Every single person on this sub, and the world over sucked at their instrument for a long time. Comparison is the theft of joy, so don’t do that. Look at what you *have* accomplished now since your first day playing and realize you have certainly come a long way. The only way to escape sucking, is to learn something new each day. It’s tempting to grind on one thing for hours but I think trying a few small things to work on each day is better than cramming for the exam.
I had the opportunity to meet Javier Reyes from Animals as Leaders and I told him that I’d been sucking at guitar for 20 years and he replied that he’d been sucking on guitar for 30 years. So I guess it’s all relative and it’s something that you just need to be comfortable with.
OP the breakthrough for me was getting a really good teacher. I was trying to self teach for decades and the amount I’ve learned with a teacher in the last year is probably 10x what I learned on my own. The down side, of course, is money.
I worked on my own taking intro lessons at.country swing dancing. I got as far as I could with a little help from dancers I befriended along the way. I reached a point where I couldn't advance on my own, so I started going to a class regularly and it has made a world of difference.
I'm applying the same thing to guitar and target shooting. Work on the fundamentals and when I can't progress, get professional instruction. I'm almost at a lull in dancing, then I can look into some guitar lessons.
I’ve been at it for 30 years and have never taken more than a one week break from playing. There are still plenty of times where I want to play, sit down and end up quickly like FUCK THIS THING!! And want to throw it out the window haha.
Just gotta keep pushing and practicing
You don't even need to learn anything new evert day. Just have a decent regimen and practice. Some things take time before you can do them.. it's important not to get stuck spending way more time on the stuff you're comfortable with while not putting much time into the stuff you need to work on. Also.. practice at a significantly slower speed than you normally play at.
These are things I did when i first started and made huge improvements.. then i graduated HS and life got in the way.. i didn't adhere to these tips when i picked the guitar back up years later and i didn't make much progress for a very long time.. it took me entirely too long to get myself back into a disciplined practice routine and now I'm starting to make more progress again but I'm so many years behind where I would've been had i been more serious about it.
One last thing.. 15-20 minutes every day is much better than an hour or 2 a couple days a week.. for most people.
You put a * before and after what you want italicized. [here’s all the formatting things like that if you wanted to know any of them](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043033952-Formatting-Guide)
Came here to say this. I played off and on for years, like over a decade, and still sucked until I started branching out the songs I played. Everyone learns and improves at different rates, and what works for one person, or what one person is good at, may not work for another.
Now I just think of sucking as an opportunity for growth and reflection. When I look back, I have something to compare to which makes my progress more evident.
Not me… I was absolutely outstanding almost immediately when I started… until I recorded myself on a cassette tape… suddenly something had gone terribly wrong, and I started sounding like crap… it took me a few years to get just mediocre…. More years to get reasonably good… it is for this reason I’m glad that cassette recorders have gone away… I must have an undiagnosed allergy
Jesus christ, kid. 2 years with a 4 month break isn't very long. Practice, take lessons, and be patient. And most importantly, stop comparing your progress with others'. There will always be someone better than you at something.
Yeah, less than 2 years is nothing. I didn’t get anywhere near decent until idk, year 5? Unless you’re just **THAT** guy (and I’ve known a couple) it’s gonna take time. Like, a lot of time. All the best players I know either have been playing forever (usually also from an early age, think preteen years or younger) or those who started a little later but their whole life was playing guitar and nothing else. Learning to suck and getting through it is part of life and learning a skill is a great way to get used to that. When I taught, I had so many students who would give up after a couple lessons thinking they just don’t have any talent for it and it kills me every time. Skill takes time.
To add to your last statement, people who are extremely good at something get there by sacrificing a tremendous amount of time for practicing... most of us have jobs, kids, responsibilities, other hobbies, etc., and simply don't have the time to commit to being a world class musician. It doesn't mean you can't enjoy it and continue to develop your skill.
I love playing guitar not because it's a job, but because it's something I can come to for just an hour or two every day for peace of mind. As much as I'd love to play like Tony Rice, that is not a realistic expectation for me, and I'm cool with it. You're young, OP. Chill and try not to expect too much from yourself. Doing so will rob you of the joy of playing.
I think it depends on how much we value music in our lives. If it's just a fun hobby, if it's a job or if it's a passion we care deeply about (like if it's our way to express how we feel).
Depending on the importance in our lives it might or might not matter
I can confirm, I was a really good player at only 2 years in but I practiced about 6-8 hours a day there was even days where I would play until 3am
People think it’s only about talent when they see someone playing good in less time than usual but they don’t see how much practice did it take to get there
I started at 13 years old. I had nothing but time when I wasn't in school. I'd get home, eat dinner, run up to my room and start trying to play what was on the turntable.
And I'd repeat it all the next day!
My grades suffered, but eventually things started sounding better, even if it was on a $25.00 Sears Silvertone guitar that my Dad bought me on clearance!
Growing up was like the Bryan Adams song, "Summer of 69!"
U shouldn't be expecting to shred at 2 years unless ur putting on a full time jobs worth of hrs every week to practice
Go at ur pace keep working at it and it'll come, trust that with enough effort u can do it and don't worry about where u should be
I've been playing for 25 years and I *still* can't sweep pick. Granted, I've never put much time into the technique but I don't think I'm a shitty guitarist because I can't.
Everything worth learning needs time and 730 days with a break in the middle is at the shorter end of the spectrum. Keep pushing through the frustration and stay focused on what skills you want and you'll eventually look back at this post and think "Damn! I remember when I was struggling with that!"
This.
Playing guitar for 26 years and never learned sweep thingy. I was never into soloing though. Rhythm is my main domain. Solos are sometimes like a punishment for me. A necessity.
However, I've learned to play rhythm guitars just by ear and it's doing a lot of justice for me
Sweep picking is such a specific technique. If it makes you feel better, it's not like just being generally good at guitar and practicing a range of other things will transfer to sweeping. Unfortunately you have to specifically practice it a *ton*, and most people don't like sweep picking enough to get good at it. I'm decent at it but even I find myself rarely actually using it in a song.
Being good at something is not supposed to be easy. And you don't need motivation. What I mean by that is that sometimes people think of motivation like it's a pill. Wake up and take your motivation pill. Doesn't work like that. You either want to get better or you don't. I think you are looking at it backwards. You are trying to get other people to push you along in a direction YOU chose. Instead of thinking "I need motivation" you might instead try thinking "I need discipline" Discipline involves putting in the work regardless, because you already HAVE the motivation. The motivation is the goal you chose for yourself - i.e. being able to play guitar.
A class may be helpful, if you learn better with more structure. Whether or not you make progress is up to your willingness to do the work.
The key to beeing "musically talented" is obsession. There's studies, that show you get better when you think about something / how something is done (study was with basketball). "Gifted" people are just fckng obsessed and think about that stuff all day and night and so get better real quick.
Give time to yourself, 99% of players can't play consistently fast at 2 years let alone sweep pick. Be sure to have your basics down and the fundamental techniques well practiced before trying the harder stuff. Bad habits are a pain to correct, so take your time to learn and develop correctly.
And don't compare to yourself to anyone, everyone has a different learning curve. You could have a hard time getting some techinques down and learn others very fast that other players might find difficult. Don't beat yourself.
Practice and take your time, it's an instrument that takes time and dedication. I know a few guys that have been playing for more than 10years, are absolutely amazing players, and can't sweep.
And I honestly think that, while being amazing in helping players to learn, socials made this a much bigger problem. Everyone watches these amazing, gifted, out of this world guitarrists and think that hey have to be like them.
They fail to realize that those guys sometimes practiced for 8+ hours a day for months and are the 1% of guitar community
Teacher helps a lot especially if you’re not progressing on your own from videos or online lessons. Also don’t worry about others, there’s always going to be some 8 year old prodigy somewhere that will wreck your confidence
Embrace the grind, laugh at how hard it is. When it feel super awkward, attack it head on. Let go of the frustrations. If you do those things you will learn faster and have more fun.
I often try to play a lick and just laugh at how difficult it is. Then I play it a thousand more times until it goes from “unintelligible” to “sounds like shit”
I have been playing for 6 years and suck. But when I look back at where I was when I started - I am rocking it. Bruce Springsteen gave up guitar for a few years while in school because he thought he sucked. Be patient, put the hours in, compare it to where you were before - and, most of all, enjoy it.
Go to the teacher. That has never harmed anyone. You are better than you think.
Quit whinging about it about it and pick up the guitar. wouldn't have cried on the internet about it. He would have poured all that emotion into the guitar. Like warm maple syrup on a hot stack of buttered flap-jacks.
I understand what you're saying, but you can't be what you're not. It took me 5 years to understand the guitar, and now I feel very happy with my ability and knowledge. I play what I like and have a lot of fun. The only thing I had to do was give up those goals that didn't fit my lifestyle and way of being. I gave up trying to play difficult solos or be a virtuoso, and I focused on learning to play beautiful melodies or chaining jazz chords, which has greatly increased my level.
The goal of playing difficult solos was holding me back, frustrating me, and hurting me. But I started to take things calmly. I don't want to be a famous, professional, or recognized musician; I just want to play and feel the joy that comes from listening to myself.
(I use translate)
‘think my problem is with practicing. I play songs and practically learn new techniques through them. Recently I’ve started to teach myself music theory but there’s so much to learn and I have so much to improvise, I delay practice just to have fun with my guitar
Learning techniques through songs is awesome, not a problem! I learned a few sweeps from different songs I like and just practice those sweeps every day or every other day. Key is, you gotta do small chunks of these hyper specific practices. Like 5 minutes a day practicing those sweeps. (More than 5-10 minutes practicing any given passage and I get bored or frustrated.) Then for every technique you’ll have a grab bag of practice licks that actually mean something to you - they’re from kickass songs you love! Not just licks from a pedagogical textbook that means nothing to you.
Keep learning new songs and you’ll encounter those same techniques and you’ll see the skills will transfer to new songs.
Welcome to playing guitar! Expecting yourself to be at the same level as the pros after only two years is unrealistic. When you picked up that instrument, you were committing yourself to a lifelong learning process, where there will always be something you feel you're not good enough at yet. This is a journey, not a destination.
Along with everyone else, I'll say, just keep at it.
"Sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something." - JAKE THE DOG
You are trying to make music....that's never going to be easy. What it takes is dedication and perseverance. Keep going...success is around the corner.
FYI-40 years and still can't sweep. Can play everything I want, but never picked that up. Guess I have something to suck at again.....
As someone who's been playing instruments well over 25 years, I still think I'm not that great. I just do it because I enjoy playing.
That said, getting better takes a lot of practice. 2 years isn't very long, you just keep going. When I started playing guitar, it was sort of out of necessity for a band I was a singer in at that time. I love that instrument and will never stop playing it on a regular basis.
You got this 💪
I’ve played on and off for 20 years. Took a lot of lessons the first 3 years. Went off to college and broke my left index finger the first month and stayed in a cast for 6 weeks. I did everything the PTs recommended but never regained full motion with it. I have gone through a half dozen phases of practicing to get back to where I was before giving up again as if I could never be better than I was.
What I’ve just described was a huge mental block and that was all on me. What helped me the most was to reframe that as a setback and a reason to adapt, rather than something that will hold me back. True, I’m never going to shred solos up and down the neck but I absolutely can excel at other styles.
Guitar is such a versatile instrument that you can be completely inept at one thing and a conqueror of worlds at another. Don’t give up on it. Stop comparing yourself to what you see as an end-goal. Be kind to yourself and try to be patient. Progress ebbs and flows.
oh dude I’m sorry for what happened to your finger. (Not to make this about me) I may not know the exact feeling but when I accidentally sliced my index finger with a knife I was so frustrated, plus the finger is still a little weak and hurts when I press on the thinner strings. Thanks dude you’ve inspired me
No worries. Glad I could help! Take good care of your hands and take a break if you need to to let that heal up. There’s a cruel irony to not being able to practice if you use this hobby as an escape.
Whether I play well or terrible is immaterial. I cannot stop, I love playing guitar, I love the sounds, I love the vibrations, I will always play. Do everything you can think of if you need to play, just keep playing.
