For those about to quit...

This goes to everyone who has posted something on this thread:

Just in case you give a hack bout knowing, I'm not quiting... And I'm not doing it cause I'ts important.

Everyone has been great, belive me I apreciate all advise given here.

I love being on stage, not cause of the attention, but cause it's so much fun, cause I want to give to the people the kind of experience and enjoyment I have for live shows, waching it it great... giving it, is another level.

GT has saved a guitar player on he edge, mmm... let me say that again, YOU GUYS did the trick, and I respect all of you for that.

I can't thank you enought, but I'll promise, when I get to play in big arenas, everyone at GT has a backstage pass.

Rock on.

I'm glad to hear you aren't quitting. But if you ever do consider it again, just stop, pick up the guitar, and play whatever comes to your mind. When you improvise and let the music just flow through you it almost takes you into another dimension or something. An example of this- once when I was playing i was laying back in my chair and I fell asleep, but when I woke up, I was still playing. I don't know how this is possible. I must not have been asleep for that long. Anyway, improvising not only feels great but it also helps you get acquainted with the guitar faster. I mean, I've only been playing for about 9 months and I can already play almost anything I want, as long as it isn't too fast. When you know how the notes on a guitar will sound before you play them, you almost don't even have to learn a song to play it. I would say that it's good to learn scales, but only if you want to. I would learn pentatonic scales, and later, figure out by yourself(it's important to do it with your own ears) where all the other notes of that scale are on the fretboard. But you probably will want to learn an easy song first to keep you interested. My first song was Woo Hoo by the 5,6,7,8's.

My post may have been pointless since you are already not quitting, but I'll post it anyway.

Rock, dude it happened to me too!!!! :eek:

One day I was staying over with a girl and fell asleep hugging her, and when I woke up she said that I was "playing her"... I did't understood, and she told me I was moving my fingers on her arm like I was playing on the fret board :D

Weird stuff.

But don't worry, any given advice is wellcome, thanks for the words man.

Good news! Funnily enough, I was feeling a little guitar-averse this afternoon myself - but reading this thread has inspired me to go and play something seventies... like AC/DC :D

Good news! One thing that has finally struck me (thanks to the fine folks here at GT) is that playing the guitar is not really something with a definite end. It's a lifetime pursuit. I would suspect that to most of us, playing the guitar is the musical equivalent to crack or Lays potato chips.

Near impossible to quit. Once you got the bug, it never really goes away.

Good luck and keep after it. I know I will. :)

you know, being a newb ive felt like this before, but its because i was studying tabs, and learning songs, not theory or scales or any of that mumbo . Its more inspiring to continue when your actually playing songs. However being that tabs are created by different people, sometimes i would get stuck mid -tab when i played what they tabbed, and it didnt sound correct, maybe because of lack of rhythmn or the tab just seemed wrong. that was untill i purchased guitar pro. this program is awesome! although i only truely know basic chords, i can download a tab, use guitar pro to hear the tab as it was tabbed out with the beat/ rhythmn to see if it sounds right. even change the instument of that tab! go from electric to acoustic and hear how it would sound acoustic. If it sounds good, i study it, learn the chord transistions and boom i can play it :) alot of the time i dont even know what chords im playing, but i can still play the song. and to me right now thats what keeps me motivated. i think about my guitar when im not playing it. im always excited to get back to it, and work on that song. later i will get some literature and learn theory, and everything else about the guitar. being that im self-taught some will probably say that this is not the way to go about it, but it keeps me highly motivated to learn this complicated instument, and so far its working. ive learned more in the last 3 months than i did in the past year since i got this program. quick results = mucho motivation

Originally Posted by: earthman buckI gotta say, I'm on the verge of quitting myself. In a way, I guess I already have. I never really play guitar anymore. I pick mine up about 30 times throughout the day and just hold it. If I do feel inspired to play a note, it buzzes and I quit.

Today I practiced the A major scale for 5 minutes and found it challenging. And this after taking lessons for 3 years.

Los depression.

...dude; everytime you play a scale it should be a challenge, if its not, then your not doing it right...

Maybe someone has hijacked Hamberg's account? Jazz and Metal are the same, every time you play a scale it should be a challenge....

wise words.... :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by: AkiraHow does that work?

