Thinking about playing guitar again


catsim
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Joined: 11/19/18
Posts: 2
catsim
Registered User
Joined: 11/19/18
Posts: 2
11/21/2018 10:31 pm

Hi everybody,

I have some questions regarding playing the guitar and I hope some of you can help me.

I learned to play guitar since 2015 for about 14 months on my own, just with a german wiki. I think it was not bad at all but I stopped because the main reason (playing with friends especially with my scout friends) wasn't available. But in the last days I got many videos on Youtube proposed about finger picking some famous songs (for me) like themes of Harry Potter, pirates of the caribean ...

Now I'm thinking about to restart playing the guitar (I still have my 80 euro guitar) and learn to pick some cool songs/themes.

But I'm not sure about the longer target: Playing themes is cool of course but alone? What are you doing? What is your motivation besides the learning part? Do you record and upload your songs? Do you play and pick own songs?

I'm not sure if it is still interesting to learn guitar with an online course after 3 months?

Especially with my time, I'm working the whole day, some days I'm travelling and will arive in the late evening so no time for playing guitar (neighbours etc.)

So maybe some of you can help me with my motivation?

The course looks pretty awesome :D

Best regards!

catsim


# 1
manXcat
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Joined: 02/17/18
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manXcat
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11/22/2018 3:29 am

Hi Catsim!

I can only answer your questions from the perspective gleaned from my own experience shared here in the hope that it proves useful to you. Here's how I see it. Starting with the most essential.

Ultimately motivation to persist beyond the novelty of anything new and titllating must come from within once the initial excitment of its novelty has worn off. From experience, look to what your real motivation is for wanting to play guitar. Learning takes time and perseverance. It's an endurance event, not a sprint, and not as easy as the likes of guitar manufacturers' spiel would suggest to foster sales, or everyone would do it.

Playing alone ...is what I would suggest the overwhelming majority of guitarists do do, especially amateurs. If the playing part regardless isn't what appeals, then ask yourself what it is that does. There's your answer because 90% of anyone's playing will be practising alone most of the time.

As to your other questions.

My motivation. The challenge in learning something I always had a desire to complete which is complex requiring the acquisition of skills which in turn requires self-motivation, determination, persistence abetted by the fact that I am truly enjoying that journey.

Recording and uploading. Recording yes, for self-analysis. Uploading. No. Why would I want to? I have no pretension to You Tube stardom, nor desire for accolade or recognition from an audience other than my critical self.

Play and pick own songs. To the first part no. YMMV. My current objectives are A. to play 'reasonably well' (how long is a 'piece' of string?) within 4 years, and B. be able to learn and play most of the the songs I love to a high standard of demonstrated competence by the end of that time frame. Original compositions aren't even in my radar whether as a means of expression, seeking recognition, or fame & riches - it's well past that 'midnight' for me. By "pick own songs" not quite sure what you mean by that?

As for the encumbrance of time managment of a flexible schedule and travel, I think that's one of the most fantastic things about a structured online course like Guitar Tricks offer. You can organise your lessons around your schedule to fit into your life, from anywhere, and it's so affordable and effective. If only I'd had something like this available to me 45 years ago!

"I'm not sure if it is still interesting to learn guitar with an online course after 3 months?" Is that a serious question? Unsurprisingly, three months in I still wasn't playing quite like Page, Slash or Clapton, was far from bored, and 9 months in there's so much here for me to learn and find interest in, I surmise I'll be renewing my annual sub whenever it rolls over for some years to come. Again, the usual net disclaimer YMMV.

For playing of an evening not disturbing others. Buy a cheap electric guitar and use a Vox AmPlug or similar headphone amp. Or a travel guitar with that capability if that's in your budget. It'd be prioritised in mine if I really wanted to learn to play in your circumstances.

Lastly, the tough one. " ..maybe some of you can help me with my motivation?"

One can offer guidance and anecdotal encouragement, but boosting someone else's motivation with a pep talk only lasts short term. Ultimately the passion, desire and drive must come from within. Only you can know the sincere answer to that question.


# 2
snojones
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snojones
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11/22/2018 5:04 pm

If taking 3 months off has rendered guitar less than interesting... May be you should take up playing the radio. If you can keep your focus, guitar will never bottom out! Music only gets better the more you play it. You get more proficient, you meet other musicians, the mysteries unfold and practice starts feeling like breathing. I have been playing guitar on and off for decades. As long as I practice, the experience only gets deeper and better. Hell music is one of the best reasons for being human!

If you travel a lot... get a travel guitar! I ski much of the winter and this frequently leads to motel rooms. With my travel guitar along I can easily practice any where. In fact I no longer dread waiting for planes in the airport. I just take a walk and find an unused gate. Then I put the travel guitar together, put on my headphones and wail away. Soon the airport is simply a faint anoyance at worst.


