I've stopped making progress and I need some ideas for how to beat this plateau

[Bob Womack]

You know, when my father died, I knew there would be a resultant low period for me, probably a light form of depression. It came, I accepted it, and I knew it would pass. After three months of a gray feeling every day it did, indeed, pass.

Why do I mention this? "The Wall" is a natural occurrence. We all hit it. More than once. At the end of my first decade playing I hit a pretty hard wall. i was practicing two hours or more per day and noticed that I was coming up against limitations. Not knowing that it was normal, I became frustrated. I banged against it, I tried harder, I was irritated at myself. You know, you are there. In the middle of this I started my career my wife and I started a family. When the kids are young, you don't have time for hours of guitar per day. Add to that the fact that I was rotating shifts and life was chaotic, to say the least. There were months where I lived on four hours of sleep per day and barely touched the guitar.

One day my wife came to me and said, "Honey, I think you are wasting an enormous gift. You need to go back to playing." What an angel. We made a little time every day. I approached that first session, knowing that I would be rusty. I started playing and yes I was rusty, but over the hour or so of that first try I started coming back. Within a couple of days,it was nearly all back. And guess what? Those walls I had been banging against were gone. I broke right through and began improving immediately.

Sometimes we over-memorize. Sometimes we try too hard. I know it is heresy but I advise people to take a deep breath and take a break. Not months, days. Lighten up. Laugh a little. Then go back with the attitude, "I'm going to be a little rusty." With the running start of rustiness you may plow right through the walls.

Bob

[donlyn]

. . . I need some ideas for how to beat this plateau

I think you are thinking your way through your playing/practices. Way too much thinking, too.

Don't look at the fretboard. Close your eyes if necessary. See where your fingers will take you when your eyes/brain can't interfere/override.

Try playing chords without using the bass strings, E and A. Stay in key of G for a while. Thus the G chord would be one finger on the (high) 'e' string on the 3d fret. The Em chord would be one finger on the 'D' string 2d fret. The 'C' chord could be playing the three treble strings with only with one finger on the 'B' string 1st fret. After you get that down, Then you're going to have to work for the 'D' chord cause it's three fingers plus an open 'D' string. But you'd be surprised how much you can do with just a G, Em, and C chord.

Don't know what you like to listen to, but "Big Iron" by Marty Robbins is only those chords. "G Em, G Em, C G, G Em, C G" ; grouped in pairs for the lyric lines.

Now come the hard parts.

EITHER
pick a simple song you like and sing along with it. Do NOT think about your fingers. If you have to, write down some lyrics, even just one verse, and sing those lyrics.

OR
Learn to play pick free. With your fingers. To the three string 'C' chord, add the middle finger to the D string 2d fret.
Assign the thumb to the D string, index to the G string, middle to the B string, and ring to the e string. Don't strum. Just play arpeggios up and down.
That is, fret a G chord and play STRINGs in order, D, G, B, e. And repeat.

Then go back down D, G, B, e, and up B, G.

Then D, G, B, e, B, G, B, e. (Got a little tricky there.)

The idea is to get used to one on one contact one finger with one string.

Sometimes it's easier to learn than strumming all six strings.

Sorry, there's actually a lot to digest there, but my guess is that you have to stop your brain from interfering with what you've taught your fingers to do.

Be well,

Don
.

[SFCRetired]

The best players are the ones who start when they start walking and talking. But older players can learn as well. It will just take it longer.

I started about 24 maybe 25 and I'm not sure where I was 3 years later but I don't recall being very advanced.

IMO you are at the place where most people, who try to learn the guitar, is at when they say the heck with this, it's too hard and I can't do it.

I am 65 and have been playing since I said, 24-25, and I wouldn't consider myself a skilled player by any stretch. But I focus on what I can play and get better at that.

Keep it simple and focus on what you can do, the rest will come later, or maybe not. Just keep playing and you will get better. That I promise.

I am an open chord playing fool, I can get down the neck on some things, but I don't focus on that, I focus on what I do best. I call it the John Prine method. Keep it simple.

[jpmist]

How often do you play along with musicians and tracks that you enjoy?

That's basically how I taught myself and then getting Mark Knopfler tracks down nearly note for note was grad school for me.

Some of your comments remind me of my sister who was so laser focused on her progress and results she neglected to enjoy the music she was playing.

[TBman]

Originally Posted by jpmist

How often do you play along with musicians and tracks that you enjoy?

That's basically how I taught myself and then getting Mark Knopfler tracks down nearly note for note was grad school for me.

Some of your comments remind me of my sister who was so laser focused on her progress and results she neglected to enjoy the music she was playing.

^This.

I basically learn just about everything by playing along with music using the Transcribe! software.

As pointed out, you can't be so focused on improvement that you neglect to enjoy the music.

[tbirdman]

I've been playing for 3 years which I started at the age of 64. I play classical and steel acoustic. About a year ago, I took up piano. I take lessons weekly for piano, singing and guitar.

I would first you get a copy of "Laws of Brainjo". This is an excellent read regarding the physical and mental aspects of learning a musical instrument.

Justin's website was a good site to start with. I used his app which is great for learning how to play strum patterns, chords speeds etc . It's nice that you can vary the speed of the song. I learned to Travis Picking after for 4 months using the app. I played the songs very slow at first and then increased the time of the songs over time. I stopped using the app after a year to advance my skills, but in the beginning it got me well on the way.

