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Posts: 80
Location: On The Fringe Of Ground Zero | I was wondering if I was the only one here who's currently relearning the guitar after many years of not picking up a guitar. I can read music and I vary my study material to avoid monotony. |
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Joined:
December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by Guitar Slinger:
I was wondering if I was the only one here who's currently relearning the guitar after many years of not picking up a guitar. I can read music and I vary my study material to avoid monotony. Are ya kidding? I would say near half of us are or were in your relearning mode.
If you can read music and avoid monotony, then you're definitely ahead of many!
Ya might get some further insight with this Thread . |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | iffy,
I hope that's not a link to the Heather thread. :D
Guitar Slinger,
I can't read music which I think would be plus.
I play more than I practice. I sit and play what ever comes to mind. I don't sit down with any real goals. If I did I would probably be better than I am. I do have fun and that makes it worth the $$$ I've spent on guitars in the past few years. This forum has given me GAS far to often for SWMBO's liking. |
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October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | GuitarSlinger, as iffy said, a large portion of us are in the same boat. Strangely, it seems that my skills are improving a whole lot faster now than they did 25 years ago. Maybe the motivation is more real and less socially oriented.
I had a very good basic education in theory as a youngster. These days I'm having to relearn quite a bit, plus work on technique. The best thing I've done is join a band which plays new songs nearly weekly. It has forced me to learn different styles and to be able to perform things that I never would have tried before, and which I honestly would not have thought I could master. |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | Like many here, I've been playing about 35 years, but took about 25 of those off. Unlike Flysig, I am impressed by how much I learned when I was in my 20s. If it wasn't for tabs, and I think most of them suck, I'd learn a lot slower now. Maybe I have less patience or time. |
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August 2005
Posts: 3736
Location: Sunshine State, Australia | I seem to keep having to relearn the guitar after every couple of years. |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Jeff will confirm: whenever he calls a tune I always double-check. "That's the one in D, right?" He is usually supportive. Time's another thing. 3 is good. 4 OK, but things in 5. Can't count that high. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | I bought my Preacher when I turned 15. At the time I only knew how to finger some strumming style chords. I practiced 6-10 hours pretty much every day from that point on, then traded up to the UKII about 3 or 4 months later, and continued the same practice schedule.
After about 18 months and a Gibson V later, I was MUCH better technically than I am now. When my first son was born, I had just turned 21 and was playing in a few different projects and bands. Though I alienated a lot of people by doing so, I departed from my musician ways and it became an on again off again hobby.
I started up again about 4 years ago with my mind on acoustics instead of the electrics. Slowly at first, then I got the LX and the playing increased.
It's not 6-10 hours a day, but I am getting in a good 15-20 hours a week, and I can see myself getting better. Just this past week I've had a rejuvenation on the electric playing due to
the Viper showing up. I've been goofin' with things I used to do that I haven't been able to do since those teenager days. I can see that I have improved quite a bit, and that encourages me to go further.
Singing and playing has been the focus for the past year. Singing is another whole new challenge for me. I just talked to my father this past weekend and he couldn't believe his ears. He could never get me to sing before.
I don't know where it will all lead, but I do know it feels good to be playing again. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | BTW Jeannie - I'm ashamed to say it, but I don't read music. I should, but I don't. :( |
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May 2008
Posts: 80
Location: On The Fringe Of Ground Zero | Damon, there's no shame in not reading music. I do know that a lot of players told me they wished they started out reading because they found it difficult to learn to read after many years of playing by tablature or ear. . |
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April 2008
Posts: 2336
Location: Brighty in Blighty | Remember to enjoy the journey - not just the destination... |
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October 2007
Posts: 2711
Location: Vernon CT | G.S.,
I'm learning everytime I pick up my guitar. Iffy atached the "poll" I put out as I was curious my self what kind of "Talent" we had on this Board.I DON"T beleive everyone was honest as I requested. Most here from what I have heard on You Tube and other attachments are "Excellent" musicians compared to me. The thing abut people in general is most are much harder on them selves then others are. We are all learning. evereyday and I, many times have to re learn something I thought I knew/learned a while back. |
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November 2007
Posts: 125
Location: UK | As with most of us at College I stummed a few chords but never progressed beyond the very basic. As an "older" man my interest was revived when my son took an interest. Couldn't borrow his guitars as he was only interested in Bass. He was deteremined that this was to be his life and I encoraged him to go for it. He's still going for it only someplace else now. Anyway with him out of the house, the wife [ex] followed shortly and fast approaching retirement I took up the guitar again. Give it a year and see if I could do anything. Well its three years on and I'm still trying. Getting better but still not fit for mixed company. Play almost every day. Get disolusioned many times, usually when I really think that I am getting somewhere and then see someone else "playing". Best thing I ever did. Only question is, why did I wait so long. Life just got in the way. Can't read music but I can transcribe basic stuff into tabs. Play lots of guitars and styles, electric blues to Classical. Perhaps I would do better if I concentrated on one aspect, but what the ... life really is too short. Hanging in there. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | still learning |
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December 2006
Posts: 6268
Location: Florida Central Gulf Coast | Originally posted by dweezil:
Remember to enjoy the journey - not just the destination... Great point! 