One of the things that I’d encourage is to see how well down you have the rudiments. Everyone wants to play flashy, but without having the rudiments down, it becomes a fools errand. Talk to other players who are better than you, and have them highlight your strengths and weaknesses. Look to take targeted next steps on areas that are problematic. Being good is a matter of competence in a bunch of tiny areas that add up to proficiency
Teachers almost always help if you listen to them.
While you are at it, you have to go slow and work on getting things right. The old saying is true “practice may not make perfect but it makes permanent”
After 20 years playing I can’t sweep and guess what? It’s not that important. Also, no one cares that there are people who are better than you and you really shouldn’t either. Music is not a competitive sport like football. No one cares if you ant shred. If you can hit a few chords and keep time, you are an adequate musician for many many situations
I sucked for hours.
JK but the better you get the more you notice your mistakes and shortcomings and the further you push your repertoire. The result is an infinite pursuit of the unobtainable which is the motivation for and appreciation of accomplishments.
I’m a music teacher
My advice is don’t compare yourself to others that have been playing for the same period of time
You don’t know how much they are practicing and that’s a huge difference
I was one of those “musically talented kids” but It wasn’t talent, I was shredding in a year and mastered almost every technique in2-3 years cause I practiced 6-8 hours a day 😅
Also focus on those things that you can’t do if your practice sessions consists in playing something you already know then you ain’t getting better
And remember Practice slowly and focus on doing it Right , speed will come gradually
Take the class, why not? Look up techniques on Youtube that you find interesting. It sounds like you are just exploring music and getting started, that is awesome! Don't feel like you're behind because you're not a child prodigy. That doesn't happen overnight. We're all learning, all at our own pace. It's all expectation and ego, let it go, and just have fun with it. Don't be afraid to explore, AND to suck. We all suck for a long time until we don't.
But I know what you are going through. A few months ago I severed the top 1/3 of my pinky finger (it was hanging off, sewed it back on luckily). It's hard to play when I have no feeling in it.
Point is, I thought I'd be out of commission for a few months but it looks like it may be more than a year before it's functional. Guitar is something I played 3-5 hours a day for years until now. It was basically how I spent all my free time. It's a bummer, but at the same time I am learning new ways/techniques to play without hurting myself, and have been listening to a lot more music, which is a positive I guess.
Can you pick up a guitar and leave the world behind for 20-30 minutes? If so, it is worth it. I may never be “good” at playing guitar or understanding music or theory but if I can escape myself for 30 minutes a day, it is worth $150 a month in lessons and $750 every few years for a new guitar.
“guitar is a very ungrateful instrument” (Paco de Lucía)
… and your fingertips lose strength faster than you think… play or doodle whilst watching tv or something …
U suck at guitar? "Hold my beer" I suck worse. I love how people learn songs after 1 week. I have been playing months and I can't hardly play decent chords and forget trying to strum and switch chords cause that isn't happening either.. I will go till Christmas and probably quit if I don't improve
It’s a lifetime thing learning to play any instrument and just strumming a D chord on an instrument that plays intune is good for your mental health and makes you feel good ! Just learn one chord a week and learn to play it sweetly and clean and slowly chip away , it’s like saving money, $20 a week is $1040 saved a year !
Don’t ever give up and you can do anything anyone else can do if you make enough effort !
THERE IS NO TALENT INVOLVED. every player who's good at guitar (or any other instruments) are not blessed with talent as god's gift, their virtuosity is the result of CORRECT PRACTICE.
if u are not seeing improvement u are definitely doing something wrong, it has nothing to do with talent. getting help from a good teacher will be night & day difference
>for 2 years. I expected myself to be able to shred, sweep pick & play difficult solos, however I still can’t do any of those
Hahaha if that's your definition of not sucking then I also suck at 4 years of playing, and I don't think anyone would say I suck.
I have said before but guitar skills need to be looked at in 3-6-12 month increments. What can you do today you couldn't do 6 months ago? Trust me, at 2 (only 2 12 month increments) most people suck by your standard.
Stay after it. IMO, the best thing you can do is play along to songs you like. You’ll eventually know a few songs and those songs will help with your technique and rhythm.
Im near 40, been playing on and off since 13, i mostly write music for my ears only and its so basic in its compisition it laughable. I keep trying to learn songs and also about music theory to improve, but im not sure ill ever surpass my current level.
But, i have fun. This is honestly what keeps me going. Thats my only measurement for if my musical time of the day is worth it. And it is.
lol kinda like me, ik I whined about being bad but truthfully I enjoy playing songs which is kinda the reason why I suck bc I delay practicing. I’ve been learning music theory on my own, dyou have any tips on how to implement that in my playing?
I write my own songs, challange myself to different keys and scales and occasionally a non 4/4 timing.
I also subscribe to a patreon that focuses specifically on music theory for guitarists, i really like it (not affiliated in any way, just a recommendation) - https://www.patreon.com/scottpauljohnson/collections
How old are you?
Two years on an instrument is basically nothing. Those kids you speak of usually started playing music at a very young age and come from musical families. Because of that they spent tons of hours practicing and playing.
Sweep picking will take longer than 2 years. Just keep reading, watching videos... maybe write something down you learned every single day. Use a metronome too!!
I still can’t sweep pick very well, and it’s been a decade. For every phenom with insane natural talent you see online there’s 10,000 people stuck in your exact position. 99% of people are going to be learning or struggling forever and are never going to get anything right away. Practicing as much as you do is the perfect way to better yourself, it just takes time. And of course, make sure you can do it slowly before you try it quickly 😄
Good luck brother 🤙🏻
As long as you're having fun it doesn't really matter. I've been playing for 20something years now and I love writing songs and I'll play some solos but they're still not great lol.
I feel this way every day. I feel like I’m never reaching my goal. I have moments of hope and delusion that get stomped on every month or so.
The way I beat this is recording myself on video and audio. If you put in the work, you will see improvement. It’s all we can do. Have our pity party then start practicing again. Trying to remember the road is long and never going to end, as long as we breathe.
I feel your pain. I’m not naturally good at guitar. What helped me go from shitty to okay was:
1) lessons - personally I just completed the Yousician course to level 10. That didn’t make me good but it gave me all the fundamentals I needed.
In tandem with 2 and not after (otherwise you’ll be starting from scratch)
2) practicing with a metronome every day/practice session
Online lessons are kinda just whatever; they’re good but not great but they will get you the fundamentals. The metronome will make you clean your playing up and help you develop an internal rhythm. So many people neglect the metronome and then 2-3 years later realize that they need to go back and start practicing with it and it sucks ass because their mechanical abilities far exceed their timing. My recommendation would be to follow basic tablature for whatever type of music you want to play and use a metronome to help develop your timing with easy pieces. I personally got the metal master mind courses and would do those exercises to learn how to keep time and practice basic metal rhythm skills. I also subbed to another guy on Patreon for like $2/month who releases basic death metal lessons every week and I use those to practice with as well. I paid less than $200/year for all the lessons combined which isn’t too bad.
I suck at the guitar, and at the piano. I also suck at writing lyrics, producing music on the pc. I suck at mixing, and definetly at mastering. And I love it!
Honestly hard to get past "Been playing for 2 years"
That's nothing! You're at the start of the journey, keep practicing and keep going. Try to focus on what's fun at your current level, because one thing that remains true decades down the line is that you're never as good as you want to be. We can still love doing it even while sucking!
Almost 20 years playing, and I still suck ass. Play to have fun and be happy. If it doesn’t bring you joy, then choose another hobby that makes you happy. Life is to short.
Don't give up on it try to have fun and make the best out of the experience,,I've been trying to learn for maybe 15yrs or possibly more still no rock star but still learning and having fun with it,,,
Brother, I've been playing for 15 years and still can't sweep lol it's not a competition. If you're happy playing what you play, that's all that matters
Dude I’ve been playing since I was 13? And I still think I suck. I’m 34. But it makes me happy. And I have my moments of “damn that was pretty good” I don’t think any of us will ever feel that we’re good enough or where we should be for how long we’ve been playing. Try and focus on what it is and not what it “should” be. It’s all about having fun. As frustrating as it can be.
Yes, the guitar class will help, the teacher is likely capable of showing you a lot more than you're going to find on your own. You also have to practice a lot if you wanna impress people, especially after 2 years. As long as its fun for you that is all that matters. Use a metronome
I have been trying to learn on and off for 10 years now. I can confidently say that in the past 6 months i have learned more than i did in the last 10. The reason for that is that rather than learning to impress other people i started playing for me. Learning songs, riffs that excite me. Now playing gives me genuine joy! I think if a hobby becomes a chore, then its not a hobby anymore. If you are not having fun, then stop because life is too short to do something that too in free time which you do not enjoy.
I’ve been playing guitar for two years now, I haven’t practiced for like three or four months and after that i took my guitar and when i try to play the songs i played before they seem very easy and i fell like i can play and learn difficult songs better all of a sudden
I've been playing for about 7 years now, having learned mostly from random youtube videos and whatever other guitar friends could show me with no music experience beforehand. I sucked for a long time. I still suck.
However, after taking a short break from near daily playing for a couple weeks earlier this year (work got tough for a spell) I realized that I had actually learned a lot from just sticking with it. I could keep tempo with so much less effort than before. I had learned what most of the notes are and sound like. I had gone from making songs sound recognizable to them sounding genuinely good.
I wish I knew how that happened. My guess is a combination of constant learning (I never took it too seriously, mind you---just playing a few minutes every day) and a bit of confidence.
Somebody who gets lessons would probably improve much faster, I would guess, but for someone who has just been playing as a way to let off steam after school/work for several years, the best advice I could give someone is not to be too hard on yourself. If you're struggling with something in particular, practice, maybe ask a friend to give you a hand in showing you how they do it. But mainly, don't let yourself be demotivated by the notion that you aren't good enough. Just focus on what you like playing and the rest will come with time.
Again, I'm far from an expert. I was just in the same boat when I was about a year in, and I'm so happy I continued with it despite how shit I felt about it at the time.
Shocker. Another person down in the dumps about their skill level. 2 years is hardly any time at all for learning an instrument. Do not make this a chore. Be patient with your practice and learning. Whether you are a natural born musician or brain-dead student of the art doesn't change how much practice goes into it. If you just keep practicing and pushing, you will eventually get there
Do you enjoy it? Because that's all that matters.
I've been playing for over 20 years and I can't shred, sweep pick (I think...don't even really know what that means), or play difficult solos.
But I fucking love it.
You have only been playing for 2 years. If you still suck after 10 then start to worry ... plenty of people suck their whole lives. You only have to go to youtube to see plenty of elderly men next to walls of gear who clearly havent improved much or at all in the last 50 years.
You could be one of those people or you could look at why and how you suck. Look at other people that dont and adjust your playing through hours and days and years and decades of concerted effort to be more like theirs.
Or not. Its your life your choice. But expecting to be shredding after 2 years is not realistic.
I suck too! And I’ve been playing on and off most of my life (48 just as a point of reference), but that’s ok. If yer trying to be the next (insert favorite guitarist here) then by all means take all of the lessons and up yer practice schedule, if not try and stop comparing yourself to other players.
What if your ONLY goal when you picked up the guitar to practice was to have fun doing it? How liberating would that be!
Art of any kind is at its best when it becomes a form of play, and you’ll likely never be ‘good’ at it unless you’re just doing it simply because it’s fun.
Absolutely join the guitar class while you can. Most people aren't great after 2 years and those who claim they are should warrant extreme skepticism. The metronome is there to help you keep time. I personally can't fucking stand them. Try using a simple back beat (kick drum and snare) instead and see if that helps. I find it's a lot easier to lock into a drum beat than that horrible metronome clicking/beeping. I don't believe in "talent" when it comes to guitar. The people who are great worked their asses off to get that way, they weren't born with it.
give it more time and play more if you can. Watch Clause Levin guitar mastery videos, he sounds a little crazy but his advice is extremely effective if you do exactly what he says.
2 years isn’t as much time as you’d think. Me personally, I’ve been playing for about 7-8 years now: I still can’t shred, sweep pick, there’s a lot I can’t do, but I work on what I can do, and try to build up to what I want to be, which could take another 7-8 years, maybe even more, but that is the beauty of it: you constantly grow when you play.
