Dealing with frustration...

Personally, how have you overcome frustration over the past so many so many years of playing guitar? You know, for me the endless possibilities with this instrument has always kept me very interested, to the point where Ive never felt the urge to slam it against the wall, I always knew that things wouldn't be easy, but still we all end up at that point of (what seems like no return). The point where question our abilities, not so much now from when we first started, but its not something that just goes away, because being that we are never satisfied at times we sometimes can get lost.

Here is a way I often practice. Take something extremely difficult, something you think you can never play. Figure it out [i]slowly, dont be in a rush to play it fast. Set your metronome or click-track at a slow speed and play it everyday on the side of your own recordings. I figure if you can get past this form of frustration you've got it made, you can only play it better everyday. Because we are dealing with so many new songs everyday, as well as our own personal material (not to mention that we only have so much time with work, relationships, bills etc blahhh.) Its very frustrating to even think about, but we all have our ways of getting around it.

-Joseph

[Edited by Joseph on 02-26-2001 at 04:00 PM]

My teach gave me these Jazz chords a few weeks back and I thought I'd never get those fingerings down. But like you were saying, a bit of patience and practice pays off.
Keep up the good topics Joseph.

What were the wierd chord fingerings? I want to know them. I play jazz but my vocabulary of voicings that I can grab on the fly is too weak. I've been working on the set of #11 chords (in this case spelled 1, #11, 5, 7) that produce some strange, strange sounds.

verse
/ F Mag7 /repeat/ G7 /repeat/ Gm7 / Gflat7 / F Maj7 / Gflat7 /

bridge
/G flat Maj7/repeat/ B9 /repeat/ F#m7 /repeat/ D9 /repeat/
/Gm7 /repeat/ Eflat 9/repeat
back to verse
Something like that.

I forgot! after the /Eflat9 repeat goes this.

/Am7 / D7flat9 / Gm7 / C7flat9//
then back to verse.

You know it's pretty sad when you've been playing for over six years and off the top of your head you have no idea how to play any of those chords. I'm just starting to get into music theory classes at college and I know how chords are constructed and I know the basics of music theory. It just really kills me that I never payed attention to chords when I first started learning guitar.

Any questions you have ask away!
You can e-me through this site.

The only ones I was not familiar with were the D7b9 & C7b9. I had heard of them but didn't remember the fingering. I guess that they are 7th chords with a flat 9th added ? I cheated and went to a chord web site. I've heard this tune hundreds of times and when I played it for the first time last night (on my acoustic) my wife immediately recognized it and asked "when did you learn that"? When I told her I got it from GT (I had never had an interest in learning it before this thread) she said "get more" !!! Thanks Elmo45; actually my wife thanks you.. BTW, isn't the 1st chord in the verse Fmaj7? I don't know what Fmag7 is.

Fingerings for a 7b9 chord? There are many, many different fingers. It's better to know the way they are built. 7b9 chords are just like regular 7 chords, but with an added b9 chord. If you have D7b9, it's just like a D7, but with an Eb in there somewhere. You can choose where to put it in.

1. At the fourth fret bar the D-G-B strings with your index finger.

2. With your middle finger press the D note(5th fret-A string-Duh!)

3.Ring finger to G-string(!) 5th fret(C-note).
Walla! D7flat9 slide that down two frets then C7flat9!

Play the middle four strings only. If you wanna look cool, don't bar the low E string and don't let the high E ring out.
When I figure out the "line" e-me and I'll scan and send it to you. I have a rough idea but for my homework I gotta figure the key changes, you cannot play one scale pattern for the whole song. I found out when I was trying to F Major pentatonic and Major scale through the whole thing, and it sounded like ass.

F Major 7!
Get your guitar! Tell your wife you'll play this even better, and don't forget to name your next born after me! he he.

1. Press the "regular" bar chord F at the first fret.
2. Move your index finger to the F(1st string-duh) Keep it there!
3. Put your middle fingertip on the first fret-B string.(It looks wierd, but trust me!
4. Ring finger to 2nd fret-D string
5. Pinkie to G string(no..not hers yet!) 2nd fret.

There you go!
At the bridge, first measure slide it up and Bamn!GflatMajor 7

At first these chord formations sucked! But like all things with the guitar, the more you practice-the easier they get.

Elmo: knew that fingering (for maj7 chords) I believe you forgot to mention that the A string needs to be muted for that shape to be effective. Fmaj7 can also be done xx3210 and this form can also be moved up the neck e.g. Gbmaj7 = xx4321. Or Fmaj7 can be x-8-10-9-10-8 and this can be moved ... uhhh, see a pattern developing here ? Luigi's advice is best - learn how to construct chords and you can play them in many positions.

For the most part alot of guitarists today feel the need to ignore anything that has to do with jazz,[/] feeling its just an excuse for guitarists to show off, (but theres more to this style of music than meets the eye (or ear for that matter.) There are so many hidden jazz elements throughout the rock industry, it definitely adds a little bit of flavor to what would be considered your adverage progression, alot of musicians [i]unconsciously add this element to their songs and they refuse to analyze where it came from. But when you can consciously add new jazz chord voicings to your style, it really speaks wonders and really has a way defining your style. Applying new found knowledge to your familiar territory is how we grow as musicians, its mind boggleing why so many musicians refuse to take all of the necessary chances to reach a higher level of creativity.

Aside from jazz chord voicings, theres this one Soundgarden solo from Superunknown that I just can't seem to get right, I can't seem to achieve the same effect that Kim Thayil gets. I consider myself to be an accomplished musician from all sides, (and I definitely major when it comes to guitar), but I'm not quite sure if its that I'm hearing something else, but there are certain hidden elements in this particular solo that I just can't seem to collect. And theres nothing more frustrating when you can't match the sound that you hear off of one of your favorite records, (or in our head.) But I guess there are just some mysteries that are worth bending over backwards for, :D.

-Joseph

I can remember feeling the urge smash my guitar up against the wall many times when I was first starting. I can remember trying to learn the finger-picking from 'Is there anybody out there' by Pink Floyd. Those simple chords (Am, C, etc) sure seemed impossible back then.

The only thing that got me through it was the realization that if I did smash it, I would just have to buy another one.

-Christoph

I tend to get frustrated very often, being new and all. I wish I had started playing younger but oh well, I'll just have to get over that. Sometimes I just get so aggravated I have to walk away for a little while. Somtimes wont touch it agian that day. Havent had the urge to smash it yet. That would be just like ripping hp a few hundred $'s and that just wouldn't be too smart if ya know what I mean :)

Jason

Originally posted by StratMan1125
I tend to get frustrated very often,
Jason

During our practice schedules especially after playing for a few years, its important find your weak spots. For the first three years, I avoided double hand tapping, because I figured I wouldn't need it as the years progress, (and being that I spent most of my time learn Zeppelin tunes, it just wasn't part of my vocabulary. But its a great technique in a pinch, which definitely adds much more fluidity to your style. Believe me, it was frustrating learning this technique for the first time, muting the proper amount of strings, etc, but gradually I introduced this style into my schedule, and also listened to Vanhalen records non stop, once you learn "Eruption", theres literally no turning back, :D. But you know its a great accomplishment when you can learn a very intricate guitar lick by ear, it definitely builds up your confidence..

-Joseph

When it all gets too much go to the freezer take two ice cubes place in a glass pour in a generous measure of Scotland's greatest contribution to human wellbeing (it must be at least a 20 year old single malt), put on a relaxing CD and enjoy. It won't make you a better guitar player but it's less expensive than slamming your guitar into your amp, trouble is I always forget to get back to practising when I'm in an advanced state of relaxation !