With Regard to Playing guitar, What's the Best Single Piece of Advice You Ever Receiv

[douglasfan1]

"Buy a better one and then you can keep your passion on it." by the sales at local music store

[phavriluk]

I found the hardest part of the process was (still is!) building in the habit of daily practice. It means making practice a necessity, not something done 'if I can find the time'.

[ALBD]

"it's only rock and roll."

[guitar george]

What has really helped me is "If I start a song, I finish a song". I used to start playing a song, decide I didn't like the song or it was too difficult and would go on to the next song only to decide that I didn't like the song or it was too difficult and then go on looking for another one until I finally found a song that I liked and was easy to play. A lot of my time was spent looking for suitable songs to play and was very discouraging. Now I almost always force myself to play every song I start, from start to finish.

[bobbyg67]

don't be intimidated by the guitar.it's a tool, an istrument. pick it up and take control. play it like you know what you're doing.

[SingingSparrow]

Originally Posted by zmf

From an instructor/recording and performing artist:

"Stop playing note salad."

This resonated with me a lot. I think I have this problem, especially because I primarily try to play american primitive, which allows for a lot of freedom. But my follow up question would be, how would one avoid this?

I haven't received much advice around guitar (so I appreciate this thread, thanks!), but one thing I try telling myself often is to remember that silence is musical too, and to incorporate that into melodies I am trying to work out on the guitar (when trying to come up with my own stuff).

[Matt Mass]

Never give up, it’s not a race.

[ballynally]

Well, a multitude of well known players will at some point say:" i wish somebody wouldve told me that as a beginner'. I am here to tell you that wouldnt have worked. They would not have listened in the first place. The only reason you keep playing is because you can't put the thing down. Then you get better. Then you start to ask questions, then the RIGHT questions. Then you find the right people to ask the questions to.
The trick is not to get disgusted by your own inadequacies. And if you do, just know that is 99% of players.
Btw, it's perfectly fine to stop torturing yourself. There are too many guitar players anyway.
Nobody is waiting for you. If you happen to persefere, just know you have to continue playing. You will get somewhere when you found you picked up the guitar, playing it without realising you are, not even wanted and liked to play. In other words, when you succumb to the affliction.
And i tell you a real life story: i once visited a friend in the country with my then girlfriend.
I ended up in bed...with my guitar. I had bloody well forgotten her!
That's bad, really bad. But it got me to where i am today, without any human friends but with many guitars...

[Don W]

Play every day even if it is just for 15 minutes.

[Billm2067]

I've gotten two pieces of advice that have stuck with me...

1. Find other people and play music with them, you will improve twice as fast playing with others

2. Record yourself playing and listen to what you're playing. Alot of things you think sound good when you're playing don't sound very good when you listen to it played back