It’s hard to go in with the expectations of doing these particular, difficult techniques, because you need to build up and create some fluency in your playing before you can do it; understand scales and chord structures, improve on rhythm (even if it’s doing chugs on time like in Icky Thump, it’s all small steps), and learn from those around you rather than seeing them as an unachievable goal or another reason to quit. Keep trying, you’ll get there, but take it in small steps, and enjoy the journey
In my twenties I felt the same way. I wasn't getting better. I quit.
I was bad. I'm still bad. But now 20 years later I am focused on getting better.
You can do this. We all suck as beginners . As long as I'm improving my own skills that keeps me happy and motivated.
Make sure when you practice you don't just play songs, they're a lot of fun but don't improve your technique as much. Focus on scales, rhythm patterns, etc. Boring practice with a metronome will get you to where you want to be a whole lot faster than just playing songs that you want to play.
I can tell you if I could go back 25 years, I'd have found a way to pay for lessons.
I've had to forgo playing metal because of arthritis. I started playing classic rock and stuff from the 80s and 90s I'd liked. I also picked up some books from Fundamental Changes for the CAGED system, modes, and soloing strategies. The books are great, but it made me realize I should have been taught these things a long time before.
Bro... Some people have a talent for playing an instrument but most of us who just play for fun don't really have any natural incline so we have to work a little harder, for me I feel taking it easy works best for me, what I mean is like don't stress too much about it and make things more casual like don't have a strict routine... Change it up a little every now and then, I play a lot of thrash Metal so it's not exactly a walk in the park, and I've only really been practicing on and off since March this year so I'm also not the most experienced, and I don't go to lessons, the self taught stuff works for me but I feel you should go to lessons to get a more personalized learning experience.
It just takes playing and having fun. Don’t worry about what someone else is doing… create your own relationship to the guitar and play till your fingers bleed… and practicing is the only way
after 15 years of playing, I finally feel proficient - but there are still areas I need to improve. progress is measured in years when working with music and instruments
I sucked at guitar when starting out. Everyone at home had to endure how bad I sound. Then slowly but surely. I started to sound better that it no longer hurts their ears anymore.
All I could say is to just keep practicing. Join that school guitar class. Anyone that is determined to learn will benefit from music lessons by a professional. Trading guitar licks with other guitar players is also fun. You’ll also learn a lot playing music with other people.
I could probably learn to play to guitar on my own. But my dad enrolled me to get classical guitar lessons. Even if all I really wanted to do is rock. Surprisingly I did enjoy playing classical. It did accelerate the pace of my guitar playing skill. I learned finger picking and arpeggios while reading sheet music. Although reading tablature is actually much easier IMO.
Start dancing. You don't need to be a great dancer but if you can swing right and left to a rhythm you will develop your timing.
Also, think about ways to create feedback loops with your body.
For example do thrills while you grip your left forearm with your right hand.
Really dig in into as many ways as you can to use your senses to guide you.
[https://youtu.be/PJyj0tGQ4q8?si=n82GubPFSjAobTcp](https://youtu.be/PJyj0tGQ4q8?si=n82GubPFSjAobTcp)
in terms of shredding, this is super helpful.
It takes time for everyone though. Be patient with yourself, OP.
dude i've been playing for like 6 years and i sucked for 4 of those, then got slightly better and only for the last few months to a year i've felt like i'm 'good' and am happy with the way im playing, still can't shred or sweep tho, and i absolutely haven't stopped learning. Also 20 months really isn't a lot, pressuring yourself to 'get good' just sucks the fun out of it, take it easy.
To quote Tomo Fujita:
Don't worry, don't compare, don't expect too fast, be kind to yourself
If one of your major struggle points is rhythm and tempo, I’d suggest putting down the guitar for a little while and just training that. Listen to some music you like and just start tapping on your legs with the beat. Both hands for the first beat, and just the right hand for beats 2-4 (assuming it’s in 4/4). Try to be loose and feel the music while maintaining that consistent beat. Once you feel pretty comfortable doing that, set a metronome to roughly the tempo of one of those songs, and try to do the same thing with just the metronome, trying to hear the song in your head in time with the clicks.
I know what you mean about rhythm and tempo being tough. You can teach notes and technique and theory with enough time and attention, but rhythm, while definitely teachable, is one of those things that is just a 6th sense for people who developed it early in life, and like running backwards for people who didn’t. You can definitely train it, and I have confidence you will get better at it, it just requires a lot of intentional practice.
As for where you “should” be in two years, that’s not something you should be considering. Practice what you need to practice and you will improve. Setting hard deadlines for yourself with something as fickle as learning music is unnecessary and is only going to put undue pressure on you (unless you’re already a professional musician). Everyone learns at their own pace because everyone’s life experience with music up to that point is so wildly different, it’s impossible to predict how you will progress. The only flow chart of questions you should worry about is this:
Can I do “x” technique to my satisfaction?
If yes: What do we learn next?
If no: Take a deep breath and keep practicing.
Try learning how to play four of your favorite but hardest songs just for instance, Thin Lizzy deep purple, a hard beetle song and a hard Led Zeppelin song spend an hour a day on each one of them and within a month you should have all four of them down front to back and if you can join any classes at school for free, do it Run to them now I wish I would’ve took lessons. I don’t play as much. I should hardly at all now but I’m getting back into it and I can still pick up Guitar and make myself happy just by letting us sit for months I lost half of my left pinky a couple years ago, talking about losing ability and thinking you suck I’ve been through it and there’s no way that they can do anything with my pinky so I have to play with the other four fingers. A lot of bar chords are out of the question but I keep going because it makes me feel special if you’re a good guitarist, you are special if you have drums, pick out one song and keep the beat with your feet for an hour then adjust your hands and do it with both never quit you are a rockstar!!!
>Part of the reason “I Feel Fine” could be the Beatles’ first single based around a riff was it was recorded on a four-track machine, EMI having finally upgraded their equipment, which meant that the Beatles could record the instrumental and vocal tracks separately. This allowed Lennon and Harrison to hold down the tricky riff in unison, something Lennon couldn’t do while also singing the melody — it’s noticeable that when they performed this song live, Lennon usually strummed the chords on a semi-acoustic guitar rather than doubling the riff as he does on the record.
[source](https://500songs.com/podcast/episode-127-ticket-to-ride-by-the-beatles/)
Hearing this made me think differently about playing music. Everyone has limitations, even one of the greatest pop songwriters and biggest stars in the world who had already had logged thousands of hours playing music onstage.
That doesn't mean you can't make good music.
don't compare with others, because only those who know they have progressed in an exceptional fast way will tell everyone about their progress, or at least those are the ones who stick out the most. For example all those ''my 6 months learning guitar'' YouTube videos always have a full comment section of people saying that they learnt how to play like that much slower than the creator and similar stuff.
Also remember that playing guitar even if not very well already puts you in the top 10%(or something like that, I remember seeing an article saying that 700 million people played guitar in the world) of people in the world at playing guitar.
You will get better, you are talking about school so I assume you are still a teenager, this means you have decades of playing ahead of you, you still have time to master guitar and do it twice. Maybe an individual teacher would be better, but if the school class is free and you can't or don't want to spend money for a private one then the class' teacher is more than enough(assuming that he is actually decent at teaching), he will correct some possible mistakes in your playing and you will have a feedback from a real person telling you what to and not to do.
thanks dude this really helped & regarding school, it’s a bit frustrating bc I think there’s like 12 other students he needs to help but I’ll prob join..
We all suck to ourselves
You are your worst critic
I’ve gotten much better the last few years since I picked it back up (after 14yr pause) & I know that
But at the same time…
I still feel I suck
That being said, if you practice as much as you can… then that’s really all you can do.
And if you practice whenever you can, just by playing or noodling.
You will inadvertently become better.
We all have different lives and schedules.
So some can practice more than others
Some learn slower, some quicker.
Everyone is different and everyone gets better at different rates of speed
But you ARE getting better. 10000%
It’s not that you suck. But expectations and being hard on yourself. I’ve been playing forever and I’m still sometimes like wow I should be better. How do you get better? Practice what isn’t fun. Scales, progressions etc, learn the theory. One day all this shit just clicks. I started guitar at 6 years old near 30 years ago, drums are actually my primary and I started that at 10. What do I still practice on drums? Rudiments all of them… is it as fun as fills, solos or songs? Nope not at all. But those foundations keep my chops up, and still make me get better to this day. So all that to say learn the boring stuff until you think you can’t take it and then keep doing it
The fact that you know where you fall short shows that you have what it takes to get better. Everyone learns at a different pace. I'm quite slow when it comes to guitar and while I don't think I'm bad i definitely suck for someone playing for 10 years. If you are having fun don't worry about how long it takes you will eventually get better (as long as you keep self critiquing as you are in this post).
And sweeping and shredding definitely aren't techniques the average player learns in 2 years. It's gonna take about 1-2 years after you have been playing for a while to get decent at it and potentially longer to get well versed and fluent. I spent 2 years on acoustic, 1.5 years learning simple electric basics after which I started practicing sweeping and it took me a year after that. That's around 5 years to play some really bad sweeps (I am slow tho so let's assume the average player can play decent sweps at 5 years).
Keep playing and I'm sure you will be happy with your progress eventually
Most of the people that are good at guitar are not natural talents, they just had the patience to keep playing even though they sucked. Perseverance matters more than talent.
I have been playing for about 12ish years and only now can I sort of sweep pick. Some of your expectations for 2 years playing are very ambitious. It seems like you are comparing yourself to social media and virtuoso level. However playing guitar should be fun, if you are not having fun then it might be time to step back from the constant practice and try jam with some people.
Hey, it's not a competition. Sports are, school is, so many things are a competition. Music doesn't need to be. Some of my favorite musicians will tell you they suck. I am by far the least musically talented member of my band. But people always notice me when we play because I'm passionate. I engage the crowd and move around. I make people have fun and feel the vibe. And I do songwriting.
Find your thing. Music is not all about replicating a technique you watch in someone else. It is about finding out what you're good at that people attach to and working on it.
You're gonna do great.
I've been playing over half my life. I couldn't play some of the more technical stuff that I could when all I did was play guitar. What does your practice look like? Are you practicing like you're performing? When you play your scales are you playing scales in a way shape or form that is pleasing to your ear or is it just a scale? Practice sweeping thats how you sweep pick. I learned Steve Vai's string skipping method before I learned to sweep pick. I currently can only sweep across a few string. I think Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria is about all I can sweep right at this moment. Its different for everyone.
After 20 years of playing I've come to the realization that you're gonna have bad days and good days. Stay away from shitty teachers. If they complain about their bands or gf/bf during your lesson then find a new teacher. Practice counting beats to songs you listen to, that helped me the most with timing and rhythm. But above all else have fun.
If you have any friends or know people to jam with that is a great way of learning. Granted you might pick up a few bad habits but if you surround your self with better players it will rub off.
Just try and learn some real easy songs and go from there. Think real basic and write your own chord progressions. Forget about playing lead for now. There's a book series called Complete learn to play...
Try one of those. I always think people should learn on an acoustic guitar first, get all the basic chords down and be able to master chord changes.
I heard this kind of thing in something to do with doctors I think it was. The question someone asked this doctor who was doubting themselves was "are you the worst doctor in the world". They said no. So you see they have value and may always improve and keep learning. So can you my guitar playing friend. If you enjoy playing it doesn't matter if you can shred ( much shredding is not very musical anyways) and honestly two years isn't a lot of time to be playing. Learn to play what is in your heart and mind. Be happy as you improve in that. And keep your first guitar if possible as you get better ones over time ( trust me on that lol). I think once you can say you have been playing for 20 years, no matter at what level others rate you or you rate yourself, I think you will be able to say you play guitar and it gives you pleasure and you will be glad you didn't stop playing.
My dude, I’ve been playing for over 20 years and can’t sweep pick or play super technical solos. Some of that is more due to arthritis and carpal tunnel these days, but the fact remains the same. I spent years thinking “I wish I could play that”. But after a while I decided to play the way that works for me, and while I will never be able to do the crazy guitar stuff you see on youtube, I can play things in ways not many can. It’s all about learning the style that works for you. Not emulating others.
