What is the worst mistake you have to watch for?

[TBman]

Mine is rushing to learn a tune.

My biggest mistake when starting to learn a new fingerstyle piece is that I get the notion in my head that I'm a musician. When that happens I'll pick some random learning pace based on the original tune and begin sight reading. Messes me up every time.

When learning a tune for the first time if I totally forget that I've been playing for years and read and play the tab agonizingly slow, I mean paint drying, grass growing slow, I actually learn the tune faster.

I don't know why. If you sat in on the first first half hour of a practice session with a new tune you'd think that I had played for no longer than 6 months prior.

[Howard Klepper]

Wasting time hanging out too much on the internet.

[SouthpawJeff]

Same for me.... can’t slow myself down. I’ll start playing slowly, especially new chords or difficult changes. As soon as I start to get it I speed up though. I’ll start slow, but gradually speed up.... gets me every time. I know I should set the metronome and follow it, just never seem to do it🙁

Good luck,
Jeff

[Johnny K]

Taking on too many things to learn at one time or to put it more simply, Focus.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by TBman

Mine is rushing to learn a tune.

My biggest mistake when starting to learn a new fingerstyle piece is that I get the notion in my head that I'm a musician. When that happens I'll pick some random learning pace based on the original tune and begin sight reading. Messes me up every time.

When learning a tune for the first time if I totally forget that I've been playing for years and read and play the tab agonizingly slow, I mean paint drying, grass growing slow, I actually learn the tune faster.

I don't know why. If you sat in on the first first half hour of a practice session with a new tune you'd think that I had played for no longer than 6 months prior.

Barry, this is a great post. If, with your considerable skill, you still feel this way, it gives me hope.

[Pitar]

Eating crackers in bed, and...

Thinking that playing guitar needs to be important enough to allocate time towards when it isn't. I have an abundance of household tasks to complete to keep my house in a good state of repair. It's not that I don't accomplish them but rather the routine of excusing myself from them to, well, do something that does nothing for the betterment of the family or household.

When I do play it's all usually progressive, positive and achieves what I want to achieve every time I play. That's probably why I gravitate towards it rather than, say, prepping the exterior of my house for paint or an easy dozen other things that guitar music cannot fix. Funny thing is when I accomplish the household upkeep tasks I feel much better than I do after learning to play a song.

First world problems, eh?

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Howard Klepper

Wasting time hanging out too much on the internet.

Ha! Ain't it the truth.


For the OP when I was way into learning how to train horses, a very wise old trainer would remind us "The faster you want it, the slower you go"

[lpa53]

Originally Posted by Johnny K

Taking on too many things to learn at one time or to put it more simply, Focus.

This apples to me, too, and not just with guitar. I always have several projects going and they never get done. When you start on one, the neglected, unfinished ones incite guilt and I get paralyzed. With my guitar, I'm forcing myself to complete learning one, including documentation and being comfortable with my performance of it, before moving on to something new.

[Blueser100]

Over enthusiasm followed by apathy! But then I jump on here, get motivated from reading posts, and then I'm well into my procrastination!

[mr. beaumont]

Compensating for not knowing a tune well by playing too many notes.

[JonPR]

I think my worst problem (not sure it counts as a "mistake" really, it's too big for that) is just not playing enough. Having music in my head all the time, and thinking I can take a holiday from having it under my fingers.

Like Howard, I hang out on forums too much. Why am I doing it now, instead of playing guitar? It's not like I'm sitting in an office, or on a train. My guitar is standing two feet away from me.

[jaymarsch]

Besides Howard's astute observation , mine has to do with ever so slightly breaking the rhythm. My perfectionist's mind will hear a mistake and even though I do not stop playing, I hear the slightest hesitation that my hand makes. It's like stubbing your toe - you keep walking but the blip is noticeable.
So I keep working in that. It has improved but takes time and concentration.

Best,
Jayne

[reeve21]

Rushing the tempo and dropping or missing bass notes when the melody gets complicated.

At least that is what my guitar teacher says, I'm too busy trying to figure out what comes next

I'm a foot stomper, I count the beats in my head and sometimes out loud, and I use a metronome as often as I can stand. I will play a piece very slowly, to the point of it being unmusical if necessary to play it cleanly.

I've gotten better, but this problem persists (only when fingerpicking, I'm pretty solid when strumming).

Any other suggestions???

[PetesaHut]

Thinking that playing guitar needs to be important enough to allocate time towards when it isn't. I have an abundance of household tasks to complete to keep my house in a good state of repair. It's not that I don't accomplish them but rather the routine of excusing myself from them to, well, do something that does nothing for the betterment of the family or household.

Right on, I feel guilty playing guitar before attending to other more important things.

[KDepew]

Not making the time to play everyday. It is about repetition and habit and muscle memory....