Any experienced guitar players have advice on how to learn better?
I played very little in highschool and now, 15 years later, I have the urge to go back to it. I've been playing for an hour or so most days for the last month which I know isn't a lot but lets be honest, it's just for my own enjoyment, I have no illusions of being a middle aged rock star.
Anyway I was wondering if people had any advice, good resources, sheet music that isn't garbage?
In my position would you go the self taught route or is it really important to have a tutor? I'm particularly concerned about picking up bad technique and then practicing that, I feel like that was a big part of why I gave up in the first place - fucking up the same things no matter how many times I did them because I learned them wrong.
Thanks all.
Yo I've worked part-time as a guitarist for longer than any other career I've had. I was full-time for a couple of years, but I didn't really like managing lesson schedules, participating in the gear review content mill, or even hustling gigs really. Anyway, I just want to tell you how amazing music is, and encourage you to keep participating. It's a really important facet of any culture. The more immersed you get into it, the more you will get out of it. The guitar offers a nearly unparalleled balance of versatility and portability. It's also cheap and durable. It generally can't keep up with the acoustic volume of horns or even most accordions, but it offers a nice volume level for accompanying singers without making them strain.
The fact that you played a little in high school will really help you out now. One thing I noticed when teaching adult students was that there was a big difference between those who had never played an instrument before and those who had even some piano lessons when they were kids. Something about their relationship to their hands seemed different. That isn't to say that adults shouldn't play music if they didn't start as kids. I think everybody should do it.
If you're playing for around an hour every day, then you're going to get a lot figured out quickly. My main advice would be to enjoy the process as much as possible, and to avoid worrying about the level of your abilities. I know plenty of professional musicians who have experienced depression because they judged themselves harshly, despite being capable players. There really isn't a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
In my experience, basically all free sheet music is garbage. Also most professionally prepared sheet music doesn't meet my needs. If I want a chart for a tune, the only way to get a good one is to make it myself. Your ears are always going to help you more than a chart. That is, unless you're playing classical guitar. There's a lot of great sheet music available for the classical guitar that needs little or no editing. It's been a while since I engaged with that, but I remember https://www.delcamp.net/ being a good resource for free guitar sheet music.
If I were in your position, I'd probably not get a teacher. A teacher can help you stay motivated for a while, but you will need occasions to play the guitar for yourself or with friends to keep you going in the long run. If you want to see what fingerings or techniques other players are using, there's tons of video recordings online now. Only a couple of decades ago video recordings were not easy to find, so you had to either go to shows or pay for lessons to see how people play. That's changed in a major way.
Most of the time technique will improve when it has to. If the reason you can't play something is because of the limitations of your technique, that's a pretty easy problem to identify. Finding better techniques is usually much easier than actually getting them under your fingers too. Playing exercises is great for this. Musicianship does has an element of athletics to it. Just make sure that you're actually making music most of the time, and not just running mindless drills. If the reason you can't play something is because you're hearing or reading it wrong, then you should be working on your ears instead of your fingers. If you are finding something challenging, it is important to correctly identify the nature of the challenge.
Music is really one of the greatest things about being human. It provides the occasion for us to remember our greatest poetry. It allows us to connect with our culture and our history across many generations. It accompanies our dances. It can be an endlessly complex puzzle if you want it to be. It can be a powerful form of meditation. It's also a pastime that you can keep with you into your old age. I'm really happy to hear that you're getting back into the guitar.
Hey, thank you, both for the advice and the encouragement, your post is flat out inspiring. I've always loved music and I've definitely regretted giving up on learning to create it myself.
I have definitely noticed that my muscle memory is coming back quite quickly, I was wondering how long that stage would last though as I assume I'll reach the same level I did before at some point and it will all be new from there but I find it interesting that you've seen a noticeable difference between people who did and didn't play as a child. Of course I'm just taking it as it comes though, not comparing myself with anyone else's progress.
As far as sheet music (or tablature) this tracks with my personal experience, then as well as now. Particularly for rock music, which makes sense given it isn't exactly published by it's composers. I had thought of trying some classical, just to take advantage of the wealth of resources for it, as I figure a lot of technique will carry over. However while I'm not one who thumbs my nose at classical music, I don't have as much of a personal connection to it and I do only have access to steel string guitars. Do you think it's worth trying as a learning experience?
I have found some pretty good (IMO) song tutorials on Youtube though, as you say, seeing someone's fingering up close is extremely helpful.
I'm also interesting in the way you describe the different kind of challenges in playing. It makes a lot of sense to consider that you can be hearing or reading or understanding some music incorrectly instead of just physically playing it wrong, but I hadn't really thought about it that way. I'll definitely keep this one in mind while I'm practicing.
Hey no problem. I saw your post with a guitar in my lap, so I was primed to gush a little. Regarding classical guitar, that's kind of a tough one. Classical guitar is a weird world. There's a lot about it that turns me off. The instrument has relatively low prestige in the larger classical world because it's almost never included in orchestras. And that's mostly because it isn't loud enough. There are two famous concerti that call for guitar soloists, but that's about it. So classical guitarists have their own separate little world inside the classical tradition, and they collectively kind of have a chip on their shoulder. There's a lot of dogma and politics. The technique is generally effective, but I think it's needlessly dogmatic. And they are very reluctant to view modern innovations like steel strings and electric pickups as valid within their tradition.
The body of music written or arranged for the classical guitar contains a lot of great stuff though. Classical guitar is really inspiring to listen to. Playing it is even better if you can stand to put in the work to build up a repertoire. For people that get really good at reading, they can put a new piece on the stand and let it take them on a little journey. It's like reading poetry or a short story. I never got there, but I can see the appeal. When all the notes are already picked out for you ahead of time, then everything becomes a matter of technique. So classical players are way more in-depth in the way they examine their execution. They get to be very skilled in finding the most efficient way to use their bodies to produce the correct response from their instruments.
To answer your question, I think it's worth trying if you really want to get super nerdy about technique. Or if there's some classical piece that you want to play. It's kind of a big time investment if you're just looking to build skills to transfer to other styles though. I'd say probably not if you're just trying to get into playing pop tunes with friends or whatever. It's not necessary to have some classical background to be an effective musician. But if you want to get into it, don't think that using a steel stringed instrument or playing without nails makes your interpretation any less valid. Musicians can be snobs. If you want to play a cello suite on the guitar using a pick, go right ahead. They can't stop you.
Hey I'm glad you did, my confidence needed the boost and getting the good replies I did totally hyped me up to play, and try some new things, today.
The idea of being able to sight read some super complex stuff and just nail it first time like the classical players can is cool and all but it sounds like a huge investment and to be honest, right now, I'd rather be playing the music that really excites me, you know? Maybe one day I'll give it a try just to experience it.
I'd like to see those nerds try!
Kidding, love ya classical nerds