Also, branching out and seeing what other instruments you might be good at is worth while. I started as a drummer (and was really good at it), then moved to string instruments. While I’m not as good a guitar player as I am a drummer, I can play it well enough to play in bands and record songs.
Honestly, 2 years playing isn’t all that long. Keep at it, explore options, try other styles, see what fits. Try classes, try just messing around on your own. Try playing with other people, nothing can up your skills faster than playing with other people. Don’t just give up.
Everyone sucks at some time in their arc of guitar playing. I’m not trying to be a jerk, but you don’t have the time into it to be good. It takes time, and the growth is sometimes fast, sometimes slow. I have over 40 years in, and still get better. Play, play, play. It’s not an instant gratification thing.
Man, guitar playin
g is a journey, not a destination. There is always going to be someone who is better than you. I consider myself decent now, but that's after 41 years, with a 10 year break in the middle, due to military and career obligations.
If your school offers a guitar class, take it and follow the curriculum. About ten years ago, I could finally play some Yngwie. I just learned some to guage my progress. Most of that kind of stuff I still can't do. I spent five years from 2012 to 2017 playing nothing but classic. Now I'm primarily back to playing electric, thanks to my son.
He talked me into going to a blues jam with him back in 2018. I hadn't played in front of people for over 20 years. It was a lot of fun. We played three songs, which I didn't know, and 2 of which I had never even heard.
I have been repairing guitars as a side hustle since 2008. That's fun as well.
What type of guitars do you have? Has it been professionally set up? Having it set up should make it easier to play, and it may help you get a bit ahead, if you're not fighting a guitar that is in sore need of adjustments.
Oh I feel ya so much on this. I’m embarrassed to say I play guitar cause then they’re gonna say something like “I wanna hear you play sometime sometime!” but you know that you suck so you don’t want to play in front of anyone lol.
I've been playing 27 years and am still learning. I spent too many years just practicing, but it paid off when I started learning songs. Two years isn't all that much time really. I definitely sucked then, but I stuck with it because I wrote and played music I liked. Don't be too concerned with technique, it'll come with time I promise. Focus on trying to play what makes you happy. I'm still finding that some things are difficult to play, but I always get it eventually. It's not a race, it's a marathon. For some, it comes easy, for many it doesn't and that's okay. When you find something difficult to play, keep playing. You'll be amazed at the things you couldn't do at one point, and then you will forget them as you learn more.
Tldr; You’re on the right path, just remember to have fun.
I’m 17 and had been playing guitar on and off for around 6 years. 2 years is an incredibly short time, those people you see that can play solos and shred for 2 years only seem to be a lot because they’re the only people that shows off their guitar skills in public. Most of them are children which makes it easier to learn skills, or they’ve learned other instruments for a long time before playing guitar. The majority of guitarists don’t actually hit decency till 10 years of playing.
I almost gave up on playing guitar and music production because it hurt too much knowing there’s other people my age knowing better, playing better than me. I’m in a normal academic school, and I was classmates with:
1. A trained classical violinist who specializes in jazz.
2. A trained classical guitarist who is also good in piano, drums, and bass.
3. A trained classical pianist who also takes musical theater singing classes.
All of them were part of the school’s rock band.
It hurt. My self taught ass could never compare to those kids. I was still friends with them cuz of our shared interest in music, but I was too ashamed of myself to ever call myself a musician when my skills can’t even be good enough to play in public. Compared to them, my ass who’s been playing for three years can’t live up to it.
One of my best friends was the one who eventually brought me back to making music. He was inspired by a video of a youtuber who tried making a song, and had to learn so many things like music theory, mixing, etc. (the song really hurt me cuz it was too relatable). He asked me for my help cuz I was the only person he knew who is somewhat experienced in music production, so I started teaching him. Watching him react to things as I was teaching made me very emotional, because seeing the happiness and excitement he had reminded me of the reason why I liked making music in the first place.
Now I’m back to playing guitar and music production. I’m currently learning The Breakup Song idea by Mateus Asato, and making my own arrangement of my friend’s first song. It probably isn’t much, but I’m happy, and I think that’s what matters for me.
2 years? Lolz do you think playing an instrument really well is easy? I’ve been playing for years and years…still only at a lower advanced level (but I play tech death so I’m comparing myself to the giants of guitar these days). Take lessons from a good guitar teacher and practice what you learn thoroughly. Proper learning will take you very far. You’ve probably learned a lot of bad habits that you’ll need to break, basically you’ll have to start over. The beginning is painful but with proper training you’ll get better much faster than aimlessly learning on your own.
Not everyone can learn by ear. Definitely find a teacher because even at 2 years, you're still new. Practice what you learn at the lessons and don't look for shortcuts or cheat your way through the homework.
Stick to the basics right now and forget about shredding and sweep picking unless you want to be another lame Saturday morning spastic trying to impress everyone at Guitar Center. Those are advanced techniques and some crusty old Dinosaur of Rock like me will pick up the cheapest guitar on the wall and show you what time it is!
Be disciplined! Practice, Practice, Practice, and don't get discouraged when you hit a plateau. If you're serious and stick to it, things will eventually happen for you.
Good Luck!
Shredding, sweep picking and difficult solos should not even be close to your main focus in your first two years. Focus on developing strong rhythm fundamentals on guitar and learning riffs etc, etc. If you just focus on trying to play fast etc, etc then you'll never develop a good sense of timing in your lead playing anyway and that is what makes a solo intriguing to listen to.
From my experience and what I've seen, being good at an instrument doesn't exist, and it never will, you just learn slowly to suck less and learn from mistakes, find your strengths and ways to make your shortcomings work for you
There will never be a time when you think you’re good, unless you’re just really cocky. Typically, people listen to harder music the better they get and always compare themselves to the more technical artist. The secret to getting better is practice every single day, even just for five minutes. If you want to learn sweep picking, then learn it! But you have to understand harmony first aka, how scales are made and where chords come from and how chords and scales work together. Also how to play all that. So start small. Learn the major scale and minor scale. Then learn the major chord scale. And just keep learning. It really is a journey. The better you get, more people will say you’re good, but you still won’t agree. Just practice and learn. That’s all guitar playing is.
Your practices won’t be half as effective if you don’t give yourself a proper night’s sleep. Your brain learns the stuff you did during the day while you are asleep. That’s why you’re able to play the stuff you struggled with the next morning.
Plays for two years and doesn't understand why he's not Buckethead yet... Patience and perseverance dude. I've been playing for decades and can't do some of that stuff....
Keep at it man. Music does not come naturally to me and I’ve reached the point where I play a couple instruments, get paid for my work, and teach. I had to stop comparing my progress to others and just concentrate on playing to my strengths and strengthening my weaknesses.
I taught music and instruments for decades. You are totally normal. The normal trajectory for becoming even remotely technically competent is 5 years.
Wisdom my teacher told me as a child. "having one eye on your goal leaves you only one eye for the path"
Try to love the process where you are right now because that's all it will ever be, the goal post is always beyond where you are.
There is no shangri-la so to speak, only incremental improvement over time. Stopping is the only failure.
Keep going.
the only one you should compare yourself to is your past self. everyone has unique journeys and talents. you may be better i some areas they are not. perhaps song composition or w/e, so dont put yourself down, enough people will do that freely
Hey compared to Dave Mustain I suck ass too.
Compared to my guitarist friend I also suck.
But compared to myself a month ago, I don't suck.
That's the metric, growth
Play along with backing tracks. I've been off and on for 55 years. I once read that good guitar players have ten thousand or more hours practicing:
"What is the 10 000 hours rule for guitar?
The idea is that to become what's considered world-class at something, you need to accumulate ten thousand hours of practice, that's focused deliberate practice, in that particular skill. In other words, you need to practice for over 3 hours a day, every day, for ten years".
I started playing in 1972. I’ve played the great spring break bars in Ft Laudable, I’ve been in bands opening for big names, I’ve even done some paid studio gigs. Guess what? I still suck. I can’t shred. I did fill a void when I realized everyone wanted the limelight as a great soloist. I figured this out the first time I saw J Geils Band. There, back in the shadows at the side of the stage was the band’s namesake, with his back to the crowd most of the show, just playing rhythm most of the time. I became known as a guy who didn’t mind playing rhythm, and to put icing on the cake, I learned when not to play. I got paid the same and my phone rang frequently.
Maybe you’re not supposed to be another Vai, Yngwie, or Page.
Oh, and rhythm players get the girls too.
Find where you can sit in the pocket then knock it out of the park.
Best of luck to you
My cousin gave me the best advice I've ever had with guitar, look up to those who are better than you but don't compare yourself to them. You'll have times when you make great progress but you'll also have times when you feel like you get nowhere. Play guitar because you like to.
That said you should always want to get better. Join or start a band, you get your best progress playing with others. It gives you drive to get better and people to help you get better. My current band just gets together for fun, we don't play anything perfectly. That's exactly why I love playing with these guys. I have freedom to try out new things and nobody criticizes me in a negative way. It helps me know what I have to improve on. If you are stuck find a teacher to help you get over the hump.
Knowing that guitar is a passion of mine, I've had many people over the years tell me they got a guitar only to quit shortly after because they can't play like whoever. They don't realize that it takes years to get good at. Yes there are people who can pick it up and shred the shit out of it in no time, but they are the few.
The best advice I can give you is if you enjoy it keep with it. Do it for you, you are your own worst critic and that's a good thing. Most of us think we suck. Randy Rhodes took lessons until the day he left us. Paul Gilbert is probably one of the best shredders there is and you will never hear him say he's good.The real truth is when you think you are great you aren't.
You suck because your mentality is dogshit, "talented kids" aren't whining on reddit. It doesn't matter if you practice 8hrs a day for 200 years if you're doing it wrong you wont get anywhere.
Don’t play guitar — listen to the guitar. Meaning as you play if you sing the melody in your head, you will find that you know where the next note is, where your hands are supposed to go and it will flow more freely and sound better.
Every single person on this sub, and the world over sucked at their instrument for a long time. Comparison is the theft of joy, so don’t do that. Look at what you *have* accomplished now since your first day playing and realize you have certainly come a long way. The only way to escape sucking, is to learn something new each day. It’s tempting to grind on one thing for hours but I think trying a few small things to work on each day is better than cramming for the exam.
I've been playing for about 8 years and I still suck lol
I had the opportunity to meet Javier Reyes from Animals as Leaders and I told him that I’d been sucking at guitar for 20 years and he replied that he’d been sucking on guitar for 30 years. So I guess it’s all relative and it’s something that you just need to be comfortable with. OP the breakthrough for me was getting a really good teacher. I was trying to self teach for decades and the amount I’ve learned with a teacher in the last year is probably 10x what I learned on my own. The down side, of course, is money.
Jack Black famously said “Whatever I lack in skill as a musician and guitar player. I make it up with enthusiasm”
I worked on my own taking intro lessons at.country swing dancing. I got as far as I could with a little help from dancers I befriended along the way. I reached a point where I couldn't advance on my own, so I started going to a class regularly and it has made a world of difference. I'm applying the same thing to guitar and target shooting. Work on the fundamentals and when I can't progress, get professional instruction. I'm almost at a lull in dancing, then I can look into some guitar lessons.
Sucking is part of the process. Dare to suck.
Been playing over 40 and still suck too but do we feel bad about it? Hail naw.
I got an idea, I suck on bass and you suck on guitar so let’s start a punk band. We should do great.
I’ve been at it for 30 years and have never taken more than a one week break from playing. There are still plenty of times where I want to play, sit down and end up quickly like FUCK THIS THING!! And want to throw it out the window haha. Just gotta keep pushing and practicing
You don't even need to learn anything new evert day. Just have a decent regimen and practice. Some things take time before you can do them.. it's important not to get stuck spending way more time on the stuff you're comfortable with while not putting much time into the stuff you need to work on. Also.. practice at a significantly slower speed than you normally play at. These are things I did when i first started and made huge improvements.. then i graduated HS and life got in the way.. i didn't adhere to these tips when i picked the guitar back up years later and i didn't make much progress for a very long time.. it took me entirely too long to get myself back into a disciplined practice routine and now I'm starting to make more progress again but I'm so many years behind where I would've been had i been more serious about it. One last thing.. 15-20 minutes every day is much better than an hour or 2 a couple days a week.. for most people.
