perpetual beginners

What's Hot
Any other perpetual beginners out there? It doesn't matter how long ago I first picked up the guitar, I never seem to get any better!

I've obviously never practiced very efficiently. On the plus side, I'm probably not much worse than I was when I stopped playing about 2 years ago, to have my son :-) Much less to catch up on if you're not very good to start with.

1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
«134

Comments

  • SporkySporky Frets: 27585
    And proud.

    Well, only mildly ashamed.
    "[Sporky] brings a certain vibe and dignity to the forum."
    2reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ddloopingddlooping Frets: 325
    edited August 2013
    Clare, sometimes it's harder when you try to teach yourself. Have you taken any lessons recently? (with a good teacher that is)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26457
    It would probably be somewhat disingenuous to call myself a beginner, but I'd say I'm somewhere on the advanced side of "intermediate". My problem is that I absolutely can't seem to improve past where I was about 5 years ago, and in some ways I've gone backwards. The one thing that has improved is my rhythm playing (I can actually write decent riffs now), but that's it.
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • holnrewholnrew Frets: 8207
    Yeah, that's me. I know what I should and could be doing, but don't. I've got some enthusiasm going now though, thanks to this forum.
    My V key is broken
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • birdobirdo Frets: 24
    Me to. Playing on and off for 18 yrs and haven't got any better for the last 10. It is focused practice I need but it's just to easy to play the things you know and hard to learn new ones. So I take the path of least resistance.
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • VimFuegoVimFuego Frets: 15476
    *raises hand* here Miss. I seemed to be making pretty solid progress until about 5 years ago. Mashed up my "gesturing" finger on my fretting hand and playing was painful and I got out of the habit of regularly picking up a guitar. So now when I do it takes me an awful lot of effort to get within sight of where I was, then I kinda go off the boil again. 

    I'm not locked in here with you, you are locked in here with me.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ddlooping;4699" said:
    Clare, sometimes it's harder when you try to teach yourself. Have you taken any lessons recently? (with a good teacher that is)
    I've not found a good teacher, not one nearby. I wouldn't have time now, so I'll have to stick with perpetual beginner for the time being.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    edited August 2013
    Similar to @Digialscream Sometimes I seem to go backwards. I do keep trying to learn stuff, but as on alternate weeks I work until 6, by the time I can pick up a guitar it's nearly time to put it down...

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • wordywordy Frets: 67

    I spent a couple of years just trying to play songs on an acoustic and really didnt study the guitar at all, I just learned the chords I needed to play songs that I liked.  I suppose that now after a bit of a warm up (or about 6 beers) I can probably knock something out, with a bit of style, that sounds ok to the uninitiated, if I can remember the chords.

    I think this period helped me develop some strength and dexterity, and realise that actually you can learn things that initially seem almost impossible.  I'm sure though that if you naturally have quite good coordination, then you can get to my level much, much quicker.

    There's a bloke at work who has literally just started, and when I talk to him, I realise.... the thing with playing the guitar is that you forget how far you have actually come.  To a genuine beginner, even fretting a C chord is difficult, and then there's muting the bottom E.... I suppose the fact that I just do all this automatically now, means I'm not a beginner.

    I'm still not good though.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • We need a category between beginner and intermediate! Interinner? begediate? (which sounds like big idiot!)
    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    begediate, I'm nicking that. Mostly as I'm a bigidiot. :-)

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    1reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • NPPNPP Frets: 236
    birdo said:
    Me to. Playing on and off for 18 yrs and haven't got any better for the last 10. It is focused practice I need but it's just to easy to play the things you know and hard to learn new ones. So I take the path of least resistance.
    I'm in the same boat, playing for nearly 30 years now but very little time, no playing with other people, and hardly any progress at all over the last 15 or so. Frustrating! But better than not being able to play at all ...

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27345

    If you ever find anyone who claims to have mastered the guitar (or any other musical instrument for that matter), you'll have found someone with an excess of self-confidence.

    If no-one can really be finished, the most we can claim is that we're beginners who have made more or less progress in any one of an infinite number of directions depending on why we play, what we play, what we play for, etc.

    I think it's more important to enjoy playing, rather than to beat yourself up because you don't think you've achieved some arbitrary (and quite probably irrelevant) "standard".

    That's my excuse anyway.  I'm a beginner, and I enjoy it.  :D

     

    Having trouble posting images here?  This might help.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom

  • TTony said:

    I think it's more important to enjoy playing, rather than to beat yourself up because you don't think you've achieved some arbitrary (and quite probably irrelevant) "standard".

    Well said, sums it up perfectly!

     



    At home in the French backwaters
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 26457
    TTony said:

    If no-one can really be finished, the most we can claim is that we're beginners who have made more or less progress in any one of an infinite number of directions depending on why we play, what we play, what we play for, etc. 

    You're missing the point. We have to know where we are, so that we can say "that guy's crap!" when we go to see other bands' gigs :D
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ddloopingddlooping Frets: 325
    You're missing the point. We have to know where we are, so that we can say "that guy's crap!" when we go to see other bands' gigs :D
    You can always say "That guy's crap", regardless of your own musical/technical abilities. That's how professional critics/reviewers make their living. :)
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27345
    You're missing the point. We have to know where we are, so that we can say "that guy's crap!" when we go to see other bands' gigs :D

    In my - albeit limited - experience, the person most likely to be shouting out "that guy's crap!" is the person who least knows their own level of accomplishment

    ;)

    Having trouble posting images here?  This might help.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mike_lmike_l Frets: 5700
    ddlooping said:
     
    You can always say "That guy's crap", regardless of your own musical/technical abilities. That's how professional critics/reviewers make their living. :)

    You mean, pro gig reviewers don't actually know anything about musicianship???

     

    Shocker  :-O

    Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21) 

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • I started playing at 15. I'm now 36 and have had several sabbaticals from guitar over the intervening years; some of several years concurrently. As a result I'm nowhere near the player I was at 18.

    These days I'm only playing for my own pleasure, so don't tend to get hung up on my lack of progress.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • tonyrathtonyrath Frets: 51

    I have been playing about 50 years and teaching for about 11. Conclusion is we are all on the same ladder its just that some are higher up than others.  Going to a teacher will only help if you can devote time every day to sustained focussed practicing even if its only 15 minutes per day. Stop start does not work.because muscle memory does not develop. 

    I would suggest beginner plus as the next stage after beginner 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.