Guitar playing weaknesses

[Tremontinator]

How do I find and identify what's holding me back as a player?


I just feel like there's something basic and fundamental about playing the guitar where I didn't get the memo. There's got to be something that I can do to identify my problem areas and weaknesses in order to get to the next level and improve more efficiently.


I see players all the time who get better just by thinking about the guitar. I can work on something for years on end, and make zero improvements.


I've learned and forgotten all kinds of songs over the years so, I know I'm not one of those people who just can't play guitar, period.


I don't even know how to phrase the questions


Is it picking problems?
Fret hand problems?

Two hand synchronization?
Well, I know I've got problems there but no idea how to fix it

Why can't I build speed no matter what I do? I've tried everything I can find and everything everybody tells me.


I've been playing since 2004. There's no excuse for me to still be a sucky beginner. I might not play every day or for hours and hours on end but, damn, I've definitely put in enough hours to be significantly better than what I am.


Somebody did point out that my vibrato was weak. Especially on bends. That was November, and I've been working on it a little bit and no real improvement. I'm just more aware of it.


Anybody got anything? I want to get better. Noticeably better

 

[CandidPicker]

Check out Pete Thorn's YT vid featuring the 9-year-old kid, Taj, from Australia who's been playing only 2 years. Observe how Taj is able to accomplish his bends and vibrato. Pete touches on this subject, and makes it a point because he does something similar, because his individual fingers aren't strong enough to do what he needs.

While it's only a couple pointers, it's a beginning that will help.

 

[Tremontinator]

Check out Pete Thorn's YT vid featuring the 9-year-old kid, Taj, from Australia who's been playing only 2 years. Observe how Taj is able to accomplish his bends and vibrato. Pete touches on this subject, and makes it a point because he does something similar, because his individual fingers aren't strong enough to do what he needs.

While it's only a couple pointers, it's a beginning that will help.

Link?

 

[Rockmark]

Don't be so hard on yourself, you probably are doing much better than many. Question. Do you play w other players? Playing w 2 or 3 others has a tendency to help one improve quickly and pick up some new things and ways. You may surprise yourself. There are so many nuances, styles and ways to approach playing that one has to find what works individually best for their liking. Good luck on the long and winding road.

 

[Boogie]

Find a live/real/in-person teacher. Nothing replaces a human being in your immediate proximity teaching you something.

 

[dmatthews]

Find a live/real/in-person teacher. Nothing replaces a human being in your immediate proximity teaching you something.

Beat me to it. Find someone who can teach you the styles you're interested in, and go from there.

 

[jvin248]

...Why can't I build speed no matter what I do?...

For speed shredding, this may be useful. An excellent guitar history with some insightful techniques.

Look up Pebber Brown on youtube as well.

However, here's something to think about ... chicks don't dig shredding. Only other guitar players take shredding as a challenge. Chicks dig soulful string bending like BB King. Look who crushes the stage at a Malmsteen concert and it's all dudes. If you want chicks to swoon, forget the shredding speed and study Clapton and King and Kirchen.

Shredding speed killed popular guitar music. When was the last time you were inspired by a five minute drum solo? A guitar solo doesn't inspire the regular music listener. Just slow down and put feeling into the music and the guitar playing.

.

.

 

[11top]

A couple weeks ago I went to SW where Paul Gilbert gave a lesson to about 30 of us. The very first thing he said? STOMP your foot when you play. I think he was saying in a nice way, nothing beats rhythm and is step #1.

 

[Tremontinator]

Don't be so hard on yourself, you probably are doing much better than many. Question. Do you play w other players? Playing w 2 or 3 others has a tendency to help one improve quickly and pick up some new things and ways. You may surprise yourself. There are so many nuances, styles and ways to approach playing that one has to find what works individually best for their liking. Good luck on the long and winding road.

Sadly, no. Two stores here sell electrics like water to a herd of camels, and a third sells acoustics about the same.

I've answered ads and put out my own on CL. Zero luck.

If I answer an ad, I get flakes. If I post an ad, nothing

 

[Tremontinator]

Beat me to it. Find someone who can teach you the styles you're interested in, and go from there.