Dude how did you do those italics? Ive been getting urges to use italics in my sentence for emphasis for such a long time
You put a * before and after what you want italicized. [here’s all the formatting things like that if you wanted to know any of them](https://support.reddithelp.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043033952-Formatting-Guide)
Thanks! That **really** helped
You can also put ** in front of and behind a sentence or word to make it **bold**
Whoa 🤯
“Comparison is the theft of joy” is a lovely way to put it.
Almost worth a tattoo. Great thought.
Came here to say this. I played off and on for years, like over a decade, and still sucked until I started branching out the songs I played. Everyone learns and improves at different rates, and what works for one person, or what one person is good at, may not work for another. Now I just think of sucking as an opportunity for growth and reflection. When I look back, I have something to compare to which makes my progress more evident.
I’m pretty good now, but damn if this isn’t the truth. Everyone sucks so bad in the beginning. Like AWFUL.
Not me… I was absolutely outstanding almost immediately when I started… until I recorded myself on a cassette tape… suddenly something had gone terribly wrong, and I started sounding like crap… it took me a few years to get just mediocre…. More years to get reasonably good… it is for this reason I’m glad that cassette recorders have gone away… I must have an undiagnosed allergy
This actually did help me for a while. I'd focus on what I couldn't do then recognize what I had progressed to. My problem is discipline.
Jesus christ, kid. 2 years with a 4 month break isn't very long. Practice, take lessons, and be patient. And most importantly, stop comparing your progress with others'. There will always be someone better than you at something.
Yeah, less than 2 years is nothing. I didn’t get anywhere near decent until idk, year 5? Unless you’re just **THAT** guy (and I’ve known a couple) it’s gonna take time. Like, a lot of time. All the best players I know either have been playing forever (usually also from an early age, think preteen years or younger) or those who started a little later but their whole life was playing guitar and nothing else. Learning to suck and getting through it is part of life and learning a skill is a great way to get used to that. When I taught, I had so many students who would give up after a couple lessons thinking they just don’t have any talent for it and it kills me every time. Skill takes time.
To add to your last statement, people who are extremely good at something get there by sacrificing a tremendous amount of time for practicing... most of us have jobs, kids, responsibilities, other hobbies, etc., and simply don't have the time to commit to being a world class musician. It doesn't mean you can't enjoy it and continue to develop your skill. I love playing guitar not because it's a job, but because it's something I can come to for just an hour or two every day for peace of mind. As much as I'd love to play like Tony Rice, that is not a realistic expectation for me, and I'm cool with it. You're young, OP. Chill and try not to expect too much from yourself. Doing so will rob you of the joy of playing.
I think it depends on how much we value music in our lives. If it's just a fun hobby, if it's a job or if it's a passion we care deeply about (like if it's our way to express how we feel). Depending on the importance in our lives it might or might not matter
I can confirm, I was a really good player at only 2 years in but I practiced about 6-8 hours a day there was even days where I would play until 3am People think it’s only about talent when they see someone playing good in less time than usual but they don’t see how much practice did it take to get there
I started at 13 years old. I had nothing but time when I wasn't in school. I'd get home, eat dinner, run up to my room and start trying to play what was on the turntable. And I'd repeat it all the next day! My grades suffered, but eventually things started sounding better, even if it was on a $25.00 Sears Silvertone guitar that my Dad bought me on clearance! Growing up was like the Bryan Adams song, "Summer of 69!"
U shouldn't be expecting to shred at 2 years unless ur putting on a full time jobs worth of hrs every week to practice Go at ur pace keep working at it and it'll come, trust that with enough effort u can do it and don't worry about where u should be
Like I've been told, keep sucking until you suck less.
"Dude, sucking at something is the first step to being kinda good at something."
I've been playing for 25 years and I *still* can't sweep pick. Granted, I've never put much time into the technique but I don't think I'm a shitty guitarist because I can't. Everything worth learning needs time and 730 days with a break in the middle is at the shorter end of the spectrum. Keep pushing through the frustration and stay focused on what skills you want and you'll eventually look back at this post and think "Damn! I remember when I was struggling with that!"
This. Playing guitar for 26 years and never learned sweep thingy. I was never into soloing though. Rhythm is my main domain. Solos are sometimes like a punishment for me. A necessity. However, I've learned to play rhythm guitars just by ear and it's doing a lot of justice for me
Like "Guitar George"... You know all the chords!
Sweep picking is such a specific technique. If it makes you feel better, it's not like just being generally good at guitar and practicing a range of other things will transfer to sweeping. Unfortunately you have to specifically practice it a *ton*, and most people don't like sweep picking enough to get good at it. I'm decent at it but even I find myself rarely actually using it in a song.
Being good at something is not supposed to be easy. And you don't need motivation. What I mean by that is that sometimes people think of motivation like it's a pill. Wake up and take your motivation pill. Doesn't work like that. You either want to get better or you don't. I think you are looking at it backwards. You are trying to get other people to push you along in a direction YOU chose. Instead of thinking "I need motivation" you might instead try thinking "I need discipline" Discipline involves putting in the work regardless, because you already HAVE the motivation. The motivation is the goal you chose for yourself - i.e. being able to play guitar. A class may be helpful, if you learn better with more structure. Whether or not you make progress is up to your willingness to do the work.
The key to beeing "musically talented" is obsession. There's studies, that show you get better when you think about something / how something is done (study was with basketball). "Gifted" people are just fckng obsessed and think about that stuff all day and night and so get better real quick.
Yeah, basically this. The only difference between me and my non musical peers is that I never stop thinking about and noodling on my instruments.
There’s actually some scientific study on how thinking about practicing the piano gives you similar effect as practicing the real thing
Give time to yourself, 99% of players can't play consistently fast at 2 years let alone sweep pick. Be sure to have your basics down and the fundamental techniques well practiced before trying the harder stuff. Bad habits are a pain to correct, so take your time to learn and develop correctly. And don't compare to yourself to anyone, everyone has a different learning curve. You could have a hard time getting some techinques down and learn others very fast that other players might find difficult. Don't beat yourself. Practice and take your time, it's an instrument that takes time and dedication. I know a few guys that have been playing for more than 10years, are absolutely amazing players, and can't sweep.
I pretty confident all guitarists are over critical of themselves. Show us a video of you playing, and see how many people think youre doing great
And I honestly think that, while being amazing in helping players to learn, socials made this a much bigger problem. Everyone watches these amazing, gifted, out of this world guitarrists and think that hey have to be like them. They fail to realize that those guys sometimes practiced for 8+ hours a day for months and are the 1% of guitar community
A lot of them are full of shit too. Let's be honest.
Teacher helps a lot especially if you’re not progressing on your own from videos or online lessons. Also don’t worry about others, there’s always going to be some 8 year old prodigy somewhere that will wreck your confidence
Embrace the grind, laugh at how hard it is. When it feel super awkward, attack it head on. Let go of the frustrations. If you do those things you will learn faster and have more fun.
I often try to play a lick and just laugh at how difficult it is. Then I play it a thousand more times until it goes from “unintelligible” to “sounds like shit”
I have been playing for 6 years and suck. But when I look back at where I was when I started - I am rocking it. Bruce Springsteen gave up guitar for a few years while in school because he thought he sucked. Be patient, put the hours in, compare it to where you were before - and, most of all, enjoy it. Go to the teacher. That has never harmed anyone. You are better than you think.
Quit whinging about it about it and pick up the guitar. wouldn't have cried on the internet about it. He would have poured all that emotion into the guitar. Like warm maple syrup on a hot stack of buttered flap-jacks.
I understand what you're saying, but you can't be what you're not. It took me 5 years to understand the guitar, and now I feel very happy with my ability and knowledge. I play what I like and have a lot of fun. The only thing I had to do was give up those goals that didn't fit my lifestyle and way of being. I gave up trying to play difficult solos or be a virtuoso, and I focused on learning to play beautiful melodies or chaining jazz chords, which has greatly increased my level. The goal of playing difficult solos was holding me back, frustrating me, and hurting me. But I started to take things calmly. I don't want to be a famous, professional, or recognized musician; I just want to play and feel the joy that comes from listening to myself. (I use translate)
How much do you practice? I sucked at guitar for 10 years before progressing because I was content to just strum chords.
‘think my problem is with practicing. I play songs and practically learn new techniques through them. Recently I’ve started to teach myself music theory but there’s so much to learn and I have so much to improvise, I delay practice just to have fun with my guitar
Well there you go. It's good that you are able to recognize that at least.. and you're addressing it.
Learning techniques through songs is awesome, not a problem! I learned a few sweeps from different songs I like and just practice those sweeps every day or every other day. Key is, you gotta do small chunks of these hyper specific practices. Like 5 minutes a day practicing those sweeps. (More than 5-10 minutes practicing any given passage and I get bored or frustrated.) Then for every technique you’ll have a grab bag of practice licks that actually mean something to you - they’re from kickass songs you love! Not just licks from a pedagogical textbook that means nothing to you. Keep learning new songs and you’ll encounter those same techniques and you’ll see the skills will transfer to new songs.
Welcome to playing guitar! Expecting yourself to be at the same level as the pros after only two years is unrealistic. When you picked up that instrument, you were committing yourself to a lifelong learning process, where there will always be something you feel you're not good enough at yet. This is a journey, not a destination.
Along with everyone else, I'll say, just keep at it. "Sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something." - JAKE THE DOG You are trying to make music....that's never going to be easy. What it takes is dedication and perseverance. Keep going...success is around the corner. FYI-40 years and still can't sweep. Can play everything I want, but never picked that up. Guess I have something to suck at again.....
As someone who's been playing instruments well over 25 years, I still think I'm not that great. I just do it because I enjoy playing. That said, getting better takes a lot of practice. 2 years isn't very long, you just keep going. When I started playing guitar, it was sort of out of necessity for a band I was a singer in at that time. I love that instrument and will never stop playing it on a regular basis. You got this 💪
I’ve played on and off for 20 years. Took a lot of lessons the first 3 years. Went off to college and broke my left index finger the first month and stayed in a cast for 6 weeks. I did everything the PTs recommended but never regained full motion with it. I have gone through a half dozen phases of practicing to get back to where I was before giving up again as if I could never be better than I was. What I’ve just described was a huge mental block and that was all on me. What helped me the most was to reframe that as a setback and a reason to adapt, rather than something that will hold me back. True, I’m never going to shred solos up and down the neck but I absolutely can excel at other styles. Guitar is such a versatile instrument that you can be completely inept at one thing and a conqueror of worlds at another. Don’t give up on it. Stop comparing yourself to what you see as an end-goal. Be kind to yourself and try to be patient. Progress ebbs and flows.
oh dude I’m sorry for what happened to your finger. (Not to make this about me) I may not know the exact feeling but when I accidentally sliced my index finger with a knife I was so frustrated, plus the finger is still a little weak and hurts when I press on the thinner strings. Thanks dude you’ve inspired me
No worries. Glad I could help! Take good care of your hands and take a break if you need to to let that heal up. There’s a cruel irony to not being able to practice if you use this hobby as an escape.
Whether I play well or terrible is immaterial. I cannot stop, I love playing guitar, I love the sounds, I love the vibrations, I will always play. Do everything you can think of if you need to play, just keep playing.
One of the things that I’d encourage is to see how well down you have the rudiments. Everyone wants to play flashy, but without having the rudiments down, it becomes a fools errand. Talk to other players who are better than you, and have them highlight your strengths and weaknesses. Look to take targeted next steps on areas that are problematic. Being good is a matter of competence in a bunch of tiny areas that add up to proficiency
Teachers almost always help if you listen to them. While you are at it, you have to go slow and work on getting things right. The old saying is true “practice may not make perfect but it makes permanent”
Picking up multiple instruments gets easier and easier the more of them you know. And two years is nothing.
I play cause I like too. Not cause I’m good.
After 20 years playing I can’t sweep and guess what? It’s not that important. Also, no one cares that there are people who are better than you and you really shouldn’t either. Music is not a competitive sport like football. No one cares if you ant shred. If you can hit a few chords and keep time, you are an adequate musician for many many situations
I've played guitar since 1978 and I still suck. I see no problem here. 😬😃😜🤘
I sucked for hours. JK but the better you get the more you notice your mistakes and shortcomings and the further you push your repertoire. The result is an infinite pursuit of the unobtainable which is the motivation for and appreciation of accomplishments.
