I’m 60, I will never be any good at guitar

axisus

I’ve been noodling around since late teens, but honestly I will never be any good. I just don’t have accuracy and however many times I try it just never improves. My brain and fingers don’t connect in the right way. I can impress non players, and I can do basic stuff, but I will never get anywhere with the music that I love - which is probably a Satriani level of playing. It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing but hey, that’s life. 

I should have stuck with piano, I was better at that, but you have to go with the thing that you love don’t you. It’s a tad ironic as a woman at work was asking about my playing so I sent her a couple of video links today and she was ‘blown away’. Wouldn’t fool a better player!

It’s not my only musical disappointment. I would LOVE to be able to sing well, it must be amazing. I would love just an average voice, but I’m more of a 2 out of 10 person at best. It must be a wonderful gift. I’d love to walk up to a piano, bash out songs and sing. 

Yeah, I’m just sitting at home feeling mopey. I hate autumn and winter and it’s bloody cold.

bertie

you're good at whinging tho,  even better than me.  Perhaps give up all that running and shit you think you should be doing and boasting about and sit down, chil and have a beer or 6. 

 Life IS NOT a competition  -  Youre fucking 60, you've not long left all this "I run 20k before breakfast,  swim to Iceland and back in the evenings"  its fucking bollocks at our age.

I was meeting up with one of you on here for a jam........chew the fat.......... I went awol for a couple of months, come back  and now he's gone   

You're a long time in a box, enjoy the short time you have left, one day there wont be any.   WAKE THE FUCK UP  and SMILE 

 

Philly_Q

axisus said:

It’s a tad ironic as a woman at work was asking about my playing so I sent her a couple of video links today and she was ‘blown away’. Wouldn’t fool a better player!

The very fact that you were able to make videos and find something to play on them  proves that you are not as bad as you think you are, and certainly ahead of many people.

As for "not fooling a better player", is that the aim of playing?  You impressed this woman at work, a regular person, who may not be a guitar player or musician but presumably is not an idiot.

You may never be any good by the standards you set yourself, but you have clearly reached some kind of standard.

ewal

Being an old punk, technical proficiency has never been something I've really cared about. After 40 odd years doing it, I don't really think of myself as a guitar player. But I know I can make very decent sounds with a guitar. For me, its about music, not the instrument.

Funkfingers

Philly_Q said:

… by the standards you set yourself …

This, in a nutshell, is the problem.

Anyone who can make sounds on an instrument that make other people dance, smile or generally less miserable has succeeded.  

TeleMaster

You may not be as bad as you think you are. Self doubt and self criticism can affect people very negatively. 

Have you ever had lessons, ever worked out what it is that you need to do to improve, what it is that is stopping you from becoming a better player?

It's good that you're aware of your limitations. We all have them. I've seen many videos posted online where people seem to think they're great but they're really not and they need to buckle down and sort the basics out. You have everything in place to improve because you know what you want to achieve and where you are in this journey.

Also, Satch is a genius. We also can't all play like him and if you can't, it's not a big deal. As long as you're getting enjoyment from the instrument that's the main thing. 

GoFish

And don't forget (as if you would) that you have built at least three sodding guitars. Very nice they are too.

hollywoodrox

I’m sure we’ve seen a video of you playing something like a chapman stick?  & other videos 
  & they were quite favourable  can’t you play so much of Always with me always with you etc I seem to recall . Focus on that style of melodic playing , you don’t have to do the super fast bits 
in fact most of the recognisable bits of vai & satch’s stuff are the slower & rhythm bits . 

Crippling self doubt is a killer though  I know how you feel but keep ploughing on mate 
  Like vai says find what you’re good at and focus on that  you know on that guitar centre inspirational video he does with whispering a prayer playing .  That music is inside you man it’s just waiting to get out . It will find a way .

sending good vibes your way have a great weekend . 

blobb

Why do you have to be 'good' to enjoy playing guitar? I've never thought about how good or competent I am at playing. I just enjoy holding it, plugging it in, making funny noises. God forbid it ever came down to having anyone assess my ability. Completely irrelevant. Do you enjoy it - keep going, otherwise put it in a cupboard for a while and do something else. It'll still be there when / if you need it.