There's one. He kept forcing shred down my throat when I said I don't like it and want to learn blues.

 

[Tremontinator]

For speed shredding, this may be useful. An excellent guitar history with some insightful techniques.

Look up Pebber Brown on youtube as well.

However, here's something to think about ... chicks don't dig shredding. Only other guitar players take shredding as a challenge. Chicks dig soulful string bending like BB King. Look who crushes the stage at a Malmsteen concert and it's all dudes. If you want chicks to swoon, forget the shredding speed and study Clapton and King and Kirchen.

Shredding speed killed popular guitar music. When was the last time you were inspired by a five minute drum solo? A guitar solo doesn't inspire the regular music listener. Just slow down and put feeling into the music and the guitar playing.

.

.

I'm with you. Great analogies. I don't want to shred. I hate that nonsense. "Look at me practice every note I can play, bro. What's melody? What's feel? Arpeggios bro!" Always wanna tell them guys blow it out your arse!

I wanna start by learning to solo like Chuck Berry and Angus Young. It's all too fast for me. Same with early Skynyrd Slash Satriani SRV all the blues guys. Everything you can name is too fast for me.

It has to be something foundational, right? It's gotta be something simple and basic that I just didn't get the memo.

And I mean beyond the classic lazy cop out answer to just "practice more". That's not working.

 

[Tremontinator]

A couple weeks ago I went to SW where Paul Gilbert gave a lesson to about 30 of us. The very first thing he said? STOMP your foot when you play. I think he was saying in a nice way, nothing beats rhythm and is step #1.

Makes sense. I kinda sway a little. Don't really know what else I do. I concentrate pretty hard. People have said I sometimes tap my foot or head bang but, IDK.

 

[jxe]

this guy’s playing isn’t going to get girls, he’s slow and uses too much gain.

For speed shredding, this may be useful. An excellent guitar history with some insightful techniques.

Look up Pebber Brown on youtube as well.

However, here's something to think about ... chicks don't dig shredding. Only other guitar players take shredding as a challenge. Chicks dig soulful string bending like BB King. Look who crushes the stage at a Malmsteen concert and it's all dudes. If you want chicks to swoon, forget the shredding speed and study Clapton and King and Kirchen.

Shredding speed killed popular guitar music. When was the last time you were inspired by a five minute drum solo? A guitar solo doesn't inspire the regular music listener. Just slow down and put feeling into the music and the guitar playing.

.

.

 

[Tremontinator]

I'm with you. Great analogies. I don't want to shred. I hate that nonsense. "Look at me practice every note I can play, bro. What's melody? What's feel? Arpeggios bro!" Always wanna tell them guys blow it out your arse!

I wanna start by learning to solo like Chuck Berry and Angus Young. It's all too fast for me. Same with early Skynyrd Slash Satriani SRV all the blues guys. Everything you can name is too fast for me.

It has to be something foundational, right? It's gotta be something simple and basic that I just didn't get the memo.

And I mean beyond the classic lazy cop out answer to just "practice more". That's not working.

Oh, and I use economy picking. I started with that strictly alternate stuff. Then I found an article teaching why economy is better, and I started playing a lot smoother and easier with less thought and effort.

IDK. I'm not one of those people who gets into a keyboard warrior battle about which is best but, for me, I couldn't make alternate picking work if my life depended on it. The only time I do that, is when I'm on one string or playing in between two strings


B-0-4-0-7-0-4-0-7...-0-5-0-8-0-5-0-8

That's too fast for me.

e--------------5
b----------5
g--7b9

Something like that, I'll start by basically sweeping it, and then up pick the G, and sweep the b and e to repeat it

A-----------2-4-5
E--2-4-5

If that's repeating, I'll start D U D(sweep)D U D, and then U D U, D U D, U D U, D U D just cause those are the next logical pick strokes for economy

But if I played say

D--------------------4-5-7
A----------3-5-7
E-3-5-7

It would be D U D on all strings, and basically sweep picking the string changes

 

[CandidPicker]

Link?