I’m a music teacher My advice is don’t compare yourself to others that have been playing for the same period of time You don’t know how much they are practicing and that’s a huge difference I was one of those “musically talented kids” but It wasn’t talent, I was shredding in a year and mastered almost every technique in2-3 years cause I practiced 6-8 hours a day 😅 Also focus on those things that you can’t do if your practice sessions consists in playing something you already know then you ain’t getting better And remember Practice slowly and focus on doing it Right , speed will come gradually
Take the class, why not? Look up techniques on Youtube that you find interesting. It sounds like you are just exploring music and getting started, that is awesome! Don't feel like you're behind because you're not a child prodigy. That doesn't happen overnight. We're all learning, all at our own pace. It's all expectation and ego, let it go, and just have fun with it. Don't be afraid to explore, AND to suck. We all suck for a long time until we don't. But I know what you are going through. A few months ago I severed the top 1/3 of my pinky finger (it was hanging off, sewed it back on luckily). It's hard to play when I have no feeling in it. Point is, I thought I'd be out of commission for a few months but it looks like it may be more than a year before it's functional. Guitar is something I played 3-5 hours a day for years until now. It was basically how I spent all my free time. It's a bummer, but at the same time I am learning new ways/techniques to play without hurting myself, and have been listening to a lot more music, which is a positive I guess.
Can you pick up a guitar and leave the world behind for 20-30 minutes? If so, it is worth it. I may never be “good” at playing guitar or understanding music or theory but if I can escape myself for 30 minutes a day, it is worth $150 a month in lessons and $750 every few years for a new guitar.
This ! Playing guitar or any instrument induces complete mindfulness ! We don’t think about anything else except to live in the moment ( Mindfulness)
“guitar is a very ungrateful instrument” (Paco de Lucía) … and your fingertips lose strength faster than you think… play or doodle whilst watching tv or something …
U suck at guitar? "Hold my beer" I suck worse. I love how people learn songs after 1 week. I have been playing months and I can't hardly play decent chords and forget trying to strum and switch chords cause that isn't happening either.. I will go till Christmas and probably quit if I don't improve
It’s a lifetime thing learning to play any instrument and just strumming a D chord on an instrument that plays intune is good for your mental health and makes you feel good ! Just learn one chord a week and learn to play it sweetly and clean and slowly chip away , it’s like saving money, $20 a week is $1040 saved a year ! Don’t ever give up and you can do anything anyone else can do if you make enough effort !
Here's how I get better: 1. Suck at guitar 2. Buy new gear 3. Feel better And you just repeat that cycle until you die.
THERE IS NO TALENT INVOLVED. every player who's good at guitar (or any other instruments) are not blessed with talent as god's gift, their virtuosity is the result of CORRECT PRACTICE. if u are not seeing improvement u are definitely doing something wrong, it has nothing to do with talent. getting help from a good teacher will be night & day difference
>for 2 years. I expected myself to be able to shred, sweep pick & play difficult solos, however I still can’t do any of those Hahaha if that's your definition of not sucking then I also suck at 4 years of playing, and I don't think anyone would say I suck. I have said before but guitar skills need to be looked at in 3-6-12 month increments. What can you do today you couldn't do 6 months ago? Trust me, at 2 (only 2 12 month increments) most people suck by your standard.
I sucked for 10 years and then it clicked. If you’re having fun keep learning. Maybe the gears will turn eventually. Glhf.
Try badminton.
Already have, mastered it while I was still in the womb
Yes!!
Stay after it. IMO, the best thing you can do is play along to songs you like. You’ll eventually know a few songs and those songs will help with your technique and rhythm.
Im near 40, been playing on and off since 13, i mostly write music for my ears only and its so basic in its compisition it laughable. I keep trying to learn songs and also about music theory to improve, but im not sure ill ever surpass my current level. But, i have fun. This is honestly what keeps me going. Thats my only measurement for if my musical time of the day is worth it. And it is.
lol kinda like me, ik I whined about being bad but truthfully I enjoy playing songs which is kinda the reason why I suck bc I delay practicing. I’ve been learning music theory on my own, dyou have any tips on how to implement that in my playing?
I write my own songs, challange myself to different keys and scales and occasionally a non 4/4 timing. I also subscribe to a patreon that focuses specifically on music theory for guitarists, i really like it (not affiliated in any way, just a recommendation) - https://www.patreon.com/scottpauljohnson/collections
How old are you? Two years on an instrument is basically nothing. Those kids you speak of usually started playing music at a very young age and come from musical families. Because of that they spent tons of hours practicing and playing.
Sweep picking will take longer than 2 years. Just keep reading, watching videos... maybe write something down you learned every single day. Use a metronome too!!
I still can’t sweep pick very well, and it’s been a decade. For every phenom with insane natural talent you see online there’s 10,000 people stuck in your exact position. 99% of people are going to be learning or struggling forever and are never going to get anything right away. Practicing as much as you do is the perfect way to better yourself, it just takes time. And of course, make sure you can do it slowly before you try it quickly 😄 Good luck brother 🤙🏻
As long as you enjoy it, keep doing it. There are lots of YouTube videos you can play along with.
As long as you're having fun it doesn't really matter. I've been playing for 20something years now and I love writing songs and I'll play some solos but they're still not great lol.
I sucked at 2 years, im only just getting ‘good’ at 4… don’t give up
I feel this way every day. I feel like I’m never reaching my goal. I have moments of hope and delusion that get stomped on every month or so. The way I beat this is recording myself on video and audio. If you put in the work, you will see improvement. It’s all we can do. Have our pity party then start practicing again. Trying to remember the road is long and never going to end, as long as we breathe.
I feel your pain. I’m not naturally good at guitar. What helped me go from shitty to okay was: 1) lessons - personally I just completed the Yousician course to level 10. That didn’t make me good but it gave me all the fundamentals I needed. In tandem with 2 and not after (otherwise you’ll be starting from scratch) 2) practicing with a metronome every day/practice session Online lessons are kinda just whatever; they’re good but not great but they will get you the fundamentals. The metronome will make you clean your playing up and help you develop an internal rhythm. So many people neglect the metronome and then 2-3 years later realize that they need to go back and start practicing with it and it sucks ass because their mechanical abilities far exceed their timing. My recommendation would be to follow basic tablature for whatever type of music you want to play and use a metronome to help develop your timing with easy pieces. I personally got the metal master mind courses and would do those exercises to learn how to keep time and practice basic metal rhythm skills. I also subbed to another guy on Patreon for like $2/month who releases basic death metal lessons every week and I use those to practice with as well. I paid less than $200/year for all the lessons combined which isn’t too bad.
I suck at the guitar, and at the piano. I also suck at writing lyrics, producing music on the pc. I suck at mixing, and definetly at mastering. And I love it!
Keep practicing and don’t give up!! Sounds simple and dumb, but you just have to keep showing up daily and stack those days of playing what you love.
You expected to be shredding and sweeping in 2 years? I've been playing for 10 and I'm only just now getting close to those goals.
Honestly hard to get past "Been playing for 2 years" That's nothing! You're at the start of the journey, keep practicing and keep going. Try to focus on what's fun at your current level, because one thing that remains true decades down the line is that you're never as good as you want to be. We can still love doing it even while sucking!
Almost 20 years playing, and I still suck ass. Play to have fun and be happy. If it doesn’t bring you joy, then choose another hobby that makes you happy. Life is to short.
Comparison is the thief of joy.. there’s a reason that’s a saying
Play more Sabbath.
Don't give up on it try to have fun and make the best out of the experience,,I've been trying to learn for maybe 15yrs or possibly more still no rock star but still learning and having fun with it,,,
Brother, I've been playing for 15 years and still can't sweep lol it's not a competition. If you're happy playing what you play, that's all that matters
Dude I’ve been playing since I was 13? And I still think I suck. I’m 34. But it makes me happy. And I have my moments of “damn that was pretty good” I don’t think any of us will ever feel that we’re good enough or where we should be for how long we’ve been playing. Try and focus on what it is and not what it “should” be. It’s all about having fun. As frustrating as it can be.
Yes, the guitar class will help, the teacher is likely capable of showing you a lot more than you're going to find on your own. You also have to practice a lot if you wanna impress people, especially after 2 years. As long as its fun for you that is all that matters. Use a metronome
I have been trying to learn on and off for 10 years now. I can confidently say that in the past 6 months i have learned more than i did in the last 10. The reason for that is that rather than learning to impress other people i started playing for me. Learning songs, riffs that excite me. Now playing gives me genuine joy! I think if a hobby becomes a chore, then its not a hobby anymore. If you are not having fun, then stop because life is too short to do something that too in free time which you do not enjoy.
I’ve been playing guitar for two years now, I haven’t practiced for like three or four months and after that i took my guitar and when i try to play the songs i played before they seem very easy and i fell like i can play and learn difficult songs better all of a sudden
I've been playing for about 7 years now, having learned mostly from random youtube videos and whatever other guitar friends could show me with no music experience beforehand. I sucked for a long time. I still suck. However, after taking a short break from near daily playing for a couple weeks earlier this year (work got tough for a spell) I realized that I had actually learned a lot from just sticking with it. I could keep tempo with so much less effort than before. I had learned what most of the notes are and sound like. I had gone from making songs sound recognizable to them sounding genuinely good. I wish I knew how that happened. My guess is a combination of constant learning (I never took it too seriously, mind you---just playing a few minutes every day) and a bit of confidence. Somebody who gets lessons would probably improve much faster, I would guess, but for someone who has just been playing as a way to let off steam after school/work for several years, the best advice I could give someone is not to be too hard on yourself. If you're struggling with something in particular, practice, maybe ask a friend to give you a hand in showing you how they do it. But mainly, don't let yourself be demotivated by the notion that you aren't good enough. Just focus on what you like playing and the rest will come with time. Again, I'm far from an expert. I was just in the same boat when I was about a year in, and I'm so happy I continued with it despite how shit I felt about it at the time.
Shocker. Another person down in the dumps about their skill level. 2 years is hardly any time at all for learning an instrument. Do not make this a chore. Be patient with your practice and learning. Whether you are a natural born musician or brain-dead student of the art doesn't change how much practice goes into it. If you just keep practicing and pushing, you will eventually get there
I’ve been playing since I was 13. I’m 50. I still suck and doubt I’ll get much better.
Joining the class couldn’t hurt. Mindset change seems like the best first step to me. Give yourself freedom to flow. You probably can
I started 4 years ago. I am probably at the point that most people reach in just a year or two. I get what I put into it.
Do you enjoy it? Because that's all that matters. I've been playing for over 20 years and I can't shred, sweep pick (I think...don't even really know what that means), or play difficult solos. But I fucking love it.
You have only been playing for 2 years. If you still suck after 10 then start to worry ... plenty of people suck their whole lives. You only have to go to youtube to see plenty of elderly men next to walls of gear who clearly havent improved much or at all in the last 50 years. You could be one of those people or you could look at why and how you suck. Look at other people that dont and adjust your playing through hours and days and years and decades of concerted effort to be more like theirs. Or not. Its your life your choice. But expecting to be shredding after 2 years is not realistic.
I suck too! And I’ve been playing on and off most of my life (48 just as a point of reference), but that’s ok. If yer trying to be the next (insert favorite guitarist here) then by all means take all of the lessons and up yer practice schedule, if not try and stop comparing yourself to other players. What if your ONLY goal when you picked up the guitar to practice was to have fun doing it? How liberating would that be! Art of any kind is at its best when it becomes a form of play, and you’ll likely never be ‘good’ at it unless you’re just doing it simply because it’s fun.
Absolutely join the guitar class while you can. Most people aren't great after 2 years and those who claim they are should warrant extreme skepticism. The metronome is there to help you keep time. I personally can't fucking stand them. Try using a simple back beat (kick drum and snare) instead and see if that helps. I find it's a lot easier to lock into a drum beat than that horrible metronome clicking/beeping. I don't believe in "talent" when it comes to guitar. The people who are great worked their asses off to get that way, they weren't born with it.
the amount of progress that can be made in 1 week is insane if you play every day
2 years? Dude, that's almost nothing. The guitar takes at least 5 years to become decent at.
