I had an Epiphany

[JetFixxxer]

I tried to play Harvester of Sorrow today and realized that I suck.
I started to playing.. well if you call it playing in 1986.. I can't play simple songs let alone play them in time. When I practice I either play with a metronome or a my drum machine on my GXN3. I can make up simple songs with simple chords.. and thats about it.. I can't add a fill. I can't play somebody else's song to save my ass. I can't listen to a song and duplicate it on the guitar without having the tabs for it. I know about 15 seconds of every fucking song out there but don't know a full song. Everything is stuck in my mind and I cant' transfer it my guitars... I've tried learning the theory.... tried a lot of different books.. it's not happening. I just wish I could remove the blockage. My dick beaters do not move at the speed I wish they would.. Shit you would of though playing the clarinet for a few years would of help me. I can't even strum damn American Pie.. or We can work it out.. without sounding like I'm fucking a cat...

Maybe it because I really never played with other musician.

I do really enjoy working on my guitars.. I just think that stems from my enjoyment of being a mechanic.

[Cygnus X1]

Hey, Jet....
Have we been down this road before?

Maybe I'm thinking of someone else.
Let me take you by the hand, because after plinking for 30 years, I'm not all that great, either. But I can play a bit. Of all people, one would think I ought to give up. I had classical training. I had training from a jazz wiz in Rochester, NY. I had a post high school band, and I had a buddy (John Mooney), who makes his living from music teach me delta blues.

You know what finally cracked the shell for me? It was old blues. Simple. Basic. So easy people make fun of it. But, it taught me about how a song is made. And it's not about the guitar as much, as feeling the music.
So, learn your I-!V-V, your pentatonic, grab some old blues, and report back in a couple of months.

Just my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

[JetFixxxer]

Hey, Jet....
Have we been down this road before?

Maybe I'm thinking of someone else.

So, learn your I-!V-V, your pentatonic, grab some old blues, and report back in a couple of months.

Just my opinion, and I'm sticking to it.

We kind of went done this road before...

[Cygnus X1]

So?
What do you think?

My suggestions:
Lightnin' Hopkins
Elmore James
Son House
Robert Johnson
Then, when you get those down, go to:
Old ZZ Top
George Thorogood
AC/DC

And, when you master those, you WILL have the I-IV-V down, in your blood, the pentatonic devil tearing your soul out and crying for more. Just kidding. But, you will have an good idea of how a song is put together, how the guitar fits, and how to phrase.

Ones to stay away from (but I love to listen to them , don't get me wrong):
BB King
Clarence Gatemouth Brown
Big Bill Broonzy

[JetFixxxer]

I've been listening to some Muddy Waters...

[Axewielder]

Dude I'd say make sure of the following:

- Challenge yourself mentally: new scales, music theory books/classes, listen to new kinds of music
- Challenge yourself physically: get a metronome, do finger exercises, break our of your "comfort zone"
- Learn new material by ear: challenge yourself and try to learn something that way
- Learn something with tab: tab can be a good thing, if it is quality tab (good luck finding that)

[VitaminG]

lately I've been scouring youtube for vids of people playing the tunes I'm working on. Watching 3 different ppl play the same song 3 different ways can help me work out my own approach to a song. Whether that be different fingerings for the same part or just for completely different ideas for playing a particular song. I don't get hung up on trying to play a song "just like the record". Tabs or whatever are just tools to get me in the ballpark & to help me understand what makes a song tick. Other than that, as much as I appreciate people who can do the note-for-note thing, I don't have the patience or willpower to do that. Besides, doing it "my way" lets me get up and running and having fun a helluva lot quicker. And as the song gets more comfortable, those other fiddly bits can be added back in - if I can be bothered.

[maj.kalishnakov]

dude im a rhythm player, i cant play leads, its a mental thing. but im a good rhythm guitar player so mostly i dont care. i learned how to play by playing old ac/dc songs. really old stuff like tnt, problem child, highway to hell ect. 1- they still rock so they are fun to play, just crank the amp adj. your tube screamer and go.m 2- ac/dc are good cuz the are a really tight band. you will learn timing, fast chord changes, bridges, and best off all they are easy to play all the way through. malcome young you are my hero also play w/ people as much as possible, a band would be good it really speed up the learning process.

[Super_shredder]

learn easy songs by ear. e.g communication breakdown has a riff that can be picked out by ear pretty easily

[Rsmacker]

I knew a girl who had an epiphany once. Or maybe it was an itchy-fanny. Could have been an Epiphone, ah well.


Perhaps you should stick to being a death-metal clarinetist.

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you play, whether you are shit or not, so long as YOU are happy, buy more guitars and torture them. Fuck everyone else, it gives you pleasure, that's all that counts.

[Gartron]

as super shredder said, also have a listen to Black Sabbath, really easy riffs to play along to and pick out by ear.

Also maybe try some of Metallica's earlier songs like Whiplash or Bells, they shouldn't give you too much grief.

[nhspike]

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you play, whether you are shit or not, so long as YOU are happy, buy more guitars and torture them. Fuck everyone else, it gives you pleasure, that's all that counts.

Ding Ding Ding!

+1

[Newc]

Definitely Ozzy-era Sabbath - the simple two-finger chords like Paranoid and Iron Man are great starters.

Living After Midnight has the easiest solo besides I Love It Loud.

And there's nothing wrong with not being able to play cover songs all the way through. If you like the stuff you come up with, focus on that. I do.

[dg]

+2 to what Rsmacker said.

There's nothing wrong with being more of a guitar nut/hobbyist than a musician. If you really have some musical inspiration inside that has to come out, you'll do what you have to to make that happen. Starting with simple stuff & working your way up is good advice, but something tells me you already knew that, tried it, and it didn't inspire you. You've either got a spark to create music or you don't. I'm not saying you don't, only you know that. Maybe you just need the right inspiration.