 

[Tremontinator]

no way

 

[CandidPicker]

Don't be so hard on yourself, you probably are doing much better than many. Question. Do you play w other players? Playing w 2 or 3 others has a tendency to help one improve quickly and pick up some new things and ways. You may surprise yourself. There are so many nuances, styles and ways to approach playing that one has to find what works individually best for their liking. Good luck on the long and winding road.

That was my turning point as well. As soon as I began jamming at open-mics either solo or with other players, I learned so much more about improving my style and technique, listening skills and musicianship.

It didn't hurt to have the open-mic host as my mentor for about a year while I offered my services as an ad-hoc PA roadie for the house band. Position paid $20 each open-mic, which I parlayed into 60 to 75 minute guitar lessons with the open-mic host every week or so for about a year off and on.

These weren't traditional lessons, but more for picking up on specific songs I wished to learn that the house band jammed regularly at the gig. That opened up greater opportunities to sit in with the band more often when guest guitarists were in shorter supply during the off-season.

The host was an extraordinarily decent man, friendly and kind with his praise, but with an off-beat sense of humor that was his own style. He had some of the best creative sarcastic one-liners: "Of all the thousands of people I've ever met, you're another one," or, "Jonny, is this how you play a B chord?" were 2 of his examples...

@Tremoninator: So, yeah, the hardest part about playing is getting over the feeling of self-doubt and intimidation. There will be players who are much better than each of us, but don't let that discourage you. Associate yourself with the decent folks you can be friends with and have a positive influence on you. There will be folks who know how to "work both the audience and the room" effectively, then those who diverge from reality on a journey where you go for a ride with them. This will help you learn how to follow direction in both instances.

The nuances may be the finer points you may not readily understand at first, but since life is really only guesswork and about asking questions, don't be shy regards this. It's the only way we'll learn anything of value in this world. What'll you'll learn are the tricks and tips. What you essentially went to college for...to know how to get to point B faster than the long route of A to D to E to B, as an illustration.

 

[CandidPicker]

no way

Boggles the mind, doesn't it?

 

[Deleted member 5962]

Find a live/real/in-person teacher. Nothing replaces a human being in your immediate proximity teaching you something.

Yes, and if you really aren't progressing, someone probably needs to see it in person to see if they can analyze what the issue is. Giving someone tips on the internet is impossible because we can't see where the issue is.

When you say you just can't get better, or should be better, what would "better" be for you? Faster? Cleaner? Switch chords better? Or, are you just literally having trouble playing riffs or scales even at slow speeds? What is it that you think you should be better at?

 

[Tremontinator]

That was my turning point as well. As soon as I began jamming at open-mics either solo or with other players, I learned so much more about improving my style and technique, listening skills and musicianship.

It didn't hurt to have the open-mic host as my mentor for about a year while I offered my services as an ad-hoc PA roadie for the house band. Position paid $20 each open-mic, which I parlayed into 60 to 75 minute guitar lessons with the open-mic host every week or so for about a year off and on.

These weren't traditional lessons, but more for picking up on specific songs I wished to learn that the house band jammed regularly at the gig. That opened up greater opportunities to sit in with the band more often when guest guitarists were in shorter supply during the off-season.

The host was an extraordinarily decent man, friendly and kind with his praise, but with an off-beat sense of humor that was his own style. He had some of the best creative sarcastic one-liners: "Of all the thousands of people I've ever met, you're another one," or, "Jonny, is this how you play a B chord?" were 2 of his examples...

@Tremoninator: So, yeah, the hardest part about playing is getting over the feeling of self-doubt and intimidation. There will be players who are much better than each of us, but don't let that discourage you. Associate yourself with the decent folks you can be friends with and have a positive influence on you. There will be folks who know how to "work both the audience and the room" effectively, then those who diverge from reality on a journey where you go for a ride with them. This will help you learn how to follow direction in both instances.

The nuances may be the finer points you may not readily understand at first, but since life is really only guesswork and about asking questions, don't be shy regards this. It's the only way we'll learn anything of value in this world. What'll you'll learn are the tricks and tips. What you essentially went to college for...to know how to get to point B faster than the long route of A to D to E to B, as an illustration.

Duuuude...
That's heavy