Frustrated as h*ll sometimes

[CandidPicker]

I try to play at least 3hrs a day , as my health ( or lack of it) allows. There is definite progress to made from just jammin with records to get your chops . I've certainly had "epiphany moments" when progressions seem to just click and the light bulb glows brightley . Dedicated practice is slow , and on occasion frustrating , but the results are always worth it.

Some folks like the Moises app located in the Mac App Store for slowing down, changing key, repeating key song phrases, etc. I don't know why I've not tried using this yet, but some say it's useful for nailing key phrases and riffs...

 

[DougGuitar]

Some folks like the Moises app for slowing down, changing key, repeating key song phrases, etc. I don't know why I've not tried using this yet, but some say it's useful for nailing key phrases and riffs...

The program "Transcribe!" will do those things as well.

 

[László]

Would like to suggest a log book for charting progress. A simple notebook will work as well. A notebook with spaces for log entry, descriptive adjectives about how you felt, time and date entries for mapping progress. That, and learn the various forms of triads and their inversions the length of the neck. Not only will you receive an education in chord structure, you'll learn where every note is located on the fretboard.

I like that idea, even though I'm not frustrated with my playing!

As you know, I write a lot of orchestral music and that has been informing my thinking with the other types of music I write too. It's something I'd recommend to anyone.

Regards fun = satisfaction = pleasure, Les, you've just described a trait of an older man: wisdom.

Secretly, I'm a younger man. I just disguise myself as an older man so people will think it's age and not stupidity when I screw up!

Yes, it is possible to enjoy oneself without having frolicking fun.

Yeah, but you know how dramatic I like to be.

 

[KentuckyBoiledChiccan]

Sometimes I get so horribly frustrated, and even angry with myself for not practicing enough that I'm ready to put this thing down. But, I'm kind of realizing that it's not that I need more practice (well, yes I do, but that's neither here nor there). It is more like when I DO actually sit down to practice I have no direction. There's no real structure to my practice. Sure, if I have an upcoming gig, I will learn the songs that I need to learn in order to be able to play them. Or if I'm going in to record, I will have my parts together to the point where I can work my way through them. But as far as practicing in general, TO BE A BETTER PLAYER/MUSICIAN, I am realizing I have no idea how to do that. If I am studying a song, technique or a bit of theory, i might get halfway or 3/4 of the way through it, and then not attempt to play it again for another month or two. Or I will start warming up with the intention on doing something specific, then, my mind wanders, and sends me off noodling on things that aren't necessarily improving my playing or my understanding of music. And by the time I'm done messing around with that, I don't feel like practicing anymore. For the amount of time that I've had guitars in my possession, I should be good. But I'm not. Perhaps serviceable, but not good. I got to figure out a way to put this thing together. I'm not getting any younger. Not a whole lot of time left in life for my claim to get better.

(pic for attention, and because this was all part of the same facebook post....sorry it is my cheap guitar that I keep in the shop)

Badass pic, brother!

Sorry, I haven't had time to read all the advice here. Lately, I've been super busy and barely have time to sleep. But I found something that really made a difference for me. Just to be clear, I don't have a strict practice routine – I don't do stretching, practice new scales or modes because it's boring and uninspiring for me.

What really pumped me up to play more were two things.

The Boss RC-10R is a looper with a built-in drum machine. It's been so much fun creating my own music and being my own band. Using it has made me more creative and encouraged me to play differently. Sometimes, I don't even need to loop; just having a drum pattern alone is often enough to keep me going. I've noticed that when I don't have the looper on, I tend to just play random notes on the fretboard without any real direction, literally I'm just fucking around otherwise. The RC-10R is one of the essential pieces on my pedalboard and it's here to stay.

The latest thing I've been doing is a subscription to the Moises app. I have the premium version, which costs less than £10 a month. It's an AI-powered app that allows you to isolate and remove vocals, drums, guitar, and bass from any song. I've created a playlist of songs I like to play, removed the guitar track, and now I can play along with it. It's like the ultimate karaoke machine for me. I'm in the process of setting up a dedicated system with a tablet and a Bluetooth speaker specifically for guitar-related activities. I can of course keep using my phone, but it's pain when a call interrupts my playing. There is a bit of hassle with it as who really has the MP3/Wave/whatever files anymore, but if you look around for a second, you will find the free online converters easily on the web. I convert Spotify to MP3 with spotifydown.com

Hope this helps.

 

[Greywolf]

I came to a mild epiphany regarding practice .. when I'm jamming along with a tune I'm focused on replicating tone and phrasing not so much any note for note as I view it as a compositional / improv session . I just put my head in a space like " if I was sitting in , what would I play" .

