no right to say anything roll (he can't sing nor dance, anyway)

This site has been tremendous for learining new songs and chords I never knew existed.
I feel the music with such a passion that there are times I'll have to stop playing a song because I have tears in my eyes and can't see the music.
I honestly don't give a crap if I'm good or not. I'm not out to be a professional....I'm just so happy to play.

Thanks for your wonderful post.

  • Zurf
  • Zurf
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: tips to avoid this

kayharley wrote:

I'm not out to be a professional....I'm just so happy to play.

Thanks for your wonderful post.

The same can be said for you.  That first line there sums it all up for me.  I'm at a plateau right now myself, but I'm still having fun so to heck with it.  I've got the lesson books to take me over the next hump when I get the motivation.  Nothing, no one, and nobody can make anyone a better guitar player but themselves through practice, concentration, and effort.  No one should put forth the effort for practice and concentration if it isn't also FUN.

- 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
  • From: tennessee
  • Registered: 2007-08-02
  • Posts: 176

Re: tips to avoid this

BBDGus,
   Be proud of your freind, it takes a lot to play in front of others. So what if he can't play from memory. He enjoys playing. Have you ever sang along with a song and got the words all messed up, but you went on. It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you enjoy what you're doing. Maybe your friend has a memory problem, or even a learning problem. Your friend may even be dislexic. It doesn't really matter. Encourage your friend and take a que from him, just keep on playing.
If it seems like you're in a rut then try a different style of music.
Then again your friend keeps on playing the same songs because those are the songs he likes.
Are you playing the songs you enjoy?

If you're not happy with what you have...
Then you'll never be happy with what you get...
  • Registered: 2007-03-13
  • Posts: 23

Re: tips to avoid this

Hello again!!
and thanks every one for those good comments,,
:-)

  • From: Murphysboro Il
  • Registered: 2007-02-10
  • Posts: 292

Re: tips to avoid this

Gus,
Your stuff sounds all the same most likely because tit is all the same. It just takes time to learn different ways to play and develop a style all your own. Keep working at it and keep having fun! Also remember, you are a musician so nothing is off limits. you can jump in there and try any type of song you like. When I had been playing for eight months everything I played sonded like the Ramones before they had thier coffee in the morning. I wanted to sound different but I felt I could never play like whoever, When i finnaly jumped in and tried it turns out i was right. I still don't sound like slash or SRV but I developed new way to sound like me. By learnning new stuff it helped me develop a style all my own that is still very versitile.
  It will also help to jam with and learn from a variety of people. The more styles you work with the more you will pick up. Hang in there and you will see what I mean.

"Nobody paints by ear so why would I play guitar by sight?" hmm
  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: tips to avoid this

SouthPaw41L wrote:

There is no other advice other than practice. Playing the guitar well is a very difficult thing to do.

I'm going to add on to this "Practice smart."  If you feel you're in a rut, you need a plan to get out of it.  So pick a goal, and practice to that goal.   "I'm going to improve my finger picking."  or "I'm going to learn to play in the key of A everywhere on the fretboard."  or "I'm going to learn flamenco."

Then set out specifically to do that.   

If your practice routine (and you do have a practice routine, right?) never changes, you shouldn't expect the outcome of it to change, either.

Someday we'll win this thing...

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