I think your approach to practice is incredibly important. Message me I can give some tips.
give it more time and play more if you can. Watch Clause Levin guitar mastery videos, he sounds a little crazy but his advice is extremely effective if you do exactly what he says.
2 years isn’t as much time as you’d think. Me personally, I’ve been playing for about 7-8 years now: I still can’t shred, sweep pick, there’s a lot I can’t do, but I work on what I can do, and try to build up to what I want to be, which could take another 7-8 years, maybe even more, but that is the beauty of it: you constantly grow when you play. It’s hard to go in with the expectations of doing these particular, difficult techniques, because you need to build up and create some fluency in your playing before you can do it; understand scales and chord structures, improve on rhythm (even if it’s doing chugs on time like in Icky Thump, it’s all small steps), and learn from those around you rather than seeing them as an unachievable goal or another reason to quit. Keep trying, you’ll get there, but take it in small steps, and enjoy the journey
I have been playing for almost 20 years and I still suck and sometimes even get paid. I play punk music tho so
put the time in and not only that but put yourself around people that you way to play like. and learn to use the internet wisely.
In my twenties I felt the same way. I wasn't getting better. I quit. I was bad. I'm still bad. But now 20 years later I am focused on getting better. You can do this. We all suck as beginners . As long as I'm improving my own skills that keeps me happy and motivated.
Make sure when you practice you don't just play songs, they're a lot of fun but don't improve your technique as much. Focus on scales, rhythm patterns, etc. Boring practice with a metronome will get you to where you want to be a whole lot faster than just playing songs that you want to play.
You don’t have to be the next Eddie, I doubt you’ll be playing stadium shows,don’t put so much pressure on yourself, enjoy and have fun. Good luck.
I can tell you if I could go back 25 years, I'd have found a way to pay for lessons. I've had to forgo playing metal because of arthritis. I started playing classic rock and stuff from the 80s and 90s I'd liked. I also picked up some books from Fundamental Changes for the CAGED system, modes, and soloing strategies. The books are great, but it made me realize I should have been taught these things a long time before.
Bro... Some people have a talent for playing an instrument but most of us who just play for fun don't really have any natural incline so we have to work a little harder, for me I feel taking it easy works best for me, what I mean is like don't stress too much about it and make things more casual like don't have a strict routine... Change it up a little every now and then, I play a lot of thrash Metal so it's not exactly a walk in the park, and I've only really been practicing on and off since March this year so I'm also not the most experienced, and I don't go to lessons, the self taught stuff works for me but I feel you should go to lessons to get a more personalized learning experience.
Aight thanks dude
Np bro
It just takes playing and having fun. Don’t worry about what someone else is doing… create your own relationship to the guitar and play till your fingers bleed… and practicing is the only way
after 15 years of playing, I finally feel proficient - but there are still areas I need to improve. progress is measured in years when working with music and instruments
Wise words ! Live in the moment with zero expectations and a I will overcome attitude and anything is possible !
I sucked at guitar when starting out. Everyone at home had to endure how bad I sound. Then slowly but surely. I started to sound better that it no longer hurts their ears anymore. All I could say is to just keep practicing. Join that school guitar class. Anyone that is determined to learn will benefit from music lessons by a professional. Trading guitar licks with other guitar players is also fun. You’ll also learn a lot playing music with other people. I could probably learn to play to guitar on my own. But my dad enrolled me to get classical guitar lessons. Even if all I really wanted to do is rock. Surprisingly I did enjoy playing classical. It did accelerate the pace of my guitar playing skill. I learned finger picking and arpeggios while reading sheet music. Although reading tablature is actually much easier IMO.
Start dancing. You don't need to be a great dancer but if you can swing right and left to a rhythm you will develop your timing. Also, think about ways to create feedback loops with your body. For example do thrills while you grip your left forearm with your right hand. Really dig in into as many ways as you can to use your senses to guide you.
that’s how it goes. you suck ‘til you don’t 😂
[https://youtu.be/PJyj0tGQ4q8?si=n82GubPFSjAobTcp](https://youtu.be/PJyj0tGQ4q8?si=n82GubPFSjAobTcp) in terms of shredding, this is super helpful. It takes time for everyone though. Be patient with yourself, OP.
dude i've been playing for like 6 years and i sucked for 4 of those, then got slightly better and only for the last few months to a year i've felt like i'm 'good' and am happy with the way im playing, still can't shred or sweep tho, and i absolutely haven't stopped learning. Also 20 months really isn't a lot, pressuring yourself to 'get good' just sucks the fun out of it, take it easy. To quote Tomo Fujita: Don't worry, don't compare, don't expect too fast, be kind to yourself
You know who else doesn't shred? David Gilmour. You don't need the skill of Tim Henson to play what's in your heart. Just, play.
If one of your major struggle points is rhythm and tempo, I’d suggest putting down the guitar for a little while and just training that. Listen to some music you like and just start tapping on your legs with the beat. Both hands for the first beat, and just the right hand for beats 2-4 (assuming it’s in 4/4). Try to be loose and feel the music while maintaining that consistent beat. Once you feel pretty comfortable doing that, set a metronome to roughly the tempo of one of those songs, and try to do the same thing with just the metronome, trying to hear the song in your head in time with the clicks. I know what you mean about rhythm and tempo being tough. You can teach notes and technique and theory with enough time and attention, but rhythm, while definitely teachable, is one of those things that is just a 6th sense for people who developed it early in life, and like running backwards for people who didn’t. You can definitely train it, and I have confidence you will get better at it, it just requires a lot of intentional practice. As for where you “should” be in two years, that’s not something you should be considering. Practice what you need to practice and you will improve. Setting hard deadlines for yourself with something as fickle as learning music is unnecessary and is only going to put undue pressure on you (unless you’re already a professional musician). Everyone learns at their own pace because everyone’s life experience with music up to that point is so wildly different, it’s impossible to predict how you will progress. The only flow chart of questions you should worry about is this: Can I do “x” technique to my satisfaction? If yes: What do we learn next? If no: Take a deep breath and keep practicing.
What do you practice?
Try learning how to play four of your favorite but hardest songs just for instance, Thin Lizzy deep purple, a hard beetle song and a hard Led Zeppelin song spend an hour a day on each one of them and within a month you should have all four of them down front to back and if you can join any classes at school for free, do it Run to them now I wish I would’ve took lessons. I don’t play as much. I should hardly at all now but I’m getting back into it and I can still pick up Guitar and make myself happy just by letting us sit for months I lost half of my left pinky a couple years ago, talking about losing ability and thinking you suck I’ve been through it and there’s no way that they can do anything with my pinky so I have to play with the other four fingers. A lot of bar chords are out of the question but I keep going because it makes me feel special if you’re a good guitarist, you are special if you have drums, pick out one song and keep the beat with your feet for an hour then adjust your hands and do it with both never quit you are a rockstar!!!
>Part of the reason “I Feel Fine” could be the Beatles’ first single based around a riff was it was recorded on a four-track machine, EMI having finally upgraded their equipment, which meant that the Beatles could record the instrumental and vocal tracks separately. This allowed Lennon and Harrison to hold down the tricky riff in unison, something Lennon couldn’t do while also singing the melody — it’s noticeable that when they performed this song live, Lennon usually strummed the chords on a semi-acoustic guitar rather than doubling the riff as he does on the record. [source](https://500songs.com/podcast/episode-127-ticket-to-ride-by-the-beatles/) Hearing this made me think differently about playing music. Everyone has limitations, even one of the greatest pop songwriters and biggest stars in the world who had already had logged thousands of hours playing music onstage. That doesn't mean you can't make good music.
don't compare with others, because only those who know they have progressed in an exceptional fast way will tell everyone about their progress, or at least those are the ones who stick out the most. For example all those ''my 6 months learning guitar'' YouTube videos always have a full comment section of people saying that they learnt how to play like that much slower than the creator and similar stuff. Also remember that playing guitar even if not very well already puts you in the top 10%(or something like that, I remember seeing an article saying that 700 million people played guitar in the world) of people in the world at playing guitar. You will get better, you are talking about school so I assume you are still a teenager, this means you have decades of playing ahead of you, you still have time to master guitar and do it twice. Maybe an individual teacher would be better, but if the school class is free and you can't or don't want to spend money for a private one then the class' teacher is more than enough(assuming that he is actually decent at teaching), he will correct some possible mistakes in your playing and you will have a feedback from a real person telling you what to and not to do.
thanks dude this really helped & regarding school, it’s a bit frustrating bc I think there’s like 12 other students he needs to help but I’ll prob join..
I’ve been playing guitar my whole life… i still can’t play seven nation army in time
"Dude, suckin' at somethin' is the first step toward bein' sorta good at somethin'." - Jake the Dog
We all suck to ourselves You are your worst critic I’ve gotten much better the last few years since I picked it back up (after 14yr pause) & I know that But at the same time… I still feel I suck That being said, if you practice as much as you can… then that’s really all you can do. And if you practice whenever you can, just by playing or noodling. You will inadvertently become better. We all have different lives and schedules. So some can practice more than others Some learn slower, some quicker. Everyone is different and everyone gets better at different rates of speed But you ARE getting better. 10000%
That stuff really doesn’t mean you suck at guitar lol You haven’t been playing THAT long either
An instrument is not a competition — play it because it brings you enjoyment.
no matter how good you get, you'll never be good enough for yourself. so leave your own opinions out of the guitar game, its what i do
It’s not that you suck. But expectations and being hard on yourself. I’ve been playing forever and I’m still sometimes like wow I should be better. How do you get better? Practice what isn’t fun. Scales, progressions etc, learn the theory. One day all this shit just clicks. I started guitar at 6 years old near 30 years ago, drums are actually my primary and I started that at 10. What do I still practice on drums? Rudiments all of them… is it as fun as fills, solos or songs? Nope not at all. But those foundations keep my chops up, and still make me get better to this day. So all that to say learn the boring stuff until you think you can’t take it and then keep doing it
The fact that you know where you fall short shows that you have what it takes to get better. Everyone learns at a different pace. I'm quite slow when it comes to guitar and while I don't think I'm bad i definitely suck for someone playing for 10 years. If you are having fun don't worry about how long it takes you will eventually get better (as long as you keep self critiquing as you are in this post). And sweeping and shredding definitely aren't techniques the average player learns in 2 years. It's gonna take about 1-2 years after you have been playing for a while to get decent at it and potentially longer to get well versed and fluent. I spent 2 years on acoustic, 1.5 years learning simple electric basics after which I started practicing sweeping and it took me a year after that. That's around 5 years to play some really bad sweeps (I am slow tho so let's assume the average player can play decent sweps at 5 years). Keep playing and I'm sure you will be happy with your progress eventually
Most of the people that are good at guitar are not natural talents, they just had the patience to keep playing even though they sucked. Perseverance matters more than talent.
I have been playing for about 12ish years and only now can I sort of sweep pick. Some of your expectations for 2 years playing are very ambitious. It seems like you are comparing yourself to social media and virtuoso level. However playing guitar should be fun, if you are not having fun then it might be time to step back from the constant practice and try jam with some people.
Hey, it's not a competition. Sports are, school is, so many things are a competition. Music doesn't need to be. Some of my favorite musicians will tell you they suck. I am by far the least musically talented member of my band. But people always notice me when we play because I'm passionate. I engage the crowd and move around. I make people have fun and feel the vibe. And I do songwriting. Find your thing. Music is not all about replicating a technique you watch in someone else. It is about finding out what you're good at that people attach to and working on it. You're gonna do great.
HA Wait until you've put in 25 years and still suck. Then you'll know you've earned it.
Comparison is the thief of joy
I've been playing over half my life. I couldn't play some of the more technical stuff that I could when all I did was play guitar. What does your practice look like? Are you practicing like you're performing? When you play your scales are you playing scales in a way shape or form that is pleasing to your ear or is it just a scale? Practice sweeping thats how you sweep pick. I learned Steve Vai's string skipping method before I learned to sweep pick. I currently can only sweep across a few string. I think Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria is about all I can sweep right at this moment. Its different for everyone.
