• From: Deep Run, NC
  • Registered: 2010-01-29
  • Posts: 90

Topic: Nothing but Calluses

Do you ever have one of those days when you practice, practice, practice and you don't feel you play any better than yesterday?  Today I put in a lot of time and I feel all I accomplished is to help build up my calluses on my fingers.  I know that's important but I was hoping to change chords faster today.  I guess if this was easy everyone would be playing guitar.

tonyespo / 63 year old NEWBEE

I better learn to play fast, I'm already an old fart.
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-03-29
  • Posts: 953

Re: Nothing but Calluses

Yes I've know that feeling many times, but then just as you think your not making progress, you pick up the guitar the next day and "boom" there it is, so keep at it, some days you have it but some you don't, just keep plugging away and you'll slowwly but sure progress, and there will be things you don't even have to think about anymore, you just realize your doing it without thinking about it, so just simply hang in there, it'll all work out, you'll see.

Cam

Keep a fire burning in your eyes
Pay attention to the open sky
You never know what will be coming down
  • Registered: 2007-09-25
  • Posts: 21

Re: Nothing but Calluses

Tony, yep I know the feeling. I decided to learn how to play the guitar when I retired three years ago. It has been quite an experience with lots of plateaus where I don't feel like I'm making any headway.

Sometimes, I just back off for a day or two because it seems my brain needs to absorb what I've been learning. When I start playing again after the break, I've always noticed an improvement.

Maybe you just need to take a break for a day or two (but not too long or you lose those callouses) and then come back to what you are working on. It seems to work for me. Good luck.

  • From: Central Flatland
  • Registered: 2007-05-30
  • Posts: 223

Re: Nothing but Calluses

I have never notice any day-to-day improvement in my playing, and I practice about 2 hours a day, six days a week.  You see the improvement when you look at what you are doing now as compared to six months ago.

"There's such a fine line between genius and stupidity."
                              --David St. Hubbins
  • zguitar
  • Don't call me Sir
  • Offline
  • From: Mentone, Ca
  • Registered: 2009-01-10
  • Posts: 1,367

Re: Nothing but Calluses

Hello all!!!

I agree with everyone so far. I play five or six days a week for an hour a day. It seems that every other day is a good day where I feel I played good. The day in between is not so good, missed chords, missed strums, forgot the progression, stuff like that. Not everyday can be a good day. And, as dguy said, look at where you came from. If I think back to where I was when I started a little over a year ago, WOW. I could never have imagined that the beginning stuff would be so easy. At the time it seemed insurmountable. Keep pluggin away and eventually you'll see a difference. Keep challenging yourself too. That's how you get better. But then again, don't get too far ahead of yourself. Make sure you have a good grasp of what you're learning now before moving on. It makes new stuff easier.

Keep Rockin!!!!!!!!!!!