Things that frustrate you when playing.

[Pdubs76]

There’s been a couple of things that have annoyed me when playing the guitar lately. Firstly, when playing in lower tunings, if I bend either of the high strings, they go flat. The other is when I learn almost an entire instrumental piece, and then I get to the last part where I have to make a chord that basically requires a hand contortionist. Then I’m stuck trying to improvise, and I hate doing that. So, what are some of the things that frustrate you guys the most when playing the guitar?

[Neil K Walk]

I’m beginning to feel like playing 25.4” scale guitars is a bit of a “stretch” for me. I even find that standard tuning where A=440 doesn’t sound good to my ears anymore. I prefer either tuning down a half step or using a capo to play at the 2n fret or above.

[Wardo]

Crash and bash drummers that are too loud and/or over-complicate their fills and then can’t get back to one with everyone else.

[rllink]

That sometimes I can't sing in the key of G and sometimes I can. I just don't know how it is going to go until I start singing the song.

[TBman]

As I'm learning to play classical I find that I have difficulty changing positions on the wound strings without sounding like a herd of elephants. It's slowly getting better, but it is frustrating.

[The Bard Rocks]

Originally Posted by rllink

That sometimes I can't sing in the key of G and sometimes I can. I just don't know how it is going to go until I start singing the song.

The problem is not the key; it's that you must adjust the key to suit the range you are comfortably capable of singing. I play gospel with a gal who says she can't sing in G. She doesn't read music or know what any chord looks like. I've learned her range and slip in songs in G when it is appropriate for both of us and she has no problem - unless I forget and mention it is in G.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Pdubs76

There’s been a couple of things that have annoyed me when playing the guitar lately. Firstly, when playing in lower tunings, if I bend either of the high strings, they go flat.

Check how the strings are attached at the tuners. You're probably just taking up slack when you bend the strings - the kind of stretching you should do when you first fit strings, to make sure they are securely attached.

Originally Posted by Pdubs76

The other is when I learn almost an entire instrumental piece, and then I get to the last part where I have to make a chord that basically requires a hand contortionist. Then I’m stuck trying to improvise, and I hate doing that.

More practice required!
I.e., when learning a piece, you should always work more on the hardest parts than on the easiest parts. And then work on things like those transitions from bar to bar, section to section, so that tough parts don't take you by surprise.

Originally Posted by Pdubs76

So, what are some of the things that frustrate you guys the most when playing the guitar?

Nothing in particular frustrates me. Just maybe a general realisation that I'm not playing as much as I should to keep my chops up to scratch.
IOW, I have a tendency to laziness, so I can get annoyed with myself when I find I can't do something tha I know I should be able to do.
An example of that is improvisation: I know everything I should be doing - and I know I have the skills to be able to do it - but when put on the spot I can't make those connections. (I mean I can so some extent, just not as much, or as quickly, as I want.)
But yes, I know it's because I don't practice enough! . Hence my general frustration at my own laziness! (But of course, if i really cared, if I got very frustrated, then I'd do something about it. As it is, it's only a mild, occasional irritation, and I put up with it.)

[Jamolay]

That I didn’t start learning to play 40 years ago.

[Mandobart]

Nothing about my instruments or my playing or singing causes frustration. Regarding singing - I've found I don't have one key that is best or worst. I sing a lot in A, Bb, B, C, D, E, not a lot in F, and a lot in G. Some songs I used to do in G ("Dark Hollow") work a lot better in A now. It depends on the song and whether I'm singing lead or harmony. And whether it's morning or evening. And if I have a cold or not.

Sure I can (and do) improve my playing and singing (that's what practice is for). But it's not frustrating to realize this - it's life.

My only frustration is not being able to go to all the jams, concerts, festivals, etc. that I'd like to because of other parts of life (work, family commitments, etc.). But this too is part of normal life.

I no longer participate in musical activities that used to bug me - electric rock/blues jams that turn into volume wars, playing with drunks, playing with drummers, playing with overly inflated or overly fragile egos, being in a regular gigging band....

[Charlie Bernstein]

Playing with people who just want to do covers — and especially people who want to do them just like the record.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Wardo

Crash and bash drummers that are too loud and/or over-complicate their fills and then can’t get back to one with everyone else.

Well, if we're opening this out to include experiences (1) playing with other musicians, and (2) playing live, then this thread will run and run...

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by rllink

That sometimes I can't sing in the key of G and sometimes I can. I just don't know how it is going to go until I start singing the song.

Pretty normal. Hopefully you don't mean when performing the song live....

I.e., when you learn a song, you have to choose whatever key allows the melody to sit comfortably within your range. The key is not an issue, because the keynote of a song might be anywhere in the range of its melody. You just have to be able to hit both the high notes and the low notes. That's why you can sing some songs in G and not others.

Naturally, if you're playing guitar too, you'd choose a key which is easy for guitar, as well as voice - which is where capos come in, and also the ability to transpose if you have to (as long as the original doesn't depend on distinctive guitar patterns that only work with the original chord shapes...).

[Matthew Sarad]

The bass player.