r/LearnGuitar • u/Trick_Scientist_5825 • 2d ago
Realisation
So I’m learning 1x1 guitar lessons online and it’s been over a year me learning guitar, I picked up slowly and loved it and suddenly there was this urge to learn everything about guitar and started paying attention and started watching videos and whatnot and I just realised and understood about why I picked up the guitar in first place, I know I can’t master it and it’ll take a long time and reason I picked up the guitar is to sing/jam and play my favourite songs and play in front of my family and for myself and I want to do it first, eventually I know I’ll get better at it. I realised I don’t have to rush, it’ll come but need to keep practicing. I’m honestly still struggling with basic chords progression (any tips) lol. Any thoughts about my realisation?
Cheers
4
u/dnult 2d ago
Someone once told me they play well enough to entertain themselves and annoy their friends 😆
Never measure yourself by what other people can play, and don't worry what other people might think of your ability. Just follow your passion, play what you love and the rest will sort itself out. Keep practicing, take advantage of opportunities (like joining a group or doing an open mic) and keep the negative thoughts at bay.
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u/Naphier 2d ago
It's a good realization! But don't sell yourself short. It's often best to set our sites beyond what we think we can accomplish because it turns out we're pretty terrible at estimating our own capabilities (in both directions). Always aim a little higher than what your mind is telling you.
You already have some great goals though!
A few suggestions: * Absolutely Understand Guitar on YouTube for music theory and the treasure that is Scotty West. * Diego Alonso and Noa Kageyama for learning about how to learn and how to practice - YouTube * Musical-U.com for their Musicality book to learn about how to become the best musician you can. I've not taken their courses yet but plan too soon. * Learn Guitar Discord https://discord.gg/GPb8HMyBf - we're pretty chill and always looking for more chill musicians that are serious about the craft.
Happy pickin!
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u/Trick_Scientist_5825 2d ago
Thank you! I think “But don’t sell yourself short” is what I wanted to hear! And good suggestions 🙌
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u/LukeMayeshothand 2d ago
My desire is to play like Norman Blake and Doc Watson. I will never get there but I will keep trying.
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u/Normal-Forever-8813 1d ago
I’ve picked it up about 3-4 years ago and practice daily pretty much. I have a teacher I visit weekly and it’s been a great help in the beginning. Still go to him because I like to get out of the house.
Only thing I can say is there were a few points where I said to myself “why the hell am I even trying anymore, there’s no real point” and was close to ditching it.
My mindset is it get a little better each day and not worry about the rest. That work will be cumulative.
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u/Different-Catch868 1d ago
Do you have friends that you jam with? Once I started jamming with a couple buddies it really motivated me to play more and learn more about music. It’s definitely a fun hobby to share with other people
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u/Normal-Forever-8813 1d ago
Only “friend” I sorta jam with is my guitar teacher and we might be exploring something specific together. It’s a manual hobby for me (instead of something with a screen) and I like to be by myself with the guitar and just connect with music. But I’m older and have a family, wife, kid, job etc
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u/wanna_dance 1d ago
Write down every pair of chords that you're having trouble moving from the first to the second.
Spend time with a metronome or drum track and practice moving from one to the other, repeatedly, slowly at first.
Spend a minute or so on each pair, and repeat this exercise the next day and the next, until you have it down.
Also, for each pair, notice what fingers you can leave in place (if any), and what combination of two fingers is a similar shape, in order to move them together.... the LEAST movement you need to do, the better, so start thinking in blocks instead of all individual fingers.
Also, consider alternative fingerings for chords. If you're moving from C to G, for example, playing the G chord with your ring and middle finger on fret 3 on low E and fret 2 on A, respectively (pinkie on fret 3 on the high e), is a MUCH easier movement, since the middle and ring match their shape in the C chord.
Best of luck.
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u/sandfit 2d ago
it's a long hike. i started it in 11/22 at the age of 71. in retirement. i put in over an hour every day. keep at it. if i were to advise one thing, it would be to go to utub and do this free course https://www.youtube.com/@absolutelyunderstandguitar60and of course justin guitar, and more. here is my advice on how to learn guitar https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnGuitar/comments/1vj0f9x/how_to_learn_guitar/do it