Getting frustrated

[Golffishny]

For me the timing is the most important. Learn to strum the song properly from beginning to end. The next phase is to learn the picking pattern remembering the timing. After that you can learn the fingerstyle. Pickup the guitar whenever you think of a song and have a few minutes. That along with 30 minute sessions at least once a day will help. Remember that 30 minutes each day is more productive than a 2 hour session once a week. It keeps the memory and feeling fresher. Good luck.

[abn556]

The thing about teachers is they rarely want to talk about the concept of unpacking what you have learned and applying it to your playing. IMO it takes some time to fully absorb new ideas, learn the muscle memory part, and then figure out how to apply it to your playing. Teachers get paid by the hour or lesson. They’re motivated to make sure you keep coming back regularly, not to have you take a break to absorb info.

My dad and mom both taught music at the university level and both taught private piano lessons. Great thing about college schedules is that the long breaks between semesters allows students the time to unpack new ideas and put them into their repertoire before coming back to school for the next semester. This is especially true if you are just doing Fall and Spring semesters. The ones who master unpacking and application are the ones who do really well.

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[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

Guys I just turned 50 and have been trying to learn to play since I was 15 years old. I was actually better in my teens and 20s than I am now but I never was really that good. I try to play every day but with work and grandkids and kids and helping with aging parents sometimes I miss a few days.

As far as I know, there are no federal, state, or municipal statutes requiring anyone to practice every day. Do it when you can.

And remember that just five minutes here and there will help keep you fresh. It's also a way to pick up your guitar more often. (And it's amazing how often five minutes can magically turn into ten or twenty!)

And once in a while — maybe just two or three times a month — you'll find a bigger block of time to practice undisturbed — maybe half an hour, maybe half a day. That's called woodshedding. Every good player you've ever met or heard of is a veteran woodshedder. Do it when when time allows. (And don't worry about it when time doesn't allow. Just seize the opportunities that arise.)

And finally, don't fall for any of that keep-it-safe-in-its-case nonsense. Cases are for when you take it out of the house. At home, guitar in a case is a guitar that doesn't get played.

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

The problem is I am having trouble retaining what I just learned.

I get it. I've never been a good memorizer. In high school, I had to take first-year Spanish three times. I still have trouble remembering my zip code when I use a credit card at a gas pump.

But there's hope:

Cesar Chavez of United Farmworkers fame often said that the three rules of grassroots organizing are repetition, repetition, and repetition. The same goes for muscle memory, whether it's touch typing, sinking baskets, or playing an instrument.

Don't get mad. Don't get frustrated. If you stick with it, it will stick with you.

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

Well the bigger problem is I think I have adapted so many bad habits in the last few years that it's just too difficult to overcome.

And speaking of repetition, here's something that is often said but bears repeating: A mistake repeated often enough becomes a style. I've certainly incorporated a lot of "wrong" techniques into my playing over the years, and folks seem to enjoy hearing them.

A suggestion: Google guitar mistakes. You'll find a lot of websites with good ideas and advice.

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

I have forgotten how to properly double pick, cannot get strumming patterns down and my fingers just don't go where I want them.

Can't double-pick? Who cares? Single-pick. Get fancy later. Likewise, just strum what you feel. Don't worry about the patterns. They'll reveal themselves when they want to.

Fingers are fickle. You don't need GPS to get to Carnegie Hall. It's like they say: Practice, man!

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

I am kind of getting frustrated with it all.

And that is your big mistake! We call it playing guitar for a reason. It should be play. Fun. Relaxing. Recreational.

So think back. Why did you ever want to play guitar in the first place? Was it (a) to be appreciated? (b) for fame and fortune? (c) to get dates?

Or was it because (d) guitar is the coolest apparatus ever conceived by the human mind, and you can't keep your hands off the dern things?

If it was a, b, or c, we can't be much help. But if it's d, pick up that guitar, start from where you are, and don't worry about where you want to be. We all want to take it further. But if you can't enjoy where you are, trying to improve will be nothing but misery.

That's why Ram Das wrote Be Here Now. It's good advice.

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

I always wanted to learn fingerstyle guitar and maybe some blues but at this rate I wonder if I'll ever be able to complete a song properly.

Just keep it simple. The more comfortable you get just holding the guitar and playing it, the more easily you'll advance.

Start by playing easy songs properly. As you go, build new skills on the skills you have.

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

Any tips?

1. Woodshed.

2. Woodshed.

3. Woodshed.

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

I don't want to give up.

At last, an easy one! If you don't want to give up — don't give up!

[Charlie Bernstein]

PS -

It just hit me. There's a flashing neon clue in your forum name.

Bad weather biker? Hm. You have kids. And grandkids you help take care of. And you have time to bike in bad weather. Leaving not much time to practice guitar.

How thrilled are your kids when you go biking in bad weather? Could that be time they'd rather know you're playing guitar and risking nothing more than a few nasty blisters?

I just gotta wonder.

[mawmow]

A teacher would help you start fingerstyle on the right track.

