This is the elephant in the room for most people.

[Eagle]

Knowing my options fully is always better for the situation imo. A lot of what I practice these days is about musicality and keeping my technique consistent and accurate. When I was younger I used to be technically focused to try to be better but music is about music first and foremost.

For me if I want to choose to play something simple because it is right for the piece I want to have decided on it not because I don’t know what else I could do. Ear training, melody, harmony and rhythm are all part of practice not just technique.

 

[la szum]

I've always loved learning, just for the sake of learning. That's it. It, in and of itself, gives me pleasure.

A girl in HS once asked me if I read the encyclopedia in my free time. I didn't and told her 'no.' But she apparently picked up on my having a better-than-average amount of knowledge about several things, which I suppose was true. I just like that shit.

I wasn't learning so I could _________. (Some things I was, of course, but not everything.)

And it's the same way for me on the guitar. I couldn't care less about an end goal, or putting what I learn into a song. If that's what excites you, that's great.

For me, just being able to see that this week I can do some things better than I did last week, makes me content and happy. So maybe I do actually have a goal, which is to simply please myself with my improvements as a player.

If knowledge is power, then knowledge plus skill is mastery.

I think we all need a pursuit in life----especially men. The hunt and evolution
and all that jazz. I can't do the endless drift from one random thing to another.
Jesus might have wandered in the Desert for 40 days but not me.

Where are we going and when do we get there?? I need to take a piss anyways!

 

[FuzzyAce]

I've always loved learning, just for the sake of learning. That's it. It, in and of itself, gives me pleasure.

A girl in HS once asked me if I read the encyclopedia in my free time. I didn't and told her 'no.' But she apparently picked up on my having a better-than-average amount of knowledge about several things, which I suppose was true. I just like that shit.

I wasn't learning so I could _________. (Some things I was, of course, but not everything.)

And it's the same way for me on the guitar. I couldn't care less about an end goal, or putting what I learn into a song. If that's what excites you, that's great.

For me, just being able to see that this week I can do some things better than I did last week, makes me content and happy. So maybe I do actually have a goal, which is to simply please myself with my improvements as a player.

#AlwaysBeLearning.
I think it's safe to say most of us here feel that way, and hopefully that desire continues til death.
And sorry if my previous post came off as snobby or something, that was definitely not my intention. I'm just some random hack on the internet!
I hope you understood what I meant though.
For example -- you of course know what it takes to build a whole house from start to finish, the foundation, framing, etc, etc. I look at songwriting that way. Applying all the skills it takes to build something and creating a finished structure. That's what drives me musically because it seems like a never-ending learning experience. I think I'd give up playing if that desire dried up? Maybe in some weird way that's why I learned to work on amps and guitars, because of that fear of losing passion with music. At least I'd still be connected with the guitar in an intimate way. I'm just happy I enjoy both the technical and creative aspects.

 

[TSJMajesty]

#AlwaysBeLearning.
I think it's safe to say most of us here feel that way, and hopefully that desire continues til death.
And sorry if my previous post came off as snobby or something, that was definitely not my intention.

Not at all!!

I hope you understood what I meant though.
For example -- you of course know what it takes to build a whole house from start to finish, the foundation, framing, etc, etc. I look at songwriting that way. Applying all the skills it takes to build something and creating a finished structure. That's what drives me musically because it seems like a never-ending learning experience. I think I'd give up playing if that desire dried up? Maybe in some weird way that's why I learned to work on amps and guitars, because of that fear of losing passion with music. At least I'd still be connected with the guitar in an intimate way. I'm just happy I enjoy both the technical and creative aspects.

Right on!

I guess I took your meaning to be that we should all have a reason for wanting to develop as a player, that ends up in some way/shape/form in a song, whether it's your own creation, or whatever.

What I was trying to say is for me, the pursuit alone is enough.

No worries!

 

[Diary Of An Axeman]

I switch to learning sax, keyboards or music from India, the Middle East or Asian Music .

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

His last point: "When you're alone, allow yourself to sound terrible"

I don't remember who, I think a Classic Guitar teacher, said the opposite. Something like "even if you're alone, always play like if there is a master in front of you". e.g.: never play out of tempo, pitch, etc.

