I will never be any good at guitar ....

axisus · January 2021

or any other instrument. It's a sad realisation.

OK, some people think I am amazing at guitar/piano, but the fact is that I am missing some fundamental skills:

1) poor motor skills in terms of accuracy
2) poor memory recall

I looked at the detail in iTunes, and there is an instrumental song that I have been trying to play for years and years. The play count for the backing track is almost 2000 times, and yet I am still nowhere near getting the short widdly bit right (it's probably 6 seconds tops!). I will never have accuracy, it isn't in my mind and fingers unfortunately.

And remembering stuff. At the start of lockdown one I decided to do a simple arrangement for a piece of piano music that is less than 3 minutes long. I got it all worked out in a couple of weeks, it's just chords with some melody thrown in. 10 months on and I still can't play it through without forgetting something. It is BLOODY frustrating!

These two flaws are annoying as I clearly have some ability in other areas, but at my age (57) nothing is going to improve.

Satriani's Always with Me song, I have wrestled with for a decade. I have never got past the legato run at 1.10. I simply CANNOT remember the notes from one day to the next.

I've never played in a band, and I never could have to be honest, can't learn songs or play with accuracy for solos!

So yeah, this is just me crying into my (non-alcoholic) beer, watching people on Youtube playing difficult stuff effortlessly. Still, not giving up ...

Self-absorbed introspective rant over, my cage beckons ...

drofluf · January 2021

But do you enjoy playing?

I’ll never a great or even a good player but I’d be lost without the ability to play; it provides an escape and relaxation.

drpbier · January 2021

I feel you. 3 years in and I don't consider myself a player - but my hobby is *learning* to play and that'll do.

GuyBoden · January 2021

You don't need to be good, just enjoy yourself playing whatever you like. Learn something new or don't, it doesn't really matter.

You're the same age as me.

It's all about enjoyment.

CarpeDiem · January 2021

It's easy to be self critical when you play an instrument, but if other people think you're good then you must be doing something right! There are some amazing players around but, as others have already said, the key thing is to play for the enjoyment. As for motor skills, there are some pro players that can't play really fast, so it's not just you. Similarly, if you can't remember all of a song then use prompts, such as sheet music or tab. Whatever you do, just keep playing, as we all have our good and bad playing days.

Roysterdoyster · January 2021

What is “good”?

kelpbeds · January 2021

You've got to find what works for you. Think about small sections and building them together. And try to find patterns as our brain likes patterns.

Switch625 · January 2021

1) "Good" is relative and subjective

2) You don't need to be able to play like somebody else note for note to be considered good

3) You'll definitely be better than somebody else out there, probably most of us on here

4) You should play for the enjoyment

5) Don't focus on your limitations, focus on your strengths.

That is all

more · January 2021

If your like me. You will listen to music , by some of the worlds best musicians , ever . Your own playing will never sound as good . Or worse , you can't actuly manage to play anything . It is not a situation to despair. I think just trying will improve your appreciation of other players . It is also really good for improving brain function . One problem , for beginners ,is boredom. You get bored going over the same thing , and you still can't play it . I believe one solution is trying different things and different instruments . Ukulele , cigar box guitar , slide guitar, and finger style to name just a few . If you keep moving round, it's all practice and you will improve . If in the end your still frustrated, try learning the drums.

EricTheWeary · January 2021

To play in a band of some sort the standard isn't that high, if I've done it it's not rocket science.
I think, roughly speaking, what happens is you join a band/ jam night/ online project or whatever and your standard accelerates up to that point. It then flatlines and either that's fine because you are doing what you want or you do something else that challenges you and your standard goes up another level. I'm sure Joe Satriani started out playing Louie Louie and Mustang Sally. Much harder in many ways to be disciplined enough to do all that stuff alone.

But, if it’s hobby enjoy the hobby. I’m not playing at the moment for a few reasons but mostly because it’s a means to an end and there’s no end in sight.

Cranky · January 2021

I bet you jam like the dickens, though! Page has gone down as a sloppy player, hasn't he? Nevermind memorizing other people's stuff, let alone Satch. The best songs are rarely played the same way twice anyway.

Grampa · January 2021

I feel the same way, but I don't give a stuff, it's my nemesis and I won't be beaten! The way I look at it is all the crap I turn out is worth it for that occasional flash of something that sounds and feels pretty bloody good. First picked up a guitar at 57, 2yrs ago, and will keep trying to get better to my dying day.

Neill · January 2021

I think you're being too hard on yourself @axisus, the fact that you experience this frustration suggests you have some artistic ability, it's those who seem to have no awareness of how rubbish they are, that need help..!

One of the motivating factors that got me into playing in front of an audience was watching dreadful live acts in pubs and clubs and thinking I could do better. I'm not kidding, many of the bands/singers/guitarists I've seen over the years should really have been told at some point that they were wasting their time, but some folk have such lack of self awareness.

