Musing of a newbie

gr8tnezz · #1 04-17-2014, 09:11 AM

Well, I initially caught the bug as part of a sort of personal renaissance I am still going through. Some might call it a mid life crises. At 44, I am a much different person than I was at 22 when I first tried to learn guitar. I let 22 years of potential learning and playing slide by while I chased my tail pursuing other things. Recently I found this site and renewed my desire. I picked up Justinguitar's beginner materials and I am off and running. I'm about a month in now. I am just now to the point of having real calluses on my fret hand. I'm kind of struggling with the A chord (that tricky first finger on the G string). I wish I was a natural and could just take off shredding all kinds of riffs and blow through chord changes like butter. It's not that way. I'm not down on myself, I think I'm doing okay. I'm ready for that watershed moment where it really starts to get easier and my progression picks up speed. I'm having fun with it and I wish I was 15 so I could come home from school and practice. Or spend all weekend playing. But as a father of a two year old, running a household and giving my wife her time, I just don't have the luxury of 10 hour blocks of time to become the next (pick your favorite). I'm lucky to get 30 minutes to an hour every day. I am living the lyrics to the Howaard Jones song "No is To Blame."
I have a plan..you see, other than my wife, who will see me practicing and so I just can't hide it from her..I want to get pretty good. Then suprise my family and friends at Christmas by playing some carols. Or suprise my buddy, who tools around on guitar, by visiting him and dazzling him with my mad skills he never knew I had. Or my co-worker who showed me "rocksmith" and how he was going to learn using that tool. I want to seemingly come from nowhere and play some songs to their amazment. I don't know how long I'll have to wait to drop their jaws with a performance, but that is the 'eyes on the prize" that is driving me. Other than than just truly enjoying the experience of expressing myself through learning guitar. Here's the one lesson I have learned in my life in regards to becoming a decent guitar player. The one thought I will impart to the family and friends that are totally blown away when I finally "come out." They will ask "I didn't know you knew how to play guitar..how did you learn that?" Maybe I'll even inspire my brother or my friends to start learning and want me to teach them. I will tell them..

"You have to become obsessed." "Anything short of that will only be a waste of time." "Your desire to practice, to learn, to get better, must consume you." "If you do not have that, then it will take you months, not days and decades, not years, to get to your destination."

"It's the obsession that will drive you to put in the time necessary, to have the requisite discipline, to stay positive, and not give up."

"It's the fuel to the engine that makes the car go. If you don't develop that obsession, and keep it, then you soon run out of gas and abandon your journey."

I don't mean to sound like a Chinese prophet..but this has been my experience. At 22 I didn't have the obsession. At 44, I clearly do. I have watched a lot of guitar player interviews..most of them talk about when they first got a guitar and how they just spent hours playing it. They were obsessed. I heard Jimi Hendrix used to sleep with his guitar. It takes that kind of devotion to advance. Natural ability can be a variable, but you aren't going to really excell without putting in the time on the instrument. For a lot of people, myself included, it's the obsession that drives you to keep going.

reholli · #2 04-17-2014, 09:23 AM

Enjoy becoming a (great?) guitarist...i.e. learning to play the guitar; I hope you wow them all.

Hopefully somewhere along the way you'll discover the music...

I started playing to make music, and still play for that reason 45+ years later...obsession has never been a part of the journey.

gr8tnezz · #3 04-17-2014, 09:32 AM

Well of course I'm playing to make music. You have been doing one thing for 45 years and you don't think that qualifies as an obsession?

RedJoker · #4 04-17-2014, 09:33 AM

I'm a 40 year old beginner as well. I'm using Justinguitar's material and am 6-ish months in. I went the opposite way and told many people I was learning. For me, I can be obsessed but I sometimes learn with blinders on. My signature below has links to recordings I've made of songs I'm working. They are not good, nowhere near as good as any of the others on this site but I put them out there for suggestions, tips, other viewpoints. I've gotten comments about things I didn't like but others did. I've gotten comments about things I liked but others thought could be improved. All of which makes me a better player.

Most of all, have fun!! Though I play every day, there are some days when I don't practice. I just play songs I enjoy and have fun but probably don't do much to expand my skill set. Ultimately, this is a hobby to reduce stress and enjoy. We're not performing rocket surgery....

Keep up the good work!

reholli · #5 04-17-2014, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr8tnezz

Well of course I'm playing to make music. You have been doing one thing for 45 years and you don't think that qualifies as an obsession?

No, I don't think that qualifies as an obsession...

Judson · #6 04-17-2014, 09:47 AM

Wow! You've set a pretty high bar for yourself at your age. But, I'm not sure what degree of proficiency it will take for you to accomplish your goals.

If you buy into the Malcom Gladwell "10,000 Hours" concept, you haven't begun a moment too soon ...

gr8tnezz · #7 04-17-2014, 09:49 AM

I guess you're not familiar with the term "life long obsession" But if you prefer to call it a seldom used hobby, so be it.

earri · #8 04-17-2014, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redjoker

i'm a 40 year old beginner as well. I'm using justinguitar's material and am 6-ish months in. I went the opposite way and told many people i was learning. For me, i can be obsessed but i sometimes learn with blinders on. My signature below has links to recordings i've made of songs i'm working. They are not good, nowhere near as good as any of the others on this site but i put them out there for suggestions, tips, other viewpoints. I've gotten comments about things i didn't like but others did. I've gotten comments about things i liked but others thought could be improved. All of which makes me a better player.

