I must confess, as a musician I'm a failure.

[GarethWP]

OP that's a Fantastic post. Only just found this and its a year old post but poignant for me, don't know if this will revive it in some way.

But I think you are lucky. Over 30 years I've been playing (acoustic)the same chord sequences. Trying to learn songs, finding remembering impossible, learning to play the song as the original, like everyone else, but failing finding a simplified form and ending up playing it my way. I swear everything I play/played sounded the same. I joined a band but couldn't follow or keep up with what everyone else was doing. Yes gave that up. Could never get my head round remembering scales or music theory.
More recently, I acquired An electric guitar an amp head and a cab, still don't know scales or music theory, I have no idea what key I'm in. Try to learn a rift, a solo a few bars of my favourites. Fail dismally, get fed up of repeating the same thing over and it still remains elusive. But if I play the right backing track or loop the right 5 or 6 chords together and just noodle let my fingers do their own thing. Wow I'm in heaven all my cares and worries fall away and I waft along on the ebb and flow of the sound I'm creating. I play, sometimes the same thing, but its never identical, I could say I've written,, OK no I've created my own songs, that is songs without words. And the guitar that I could never play how I wanted but would never let me go, is a best friend, my confidante.
Keep making that noise.

 

[Im247frogs]

A, D, and E, buddy. That's all you need. And three 100 Watt plexi's which I think you covered, yeah?

 

[IOSEPHVS]

Figure out a game plan.

This is what I do: I simply pick a tonic note. Usually, I purposely omit E, A, D, G, and B. So, I'll grab maybe C#. Then, I pick a mode or a scale based on that note. The smartChord app contains a lot of them. Once I figure out the diatonic chords within the scale, I try to come up with chord progressions to later be soloed over. Sometimes I'll record or notate my discoveries because I will otherwise forget them.

 

[Geeze]

I go back and forth on this and have finally settled on that I'm a hack guitarist with so so timing skills. I enjoy good music and love good guitar tones. When I go to jam I bring a list of songs 'I almost know' to avoid the 'what are we going to play?' block. I stopped playing for about 13 years until my [then 12 year old] drummer son said the greatest words ever - 'Dad, if you had an amp we could jam!' Which launched me back into gear and building bits for it.

I tend to jam with musicians that are more skilled than I am and while it's intimidating I find that I enjoy doing a 'skill' with someone else. When I don't 'feel' it I still plug in and noddle around a bit while watching netflix as I can add to my repertoire of slow melodic solos. All in the name of keeping the noodle working - if you don't use it, you lose it you know what I mean.

I find it helps to have a goal to move past a stale period or go do something else for a while. I doubt you will get too far away from this - just don't sell anything until you consult with me.

Russ

 

[axe4me]

IMO, if you're a survivor, you're ahead.

I think playing in a band situation, or jamming with people, no one will ask you how long you've been playing or how much theory you know.

Don't think, play with your peers.

I've been in a situation to do a showcase for Principle Management (they handle U2) and the other guitarist cancelled because he was going to a NYC garbage dept test.

At that time, my mom was dying of brain cancer and I was prepared to do the showcase.

Things regarding show biz are fickle.

The music biz has nothing to do with music.

I'm at the point of my oncologist praising me for my success with a cancer drug and being alive.

I'm important and you're important.

Be a survivor.

 

[shredless]

IMO, if you're a survivor, you're ahead.

I think playing in a band situation, or jamming with people, no one will ask you how long you've been playing or how much theory you know.

Don't think, play with your peers.

I've been in a situation to do a showcase for Principle Management (they handle U2) and the other guitarist cancelled because he was going to a NYC garbage dept test.

At that time, my mom was dying of brain cancer and I was prepared to do the showcase.

Things regarding show biz are fickle.

The music biz has nothing to do with music.

I'm at the point of my oncologist praising me for my success with a cancer drug and being alive.

I'm important and you're important.

Be a survivor.

Thank you, lm not trying to hijack and l hope Matthews Guitars comes back and enjoys the talk here. I feel many of us are in similar situations regarding our playing. I enjoy these discussions.

Im glad youre doing well

I am a survivor, had some unique health issues as a child that brought me to where l am today. Youre not the only one to remind me lm a survivor...sadly l tend to forget.

 

[dragonvalve]

 

[Matthews Guitars]

OP that's a Fantastic post. Only just found this and its a year old post but poignant for me, don't know if this will revive it in some way.

Actually this whole topic is just ONE day old. I wrote the first post yesterday.


Anyway...maybe I should have mentioned that I have a not formally diagnosed, but unmistakable, case of ADD. (Not ADHD...hyperactivity is certainly not an issue.)

I appreciate all inputs, thoughs, comments, and advice I've seen in here so far. You all rock!


