This is the elephant in the room for most people.

[JiveTurkey]

 

[la szum]

He forgot reason 6: stuck watching too many gear fluencers on the Youtubez vs. practicing.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I'm more focused on the progression and continuation of writing. Yes, learning new chord voicings and practicing techniques can open up song ideas but I think most of it comes from listening to your inner melodic self and figuring out a way to translate that to the instrument that works best for you. Technical prowess should come from the need to fulfill the song in your head. If it can't, then practice or come to a compromise. Everybody has their own level of acceptance and will either push real hard or do it more organically. If you truly love and enjoy it, you'll put in the time the best you can.

 

[Warmart]

I don't think we are served by shame, and being made to feel guilty about how we are or
are not progressing. Life can be an ass kicker..... especially if you have a wife and kids, or kids,
or a job, or pets, or pets, kids, a wife, and a job, or friends, kids, a wife, a mistress, and 3 jobs.

Don't forget the part about "if you wear pants".

Pants, although a stupid fucking word, conveys much baggage. Perhaps since it actually contains the "bag", if you will agree.

 

[Warmart]

I'm more focused on the progression and continuation of writing. Yes, learning new chord voicings and practicing techniques can open up song ideas but I think most of it comes from listening to your inner melodic self and figuring out a way to translate that to the instrument that works best for you. Technical prowess should come from the need to fulfill the song in your head. If it can't, then practice or come to a compromise. Everybody has their own level of acceptance and will either push real hard or do it more organically. If you truly love and enjoy it, you'll put in the time the best you can.

Someone has been smokin' tonight!

 

[la szum]

I'm more focused on the progression and continuation of writing. Yes, learning new chord voicings and practicing techniques can open up song ideas but I think most of it comes from listening to your inner melodic self and figuring out a way to translate that to the instrument that works best for you. Technical prowess should come from the need to fulfill the song in your head. If it can't, then practice or come to a compromise. Everybody has their own level of acceptance and will either push real hard or do it more organically. If you truly love and enjoy it, you'll put in the time the best you can.

Great post, FA!

 

[FuzzyAce]

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

great advice as always from Dani.

5 reasons why you will never get good at guitar:

1.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
2.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
3.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
4.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
5.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com

 

[Eagle]

I'm more focused on the progression and continuation of writing. Yes, learning new chord voicings and practicing techniques can open up song ideas but I think most of it comes from listening to your inner melodic self and figuring out a way to translate that to the instrument that works best for you. Technical prowess should come from the need to fulfill the song in your head. If it can't, then practice or come to a compromise. Everybody has their own level of acceptance and will either push real hard or do it more organically. If you truly love and enjoy it, you'll put in the time the best you can.

He isn’t only talking about technique. He is talking about what ever you feel is lacking and dealing with it methodically instead of just playing and stagnating with your practice time.

 

[Eagle]

It’s a life choice, it’s about taking control over yourself and choosing to spend your time wisely. Don’t waste time bemoaning something when you could spend that time doing something about it. I come across people all the time that wish they could do “X” and after a few years of doing that they could have done it. Their lack of focus is all that stops them. The path of least resistance is rarely the best option.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

It’s a life choice, it’s about taking control over yourself and choosing to spend your time wisely. Don’t waste time bemoaning something when you could spend that time doing something about it. I come across people all the time that wish they could do “X” and after a few years of doing that they could have done it. Their lack of focus is all that stops them. The path of least resistance is rarely the best option.

Who around here is bemoaning their lack of improvement on the guitar? The folks around here that are wanting to improve seem to be putting in the time and doing so.

 

[Eagle]

Who around here is bemoaning their lack of improvement on the guitar? The folks around here that are wanting to improve seem to be putting in the time and doing so.

You protest too much

 

[woody]

It’s a life choice, it’s about taking control over yourself and choosing to spend your time wisely. Don’t waste time bemoaning something when you could spend that time doing something about it. I come across people all the time that wish they could do “X” and after a few years of doing that they could have done it. Their lack of focus is all that stops them. The path of least resistance is rarely the best option.

Dude. Chill.
Having lived through burnout and depression I can sincerely say that this is BS for a lot of (if not most) people.
Finding a path with sustainable resistance through changing and challenging personal lives is difficult for most everyone.
I don't get any more quality time with guitar and less outside stress by just willing that into my life.
As hard as I tried.

I do bemoan that I didn't find enough time to practice and to progress.
But for the last couple of years, I seriously got bigger fish to fry.
Is prioritizing survival and (mental) health "not taking control over yourself and showing lack of focus"?
Is that really what you want to say, here?

We all have limitations, nobody can allocate all their resources with reckless abandon.
We're human.
And I think we should try to lift us up and help find our individual ways to sustainable growth than bring us down by pointing fingers and calling each other weak and lacking.

 

[Eagle]

Dude. Chill.
Having lived through burnout and depression I can sincerely say that this is BS for a lot of (if not most) people.
Finding a path with sustainable resistance through changing and challenging personal lives is difficult for most everyone.
I don't get any more quality time with guitar and less outside stress by just willing that into my life.
As hard as I tried.

I do bemoan that I didn't find enough time to practice and to progress.
But for the last couple of years, I seriously got bigger fish to fry.
Is prioritizing survival and (mental) health "not taking control over yourself and showing lack of focus"?
Is that really what you want to say, here?

We all have limitations, nobody can allocate all their resources with reckless abandon.
We're human.
And I think we should try to lift us up and help find our individual ways to sustainable growth than bring us down by pointing fingers and calling each other weak and lacking.

I get your point and agree. I still see it as priorities though and we all have to decide what is best for us. I just think it’s about using whatever practice time we get to achieve our objectives best . I’m pointing it at me nobody else in this respect.
No offence was meant and I am my hardest critic by far.

 

[FuzzyAce]

He isn’t only talking about technique. He is talking about what ever you feel is lacking and dealing with it methodically instead of just playing and stagnating with your practice time.

For sure. I wasn't challenging what he said, I agree with it. I'm thinking out loud about what I focus my time on when playing guitar.
Priority 1: song
Without that I don't play anything (generally speaking).

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I still see it as priorities though and we all have to decide what is best for us. I just think it’s about using whatever practice time we get to achieve our objectives best . I’m pointing it at me nobody else in this respect.

 

[mbenigni]

5 reasons why you will never get good at guitar:

1.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
2.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
3.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
4.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
5.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com

"You learned the guitar, too?!?"

 

[mbenigni]

This guy needs to have a serious talk with his hairdresser. His head is almost perfectly spherical and it disturbs me.

 

[DrewJD82]

@FuzzyAce really nailed it for me; the *only* time I practice anything these days is when I need to play something I wrote efficiently enough to record it. On a technique level, it’s very slow progress because I might only have something once a year I’ll need to practice. Whether or not whatever that is makes its way into anything else isn’t even a concern, but usually it does.

Occasionally I’ll have a little burst of “I wanna woodshed” ideas, it’ll last a few days and then I go back to “I just want to write songs I dig”. I know one thing for sure, I get zero enjoyment from anything technique-related these days. When I DO have to practice something to track it, there’s a .5 second celebration of “Finally! Now I can move on!” and that’s the extent of it, but when I finish a whole song, or I’m in the middle of one and the ideas are flowing, there’s nothing cooler than that for me.

 

[Piing]

5 reasons why you will never get good at guitar:

1.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
2.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
3.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
4.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com
5.) You didn't sign up for Guitar Tricks dot com