I would focus today on changing the chords cleanly. Justin has good exercises to practicing from chords. Open mics are a good place to play your new material you learn. I did my solo open mic 5 months after I picked up the guitar. Yeah, I crashed and burned, but I lived to play another day.

Just remember look where you have come from, and not where you want to go. Remember to play at a speed just where you can't play cleanly. Once you get that speed down, slowly increase the speed.

Good luck!

[Deliberate1]

The display of honesty by the OP, which could not have been easy, and the thoughtful and personal responses of support, reveal a beautiful spirit of generosity among musicians towards other musicians. And how it is alive and well in this community of strangers. The love of music is a powerful common denominator. It happens the moment you sit down with new friends and play.

Were I to add an observation for the OP, it is this. May I humbly suggest that you are no where near ready to hang it up. If you were, you would not have gone to the considerable trouble to reach out and share your story, or respond with appreciation.

I am 67. I have been playing 4 years. I hit walls. Indeed, on most days. Often, the same wall. It is frustrating. Why? Because gaining some level of competence, which is a constantly moving target, is something I really want. Just like you. As you said, "because when it is rewarding, it is very rewarding." Exactly. That is the counterbalance and antidote to frustration. Remembering that, as I do, especially during the hardest times, is what will help you push those walls over as they inevitably rise up before you. You want this. And you will find your way.

Keep pushing. It is what we all do.

David

[phavriluk]

Deliberate1: I've got ten years on you. Every time I learn something today that I didn't know yesterday, it's a victory and a sign of progress. And learning to play these infernal machines is an uncounted pile of victories, one atop another, and it's never complete.

[rick-slo]

In the past mostly I listened to various pieces and found ones I liked enough that I wanted to learn (just one that comes to mind
is "Self Portrait on Acoustic Guitar" by Doyle Dykes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5E_7FwpWPw.

That sort of thing would keep me motivated and having fun. Mostly I compose my own music these days but there is always some
existing tune here or there to take on to keep it interesting.

[Mandobart]

Originally Posted by Horseflesh

When My long term goal is to remain a bedroom player, I have no interest in performing or playing with other people. I reserve the right to change my mind.

Some others here over the years have expressed this same sentiment. I don't really understand it. I always wonder if these loners have ever even tried picking tunes informally with others. I would say if your goal is truly just to play guitar all by yourself, well, you've reached it. You're playing guitar all by yourself.

I've been playing music since I was 10. It's always been about playing with others, blending our parts and producing something none of us could accomplish alone.

Sure I've done solo gigs, and done well with them. But it never matches the fun, creativity or joy of making music with other people. Maybe you suck now. Maybe you don't think you're ready. Do it anyway. You'll improve faster than with any other method by just playing music with other people once a week. Your rhythm, timing, ability to change chords, chord vocabulary, knowledge, skill, confidence will all get better. You'll suck less.

And no, not everyone hits these plateaus or low points or wants to chuck their guitar out the window. It's never happened to me in my 5 decades of playing music.

[mawmow]

I have been a bedroom player devoted to my acoustics for the last thirty five years or so.

I used to buy fakebooks and lazily played, trying relentlessly to play cleanly new chords I would encounter within new pieces.

I played music from many pop repertoire until I turned to fingerstyle and went classical, folk, blues, jazz, etc.

I never tried to memorize pieces, I always used to play sight reading.

It takes time because I never rush ! I generally have many pieces in progress.

Sure, at first try, what you play too slowly does not sound like music, but practice and patience will lead to easiness
and SPEED will soon follow without rushing.

With more experience, it will become easier to attack new pieces and your pleasure will grow.

I took private lessons by age sixty : Since I needed almost three month to memorize a one page fingerstyle melody,
my coach told me that he could witness that progression ability begin to slow down by age forty.

But you know what ? I just ordered new books to tackle new pieces because what pleasure I feel when I can play a new piece fluently !

[Deliberate1]

Originally Posted by phavriluk

Deliberate1: I've got ten years on you. Every time I learn something today that I didn't know yesterday, it's a victory and a sign of progress. And learning to play these infernal machines is an uncounted pile of victories, one atop another, and it's never complete.

Amen and amen.
Your word, "progress," is exactly right.
Yesterday, was one of those days. I played on and off for a few hours, just, it seemed, to fine tune my mistakes. And then, I set the guitar down, took a long breath, and cogitated on this. Four years ago, I did not know how to hold a guitar. And today, I am playing a full on version of Deep River Blues to tempo.
I have no idea how that happened. It just did. I think progress sneaks up silently and plants itself at the very same time frustration is hitting you upside the head. Kinda cool...

Play on, my friend.

David

[ProfChris]

Three things to try, all of which worked for me.

1. Accept the mistakes. No-one plays perfectly, even the best players (their skill is making sure the audience doesn't notice!). If you've played well enough, that will do. Over time you make fewer mistakes, that's progress.

2. Don't stop - play through your mistakes and finish the song. Stopping means you never learn the song as a whole. A complete song, with mistakes, is more musical than bits of a song interrupted by curses or apologies.

3. Most important - record yourself. Audio on the phone will do. When you listen back, you'll hear the bits that need practice, and the bits that worked fine. Occasionally listen to the same song from a couple of months back - wow, you've definitely improved!

[phavriluk]

David, you're playing 'Deep River Blues' four years in??? That's my idea of magical, profound, success. I think you've done very well indeed!

[Tuch]

An acoustic guitar can be set up ''equally'' to 'play' like an electric guitar!if you know how!!!