If that is true, doesn't that sorta defeat the purposing of....PRACTICING...

lol im late on this but think of your Guitar as a drug and get addicted to it :P

I just picked up my guitar after ahwile off it and now I can't put it down its great.

I've always wanted to play the guitar (since I was 11 to be exact), but I never could do it on my own so I found a guitar teacher when I turned 17. Well, needless to say, a lot of crap happened in my life after only learning a few chords. I was just getting into barre chords and rythym and then my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and I had to stop going. I couldn't concentrate on the lessons, and the Social Anxiety already interfered with the lessons as it was. Not to mention I had a really pervy teacher. :mad:

Two years later, I'm trying to give this thing a go again, but I still feel like I can't teach myself. I have SA so the idea of getting a teacher and going out in public is pretty scary. I feel like giving up right now, but I would never forgive myself if I gave up this early on. I want this to be the one thing in my life I don't give up on. So, even when I feel discouraged, I pick up the guitar and play around with it while watching tv. Just holding it can be comforting at times.

Originally Posted by: Emetic... Just holding it can be comforting at times.

Welcome to the forum! :)

I once told a girlfriend that I really enjoyed the fact that she was just as responsive as my guitar. Good woman, that one; she understood that was a major compliment.

Alright, just a few thoughts after a night of dinner and drinks with the best friend a guy could have. You know the one; the guy who is more a brother than a friend?? Anyway, I was carping about the fact that I can't find a decent instructor around here and the fact that I needed to bail out on two now. I mean, c'mon, if you hire someone to teach you blues guitar and they say "Ah the blues isn't all that difficult. Once you figure out what they're doing, you won't be so enamored with them..." Seriously. They said this. And proceeded to teach me 'Love Hurts' by Nazareth and then spend the rest of the time showimg me how cool they were by playing 'Eruption' and other stuff. (Sure, let me play you some Blind Willie McTell-the guy played like he had 5 hands....)

I was ready to quit too.

I've been playing for a little over a year now and what little I've learned, I've learned on my own. I came to playing the guitar late. I'm 45 years old. Jeez. What the heck am I doing?

But you know what? Playing guitar is one of the only things I've found that actually makes me feel good. You know, relaxed. I may never be very good but I enjoy it and that's good enough.

Thanks for entertaining the rantings of a bleary-eyed fumbling begining guitar player!

:)

Originally Posted by: AkiraWhat an awful teacher.

A teacher should never ridicule and should never sit there using the lesson as a time to show off and practice his chops. :mad:

Fair point(s)... Hunter, I don't know where in the world you are, but if you or anyone else reading is in the UK, I can vouch for the quality of instruction I have received from members of 'The Registry of Guitar Tutors' - they are part of the London College of Music. Link Here

When I take lessons now, I ask the tutor to 'show off' so as to determine whether he is in a position to teach me anything, but I understand how it wasn't helpful in your situation.

If you're in the UK and in need of tuition, you could do worse than the registry.... All the guys I have had lessons with are pros, some jazz, some classical, some shred... I like to keep moving forward and after 20 years playing I still need a kick up the ass now and again....

Originally Posted by: AkiraWhat an awful teacher.

A teacher should never ridicule and should never sit there using the lesson as a time to show off and practice his chops. :mad:

Couldn't agree more. It just bummed me out. I mean, I have a tremendous amount of respect for anyone who can play. But dag, when I'm paying for lessons, teach. And I agree that a teacher should not ridicule. I mean, even if you don't particularly like the same music I do, that's fine, but still, don't make me feel like an idiot. I am not a big fan of country music but I still have the utmost respect for people who can play it.

And Z:

"Fair point(s)... Hunter, I don't know where in the world you are, but if you or anyone else reading is in the UK, I can vouch for the quality of instruction I have received from members of 'The Registry of Guitar Tutors' - they are part of the London College of Music. Link Here

When I take lessons now, I ask the tutor to 'show off' so as to determine whether he is in a position to teach me anything, but I understand how it wasn't helpful in your situation.

If you're in the UK and in need of tuition, you could do worse than the registry.... All the guys I have had lessons with are pros, some jazz, some classical, some shred... I like to keep moving forward and after 20 years playing I still need a kick up the ass now and again...."

I'm in Pittsburgh, PA. I wish I were in the UK or NY or well, just about anywhere else...But thanks for the words. Appreciate it. I guess I'll just keep trying to learn on my own and keep searching for my guitar 'Yoda'. :)