Ready to give it up

[gussucks]

Hi,
I've been playing for ages now (+15 years or so), but I just don't seem to be getting anywhere further than noodling around.
I'm left handed but feel more comfortable on a right handed guitar, but my right hand really is no good, it's unprecise, I can't keep up simple downstrokes like Creeping Death for any longer than a few seconds.

Any suggestions where to start?

[nellings6]

Make sure you have proper technique. Observe the picking style of different artists (Paul Gilbert, etc..) and the work your way up slowly. Also remember to pick hard, as it develops the technique

[asilayamazing]

...

[no_dice]

Originally Posted by asilayamazing

play guitar hero!


seriously though, it helps with rhythm and timing, and builds stamina IMO

I'm not too sure about the reliability of this. I knew a kid who was ridiculously good at guitar hero, and not very good at actually playing a guitar. It could be a fluke, though. It might actually work for some people.

[Sephael]

Maybe ignore comfort and give regular left handed playing a go.

[makeitreign]

Originally Posted by no_dice

I'm not too sure about the reliability of this. I knew a kid who was ridiculously good at guitar hero, and not very good at actually playing a guitar. It could be a fluke, though. It might actually work for some people.

It's not gonna teach you how to play, but it does help with finger strength, dexterity, and stamina.

[asilayamazing]

....

[TankJon666]

Originally Posted by asilayamazing

play guitar hero!


seriously though, it helps with rhythm and timing, and builds stamina IMO

A regular, well thought out practise routine and playing along to a click builds a strong sense of rhythm and stamina not playing guitar hero

I can't recommend playing along to a click enough! Start at a comfortable pace and play single notes, 8th notes and 16th notes (32nds if its a very slow) and a mix of those along with the click. Stay at that speed until you can play on the beat and stay on it for a decent length of time without any pain or cramping. Now keep notching up the speed!!

If you start getting any serious pain then stop!!!! A little is normal as its all muscular but strength and stamina will increase.

[no_dice]

Originally Posted by asilayamazing

exactly! and helps pick hand/fret hand coordination.

I guess it's different for everyone. I could never pick up on the little flick/strum mechanism. It never felt very comfortable or intuitive to me.

[EcoliUVA]

Guitar hero might be fun (for some...I suck), but it's not going to help you get to where you want to be.

It's dangerous to go alone. A good teacher can save you YEARS of going at it on your own. Emphasis on good. There are plenty of bad ones.

That being said, it's possible to make progress on your own. The most important piece of the puzzle is desire. You have to want it bad enough to push yourself. Learning new things isn't easy, which means sometimes it's not "fun." When I say "push yourself," I don't mean play super fast until it hurts; I mean that you need to have the discipline to SLOW IT DOWN and learn properly.

I could rattle on for a bit about how your brain actually learns things, why a lot of things you might think are useful aren't, and so on...but in the interest of not cluttering things up, shoot me a PM if you want to know more specifically what I did when I was in the rut you're in now.

Motivational aside: It's never too late to start down the path you want to be on. I didn't "get it" until I was about 23 years old. Some would consider that a late start. Doesn't matter; get on the train now or find yourself wishing and wondering on your deathbed.

[Santuzzo]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Like you I'm also left-handed but play the guitar right handed. So, also my right hand needs a lot of work, so I really feel your frustration.
What I do is, I just keep working at it and try to be patient. I change my exercises often, so stuff does not get boring too soon.
I'd also recommend writing your own songs that suit your technique but still challenge you.

Good luck!

[kn1feparty]

I'm kinda in the same boat, although I have no plans to quit playing ever. I've been at it for about 15 years as well, and I would still call myself a novice player. When I was a teenager, I would play almost every day for hours, but since adult life punched me in the face, I sometimes don't play for a year or 2 at a time. Every so often I'll hear something really inspiring and I'll get the bug for a few months and practice like hell, only to discover that I have to work my ass off to get back to where I was last time I played. This is discouraging, but it's my own fault for not dedicating the kind of time it takes to improve. I don't have any desire to play face melting shred, but I'd like to become a competent metal rhythm guitarist. I've been kicking around the idea of going back for some lessons, as it's been 13+ years since I had any.

[BabUShka]

I lost my interest a few years ago after a year in the navy. It took med 2 years to get the interest back and now it seems to be cowling back to me. I used to go 2-3 weeks without touching my guitar, but lately ive started to enjoy jamming again. The reason for that, is because we started to practice with my old band again, and it kinda motivated me.

My advice is to give it a break, and I'm sure youll miss it pretty bad one day. For me, the guitar hoby is just way too personal to just give up.

[Konfyouzd]

Originally Posted by asilayamazing

exactly! and helps pick hand/fret hand coordination.

Except that your right hand shouldn't make such wide passes. Minimize movement.

[Stealthdjentstic]

The use guitar hero idea is the dumbest thing ive ever heard. Dont do that.