And I've seen one drawback of playing terrible when practicing. I've recently found one of the reasons why I am often sluggish with the tempo: I have learned to play by ear, playing over records (vinyls, yes, I'm that old). To do that, I had to first listen to the note, and then play it. That has made me used to play with certain latency, to listen what is going on even when I have already learned the notes. Now I am trying to correct that with routines of strict metronome exercises.

That was when I opened this thread:

Does your tempo suck? (Metronome Boot Camp)

This post is inspired by @TSJMajesty What's Worse Than...? thread Being conscious of how much my timing sucks after nearly 40 years playing guitar, I have decided to enroll the free METRONOME BOOT CAMP Lesson 0 has useful tips, Lesson 1 is about using the metronome, and Lesson 2 "Bury the...

thegearforum.com

FWIW, I tell my students that want to get chops, that without an acceptance or better yet celebration of suckage it won’t progress in any reasonable time.

As in “today I suck at this, I’ll keep at it and there’ll be improvement later today or tomorrow”

As for reasoning of latency because of picking notes off recordings.
All of us geezers learned this way.

The reason some tempos are a bitch (and I’m like a broken record here) is that we simply haven’t learned to feel time in the expected way.

Every single one of us have our own internal clock, but until we can relate that to others the things we work on even if they’re seemingly unrelated are a mess until time is learned.
As in how does anyone think their hands can play 16th triplets at 130 (especially not scale sequences) if we can’t mumble or at least think it.

The hands are never faster than the brain.

Same with slower tempos playing the second triplet of beat 1+3 and the up beat 8th of beat. 2+4 at 60pm is gonna be a butch until our brain (mumble it) knows where in time they are placed.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

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.

Priorities…

 

[mercifulfuzziness]

FWIW, I tell my students that want to get chops, that without an acceptance or better yet celebration of suckage it won’t progress in any reasonable time.

As in “today I suck at this, I’ll keep at it and there’ll be improvement later today or tomorrow”

As for reasoning of latency because of picking notes off recordings.
All of us geezers learned this way.

The reason some tempos are a bitch (and I’m like a broken record here) is that we simply haven’t learned to feel time in the expected way.

Every single one of us have our own internal clock, but until we can relate that to others the things we work on even if they’re seemingly unrelated are a mess until time is learned.
As in how does anyone think their hands can play 16th triplets at 130 (especially not scale sequences) if we can’t mumble or at least think it.

The hands are never faster than the brain.

Same with slower tempos playing the second triplet of beat 1+3 and the up beat 8th of beat. 2+4 at 60pm is gonna be a butch until our brain (mumble it) knows where in time they are placed.

Currently I suck the most at staying creative during an A minor pentatonic blues "improv".

So i put on a backing track like this one:



.. And sometimes I just get in the groove.. but even after 8 minutes.. I will be like "okay what's next?"

And sometimes.. I am just playing boring ass .. that I am even boring myself :)

 

[dcburn]

I am in such a rut and have been for a while.
You would never believe I took up guitar in 1997, Ive been a much better player than I am now.
Bass guitar lessons started in the 80's.

Not even sure what to practice anymore...

When I started, it was just a cheap acoustic, Jasmine, and the Grateful Dead anthology book with the chord boxes.
Thats all I did was play. Strummed chords.

Decided to put myself back thru school, around '07, after a year in jail to think about it.
Music Theory major, four semesters of jazz ensemble, blah blah blah...

Fast forward to about 7 or 8 years ago and I want to get into electric guitar playing.
Had amp issues and then I decided to assemble my own amps and I feel like all I do is listen for tone and riff terribly anymore...

I didnt even mention work or kids yet...

 

[LeftyLoungeLizard]

Not even sure what to practice anymore...

Why, Badlands of course...

 

[norminal]

Ok people… I’ve decided that 2025 is going to be the year of music theory. I dabbled a little when I first picked up the guitar, but it’s been learning and playing by ear the majority of my time playing.

I learn better hands-on and with visuals rather than sitting in front of staff paper, looking at little black dots. What’s the equivalent of “Music Theory for Dummies?”

 

[Eagle]

Ok people… I’ve decided that 2025 is going to be the year of music theory. I dabbled a little when I first picked up the guitar, but it’s been learning and playing by ear the majority of my time playing.

