need help (Page 1 of 2)

Don't give it up.  Play the songs unrecognizably. 

- Zurf

Don't get hung up on a single strum pattern. Listen to the music, strum along to what sounds / feels right.

Hi Paul, check out some video turtorials on the main page here on Chordie, scroll to the page bottom and check it out, good way to get the strumm for different tunes. Don't give up. You can do it.

  Badeye   

How long is "a while"?  You don't need to tell me, I'm asking more for your benefit.  Think about all that goes into guitar.  You have to train your ears, your arms, your fingers, your voice.  And you have to do them all at once.  Oh sure, there are voice exercises you can do alone.  You can listen intently to songs.  Etc.  But for it all to come out together as a song, you have to train them all at the same time for at least part of your practice time. 

Gosh, that's a lot of training.  Plus you also have to train your concentration.  I suppose there are some multi-tasker wizards with short attention spans who are guitar whizzes, but they're the rare exceptions.  Most I know (and I would expect that includes most of the folks reading this message) have to work hard mentally and physically to improve.  Improvement at first comes very, very slowly.  And then eventually, several years down the road, things start to come fast.  And you begin to wonder why.  And then you realize - it's because you trained so hard at first to be able to do it.  You've learned how to hear.  You've learned how to strum.  You've learned how to use a pick and to move the fingers of your left hand independently of those on your right. 

Someone on here once said that they were amazed by something kind of silly.  For all her life (I think it was a 'her'), she had never been able to rub her tummy and pat her head at the same time.  A couple years after playing guitar, she did it as part of a silly kids song with her children and it was no big deal.  She didn't even have to try.  Why?  Training.  Making the right and left hands independent.  Learning to segment your mind to concentrate deeply on several related tasks at once.  And so she learned that, yes indeed, she had been learning much more than how to pick notes on a guitar. 

These things take time.  Have you given yourself enough time to learn them?  Has it been three or four months?  If so, then you haven't given yourself enough time.  You should count yourself lucky if you can get between three open chords relatively smoothly in ANY strum pattern.  Has it been a year and a half?  If so, well, if you're practicing daily I'd think you'd be further along, but I'm willing to bet you're better off than you were a year ago. 

So think about it.  Have you given yourself enough time for all those things to happen?

Oh, and I've been playing for going on three years now and beginning to play passably, and my wife won't sing with me either.  And generally I have to make sure my audience has had sufficient intoxicants to have passed the critical stage where they pick on everything and not entered the entirely-too-honest-say-anything-that-enters-their-minds stage. 

- Zurf

Hi there.

Like ozmoid for many years, I piddled around with my guitar, mostly because it was a righty turned upside down.  With that one I spent most of my time trying to keep the strings in tune, just a bummer.
A year and a half ago I was given a really nice lefty acoustic for Christmas from my hubby.  Still I wouldnt stay with it. Well sibling rivalry was my turning point, lol. My big brother, also a lefty decided after open heart surgery to quit procrastinating, having realized he never finished any hobby he started. Sounding familiar to me, I agreed.  Now I play on weekends with a group of real seasoned pickers ( our genre is country, gospel and a very small amount of bluegrass) . This has been an incredible help to me.
When I started with them 4 months ago, I couldnt even keep up with a 3/4 waltz style beat.  Now I almost made it thru orange blossom special, boy did my arm burn shew....  By myself I still dont like what I hear coming from my guitar, however the other night my hubby (who doesnt like the music Im playing) says, dear is that ?  And it was....yeah!  I was so excited he recognized the song I was trying to play. He said that sounds pretty good.  Wow, sweetest words I have ever heard!!
My poor brother lives 14 hours from me and doesnt have a group of people to play with on weekends he is needing some video's or people to play along with himself.  If you look around you may find some folks that get together and play for fun. I will tell you for me that is by far the best decision I have ever made.  Playing with these people keeps you motivated, keeps you from getting stuck on your learning scale. And most of all its free lessons and a bonus, some new pals. Best of luck to ya! DO NOT GIVE UP!

Hello Paul,
Most instruction books now come with a dvd and if you find a rhythym book that looks good they usually have a good strum along section in them and can be very helpful to get your timing and strumming down.

thanks to everyone for your encouragement, Wayne if you ever get a chance to do a few more easy lessons know that us newbies sure appreciate them

"If I had a million dollars" by Barenaked Ladies

That song uses those exact chords in that order (with the chorus using the Em)
A little funkier/faster version of that strum (DDU-UDUDDU)
And of course...singing.

=]
Dm

The conversation with Ozy in another thread where he says that he has a need for routine got me thinking.  Would it help you to set up a routine for yourself, such as practicing/playing for an hour before bedtime?  0:15 on scales and arpeggios, 0:15 on new songs/riffs/chord patterns; and 0:30 reviewing songs you already know or are trying to improve.  Something like that?  Many people think structured practice time is the best way to improve, and I tend to agree, though I admit hypocracy by not taking my own advice on the topic.

- Zurf

Yes, try doing what Zurg suggested.  I think that is a wonderful way to learn.  Then you don't get stuck on the same old stuff.  I try to do this, but like everyone, I stray from the practice.  I play a few songs, then do a few scales and I always practice on Classical Gas, which is very hard for me.

illinois about 120 miles west of chicago

Paul - you're on the right track.  Try Knockin' On Heaven's Door.  G, D, Am, G, D, C all the way thru.  Play it the same intro, verse, chorus, outro until you don't need a cheat sheet.  Move up to something more challenging maybe Wonderwall by Oasis, perhaps.  In either case, write down how you interpret the song and play it just like that.  The idea being to play it as a song instead of as a portion of a song.  You'll be pleased.  Good luck and let us know how it pans out.
Steve