When I practice chops , it's repetitive skills and accuracy , played with a clean tone.

 

[Lola]

Practice and playing are two different things to me. When I play I let everything fly. I relax. Playing relaxes me and helps to shift the mental load to the basement. It’s my relief. Just too play without a thought in the world.

Practice is where I get very detailed oriented. I will pick something a part until it’s bare bones and then when I am satisfied I just keeping on adding bits and pieces until the song is complete.

I honestly practiced Stairway to Heaven for 6 months straight.I would come home home from work nightly and practice the finger picking until I got it. I would never get mad because as we all know getting angry with oneself is never productive. I try never to get in that frame of mind because it’s very upsetting for a wanna be perfectionist. It will eat at me and I can’t let my mind reside there!

What really ticked me off one time was there was a part of a song that I was asked to play. I practiced that piece every night until I had it under my fingers. The other guitar player never ever wanted to just practice the two of us so we could get it right. I bugged and bugged him for a play through. It never got played through even once and after all that work. That still frost my flakes to this day. That made me angry.

 

[Moondog Wily]

That still frost my flakes to this day.

I am writing a song around that ;~)) Never heard that one before!!!

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

I am writing a song around that ;~)) Never heard that one before!!!

"Lola's Frosted Flakes! They're magically delicious!" Ok, I know. That would have to be for Lola's Lucky Charms.

 

[Lola]

"Lola's Frosted Flakes! They're magically delicious!" Ok, I know. That would have to be for Lola's Lucky Charms.

Is it where I think it would be? Dying to hear this. You are such a gifted wordsmith!

 

[Moondog Wily]

"Lola's Frosted Flakes! They're magically delicious!" Ok, I know. That would have to be for Lola's Lucky Charms.

Thanks for the reminder, I forgot to put this one in the fish bowl of future songs! This will be a song using many different expressions that refer to frustration and pissed offedness ;~))

 

[Moondog Wily]

Thanks for the reminder, I forgot to put this one in the fish bowl of future songs! This will be a song using many different expressions that refer to frustration and pissed offedness ;~))

OK, wrote a song using dozens of idioms, including "Frosts my flakes"! Thanks for that one Lola and the inspiration to write this song. I have PM'd it to Lola and DTR. If anyone else wants to see the lyrics (title is "What An Idiomit"), happy to send it to you but don't want to post it in the public forum, so PM me if you would like to read my latest word salad ;~))

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

Is it where I think it would be? Dying to hear this. You are such a gifted wordsmith!

Is this for me, or MW? He's the wordsmith, so I'm not sure if you meant this reply for him or I.

 

[Lola]

Is this for me, or MW? He's the wordsmith, so I'm not sure if you meant this reply for him or I.

It’s for @Moondog Wily.

 

[Moondog Wily]

Is this for me, or MW? He's the wordsmith, so I'm not sure if you meant this reply for him or I.

You are guitar god, I am the devil's tongue ;~)) That would be a good band name "The Devil's Tongue"!!

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

It’s for @Moondog Wily.

Thought so. MW is our resident lyricist!

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

That would be a good band name "The Devil's Tongue"!!

Especially if "Guitar God" was the lead guitar players name! " Tonight, please welcome The Devil's Tongue, featuring Guitar God on lead guitar, ..." I better stop this now before I get in trouble. LOL!!!!

 

[DreamTheaterRules]

"They'll be battling it out for your soul tonight, right on our stage!"

(Ok, I think I might have stolen that from a WWsomething wrestling show)

 

[Moondog Wily]

Especially if "Guitar God" was the lead guitar players name! " Tonight, please welcome The Devil's Tongue, featuring Guitar God on lead guitar, ..." I better stop this now before I get in trouble. LOL!!!!

Yeah, Sunday is only 6 days away! And I agree 100%, that would be awesome with "Guitar God" on lead for the band "The Devil's Tongue"!! Great call!!!

 

[Moondog Wily]

OK, here is the whole band (The Devil's Tongue) as I see it:

Slippery Soul - Vocals
Guitar God - Lead Guitar
Beelza Bubba - Bass Guitar
Gein Skins - Drummer
Skele Ton - Keys

 

[Lola]

OK, here is the whole band (The Devil's Tongue) as I see it:

Slippery Soul - Vocals
Guitar God - Lead Guitar
Beelza Bubba - Bass Guitar
Gein Skins - Drummer
Skele Ton - Keys

See what I mean! You have a very creative mind.
Those names are brilliant. And you thought probably for 5 minutes on this! I would of taken probably a week or two to come up with names but not anything like you!