[asilayamazing]

i agree sometimes a break renews interest. when my gear got stolen and i finally got some back those first few jams were amazing.

[jarnozz]

I´m a lefty playing right hand guitar. At first a left handed guitar was more comfortable and I played classic guitar left handed for a while. Then I got some lessons from my uncle who is a professional musician and from there on started to play right handed. It was harder than left handed but eventually you will nail it. I shred the fastest solos and everything so it just a matter of getting used to and lots of practice. begin slowly with different riffs and picking techniques, then work your way up. It takes some time but its easy as long as you are willing to spend a long time playing exercises, riffs, licks, etc

[asilayamazing]

no point in neg rep for suggesting guitar hero, if its not some peoples thing whatever, but im not alone in thinking it helps dexterity etc. state your suggestions i thought is what the OP said? its helped me with my finger strength you really gotta press those buttons down.

BTW: ive been playing guitar for 8 years, im a competent player, but sometimes i dont want to actually play creeping death, but GH i can and still work out my fingers AND tendons.

[Ghost40]

20+ years ago, the first song I ever learned was "Let It Be" by the Beatles. Not the most challenging song, but none the less. The first "metal" riff I ever learned was the opening to "Crazy Train". At the time, my sister was dating the guitarist (Vince) the Chicago band Amulance, and he was the first person to take time to show me a few exercises. He would visit about once a month (we lived on Maryland) and every month he would show me new things. I would practice for hours on what he gave me the previous month. Sometimes it would be scales, or tapping exercises, or a riff from one of they're songs. I guess my point is, I emulated this guy because he was a shredder. He was my first "teacher" willing to teach me something other than Mary Had a Little Lamb.

And for the record, I suck at Guitar Hero

[potatohead]

I know how you feel a bit, I have only been playing 2.5 years but honestly I haven't improved much in about a year. I don't have as much time to put in it as I'd like which probably has a lot to do with it. I try not to worry about it and just noodle around trying to learn (easier) songs and make up some riffs to just have some fun with.

I think a lot of it is trying to play stuff that is too hard, too fast, and you get discouraged. Creeping Death isn't hard (the rythym anyway) but it's definately fast, and then if you alternate pick it, people say that's wrong, even though it doesn't really matter. I can downpick it now but it took qute a while to be able to do it and like to say your arm gets dead tired 1/3 of the way through the song .

[gussucks]

Thanks a lot for the feedback and suggestions so far!!! ALL of them have been very inspiring and kicked off some thought processes on my side.

(and I do see where the guitar hero suggestion is going, no reason to be harsh with him whatsoever)

I have taken my time and did analyze my playing. I know that I turn up the distortion far too much, it mushes up unprecise playing, I'm slowing down on that. Another issue is that the pick kept sliding - I hold it too loose with my thumb and index finger, it didn't matter to me as long as I was noodling around as I could take the time to readjust it, but to really develop a stronger and constant rhythm hand I am focussing on getting a firm grip. I've recorded myself with garage band and it sounds worse than I thought it would (did anyone else make the same experiences here?). So from now on everything will be recorded at least for myself.

For a second I did consider trying a leftie, but there's no way I'd ever, ever be comfortable on one, and to be honest, I'll rather focus on my legato playing than having TWO weak hands .

I always played along with songs but never with click track. the playback always did cover a lot of my sloppy playing, I realize that now too.

Priorities for now are working on my right hand and developing a steady and clean rhythm, a stable pick grip and also clean bends and a decent vibrato. If my physical abilities are limited to slow downstrokes, I'll live with it for now.

Thanks again, a lot!

[makeitreign]

I know how you feel.
When I first recorded myself, I almost threw up.
The ongoing process of trying to get rid of bad habits has really improved my abilities exponentially. Plus, the thought of recording my own playing has really inspired me.
Good luck, man. And most importantly, have fun.

[kn1feparty]

I know that feel bro. I find myself wondering as I read this if I've done myself a double disservice by not learning proper technique, and then developing bad habits to compensate for it. The idea of tearing down everything I know and starting fresh is disheartening, but it may be necessary for me to progress as a player. That's what we all want at the end of the day, and it's the reason we started playing to begin with.

[gussucks]

Yeah, it's the same way I feel. Something I still am trying to get is how so many guys make their playing sound fat and distorted without going to 10. i.E, I take garage band, select a high gain sound,my rhythm playing sounds nowhere as brutal as that of what I see in tutorials. I have a 6505+, I need to get up into the 7s in pre to make it sound decent but then it's on the border of mushyness.

[asilayamazing]

Originally Posted by gussucks

Yeah, it's the same way I feel. Something I still am trying to get is how so many guys make their playing sound fat and distorted without going to 10. i.E, I take garage band, select a high gain sound,my rhythm playing sounds nowhere as brutal as that of what I see in tutorials. I have a 6505+, I need to get up into the 7s in pre to make it sound decent but then it's on the border of mushyness.

do you have on overdrive pedal? sounds like u need one. pickups?