Where Were you At After 1 Year? - Page 2

Fingerstylist · #16 09-08-2009, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sugarlander

You sound about like me after 1 year of playing. Keep at it.

What kind of stuff do you play now sugarlander?

Sugarlander · #17 09-09-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerstylist

What kind of stuff do you play now sugarlander?

I play almost only fingerstyle. Mostly folk, rock, country and pop stuff with vocals. A few instrumental things - some blues, some Mark Hanson stuff, a couple of classical things.

BULLSPRIG · #18 09-09-2009, 03:42 PM

You know, its funny. I'm just a different cookie I guess. I started at age 12 and now I'm 45. I'm different because I never have had any desire to learn other peoples' material. I might pick up certain portions of a song that I like and figure out how to play it. But I'm not lying when I say this. I can only play 1 song from start to finish. The song is Amazing Grace. I don't read music or do tabs. On this song, I just started sounding out the way it sounds when I hear the song played. Only I put a real bluesy touch to it. I bet a certain % of parishioners wouldn't like the way I play it. Because its all from the inside, the way I process the song in my own mind. And it has a heavy blues signature the way I play it. It was only about 2 years ago that I put my mind to it to learn the song from start to finish. Maybe some day I can tape it and put it up here.

Mostly what I do is dabble around. I'm probably A.D.D., truth be known. I get to playing a certain riff over and over and over because it sounds good to me. Then I switch to something else. There are times when a lightbulb pops off in my head and I tell myself to switch gears and play something else finally. I can sit and play the same riffs or partial creations for an hour or more. Trying to perfect it or add other sounds that I like to hear.

I started at age 12 on the bass guitar, by pure accident. It was my brother's and he was killed in a car accident. Shortly thereafter, I switched to acoustic and never looked back. Within 1 year of playing, I could do quite a few riffs and a lot of chords. Had pretty decent dexterity by that point. But never to this day have I been able to sit down and learn an inventory of songs created by other people.

John McGillivray · #19 09-09-2009, 04:12 PM

Sounds about right

solarix · #20 09-09-2009, 08:23 PM

I have doodled for almost 30 years. My 1st year I had many chords and basic strumming down given I had a fire sale guitar (really in a fire, water stains warps and all) that couldn't be tuned I felt pretty good but gave it up for a few years, technically I know many chords, inversions, scales, tunings but lack/ed "music", frustation! A few years later (now an adult on a limited budget) I bought an Applause, gave it up, bought a Breckenridge B20 gave it up, sold them all and gave it all up for 10 years or so, tried the electric, gave it up, sold it.

Now I am 1 year into the best instrument I have ever owned, wishing my parents would have recognized the importance of good tools and passed that on. I feel I no longer "doodle", I can make some meaningful music and after 1 year I am so much further than I ever got before, yet I am lacking my own style and rhythm. I think it is back to lessons for a while, I am growing frustrated again. For me it has always been a struggle.

Jerry

sm000 · #21 09-10-2009, 01:37 AM

Were going to be seeing alot of people be able to play guitar in the near future. And I feel it's because of all the readily information we have at our fingertips. I'm so thankful we have sites like AGF and a few others, that we can go to to look for help and encouragement. Can you imagine learning to play guitar back in the 30's through say...the 60's? Information was limited then, and only found in a book. And they didn't have the help of millions of other people who've already been down that road. That's dedication! We should be playing like...4 or 5 different instruments....at the same time...lol

TBman · #22 09-10-2009, 05:26 AM

Doing a few fingerstyle pieces at such an early stage is very good.

Howard Emerson · #23 09-10-2009, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerstylist

I'm coming up on a year of playing and was wondering how my progress stacked up against others. I know it's not a competition or anything, it's just something I'm curious about. So far, I know quite a few chords and have several fingerstyle pieces under my fingers. There are some I can play well and more that I'm trying to put the polish on. So where were you at this point?

It's so long ago I don't remember, but what's more important is you and your progress as it relates TO YOU.

Therefore you need to sit down in front of a recorder and just play the stuff you know. Don't bother to get it perfect, or to try for perfect audio quality........just do it.

A year from now you should go listen back to it, but only after you record yourself playing some new, and older stuff.

Then put your guitar down, hit rewind and listen to it all.

THAT.........will tell you how you're doing.

