15 year Plateaux!? :(

[Restless]

Hi all, I've been playing for about 20 years. I can play all the open chordes, can finger pick a bit and do a few bar chords (which means I could do all the bar chords if I knew what to play!)

But I always end up playing the same 5 songs! So my question is, as clearly I have plateaued about 15 years ago, is it time for lessons?

I'm feeling that I know HOW to play the darn thing, I just don't know WHAT to play. Or to put it another way: The technique is there, but the music aint.

Example: I watch Willie Nelson play a 3 chord song which I could play the chords no problem D-G-A etc... But, I just play the chords, he makes it sound like MUSIC.

Is this common among self taught people? Or do I just really have no musical talent and have only gotten as far as I have through sheer force of will!?

Any teachers have any advice? Thanks!

(I still love playing, and will still play my favorite 5 songs, but I do wish I could play better...)

[anothersmith]

Lessons are one option. Another is getting a couple of songbooks for artists you like and learning new songs through them. Do you vary your strumming pattern? If you listen carefully, most musicians do not simply strum up down up down. Try to emulate the patterns and rhythms you hear. There may even be a book or tape out there somewhere on strumming patterns; you might check elderly.com.

If you want to pick up some fingerstyle technique, I recommend Mark Hanson's book "The Art of Contemporary Travis Picking." It's a very good book, and comes with a CD so you can hear what you're supposed to sound like. It gives a very good entry-level introduction to finger picking. He also has a more advanced book called "The Art of Solo Fingerpicking" which I'm told is very good.

[meridian]

Originally posted by Restless
Is this common among self taught people? Or do I just really have no musical talent and have only gotten as far as I have through sheer force of will!?

Do you have any friends that play? Get together with them and teach each other. It will open up a whole world assuming that your friend doesn't also play just the same 5 songs!

Also, look into Artie Traum's video series on DADGAD tuning. Alternate tunings are a wonderful way to open up new possibilities.

If you have more than one guitar consider tuning one to DADGAD (or any other alternate you like) and that way you can pick up whichever suits your mood at the moment without constantly having to retune.

If you can find a good teacher, of course, that is still the best route.

Oh yeah, have FUN!!

[TimB]

I can SO identify with this. Until two months ago I hadn't learned anything new fingerpicking-wise in 20 years! I picked up a book of tablature by an artist whose work I know in and out (Brit. called Ralph McTell) and whose skill level at the lowest points was reachable to me.

I'm working on three new fingerpicked songs. I'm not doing them error-free for sure and I find that my memory for lyrics isn't what it used to be so I need the lyrics in front of me but its amazing to actually learn new things.

I'd highly recommend taking this route if its available to you.

-=Tim=-

[jyee]

my solution when i hit that plateau was to start playing bass... well, actually i wound up in a church band that needed a bassist, so i quit guitar and played bass for them. surprisingly that taught me walking bass lines and many other techniques i've incorporated back into guitar playing (both strumming and finger picking).

now i'm playing drums... this has introduced me into using the back of my guitar as make shift bongos.

[Restless]

All very supportive, very good suggestions, Thanks!

I think I am going to try most of these ideas. I bought a big baby for more guitar access time, I'm trying to learn new stuff, songs, strums, fingerpicking, etc... And I think I'll try a few lessons and see what happens. I also plan to try to play with as many people as I can find willing.

(Why didn't I do this in High School 500 years ago? There were tons of people sitting around playing and learning, duh! )

[min7b5]

As a teacher myself, I'd have to say that lessons could very likely do the trick. Take your time and find someone you really click with. Most good teachers will offer a free lesson to see if it's match before committing. Try a few. Don't necessarily look for the hottest player in town, look for someone that is running his teaching practice in a professional way and has good communication skills. Unfortunately most guitar teachers are just good players that are looking to make extra money and don't really know how to teach at all. But great teachers are out there, and at the risk of being melodramatic, a great teacher can change your life.

[jam]

I would say the very first thing you need to do is set some goals. What is it that you want to do? Is it just learn more songs? Learn new technique? Improve existing technique? Learn a new style?

Basically, it boils down to this: You have a hard time getting there if you don't know where you're going.

After 25 years of playing, I felt like I had hit the serious plateau. I'm self-taught, by the way. Part of it came from listening to Jim Tozier's cd, part came from staring at a piece of sheet music with beautiful melodies and harmonies, but very boring chords around it. As a "solo" piece, I had no idea what to do with it.

So, I set some goals. They include:
1. better understanding of basic music theory principles
2. learn a new right-hand technique (Travis-picking, etc)
3. learn how to compose/arrange a piece of music for solo guitar.

Then, I went looking for a teacher. That was the tough part. I didn't want a teacher who wanted to teach me his predefined method that he uses on everyone that walks through his door. Those are everywhere. I was lucky enough to find a teacher who could, and was willing to, meet me right where I was musically. We've spent time "filling in the holes". We set targets and go after them. Everything we do is in the context of reaching well-defined goals.

So, Restless, think about just what it is that you want to do that you're currently not doing. Set some goals.

--jam

[Quake17]

Ed,

I agree with the previous posts; find someone you can play with to get you over the plateau. BTW, your sig line mentions PDX; are in Portland, OR (I am)?

Grant

[Restless]

Excellent advice, and I don't say that lightly! Thanks!

The big baby has really helped, believe it or not. It's just so easy to pick up and play without making a "formal" occasion out of it.

I'm right now in Portland, Oregon, but tomorrow I leave for Houston, Texas. I should be back in Portland in July or August.

To attempt to make a really long story very short, I lived in PDX for about 15 years, got a job with Continental Express Airlines in IAH, got furloughed after 9/11 and have been bumming around since. So I spend some time in IAH, and then some time in PDX. My 314ce stays in IAH, so the Big Baby gets to travel now! (Hooray! )

I started out as a kid with piano lessons, so I understand that there are no black keys between e and f and so on, but the idea of the notes being almost scattered at random all over the fretboard is intimidating, that and the idea that there is 53 places to play the same note!!!! But I also see where this is definitely a major advantage if you can learn where they are...

As with everything, nothing difficult is ever easy. But if it were easy, it would be boring.

See ya'all when I get to Houston! and thanks again!

[min7b5]

Originally posted by Restless
I'm right now in Portland, Oregon, but tomorrow I leave for Houston, Texas. I should be back in Portland in July or August....

Ok, shameless plug time; If you want to study in July, I'm teaching here in Lake Oswego, about 10 minutes from downtown Portland.