Being critical of yourself is an essential part of any artistic endeavour, that's why getting your stuff out there in some way is so important. You'll never convince yourself that your playing is up to scratch, but others will tell you and believe me, most folk set the bar pretty low. You have to bear in mind that if you can play three chords on a guitar you will be streets ahead of 99% of the population.

Forget Satriani, what I would do is find something very simple that you can play with confidence and record it. Then play it randomly to friends/family without telling them who it is and see how they react. That way you don't suffer the anxiety of live performance but it just might give you a bit of a lift, and convince you that you're not as bad as you think.

LastMantra · January 2021

How come some people think you are amazing but you don't?

richman6100 · January 2021

@axisus ;
You can play both guitar and piano? You're clearly considerably more talented than me. Once I accepted that I'll never be a great guitarist and just decided to enjoy the ride and learn at my own pace, I offloaded a lot of the pressure I was putting on myself and progressed more successfully. I too have a dreadful memory and frequently forget stuff I used to know. Don't beat yourself up over it mate, try to enjoy the surprise when muscle memory kicks in and your hands take over what you thought you'd lost. I used to compare myself to contemporaries who I now acknowledge are simply more talented and who I could never compete with. It was quite a revelation when I stopped doing this and I'm much happier now. I hit brick walls all the time when learning new songs, but I eventually get there, even if it takes me hundreds of attempts to get something right that others pick up really quickly. I'm also in my fifties and I watch my teenage son pick up stuff far quicker than I do. I'm actually pretty proud to see this. What I can offer him is advice, learned from experience, and help him avoid the mistakes that held me back. That said, I started playing guitar in my teens, got put off when friends turned out to be more talented, and gave up for many years. Then I found that playing in later life gave gave me a perspective that I lacked as a young man. I'm a better player now than I was in my 'prime'. I bet you're a whole lot better than you think you are.

DavidR · January 2021

"I will never be any good at guitar......."

Some days everyone feels like that! Most people play for their own enjoyment, the challenge and a love of music and the instrument.

People enjoy fishing even when they don't catch any fish!

Anyway, you probably are quite good.

Vibetronic · January 2021

I'm sure you've posted clips of your playing up here before and you're far from crap! Didn't you have a Chapman Stick at some point? Out of all the people I've taught it's invariably the ones who think they're no good who are actually way better than they think they are. I don't think youtube videos are any measure of progress, and it's way too easy to get disheartened watching those - the stuff on there is generally dressed up to look and sound great, and there's plenty of players on there who are seemingly amazing who aren't actually that good without the production/editing (as in when it comes to a proper live scenario their seemingly perfect playing...isn't). I've been playing for 30+ years and I *still* find it really hard to copy other peoples playing/runs/licks sometimes - so generally I don't, and stick to doing my own thing. Might be a way forward? When it's your own stuff you make up the rules - don't beat yourself up so much about it

digitalscream · January 2021

axisus said:

So yeah, this is just me crying into my (non-alcoholic) beer, watching people on Youtube playing difficult stuff effortlessly. Still, not giving up ...

I have this problem. I love playing guitar, but for me it's insanely hard work playing anything at all.

I can play reasonably quick stuff when I put my mind to it, but playing guitar is not effortless for me - it takes a huge amount of hard work for me to play anything at all. By which I mean it basically consumes all of my brain's processing capacity just to string a few notes together. I have absolutely no idea how most guitarists seem to be able to have on-stage presence beyond standing still and staring at the fretboard, much less singing at the same time.

So yeah...for me, my limits in terms of playing aren't physical the way they are for most folk, they're mental. And no matter what I try to get past that, I haven't been able to in 36 years of playing.

axisus · January 2021

Hey, thanks for the positivity all!

I was clearly on something of a Covid downer yesterday, hence my pitiful rant!

Clearly I was way off base saying that I'll never be any good at guitar, just look at my videos and you will see that I can play the stuff I play pretty well. I think that I was just venting my frustrations at the ceiling that I hit technique-wise, which is lower than I'd have liked by a long shot, but actually a lot higher than 99% of the population (who aren't guitarists!)

On the plus side, right now my improvisation has never been better. Yes, it's no big deal compared to a lot of you guys but I'm pleased that it is at a high point for me, (albeit with my bastardized blues one-scale-fits-all approach!).

Onward and upward! (and I'm not giving up on that Satch track!)

Teetonetal · January 2021

Glad you are feeling a bit more positive than yesterday.

Comparing yourself to a professional, especially to ones near the top of the technical tree is always going to be frustrating and for many an unobtainable goal. I guess the healthy pov is to aspire, but for those times you can't pull it off, just look for the benefits that the attempt has brought.

I guess it's these aspirations that drive us on and for some enable them to become technically amazing players. But even these guys hit a ceiling eventually.

