One Year anniversery

Jon C · #1 January 16th, 2007

So I have just completed one year with guitars. First some background I am 54 and started taking 1/2 hour weekly lessons one year ago, I practice an hour a day and I still stumble on easy songs. Although I can play chords, they still are not very fast in changing (B7 in particular) and when I try to play a song my strumming hand still stops momentarly as I move my left hand. As far as gear I started with a Gretsch anniversary model but about four months ago my wife bought me a Taylor 514 that I love as much. I know I have made a lot of progress since I didn't even know how to hold it last year, but it just seems that it is painfully slow. Is this normal? All my teacher said is the old everyone learns at their own pace. I can do scales pretty fast but I still just don't seem to get it. What do you think.

pattianne · #2 January 16th, 2007

Hi Jon C
Sounds to me like you're doing really well. Don't get discouraged, it does take time! I've been struggling for over a year, with no lessons. I have books, dvds and of course this site to help me! When I start to get discusted with myself (which is often) I like to go back and play some of the stuff I started with! It really gives the ego a big boost! I'm almost 60, it may take us a little longer to "get it" but it will come! Enjoy your guitars!

Jon C · #3 January 16th, 2007

Thanks for the encouragement. I guess I should have said I'm not really discouraged, just I have always been goal oreniated and I don't know where I should be at this point in time. I guess as long as it's still fun is all that matters

pattianne · #4 January 16th, 2007

Having fun is a big part of it. When you're enjoying something then you're more likely to stick with it! Nothing wrong with being goal oriented either...you'll make it!

CanuckTodd · #5 January 16th, 2007

Hey JonC

It's hard to say where you should be at because only you know where you want to end up!
But seriously, it depends on what you want from your playing. I had a goal in mind when some friends invited me to play at their Canada Day party. I would have been playing about a year at that point. That helped motivate me to work on some songs that I felt comfortable playing in public in front of some friends. The fact they were all drinking made it easier!

I posted a video clip of Tom Petty's Freefalling that a friend captured on his phone. I had a great time.

Free Fallin': Video clip

Sometimes people post tunes here when they've only been playing a few months, and it blows me away. So, hang in there, don't be discouraged. I'm still not at all satisfied with my playing, but I'm satisfied with how far I've come.

coldethyl · #6 January 16th, 2007

Happy anniversary Jon!

Although you may not be at a stage or level that you wish you were at with the guitar, I'm sure if you look back to 1 year ago, you will see that you have made some good progress since that time.

If you stick at it and maintain a good level of determination, in another year's time you will have seen some more progress.

Keep it up!

solidwalnut · #7 January 16th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon C

So I have just completed one year with guitars.

Keep goin' Jon, this is great! Happy Anniversary!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon C

First some background I am 54 and started taking 1/2 hour weekly lessons one year ago, I practice an hour a day and I still stumble on easy songs. Although I can play chords, they still are not very fast in changing (B7 in particular) and when I try to play a song my strumming hand still stops momentarly as I move my left hand.

It's important to stick with what your teacher says! But just a small bit of advice is that I believe you would benefit from practicing to switch chords without regard to rhythm. Pick three chords (how about B7, Em and Am for one set, and then the second set G, C and D) and learn how to switch fast and clean between them. Use a single strum to verify that you're playing cleanly. Build up speed with your left hand only as you have accomplished switching cleanly. The deal is that if you learn to switch with speed without regard to rhythm, then when it comes time to switch within a song, it'll be easy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon C

As far as gear I started with a Gretsch anniversary model but about four months ago my wife bought me a Taylor 514 that I love as much.

Welcome to the Taylor family! I have a 714ce that still blows me away every time I pick it up, and I've had it since '99..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon C

I know I have made a lot of progress since I didn't even know how to hold it last year, but it just seems that it is painfully slow. Is this normal? All my teacher said is the old everyone learns at their own pace. I can do scales pretty fast but I still just don't seem to get it. What do you think.

I think you're doing great. You've been moving forward and having fun. There's no deadline to learning. Enjoy the journey. If you need food for thought, I'd say that you might consider continuing to learn chords and chord changes as a mechanical part of the journey. Sprinkle in as much theory as you need and there ya go.

Steve

cshude · #8 January 16th, 2007

Happy anniversary! You've got some sweet guitars to practice on, that's for sure. Keep at it and you'll get to your goals. Guaranteed!

6string · #9 January 16th, 2007

Pick the easiest chord you know how to make or the easiest scale or meldoy your know how to pick, now turn the guitar around and try to play the same thing with your opposite hand, you'll see you've come a long way.

guttertrashsingalong · #10 January 17th, 2007

congrats on one year!

6string · #11 January 17th, 2007

Oh, and Happy Anniversary

Jon C · #12 January 17th, 2007

I want to thank everyone for all the positive feedback. I spent a couple of hours playing last nite and It is starting to make sence. I guess I was thinking about it wrong, I was all hung up on having spent 300 hours in the last year practicing and when I said it laike that it seemed like I wasn't getting very far, but 300 hours is less than the equivilent of 8 weeks on a new job, what could I expect to learn, I have been at my current job for 25years and am still learning. This is a great place, with some good folks, and now that I have my head up, I'm ready for another great year of playing.

GeoNjules · #13 January 17th, 2007

"This is a great place, with some good folks."

Aint that the truth.

Stratrat · #14 January 18th, 2007

Jon, part of it is that we make small, incremental improvements as we go along and it's a lot harder to realize them that way as opposed to comparing where you are now to where you were a year ago. That's why recording yourself is such a useful tool...if you were to record a song right now, practice it through the year, then record it again a year from now and listen to the two, you'd notice quite a difference!

I think you did a good job putting the hours in perspective from a work standpoint - less than 8 weeks on a job isn't a lot of time and you certainly won't have mastered your job in that span!

Keep on playin' - it definitely doesn't happen overnight, but it happens!