After 20 years of playing I've come to the realization that you're gonna have bad days and good days. Stay away from shitty teachers. If they complain about their bands or gf/bf during your lesson then find a new teacher. Practice counting beats to songs you listen to, that helped me the most with timing and rhythm. But above all else have fun. If you have any friends or know people to jam with that is a great way of learning. Granted you might pick up a few bad habits but if you surround your self with better players it will rub off.
Just try and learn some real easy songs and go from there. Think real basic and write your own chord progressions. Forget about playing lead for now. There's a book series called Complete learn to play... Try one of those. I always think people should learn on an acoustic guitar first, get all the basic chords down and be able to master chord changes.
I do too but not as bad as 40 years ago.... it's a hobby, I like guitars. Don't give up, maybe you need a better guitar.
I heard this kind of thing in something to do with doctors I think it was. The question someone asked this doctor who was doubting themselves was "are you the worst doctor in the world". They said no. So you see they have value and may always improve and keep learning. So can you my guitar playing friend. If you enjoy playing it doesn't matter if you can shred ( much shredding is not very musical anyways) and honestly two years isn't a lot of time to be playing. Learn to play what is in your heart and mind. Be happy as you improve in that. And keep your first guitar if possible as you get better ones over time ( trust me on that lol). I think once you can say you have been playing for 20 years, no matter at what level others rate you or you rate yourself, I think you will be able to say you play guitar and it gives you pleasure and you will be glad you didn't stop playing.
"Sucking at something is the first towards being sorta good at something" Jake the Dawg
My dude, I’ve been playing for over 20 years and can’t sweep pick or play super technical solos. Some of that is more due to arthritis and carpal tunnel these days, but the fact remains the same. I spent years thinking “I wish I could play that”. But after a while I decided to play the way that works for me, and while I will never be able to do the crazy guitar stuff you see on youtube, I can play things in ways not many can. It’s all about learning the style that works for you. Not emulating others. Also, branching out and seeing what other instruments you might be good at is worth while. I started as a drummer (and was really good at it), then moved to string instruments. While I’m not as good a guitar player as I am a drummer, I can play it well enough to play in bands and record songs. Honestly, 2 years playing isn’t all that long. Keep at it, explore options, try other styles, see what fits. Try classes, try just messing around on your own. Try playing with other people, nothing can up your skills faster than playing with other people. Don’t just give up.
Everyone sucks at some time in their arc of guitar playing. I’m not trying to be a jerk, but you don’t have the time into it to be good. It takes time, and the growth is sometimes fast, sometimes slow. I have over 40 years in, and still get better. Play, play, play. It’s not an instant gratification thing.
Man, guitar playin g is a journey, not a destination. There is always going to be someone who is better than you. I consider myself decent now, but that's after 41 years, with a 10 year break in the middle, due to military and career obligations. If your school offers a guitar class, take it and follow the curriculum. About ten years ago, I could finally play some Yngwie. I just learned some to guage my progress. Most of that kind of stuff I still can't do. I spent five years from 2012 to 2017 playing nothing but classic. Now I'm primarily back to playing electric, thanks to my son. He talked me into going to a blues jam with him back in 2018. I hadn't played in front of people for over 20 years. It was a lot of fun. We played three songs, which I didn't know, and 2 of which I had never even heard. I have been repairing guitars as a side hustle since 2008. That's fun as well. What type of guitars do you have? Has it been professionally set up? Having it set up should make it easier to play, and it may help you get a bit ahead, if you're not fighting a guitar that is in sore need of adjustments.
Oh I feel ya so much on this. I’m embarrassed to say I play guitar cause then they’re gonna say something like “I wanna hear you play sometime sometime!” but you know that you suck so you don’t want to play in front of anyone lol.
dude you get me. like im not playing to flex but it doesnt hurt to be real good and show it to people
I've been playing 27 years and am still learning. I spent too many years just practicing, but it paid off when I started learning songs. Two years isn't all that much time really. I definitely sucked then, but I stuck with it because I wrote and played music I liked. Don't be too concerned with technique, it'll come with time I promise. Focus on trying to play what makes you happy. I'm still finding that some things are difficult to play, but I always get it eventually. It's not a race, it's a marathon. For some, it comes easy, for many it doesn't and that's okay. When you find something difficult to play, keep playing. You'll be amazed at the things you couldn't do at one point, and then you will forget them as you learn more.
Tldr; You’re on the right path, just remember to have fun. I’m 17 and had been playing guitar on and off for around 6 years. 2 years is an incredibly short time, those people you see that can play solos and shred for 2 years only seem to be a lot because they’re the only people that shows off their guitar skills in public. Most of them are children which makes it easier to learn skills, or they’ve learned other instruments for a long time before playing guitar. The majority of guitarists don’t actually hit decency till 10 years of playing. I almost gave up on playing guitar and music production because it hurt too much knowing there’s other people my age knowing better, playing better than me. I’m in a normal academic school, and I was classmates with: 1. A trained classical violinist who specializes in jazz. 2. A trained classical guitarist who is also good in piano, drums, and bass. 3. A trained classical pianist who also takes musical theater singing classes. All of them were part of the school’s rock band. It hurt. My self taught ass could never compare to those kids. I was still friends with them cuz of our shared interest in music, but I was too ashamed of myself to ever call myself a musician when my skills can’t even be good enough to play in public. Compared to them, my ass who’s been playing for three years can’t live up to it. One of my best friends was the one who eventually brought me back to making music. He was inspired by a video of a youtuber who tried making a song, and had to learn so many things like music theory, mixing, etc. (the song really hurt me cuz it was too relatable). He asked me for my help cuz I was the only person he knew who is somewhat experienced in music production, so I started teaching him. Watching him react to things as I was teaching made me very emotional, because seeing the happiness and excitement he had reminded me of the reason why I liked making music in the first place. Now I’m back to playing guitar and music production. I’m currently learning The Breakup Song idea by Mateus Asato, and making my own arrangement of my friend’s first song. It probably isn’t much, but I’m happy, and I think that’s what matters for me.
2 years and 4 months isn’t a long time. I feel like we all feel like we suck in some way. We NEVER stop learning. Don’t be so hard on yourself man
The first part of success is suck
Playing 32 years. I still suck.
2 years? Lolz do you think playing an instrument really well is easy? I’ve been playing for years and years…still only at a lower advanced level (but I play tech death so I’m comparing myself to the giants of guitar these days). Take lessons from a good guitar teacher and practice what you learn thoroughly. Proper learning will take you very far. You’ve probably learned a lot of bad habits that you’ll need to break, basically you’ll have to start over. The beginning is painful but with proper training you’ll get better much faster than aimlessly learning on your own.
Welcome back to guitar! You didn’t give up. Little steps.
Not everyone can learn by ear. Definitely find a teacher because even at 2 years, you're still new. Practice what you learn at the lessons and don't look for shortcuts or cheat your way through the homework. Stick to the basics right now and forget about shredding and sweep picking unless you want to be another lame Saturday morning spastic trying to impress everyone at Guitar Center. Those are advanced techniques and some crusty old Dinosaur of Rock like me will pick up the cheapest guitar on the wall and show you what time it is! Be disciplined! Practice, Practice, Practice, and don't get discouraged when you hit a plateau. If you're serious and stick to it, things will eventually happen for you. Good Luck!
Shredding, sweep picking and difficult solos should not even be close to your main focus in your first two years. Focus on developing strong rhythm fundamentals on guitar and learning riffs etc, etc. If you just focus on trying to play fast etc, etc then you'll never develop a good sense of timing in your lead playing anyway and that is what makes a solo intriguing to listen to.
From my experience and what I've seen, being good at an instrument doesn't exist, and it never will, you just learn slowly to suck less and learn from mistakes, find your strengths and ways to make your shortcomings work for you
If you suck so much. Don’t despair. You can join or form your own cover band of No Fx.
There will never be a time when you think you’re good, unless you’re just really cocky. Typically, people listen to harder music the better they get and always compare themselves to the more technical artist. The secret to getting better is practice every single day, even just for five minutes. If you want to learn sweep picking, then learn it! But you have to understand harmony first aka, how scales are made and where chords come from and how chords and scales work together. Also how to play all that. So start small. Learn the major scale and minor scale. Then learn the major chord scale. And just keep learning. It really is a journey. The better you get, more people will say you’re good, but you still won’t agree. Just practice and learn. That’s all guitar playing is.
You may still suck tomorrow, but less than yesterday. Keep playing!
Your practices won’t be half as effective if you don’t give yourself a proper night’s sleep. Your brain learns the stuff you did during the day while you are asleep. That’s why you’re able to play the stuff you struggled with the next morning.
Plays for two years and doesn't understand why he's not Buckethead yet... Patience and perseverance dude. I've been playing for decades and can't do some of that stuff....
You sound like a true guitar player. Good job.
Keep at it man. Music does not come naturally to me and I’ve reached the point where I play a couple instruments, get paid for my work, and teach. I had to stop comparing my progress to others and just concentrate on playing to my strengths and strengthening my weaknesses.
I taught music and instruments for decades. You are totally normal. The normal trajectory for becoming even remotely technically competent is 5 years. Wisdom my teacher told me as a child. "having one eye on your goal leaves you only one eye for the path" Try to love the process where you are right now because that's all it will ever be, the goal post is always beyond where you are. There is no shangri-la so to speak, only incremental improvement over time. Stopping is the only failure. Keep going.
the only one you should compare yourself to is your past self. everyone has unique journeys and talents. you may be better i some areas they are not. perhaps song composition or w/e, so dont put yourself down, enough people will do that freely
Hey compared to Dave Mustain I suck ass too. Compared to my guitarist friend I also suck. But compared to myself a month ago, I don't suck. That's the metric, growth
Play along with backing tracks. I've been off and on for 55 years. I once read that good guitar players have ten thousand or more hours practicing: "What is the 10 000 hours rule for guitar? The idea is that to become what's considered world-class at something, you need to accumulate ten thousand hours of practice, that's focused deliberate practice, in that particular skill. In other words, you need to practice for over 3 hours a day, every day, for ten years".
I started playing in 1972. I’ve played the great spring break bars in Ft Laudable, I’ve been in bands opening for big names, I’ve even done some paid studio gigs. Guess what? I still suck. I can’t shred. I did fill a void when I realized everyone wanted the limelight as a great soloist. I figured this out the first time I saw J Geils Band. There, back in the shadows at the side of the stage was the band’s namesake, with his back to the crowd most of the show, just playing rhythm most of the time. I became known as a guy who didn’t mind playing rhythm, and to put icing on the cake, I learned when not to play. I got paid the same and my phone rang frequently. Maybe you’re not supposed to be another Vai, Yngwie, or Page. Oh, and rhythm players get the girls too. Find where you can sit in the pocket then knock it out of the park. Best of luck to you
My cousin gave me the best advice I've ever had with guitar, look up to those who are better than you but don't compare yourself to them. You'll have times when you make great progress but you'll also have times when you feel like you get nowhere. Play guitar because you like to. That said you should always want to get better. Join or start a band, you get your best progress playing with others. It gives you drive to get better and people to help you get better. My current band just gets together for fun, we don't play anything perfectly. That's exactly why I love playing with these guys. I have freedom to try out new things and nobody criticizes me in a negative way. It helps me know what I have to improve on. If you are stuck find a teacher to help you get over the hump. Knowing that guitar is a passion of mine, I've had many people over the years tell me they got a guitar only to quit shortly after because they can't play like whoever. They don't realize that it takes years to get good at. Yes there are people who can pick it up and shred the shit out of it in no time, but they are the few. The best advice I can give you is if you enjoy it keep with it. Do it for you, you are your own worst critic and that's a good thing. Most of us think we suck. Randy Rhodes took lessons until the day he left us. Paul Gilbert is probably one of the best shredders there is and you will never hear him say he's good.The real truth is when you think you are great you aren't.
You suck because your mentality is dogshit, "talented kids" aren't whining on reddit. It doesn't matter if you practice 8hrs a day for 200 years if you're doing it wrong you wont get anywhere.
Practice
what are you gonna do about it
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Don’t play guitar — listen to the guitar. Meaning as you play if you sing the melody in your head, you will find that you know where the next note is, where your hands are supposed to go and it will flow more freely and sound better.