Homespun videos did great for me.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

Guys I just turned 50 and have been trying to learn to play since I was 15 years old. I was actually better in my teens and 20s than I am now but I never was really that good. I try to play every day but with work and grandkids and kids and helping with aging parents sometimes I miss a few days. The problem is I am having trouble retaining what I just learned. Well the bigger problem is I think I have adapted so many bad habits in the last few years that it's just too difficult to overcome. I have forgotten how to properly double pick, cannot get strumming patterns down and my fingers just don't go where I want them. I am kind of getting frustrated with it all.
I always wanted to learn fingerstyle guitar and maybe some blues but at this rate I wonder if I'll ever be able to complete a song properly.
Any tips? I don't want to give up

Keep it simple. Set aside time every day for pratice/playing time. My time is from 9:30pm to 11:00pm. Find an online source to teach you fingerstyle and just hammer at it. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Just go easy and don't try to learn everything at once.

[Badweatherbiker]

Thanks for all the great tips and support guys, I do practice almost every day but sometimes I have alot going on and lose a few days before I get back on it. Charlie, it's a screen name that I have had for almost 30 years, I moderated a website and dubbed myself the badweatherbiker because I commuted to work on a motorcycle 52 miles one way every day for over a decade. I live in Florida so that means through all the thunderstorms and hail and sub 20 degree mornings so no I'm not leaving my grandkids alone while I ride. My days are long, I start at 6am with horses and then kids show up around 8. If it's a day they are not there then I'm usually working at my folks or catching up at my home, then after all that I go to work and get off at midnight and start over. My kids grew up riding with me and loved it but I don't have much time and have sold all of my bikes for now, so now you don't need to wonder
Back to guitar, I do most of my practicing at my down time at work and am about to get some time in now. I did locate a guy that teaches fingerstyle guitar close to me and plan to call him this week.
Here is his youtube channel
https://youtube.com/@nephtalisantiago
Someone on here offered to do zoom lessons, I may take you up on that I really appreciate it, thanks for all the tips and support guys.
Ken

[Badweatherbiker]

2 hours of frustration again

[Jamolay]

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

2 hours of frustration again

I guess I would ask, what exactly is frustrating you?

Frustration comes from actions that do not meet expectations. Maybe you are expecting too much too soon. Learning guitar is hard. It is slow, especially for us older folks with many other things competing for our time.

If you think you should be able to do things easier and sooner than you are, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Reassess your expectations.

[rmp]

The habits are now engrained as muscle memory. This is a common problem for the self taught and the YouTube lesson consumers.

I agree with others who have suggested to find a one to one in person teacher.

you may have to test drive a few before you find the right teacher.

be patient, focus on one thing at a time, be methodical and don't give up!

[tbirdman]

I suggest reading The Laws a Brainjo. A very good book that talks both about the physical and aspects of playing an musical instruments.

There is a chapter that talks about retaining the knowledge you have learned. The method provided is you need to go back refresh songs. Initially, the time between these song refreshes is short. The more you repeat this process, the time between the last refresh lengthens.

I do get frustrated trying to play a song that I once I knew. However, I find after a few days of practice the song comes back. This includes some instrumentals that are mostly muscle memory.

[colchar]

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

Guys I just turned 50 and have been trying to learn to play since I was 15 years old. I was actually better in my teens and 20s than I am now but I never was really that good. I try to play every day but with work and grandkids and kids and helping with aging parents sometimes I miss a few days. The problem is I am having trouble retaining what I just learned. Well the bigger problem is I think I have adapted so many bad habits in the last few years that it's just too difficult to overcome. I have forgotten how to properly double pick, cannot get strumming patterns down and my fingers just don't go where I want them. I am kind of getting frustrated with it all.
I always wanted to learn fingerstyle guitar and maybe some blues but at this rate I wonder if I'll ever be able to complete a song properly.
Any tips? I don't want to give up

Take lessons with a guitar teacher. It will only require 30 minutes a week, and can be done live or online (so no added commute time). That should keep you focused and you will have someone to lead you through the learning process.

[JackC1]

Many times when I remember how good I was at something, I'm proven wrong when I find hard evidence of my past performance. Kind of like how I always seem to remember food tasting better than it actually is.

Break your big goal into smaller goals that you can reach often. How often? Before I retired, we were following the then-hip-and-new agile development process, goals are set for 1 day.

When I practice (for real), I'd set a goal to achieve within that single practice session (it can be as simple as learning just 1 or 2 measures). Sometimes I'd also set a "reach" goal that expands on the simple practice goal when I'm feeling particularly aggressive.

I agree with many responder's suggestion of getting some live instruction based on your posts. I think it'll help you get over whatever plateau that's the real cause of your frustration and help you develop practice techniques for future ones.

Here's a sneak peek into my thinking process WRT practice that you might find useful: https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=668737

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by Badweatherbiker

I thought about taking some lessons or something, tried the online teachers and I don't really like that way of learning. I seem to get a song "almost" learned and then find myself never learning the rest

hi, you haven't tried me!

I offer one to one lessons via zoom, which, I've found is far less nerve-wracking for the client, and I don't teach you what I want, I teach you what YOU want.

What i do find useful is to ask you to play (anything) for a few minutes while I make notes, then we have a chat about what you'd like to achieve, and I suggest improvement points, which we discuss and agree a way forward, then away we go.

BTW whilst we'll use songs to learn skills, I don't teach songs, I teach the person.

You only need book the first session (app 1 hour) and then you rebook as you wish. No commitment on you, stop when you wish.

PM me if interested.

[Brent Hutto]

Originally Posted by tbirdman

I do get frustrated trying to play a song that I once I knew. However, I find after a few days of practice the song comes back. This includes some instrumentals that are mostly muscle memory.

My guitar teacher says he doesn't really know a tune until he's forgotten and relearned it 2 or 3 times.