Most of all, have fun!! Though i play every day, there are some days when i don't practice. I just play songs i enjoy and have fun but probably don't do much to expand my skill set. Ultimately, this is a hobby to reduce stress and enjoy. We're not performing rocket surgery....

Keep up the good work!

i listened to your recordings, that's fantastic for 6 months in. Your doing great! Keep at it!

tnvol · #9 04-17-2014, 10:03 AM

Sounds like you are on your way. Just remember to have fun. That's really what it's all about.

BilliBob · #10 04-17-2014, 10:20 AM

I think to be any sort of "good" player, there has to be some level of obsession. Even it only lasts for a few years initially then mellows out.
I was totally blinkered to anything else (obsessed) for a good few years when I started. Now I have mellowed a huge amount. I play whilst I feel the music, if not I put it down. This tends to wax and wane periodically.
36yrs and loving it again a lot at the moment. But not obsessive at all.

epluribus36 · #11 04-17-2014, 10:36 AM

I personally see guitar playing as more of an addiction. I've been trying to quit for nearly fifty years!

Methos1979 · #12 04-17-2014, 10:55 AM

I was in the exact same position as you were about ten years ago, with pretty much the exact same age, life circumstances, hopes and dreams. Here are some things I've learned since then:

Play for yourself. No matter how good you get (and it WILL be a LONG process) nobody cares much about how good you are. Maybe your mother. But that's about it. If you are hoping to 'blow people away' you'll likely be disappointed in both yourself and the reactions from others. If you are playing only to impress others then you will most like get frustrated and stop. But if you are playing for yourself, and enjoying your own accomplishments then sharing your progress with others will be more enjoyable for everyone.

Obsession is not a good word. I understand what you mean but to obsess over one thing is not healthy. It means excluding everything else and as a 44-year-old father of a 2-year-old with a wife, that's just not possible - or smart. Make playing the guitar a part of your everyday life. Understand there will be slow progression and that's all part of the process. Sure, some people are naturals and learn faster, and the more you play the better you'll get. But if you obsess then you are setting yourself up for being let down and giving up, yet again.

It's ten years later for me from when I started trying to learn. I went through the same feelings of all those wasted years and wanting to make up for lost time by playing a ton. It doesn't work that way. I'm just now playing the way I want to. Depending on who I'm playing for I'm either pretty good, not bad, or I suck. It's all relative. But what's important is I'M happy with where I am finally. And it only gets better from here on out. It's like the proverbial snowball rolling down the mountain - it's starts of slow and small but the farther and longer it rolls, the bigger and better it gets!

I don't say these things to kill your buzz or discourage you. By all means channel that enthusiasm and play, play, play. But when you run into set backs, discouragement, or just lack of support from others, remember why you play - because you LOVE to play. Play for yourself, first and foremost. Always.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Don't be afraid to make some You Tube videos of yourself and post them for us to see. People here are very supportive.

gr8tnezz · #13 04-17-2014, 11:23 AM

Great post Methos.

I'm not striving to "blow them away" I exagerrated that. They will be easily impressed, I guess I meant to say "suprise" them. I listened to red joker's recordings. The level he's playing at would be more than enough to amaze and suprise my friends and family. He's gotten there in six months and I find that pretty inspiring.

Mobilemike · #14 04-17-2014, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gr8tnezz

I'm kind of struggling with the A chord (that tricky first finger on the G string).

Congrats on jumping into this and on all your progress! You sound like you're doing awesome!

Just wanted to offer a bit of unsolicited advice - take it or leave it - but I play the A major (first position) chord with my pinky on the 2nd fret of the B string, my ring finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, and my middle finger on the second fret of the D string. This seems to make everything line up pretty nicely and my first finger is free to wave around or hit other notes.

That sounds like it may be a bit easier to get to than what you're doing with the first finger on the G string.

Cheers!
-Mike

devellis · #15 04-17-2014, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methos1979

I was in the exact same position as you were about ten years ago, with pretty much the exact same age, life circumstances, hopes and dreams. Here are some things I've learned since then:

Play for yourself. No matter how good you get (and it WILL be a LONG process) nobody cares much about how good you are. Maybe your mother. But that's about it. If you are hoping to 'blow people away' you'll likely be disappointed in both yourself and the reactions from others. If you are playing only to impress others then you will most like get frustrated and stop. But if you are playing for yourself, and enjoying your own accomplishments then sharing your progress with others will be more enjoyable for everyone.

Obsession is not a good word. I understand what you mean but to obsess over one thing is not healthy. It means excluding everything else and as a 44-year-old father of a 2-year-old with a wife, that's just not possible - or smart. Make playing the guitar a part of your everyday life. Understand there will be slow progression and that's all part of the process. Sure, some people are naturals and learn faster, and the more you play the better you'll get. But if you obsess then you are setting yourself up for being let down and giving up, yet again.

It's ten years later for me from when I started trying to learn. I went through the same feelings of all those wasted years and wanting to make up for lost time by playing a ton. It doesn't work that way. I'm just now playing the way I want to. Depending on who I'm playing for I'm either pretty good, not bad, or I suck. It's all relative. But what's important is I'M happy with where I am finally. And it only gets better from here on out. It's like the proverbial snowball rolling down the mountain - it's starts of slow and small but the farther and longer it rolls, the bigger and better it gets!

I don't say these things to kill your buzz or discourage you. By all means channel that enthusiasm and play, play, play. But when you run into set backs, discouragement, or just lack of support from others, remember why you play - because you LOVE to play. Play for yourself, first and foremost. Always.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Don't be afraid to make some You Tube videos of yourself and post them for us to see. People here are very supportive.

Very well said.