I want to mention that for me, the theory is important in that when I stop to work it out, it tells me what fits when I don't natively know it already.

Let's say, for example, that I want to try to play something in G minor. I don't KNOW all the chords in G minor. Or the notes of the G minor scale. But knowing the progression of whole and half steps and chord spelling, I can figure it out. And I'm trying to practice doing that in my head so I don't just MEMORIZE it, but actually KNOW it instead.

A natural minor scale follows the pattern of whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-whole steps so starting with G that gives the notes G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G.
Those spell the chords: Gm, Adim/Am7b5, BbM, Cm, Dm, EbMaj, FMaj
The chords are spelled from the 1st, 3rd, and 5th scale tones (extend to 7th scale tones for 7th chords) for the I chord. The II chord uses scale tones 2, 4, 6.
The III chord uses scale tones 3, 5, 7. IV chord, 4, 6, 8/1. V chord, 5, 7, 2. VI chord 6, 1, 3, and VII chord 7, 2, 4.
The I, IV, V are Gm, Cm, Dm.

So a 12 bar in G minor would use Gm, Cm, and Dm.

Raise the seventh scale tone from F to F# for harmonic minor.

This is basic theory but it's my life preserver. It allows me to reason out a scale or progression that isn't in my memory. Which is most of them.
It allows me to figure it out. It's not a quick process but I can scratch it out and get it right.

Understanding the basic differences between different forms of scale (major, minor, augmented, diminished, harmonic minor, melodic minor, etc) allows me to reason out THOSE related scales and chords, too.

 

[shredless]

Actually this whole topic is just ONE day old. I wrote the first post yesterday.


Anyway...maybe I should have mentioned that I have a not formally diagnosed, but unmistakable, case of ADD. (Not ADHD...hyperactivity is certainly not an issue.)

I appreciate all inputs, thoughs, comments, and advice I've seen in here so far. You all rock!


I want to mention that for me, the theory is important in that when I stop to work it out, it tells me what fits when I don't natively know it already.

Let's say, for example, that I want to try to play something in G minor. I don't KNOW all the chords in G minor. Or the notes of the G minor scale. But knowing the progression of whole and half steps and chord spelling, I can figure it out. And I'm trying to practice doing that in my head so I don't just MEMORIZE it, but actually KNOW it instead.

A natural minor scale follows the pattern of whole-half-whole-whole-half-whole-whole steps so starting with G that gives the notes G-A-Bb-C-D-Eb-F-G.
Those spell the chords: Gm, Adim/Am7b5, BbM, Cm, Dm, EbMaj, FMaj
The chords are spelled from the 1st, 3rd, and 5th scale tones (extend to 7th scale tones for 7th chords) for the I chord. The II chord uses scale tones 2, 4, 6.
The III chord uses scale tones 3, 5, 7. IV chord, 4, 6, 8/1. V chord, 5, 7, 2. VI chord 6, 1, 3, and VII chord 7, 2, 4.
The I, IV, V are Gm, Cm, Dm.

So a 12 bar in G minor would use Gm, Cm, and Dm.

Raise the seventh scale tone from F to F# for harmonic minor.

This is basic theory but it's my life preserver. It allows me to reason out a scale or progression that isn't in my memory. Which is most of them.
It allows me to figure it out. It's not a quick process but I can scratch it out and get it right.

Understanding the basic differences between different forms of scale (major, minor, augmented, diminished, harmonic minor, melodic minor, etc) allows me to reason out THOSE related scales and chords, too.

This reminds me of a book someone who wrote it gave me back in 1997, the interval deals. I never learned it...maybe l should.

 

[Ramo]

Simple truth. I've been trying to get this "music" thing now for about 35 years. And it's funny, I can pick up some random screw in a box of salvaged hardware and know exactly what I took it out of and where it went in that piece of equipment, from 20 years ago. I never learned a thing about electronics or guitar repair or construction that I forgot.

But when it comes to music....I just draw a blank. I've learned hundreds of songs and retained almost none in my memory. It's like the write protect tab on the musical memory part of my brain is in the engaged position.

And yet I understand music theory. Well enough to claim competence. I know how to construct the chords from any given scale. I understand modes from an academic standpoint.

If I want to completely clear my mind of all thought, all I have to do is pick up a guitar and turn on an amplifier. By the time the tubes are warmed up and I flick the standby switch....I'm vacant in the head. THIS SPACE FOR RENT. Got no idea what to play. I can fall back on a I-IV-V but that's the most boring thing in the world. It's so overdone.

Scales? Hardest thing in the world for me to remember. Don't know why.

I can recognize every piece of the jigsaw puzzle.

But I can't put the puzzle together to make the big picture.