It might hurt, it might not hurt, but it will give you a much better indication of your progress. Then you can take that information and let it dictate whether or not you want to take lessons of some sort, etc.

Best of luck!

Howard
http://www.howardemerson.com/

Sugarlander · #24 09-10-2009, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

It's so long ago I don't remember, but what's more important is you and your progress as it relates TO YOU.

Therefore you need to sit down in front of a recorder and just play the stuff you know. Don't bother to get it perfect, or to try for perfect audio quality........just do it.

A year from now you should go listen back to it, but only after you record yourself playing some new, and older stuff.

Then put your guitar down, hit rewind and listen to it all.

THAT.........will tell you how you're doing.

It might hurt, it might not hurt, but it will give you a much better indication of your progress. Then you can take that information and let it dictate whether or not you want to take lessons of some sort, etc.

Best of luck!

Howard
http://www.howardemerson.com/

Great idea and response, Howard.

Fingerstylist · #25 09-10-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

It's so long ago I don't remember, but what's more important is you and your progress as it relates TO YOU.

Therefore you need to sit down in front of a recorder and just play the stuff you know. Don't bother to get it perfect, or to try for perfect audio quality........just do it.

A year from now you should go listen back to it, but only after you record yourself playing some new, and older stuff.

Then put your guitar down, hit rewind and listen to it all.

THAT.........will tell you how you're doing.

It might hurt, it might not hurt, but it will give you a much better indication of your progress. Then you can take that information and let it dictate whether or not you want to take lessons of some sort, etc.

Best of luck!

Howard
http://www.howardemerson.com/

Howard I totally agree about the recorder. I've actually been thinking about doing this for awhile now. I guess I've been putting it off because it'll make me realize truly how much I totally suck

Anyway, I'll end up doing it. I guess we all just need a slap in the face sometimes to really get going.

Howard Emerson · #26 09-10-2009, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerstylist

Howard I totally agree about the recorder. I've actually been thinking about doing this for awhile now. I guess I've been putting it off because it'll make me realize truly how much I totally suck

Anyway, I'll end up doing it. I guess we all just need a slap in the face sometimes to really get going.

That's exactly why you need to do it, and then get over the 'slap in the face'; that ugly reality of 'OMG........Is that what I sound like??'

Yes...........That's what we sound like.

As a teacher I find it amazing to read how much time and energy is spent on choosing 'the right guitar' or 'the right woods', etc, etc..............but hardly any energy is spent on self realization/analysis as a player........Even if you're taking lessons!!

Nowadays it's so cost effective to record and listen to yourself, and the playback nets a big payback!! You just have to listen, swallow hard and utilize that information in a positive way.

Gopher-it

HE
http://www.howardemerson.com/

Bern · #27 09-10-2009, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard Emerson

...I find it amazing to read how much time and energy is spent on choosing 'the right guitar' or 'the right woods', etc, etc..............but hardly any energy is spent on self realization/analysis as a player........Even if you're taking lessons!!

In a nutshell...that seems to be a trend, Howard, and you're absolutely right about that. People seem to believe that by sticking a couple thousand dollars into a music box they will hear divine sounds.

Howard Emerson · #28 09-10-2009, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bern

In a nutshell...that seems to be a trend, Howard, and you're absolutely right about that. People seem to believe that by sticking a couple thousand dollars into a music box they will hear divine sounds.

Hey Bern,
The 'car' won't start without the 'key', kind of thing, huh?

So nice seeing you and the family last Friday!

Best,
HE

Coke_zero · #29 09-10-2009, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fingerstylist

Interesting stories guys, keep em coming.

Larry, those little Asian kids are downright amazing. It seems like Sungha Jung learns a new piece everyday. And that may not even be an exaggeration.

Sungha was interviewed in Acoustic Magazine over here in the UK, he said it takes him about 3 days to learn a tune and a a week or more for a "difficult tune" but when you have a teacher like Ulli Bögershausen, I'm sure he doesn't go short of advice either.

ewalling · #30 09-10-2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmmaak

One year after I joined the AGF, I probably learned more than I did in the last 5-10.

This boy will go far ...

After a year I had acquired a good Yamaha electric, a pair of patchwork jeans and Southern Comfort T-shirt, and was in a 6th form school band trying to do covers of Wishbone Ash and Jethro Tull songs. I'd decided that playing lead guitar was the way to go, and I was spending all my time between A-Levels trying to play fast scales.