I learn better hands-on and with visuals rather than sitting in front of staff paper, looking at little black dots. What’s the equivalent of “Music Theory for Dummies?”

This is the best music theory channel on YouTube by a large margin;

You will be hard pressed to find anything about basic harmony and note choice from other channels.

 

[norminal]

This is the best music theory channel on YouTube by a large margin;

You will be hard pressed to find anything about basic harmony and note choice from other channels.

Thank you. I’ll check it out!

 

[dcburn]

Why, Badlands of course...

Jake is definately one of my favorites!

I think this is the year I start to focus.
Maybe.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Thank you. I’ll check it out!

I'd add Jens Larsen's channel, especially as there's a lot ef smaller installments:

Jens Larsen

Learn jazz guitar and learn how to make music with what you learn. Videos that show you how things work, and also how you use them in your own playing because what is great about learning Jazz is that you become able to play Jazz and make music. In 2014 I was happy working as a jazz guitarist...

www.youtube.com

 

[Byrdman]

Ok people… I’ve decided that 2025 is going to be the year of music theory. I dabbled a little when I first picked up the guitar, but it’s been learning and playing by ear the majority of my time playing.

I learn better hands-on and with visuals rather than sitting in front of staff paper, looking at little black dots. What’s the equivalent of “Music Theory for Dummies?”

I'm trying to bone up on more theory too and memorize every note on the fretboard for 2025. My guitar teacher suggested this book as a way to ease into guitar theory. He said once I absorb everything in it and want to go deeper, let him know. I picked up a used copy on Amazon for about 1/2 price of a new one and it didnt even look like it had been opened.

He also said to read it through 2-3 times, and don't take any notes or slow down to try and master any of the concepts. Just get through it at least 2x's. It's only about 90 pages, so I am going to try 3x then go back and cover the stuff I didn't get the first 3x's.

Shouldnt be too hard to get through it 3x, one of the wifey's New Years Resolution is to read instead of watch TV before we go to bed. I suggested BJ's and Banging, but she didnt seem as game for that, so reading it is...

 

[Sascha Franck]

I suggested BJ's and Banging, but she didnt seem as game for that, so reading it is...

How comes this sounds familiar?

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

I'm trying to bone up on more theory too and memorize every note on the fretboard for 2025. My guitar teacher suggested this book as a way to ease into guitar theory. He said once I absorb everything in it and want to go deeper, let him know. I picked up a used copy on Amazon for about 1/2 price of a new one and it didnt even look like it had been opened.

He also said to read it through 2-3 times, and don't take any notes or slow down to try and master any of the concepts. Just get through it at least 2x's. It's only about 90 pages, so I am going to try 3x then go back and cover the stuff I didn't get the first 3x's.

Shouldnt be too hard to get through it 3x, one of the wifey's New Years Resolution is to read instead of watch TV before we go to bed. I suggested BJ's and Banging, but she didnt seem as game for that, so reading it is...

View attachment 35834

This is why I got rid of the first one.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I'd add Jens Larsen's channel, especially as there's a lot ef smaller installments:

Jens Larsen

Learn jazz guitar and learn how to make music with what you learn. Videos that show you how things work, and also how you use them in your own playing because what is great about learning Jazz is that you become able to play Jazz and make music. In 2014 I was happy working as a jazz guitarist...

www.youtube.com

Pro-tips on Jens Larsen: (1) set the speed on your youtube settings to slow him down to 0.75x. The longer he has been posting, the more rapid-fire youtube-y he has become. Still great content, but my near-50-year-old brain can't follow someone speaking like they're coked up. 0.85x would probably be more ideal; (2) expect a 10 minute video to be at least a week's worth of hard work to fully digest.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Pro-tips on Jens Larsen: (1) set the speed on your youtube settings to slow him down to 0.75x. The longer he has been posting, the more rapid-fire youtube-y he has become. Still great content, but my near-50-year-old brain can't follow someone speaking like they're coked up. 0.85x would probably be more ideal; (2) expect a 10 minute video to be at least a week's worth of hard work to fully digest.

I absolutely agree - but as far as (2) goes, I think that's a good thing. Because it speaks in favour of a great content/time ratio, hence very little BS.