What would you do differently ?

[Rmz76]

Originally Posted by Justinbeene

If you could go back in time what THING would you do differently when learning the Acoustic guitar ?

I would have focused my practice to achieve what singer-songwriters were doing with the guitar and less what great solo players were doing.

[The Bard Rocks]

1) Scales. (They bore me, but I would have progressed far faster had I practiced them)

2) Get a teacher. (Cuts both ways: I would have progressed much faster, but would not be able to brag about being entirely self-taught.)

3) Spent more time playing with others. (This has exposed me to more types of music and more ways of playing, which in turn has led to improvement in what I want to play for myself.)

4) Play out sooner. (I "hid my light under a bushel", not that I ever was all that good, but folks do enjoy it and I shouldn't have been so shy about sharing in this way. It also helps to hone your skills in a way you can't get playing at home or even jamming.)

[LeeC]

I wouldn't have gone in reverse order in learning. First I tried to learn to fingerpick, then I tried to learn chords. I can play either way to a point, but it was much harder to learn that way.

[UncleJoe]

I'm self taught as well. To go back and do it again, I would take scale lessons early on instead of waiting until I hit my 50's like I did.

[TBman]

2 things, never stop playing and learn finger style when I was a teenager instead of just starting with it 10 years ago.

[creamburmese]

This is an interesting thread - and as I developed a passion for playing guitar late in life the obvious thing to wish for would be to have started sooner. Much sooner. But when I think about it, there was no time in my life up to now when I had the time , money and freedom from other commitments and enthusiasms to pursue this hobby fully. So I'll take some of the suggestions here and try them now!

[ocmcook]

Originally Posted by Justinbeene

If you could go back in time what THING would you do differently when learning the Acoustic guitar ?

i would probably make the fiddle my main instrument.

[RP]

Originally Posted by Mark Stone

Take lessons. I'm completely self-taught, and although I play adequately and can keep up easily in the band, I have some difficulties because I don't know many of the "standard" methods of doing things. I wrote about it in my blog. It's a real pain in the behind, so yes: Take Lessons.

Same here....

[Jukie]

(1) stick with it the first time

(2) have that awful guitar set up

Originally Posted by Justinbeene

If you could go back in time what THING would you do differently when learning the Acoustic guitar ?

Nothing but that doesn't mean I did it the "right" way!

Seriously though I would have never stopped sticking to a practice regime daily (where possible, I know life can get in the way). Also I would have continued to focus on learning songs, not practicing scales or licks.

[sbeirnes]

Originally Posted by kydave

I'd go back and have my young self ask my parents for a different first "good" guitar.

After starting in 1963 at 12 years old on the Silvertone electric, in 1966 Dad bought me a good guitar. What I wanted at the time & got was an Epiphone Riviera 12 (like a Gibson 335 12 string).

What I'd go back and ask for is the oldest D-28 that amount of money (about $500) could buy in 1966.

That would be nice. Any D28 would be FAR better than an Epi 12 and worth considerably more money now.

In the mid 80's I was offered a '57 Strat for $750. I sure wish I would have purchased that over the Yamaha SG1200 I bought instead, even though the Yammy was a great guitar.

[crikey]

Originally Posted by Justinbeene

If you could go back in time what THING would you do differently when learning the Acoustic guitar ?

I would have zeroed my focus in on acoustic more and not gone so early to electric. Maybe.

[Von Beerhofen]

I'd find some other musicians who'd have the same drive as me in achieving a goal, instead of those who gave up real quick or just weren't prepared to spend enough time on it. People with a good sense of rythm and tunes, preferrably even a litlle bit better then me.

Ludwig

[kydave]

Originally Posted by sbeirnes

That would be nice. Any D28 would be FAR better than an Epi 12 and worth considerably more money now.

In the mid 80's I was offered a '57 Strat for $750. I sure wish I would have purchased that over the Yamaha SG1200 I bought instead, even though the Yammy was a great guitar.

While any D-28 from the same era (1966) would be worth more money & would be a better acoustic guitar, the USA made Epiphone electric guitars were on par with their Gibson equivalents in those days.

That Riviera 12 brings between $3000 & $4000 now... a '66 D-28 brings between $4500 & $6500, so not as drastic a difference as one might think, if one didn't know both guitar markets intimately.

Around 1980 I bought a '62 Strat at the flea market for $50... probably shoulda kept it, but I wanted a Dobro, so...

[kydave]

Oh yeah, another thing I'd do differently?

Throughout the '70s, when arguably at the top of my game - a big fish in a large local pond - I should have used all my spare time (I only played music for a living, no day job) learning more lead/flatpicking and pushing a career, using a lot of the contacts I was making in those days... instead of drinking as a spare time occupation.