In the end its how well you play

[jdrnd]

Originally Posted by RP

I think that in the end, it's how much you enjoy playing....

Now that I have followed threads and frequent posters. I recognize that many of us, in our 60s and 70s have been playing since early teenage years. The guitar is part of us. It sits next to me at my desk (the X30) or next to my bed (814CE). I (we) just pick it up, play and put it down in between tasks. I suspect playing is just something we do.

I just have no reason to buy another guitar

[zmf]

Originally Posted by TBman

Not me,

Sorry, Barry, but I'm going to call BS. Love your Celtic stuff. You've put in the time. You've earned your stripes.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by lowrider

I wish I could find the video of Toby Walker playing his neighbor's Disney Princess plastic guitar. This one will have to suffice;
Of course Tommy E is still going to sound great on a cheap guitar, and a mediocre player is going to sound better on an expensive one than a cheap one. But it's always the player that matters.



I love it when I see the young people outside in NYC just killing on a guitar that a lot of us would be embarrassed to take out of the case, but I would never want to be the guy who pulls out an $8000 guitar and can barely strum a few chords. It's a matter of balance.

Humm I guess it's all in the ear of listener. And we can only really speak for ourselves BUT

What I hear in that video is a great example of a decent player on a pretty crappy sounding guitar (albeit the phone mic contributes to marginal results also) Bottom line for me the .... Sum of all the parts, equals a moderately entertaining video for about 30 seconds to a minute max...

Now this video is what I would call "killing it" .. don't know or care what his guitar is or isn't .....

[jdrnd]

Originally Posted by zmf

Sorry, Barry, but I'm going to call BS. Love your Celtic stuff. You've put in the time. You've earned your stripes.

What I like about this forum is excellent players such as TB, Jklotz, and others are always kind and supportive to not so good players like me.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by zmf

Sorry, Barry, but I'm going to call BS. Love your Celtic stuff. You've put in the time. You've earned your stripes.

Thanks , but not quite. I have no ear, can't hear music in my head when I read it and it takes me quite a while to get something good enough to record. I want to play and I keep at it, so there's that.

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by jdrnd

I have enough guitars, and the ones I own many here would consider high end. In conjunction with reading the AGF "...women guitarist" thread I listenened to some performances.
I stumbled across a You tube video made for a guitar store selling a Lowden F50cx Brazilian/spruce. Karlijn Langendijk was playing fingerstyle "Englishman in New York" on this instrument.
It was spectacular.
So I down loaded the music for this song from music notes and downloaded multiple tabs and You tube videos from multiple sites. All were simplified versions of her performance. I can barely play the simplified versions. I could buy the Lowden Brazilian/Spruce F50CX, or similar guitar, but in the end its only how well I play.

Hi JD,

I appreciate your comments. I do think the player controls most of the sound that comes out of a guitar.

But I also hope you are not despairing that it's difficult on a first try to play a simple arrangement of a piece that appeals to you.

Note Barry's comment:

Originally Posted by TBman

Almost every time I hear a finger style piece that I would like to learn it seems too hard for me. Even when I buy a tab book with the mp3's that go with it, the simplest sounding tune initially beats my butt. ... I have to take it position by position and familiarize my fingers with the music. ... eventually something musical comes out. It takes time, it takes patience. It takes longer than I want it to.

I have the same experience. Each week or two I start in on something new. And so many times I think, "... I don't know, I'm not sure I can do this..." But I also know after almost 6 decades of playing that none of this is free. It all takes work and practice and time. After a few days and a few night's sleep to help my brain work on this, it starts to come together for me. By the time I have it down, I watch a video of myself and it looks like nothing, it looks easy. But it wasn't.

I'm sure you deserve those lovely guitars you have.

- Glenn

[Tyeetime]

There is a little bit of column A and column B here I believe.

I play my Martin and my daughters lower end Yamaha back to back, and yes it still sounds like me playing. But what's coming out of my Martin sounds better to my ears, it makes me want to keep playing. It feels more comfortable, it's lighter, it smells nice...all these things add up to a playing experience that is very enjoyable.

[Tahitijack]

Its the same with playing keys. I can play middle C just as well as Elton John or Billy Joel, but it's how you play the melody and harmony that makes the difference between good and great.

[BrunoBlack]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

…

I have the same experience. Each week or two I start in on something new. And so many times I think, "... I don't know, I'm not sure I can do this..." But I also know after almost 6 decades of playing that none of this is free. It all takes work and practice and time. After a few days and a few night's sleep to help my brain work on this, it starts to come together for me. By the time I have it down, I watch a video of myself and it looks like nothing, it looks easy. But it wasn't.

I'm sure you deserve those lovely guitars you have.

- Glenn

I gives me great comfort to read these comments from you and Barry. There are times when I think: boy I’m just not going to get this one. But with enough hard work even the difficult ones get better.

[sinistral]

It is a sublime interpretation—more interesting than the original song, imo (at least without the schmaltzy lyrics):



Very few will ever reach her level of virtuosity. That doesn’t mean one can’t enjoy playing fine guitars such as that Lowden. I find that nicer guitars inspire me to play, and to play more. And I love the way they sound, even if I’ll never get them to sound like that.

[CASD57]

A good player could make a "First Act" guitar sound great... As it's been said a thousand times..Its all in the hands.

[tbeltrans]

Uh oh! Do you folks mean we are actually supposed to PLAY these guitars we buy??????

Well, that is the GAS killer right there!

Tony

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by RP

I think that in the end, it's how much you enjoy playing....

Well said. And if the guitars you own are part of that enjoyment, then even better.

[SingingSparrow]

Originally Posted by TBman

Almost every time I hear a finger style piece that I would like to learn it seems too hard for me. Even when I buy a tab book with the mp3's that go with it, the simplest sounding tune initially beats my butt. Why? Because too many times I will start in as if I can play it. My ego says, gee, you've been playing for decades you can play this easily. But no, that's not the way I really learn something. I have to take it position by position and familiarize my fingers with the music. As the melody comes through it gets easier. The trick to learning finger style for me is to go in super slow motion at first. The worst thing I can do is go too fast and fumble through parts that I don't really know yet thinking I can fix that later.

I'm not a musician. I'm a guy that can buy guitars and tabs and after smashing my fingers against the fretboard, eventually something musical comes out. It takes time, it takes patience. It takes longer than I want it to.

Appreciate your humility. It matters. Thanks.

[woodbox]

My first experience in a recording studio,
I took my plywood Aspen dreadnought.
It was probably worth $129 or $159 forty years ago.

The producer had a Martin D-41.

He could coax sounds out of my cheap guitar that were jaw-dropping.
And the few times we played together.. when I played his Martin and he played my Aspen..
the contrast was blatant, near stunning.

Yes, the quality of the instrument is a major factor.
But he taught me there’s two things that are more significant:
- Aptitude/talent
- Time spent with instrument in hand.

Those two combined are what makes the bigger difference than the name on the headstock and the price tag.