Captcha is a total pain in the........

# 3
catsim
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Joined: 11/19/18
Posts: 2
catsim
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Joined: 11/19/18
Posts: 2
11/22/2018 10:17 pm

Hi manXcat and snojones,

thank you both for your answers.

You are both completly right, the motivation has to come from my side. And it is not like I have no motivation, I just wanted to know how you keep motivated if it is not going great in some situations :)

Currently I'm really interested in learning to play songs with picking the sides so with smaller targets like specific songs it should work shouldn't it?

@manXcat:

The idea with a cheap E guitar is great, I know the big music shop thomann and they have starter sets for e guitars so that should work, right? So just picking the side doesn't really make sound? Sorry for that silly question but I never had contact with E guitars..

@snojones:

It isn't like I have put my guitar completly away. She is still standing 4 meters away from my desk, it is just hard to get the motivation to start again. I mean I played 14 months in a row before the final exercise of my university degree take all of my attention...

Now I have a job and I want one hobby which is not playing pc or make some sport or drinking tea ;D

So I have hope to use this course as motivation especially if I pay for 1 months... Sounds weird but it helps. Then I'm thinking like "you paid for 1month so you have to try a little" -> the motivation to start again.

Not really bad or? :)


# 4
manXcat
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manXcat
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11/23/2018 2:10 am

Catsim electric guitar is effectively silent from an annoyance to others in the house or neighbours perspective, unless in the same room and they are trying to watch TV where it can be aurally distracting as it does produce acoustic sound even without amplification. So you will still be able to hear it, but not with anything like the volume of an acoustic. If someone is in another room and it's unamplified, they won't.

Thomann guitars are great. For a first electric, there's no need to spend a packet. Something like the Harley Benton TE-30 BE Standard Series for €89 would do what you want and would be a delight to play.

Out of sheer curiosity, I bought a similar Tele clone (ETL-100) from Aldi for just AUD$100 (USD$70 or €64) which I'm pretty sure is made in the same factory in China that make SX (Essex) and to the same standard. Blown away would be understatement. Think Squier Affinity minus the branding for just €64!

QC on it was better than I have been experiencing from Yamaha recently at a price point ten times that! Seriously. Sure, like the Squier the pickups are ceramic and mechs pretty low end, but they work adequately for purpose until you want better/more. Neck is same nut, profile, radius, fret, scale length spec as Squier Affinity. Even the strings supplied on it were usable. Of course a set of EXLs or Slinkys improve playability measurably. Yet people will pass it by because it isn't a familiar name and is sold in ...Aldi. LOL.

Only thing I had to do out of the box was adjust the relief to climate. It set up to a low action with zero buzz. I was uber impressed. The polurethane paint finish on it is drop dead gorgeous and as flawless a finish as I've seen. Alder body too I believe. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. I enjoy playing it. Very comfortable to finger and fret. I've modded mine inexpensively to much higher spec since with replacement six saddle flat bridge, Korean Wilkinson WVTN/WVTB alnico V pickups & TAD Orange Drop tone pot cap, Korean Wilkinson tuner mechs and of course, D'Addario EXL10s.

So yes, pick something from Thomann which appeals. If you just want to go as cheap as possible, buy a TE-20 for €72. It'll do the job. They also have Harley Benton SSS Strats from similar price point and up. They also have Gibson SG style guitars starting a little higher if you want a double cutaway with double humbucker, although the body shape has been altered from the classic SG shape to keep Gibson's lawyers at bay. PRS clones and the like kick off around the €190. Thomann are starting to develop a following for their Harley Benton brand now, and prices are starting to increase partially due that, and partially due the increases in labour costs and currencies in China & Vietnam, but they are still great value.

I used to own an Japanese made (Ibanez before they were a name) SG many many moons ago (70's), and now have contemporary Tele, Strat and Les Paul Custom clones in varying configs. My inexpensive recommendation to learn on from Thomann would be either a Tele or Strat with a contemporary neck rather than vintage. Can't go wrong with either.

Compact alternative style Traveler specific guitars, though a useful tool, are pricey and really require high mojo to tote them along and actually use them IMO.

[br]When you buy an electric guitar, do buy a floor stand too and keep your guitar on it in a visually prominent place. It works. You won't be able to keep yourself from picking it up and playing frequently most days. If it doesn't, guitar probably isn't for you. And that's OK. Many are in lust with the image of being a rock guitarist, but not so enamoured with the work in the activity of playing guitar, particularly the initial first few years slog learning phase.


# 5

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