Tannin

It's not about being "good". It's about the journey. Fuck the destination, there is no real destination this side of the grave, your task is to make the journey. 

p90fool

Despite all my money, fame and glory, I only really play guitar to impress women at work, so you've officially made it in my book. 

(I may have exaggerated some bits of this post)

Emp_Fab

Perhaps focus on your own style and stop trying to emulate that of a musical prodigy ?

Play to your strengths - not someone else's.

guitars4you

Emp_Fab said:

Perhaps focus on your own style and stop trying to emulate that of a musical prodigy ?

Play to your strengths - not someone else's.

Plus how good do you need to be - Many well known pop stars are mediocre players at best but maybe have the skills to be great song writers - Find songs and styles that you can enjoy playing and play comfortably - Doesn't mean stop learning but fit it all within your ability and comfort zone - Better to try and play Apache well as against playing Passion and Warfare badly  - Bottom line is to enjoy it 

bertie

crikey,  Id had a couple last night hadnt I....(whoops)........................ sentiment's still the same tho......... but in a "nicer, calmer" way of putting it 

gin anyone ?

chrisj1602

I sometimes wish I was better, and I definitely could be technically better, but ultimately I enjoy playing so much I don’t care. It’s something I love, picking a guitar up and losing an hour, reading this forum, wondering if I should use pedals or Helix again…

boogieman

If it makes you feel any better, I’ve been playing for nearly 60 years and I’m still shit. What you have to realise is some people are just more naturally talented than others and will always be “better”. You said it yourself though… to someone who can’t play, you’re still a good guitarist. Don’t sweat about your technical ability, you’re probably never going to improve to a Satch standard, although practicing every day can make you better. Just enjoy it. 

theatreanchor

Winter is awful, but playing guitar is meant to be FUN. It doesn’t matter about proficiency, unless you’re trying to impress someone - even yourself. What standard we hold ourselves to is all that matters. Best not to let the weather get you down. If you don’t enjoy what you’re playing, learn something new. There are some amazing players on here with YouTube channels. Steal a lick or two off them. Put it in your own playing. Challenge yourself to learn a new chord or two. Enjoy the journey. If it makes you miserable, do something else. Good luck! 

TTony

bertie said:

Youre fucking 60, you've not long left all this "I run 20k before breakfast,  swim to Iceland and back in the evenings"  its fucking bollocks at our age.

Speak for yourself you lazy old git.

SimonC

My partner always likes to hear me play things like Apache, the theme from The Good The Bad and the Ugly, or my hack version of Sleepwalk.

She’s never impressed by my efforts to play technical runs and arpeggios etc.

She has more wisdom than me.

Dominic

Truth is that you're probably a lot better than you give yourself credit for just not the Satriani you'd like to be .
By chance I watched a celebrated classical guitarist play Debusy's Claire de Lune yesterday ........the section of rolling arpeggios with a top line over them was going to be impossible ,it surely needed at least 2 maestro players......or so I thought .
Of course,it was beyond perfect.......like a full chamber orchestra coming out of one little wooden box complete with the most contorted yoga-like hand positions around a big ,fat clumpy nylon guitar neck.
I went back to playing my tidy ,clean version of Sultans of Swing solo on a thin ,speedy Strat over a backing track last night .........and thought ,in disgust, that this isn't even guitar playing........it doesn't even scratch the surface !
People have heard me play this and thought I was a guitarist !

TTony

axisus said:

 I will never get anywhere with the music that I love - which is probably a Satriani level of playing. It’s frustrating, it’s disappointing

If Satriani is your yardstick, you're always going to be disappointed.

If you learn to enjoy what you do, and  recognise the incremental improvements in your playing (that happen because you enjoy playing), then you're always going to be happy.

That's your choice.