Clearly some people are better suited for some things than others. I can BUILD as fine a guitar as you'll ever see. I'll compare my best work to any Surh, any PRS, any Jackson, I don't care, I can match or beat them all. But PLAYING it....that part of my brain is absolutely retarded.

I'm not saying I CAN'T learn, but I'm saying that apparently it's supremely difficult for me to put any lesson into long term memory. I can review any lesson I ever got, and I have lessons in loose leaf binders that I was taught in the mid 80s, and I can get it back after running through it a few times. But if I don't practice it every single stinking day I will forget it in days or at most, weeks.

Yeah, there are a few things that have stuck. But only a few. VERY few.

Does anybody else have this kind of problem and if you solved it, what worked for you?

I'd like to have SOME kind of a repertoire to play!

i can speak only for myself, ive been trying to get better player since i started out but i still suck. I only know pentatonic scale amd few basic chords, way i see it just take guitar and play anything and try not to compete. Just play what makes you happy, you said you can build things thats very rear skill specially if your products are high standards. Not many people can do that i for one cant. Just play what makes you happy enjoy and dont worry about the rest, you doing it because you like it.
Im not much adviser but wish i had your skill , i dont have any and im dumb as they come but i still try to learn and get better.

keep rocking keep making/building and enjoy while you doing it.

cheers

 

[Neil S]

I don't know anything about any of it. I don't even know what some of the chords I play are. I sometimes construct a chord by listening to single notes played one after the other, its mostly a fail, but sometimes I get what I was looking for.
I go through periods where I don't play for a long time, sometimes over a year! Then I have to struggle to get back to where I was before I stopped. Right now I have gone through a massive hassle selling my house and preparing to move so the guitar has not been visited for a few months. I like playing but just am not able to push myself to learn more or get better. Thats the difference between success or failure to certain degrees in every aspect of life. Just try to enjoy the playing for what it is.

 

[Dmann]

I like playing guitar. I have to admit to myself that I never really had the drive to make it as a pro, just being honest.

Cheers

 

[Mitchell Pearrow]

I picked the guitar back up about 11 years ago from a 17 year break, I did learn some things from the internet, that I should have known back in the 80’s but I have only just got the 5 penetonic scales memorized, I do know what to do with them for major or minor.
I have also memorized the 5 natural minor scales, I mostly play my own music, but during the hot summer months I tend to slack off a bit.
If I don’t record riff ideas, I will forget them when I go grab another beer.
We did play covers as a band, but I have not been in a band since 93.
So what I am trying to say is I like to play because it relieves stress from a normal work day and makes me happy.
Cheers
Mitch

 

[South Park]

Confidence is 90 percent of the game the 10 percent you can fake

 

[axe4me]

IMO, your ears dictate your response.

Hearing is the most important thing.

Phrasing is from the heart.

BB King had brains in his fingers not in a book.

 

[MarshallDog]

Screw it man...I bet you sound fine and its not your living so relax and just enjoy it for what it is. Thats what I do!!!!

 

[Matthews Guitars]

My tone is good, to my ears. Mechanically I can play OK. I'm not fast but I play chords and single notes cleanly. I don't muffle notes like a beginner....most of the time. My bends are spot on and my vibrato is decent.

I never once intended to be a professional and don't plan to appear on a stage playing for anybody. (But as things happened, that has happened...four times exactly. Nobody threw any beer bottles at me so I guess I didn't make a mess of it. )

I just have to focus on trying to get a repertoire. That's only going to happen by spending more time practicing. I need to probably set up some sort of a music workstation so I can review lessons comfortably while playing. I think that'd be a fine way to start.

I'm going to only be as good as I work to be. Practice makes....improvement, anyway. Lack of practice makes me what I am today.

 

[CoyotesGator]

I picked the guitar back up about 11 years ago from a 17 year break, I did learn some things from the internet, that I should have known back in the 80’s but I have only just got the 5 penetonic scales memorized, I do know what to do with them for major or minor.
I have also memorized the 5 natural minor scales, I mostly play my own music, but during the hot summer months I tend to slack off a bit.
If I don’t record riff ideas, I will forget them when I go grab another beer.
We did play covers as a band, but I have not been in a band since 93.
So what I am trying to say is I like to play because it relieves stress from a normal work day and makes me happy.
Cheers
Mitch

Happy is good Brother.

 

[Vinsanitizer]

Stop thinking.

Ya know what Trel? I'm beginning to think that thinking is the problem with the whole world. So you just might be onto something there, but lemme think about it.

 

[Trelwheen]

Ya know what Trel? I'm beginning to think that thinking is the problem with the whole world. So you just might be onto something there, but lemme think about it.

Ok, but let us take care not to confuse art and practical matters! My comment was directed solely at the pursuit of artistic endeavors. A quick look at what's happening right now in our country and the rest of the world reveals what happens when people give up thinking altogether.