Lestratcaster · January 2021

I've been playing a long time - over 20 years but I still reckon I could be better. But then we guitarists always fall into that trap of comparing ourselves to other players, when I should be focusing on myself, what I can do well. I enjoy playing and I feel I can play most things pretty well but there's alot of stuff I don't know how to play that often the next guitarist can. But then as someone mentioned above, what defines a 'good' guitarist anyway?

menamestom · January 2021

Personally my main priority for the guitar is creating something of my own. I’ve never obsessed about nailing any song, I’d perhaps work on a song for a bit and let a few ideas sink in but the thought of note for note copying somebody doesn’t fill me excitement.

I suppose we all want something different out if the instrument but perhaps trying to nail a virtuosos’s instrumental isn’t the best use of your time?

Perhaps a challenge is good but if it isn’t working try something else.

phil_b · January 2021

i am a beginner and also have problems remembering songs.

but maybe that is because I only play for myself. there is not the pressure of not making mistakes or learning songs. Maybe not being in a band is the reason you dont remember songs rather than a lack of function

GuyBoden · January 2021

axisus said:

or any other instrument. It's a sad realisation.

OK, some people think I am amazing at guitar/piano, but the fact is that I am missing some fundamental skills:

1) poor motor skills in terms of accuracy
2) poor memory recall

I looked at the detail in iTunes, and there is an instrumental song that I have been trying to play for years and years. The play count for the backing track is almost 2000 times, and yet I am still nowhere near getting the short widdly bit right (it's probably 6 seconds tops!). I will never have accuracy, it isn't in my mind and fingers unfortunately.

And remembering stuff. At the start of lockdown one I decided to do a simple arrangement for a piece of piano music that is less than 3 minutes long. I got it all worked out in a couple of weeks, it's just chords with some melody thrown in. 10 months on and I still can't play it through without forgetting something. It is BLOODY frustrating!

These two flaws are annoying as I clearly have some ability in other areas, but at my age (57) nothing is going to improve.

Satriani's Always with Me song, I have wrestled with for a decade. I have never got past the legato run at 1.10. I simply CANNOT remember the notes from one day to the next.

I've never played in a band, and I never could have to be honest, can't learn songs or play with accuracy for solos!

So yeah, this is just me crying into my (non-alcoholic) beer, watching people on Youtube playing difficult stuff effortlessly. Still, not giving up ...

Self-absorbed introspective rant over, my cage beckons ...

Well I think you should be nice to yourself and stop being over self critical, some years ago you posted this video of you playing the Chapman stick, which is probably the most difficult string instrument to play. Two handed tapping is very, very difficult, the pinnacle of guitar technique in my opinion.

DesVegas · January 2021

Play from your heart and the music will remain sweet

axisus · January 2021

@GuyBoden hah! not seen that video in a while. Ironically I gave up Chapman stick as I wasn't good enough at it ...

chotu495 · January 2021

phil_b said:

i am a beginner and also have problems remembering songs.

but maybe that is because I only play for myself. there is not the pressure of not making mistakes or learning songs. Maybe not being in a band is the reason you dont remember songs rather than a lack of function

I think there is a lot of truth in this.

I still love playing, despite my average abilities, however, IF i were to commit to a band and have to learn a setlist of songs, i’d do it. It is likely that I dont learn songs through, because there’s no need for me to.

Playing guitar is a massive investment in time and effort. Easy to forget until you put your guitar in the hands of a friend who can’t play.

I watched Idris Elba interview Paul McCartney recently, and Idris brought his acoustic along. Idris is clearly at the start of his journey in guitar, and it was a little awkward watching him play a chord and ask Macca if he could name it. It underlined how hard guitar is, and yet how Idris played his C chord and got happiness from doing something what more seasoned players would do instinctively.

Its a blessing and a curse

Kasalic · January 2021

I think it is easy to be over critical of yourself, even when family, friends and other musicians are telling you how good you are. I know I focus far more on the bad parts of my playing, I can be sloppy and have many bad habits picked up by being self taught before the internet was available to tell me how to do things ‘right’. With me it comes around every now and then when I get into a rut, and I find I have to change direction/focus to keep the enthusiasm going.

Teetonetal · January 2021

axisus said:

@GuyBoden hah! not seen that video in a while. Ironically I gave up Chapman stick as I wasn't good enough at it ...

maybe a reassessment of your aspirational standards is required?

Fuengi · January 2021

I'm just one more pedal away from being really good...

TheBigDipper · January 2021

axisus said:

@GuyBoden hah! not seen that video in a while. Ironically I gave up Chapman stick as I wasn't good enough at it ...

I gave up Chapman Stick at a far lower level of achievement than you. But, for someone exclusively playing instruments that require the left and right hands to act in unison (like guitar) it just became "mission impossible" for me. I'm sure drummers and pianists have an easier time of it if they try a Stick. They're already used to having two hands work independently.

Lovely tone from the bass strings on that Stick, BTW.

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I will never be any good at guitar ....

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