I had a 35+ year hiatus and picked up a git again last year. In the past I ALWAYS had some problems with barre chords. But this time around it just kinda fell into place.
With the extra time I now have to learn and practice, along with all the helpful info on the web, I'm pleased, but not satisfied, with my slow progress.
...thus the rewarding journey continues... |
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October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | Originally posted by PaulUK:
Well its three years on and I'm still trying. Getting better but still not fit for mixed company. Play almost every day. Get disolusioned many times, usually when I really think that I am getting somewhere and then see someone else "playing". Yeah, but there are others who would listen to you play and think you are much better than they are. Don't compare yourself to others! Hey, I don't really sing very well at all, yet Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen suck compared to me. Just go find a group to play with. Maybe a weekly jam at the local music store, or a church band (the audiences are very forgiving....), or just goof off with a friend who plays. |
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May 2008
Posts: 154
Location: Michigan | Wow, more people like me than I thought.
Yeah I took a 25+ year vacation. Thought about getting another guitar for the last few years.
Not until I mentioned it to my wife of 17 years last fall and she gave me a funny look. Told her I played when I was younger & she got me an electric for X-mas. In those days the hormones were raging & I needed gas money & had to get a job, the guitar time faded. I read music then but it didn't transpose well with the guitar.
This time around I wanted to start more for self gratifacation, wanted to get into acoustic more & learn fingerstyle & mostly blues.
With computers so much more is availible now, youtube(although I can't get anything other than dial up it sucks) Dvd's have helped me get started again. Got a few through amazon with Fred Sokolow and some with Keith Wyatt. Probably get a few more when cold weather gets here as I hibernate more in the winter ;)
If these tools were availible in the seventies who knows what would have happened.
Wally |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Doesn't really matter how long you've been playing - if ya suck, ya suck. And my playing sucks. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by schroeder:
Doesn't really matter how long you've been playing - if ya suck, ya suck. And my playing sucks. You too, huh? |
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November 2004
Posts: 4413
| Wanna form a band? The Dysons? |
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March 2005
Posts: 12761
Location: Boise, Idaho | I was in Guitar Center a couple years ago and there was some kid playing some nice fingerstyle. I was trying to remember some basic stuff I had learned 30 years ago and the kid walked up and asked how I learned that and said he was impressed. I figured it must be easy to impress someone if you play something they don't. |
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December 2006
Posts: 6996
Location: Jet City | Fingerstyle? You're all a bunch of old hippie folk music lovin lame-asses.
If you all played like Jordan Rivers this world would be a better place.
;) |
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May 2008
Posts: 1565
Location: Indiana | I figured it must be easy to impress someone if you play something they don't. Very true.
There has been something to learn from 90 percent of the guitarists I've ever met... no matter what their basic skill level or how simplistic their experience.
Most guitarists learn from 2nd and third hand sources and often on their own. Even deciphering a guitar riff from an album often produces individual variances that are unique to the to the student doing the detective work, as there are usually many alternative ways to play the same progression or structure.
Keeping your eyes open to lessons to be learned and retaining the mindset of a student no matter how many years you have under your belt, I find there are, more often than not, diamonds to be discovered... even in the rough.
It's just the nature of this wonderful guitar beast. |
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Joined:
November 2007
Posts: 152
Location: Maple Shade, NJ. | Ok,....Here goes.
I'm 47yrs old and have been playing for a little over a year now, I am fortunate to play with friends that would not take NO(to playing in their band) for an answer, I remember our first gig was on May 18th of last year, took everything I had to 1st have the balls to play out in front of people and 2nd to remember 6 songs (2 per set) now I play on every song 15 per set, and we gig 3-4 times a month, and add new songs all the time. It is amazing to me how I can now play without looking, sing backup vocals while playing without looking, and learn new songs fairly quickly. I just love to play.
I just wish I had done this when I was younger!! Anyway, talk about GAS, I have purchased 9 guitars in the past year! |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15680
Location: SoCal | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I was in Guitar Center a couple years ago and there was some kid playing some nice fingerstyle. I was trying to remember some basic stuff I had learned 30 years ago and the kid walked up and asked how I learned that and said he was impressed. I figured it must be easy to impress someone if you play something they don't. There was an article in Fretboard Journal about the owner of L.A. Music. He had a particular lick that he'd play when he was demonstrating guitars for buyers. The article said that he sold a lot of guitars on the basis of that lick.... |
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