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Post subject: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 7:36 am
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This summer, my 9-year-old daughter started clarinet lessons and is hoping to play in her school orchestra in the fall. She's off to a good start, but she is still working to overcome the physical challenges associated with the instrument (ie. learning proper fingering, learning how to properly blow into a reed) that all novice players must deal with.

It got me thinking back to when I first started playing guitar and how frustrating those initial weeks and months learning an instrument can be. With guitar, the challenges obviously include building up callouses and developing the hand strength to properly finger notes and chords (remember how hard it was to play that F chord at first?). For most of us, it takes months before we develop the physical skills required to play anything even remotely musical.

I still remember the first time I played something that someone could recognize. It was maybe about three months or so after first picking up the guitar. I was working on the chords for David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and my mom overheard me practicing. She said, "hey, that's a David Bowie song, isn't it?" This was after months of frustration, fumbling all over the fretboard, barely able to get a clear note. It felt great to finally play a "real song" and have it sound halfway decent, or at least recognizable.

Do your remember the moment where you first thought, "hey, I think I'm finally starting to pick up on this whole guitar playing thing"? How long did it take for you to get there? In other words, how long did it take you until it actually started becoming fun?


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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:15 am
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I think it's always been "fun" but of course any skill takes time to develop some proficiency. For me the moment I realized I *might* be onto something occurred in the 9th grade when our fledgling five-piece garage band signed up for our junior high school's annual talent show. We'd worked hard to put the requisite three-song repertoire together and were rehearsing Wilson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour" for the umpteenth time when some unenlightened homeowner down the street called the sheriff. The officers pulled up then sat in their cruiser while we belted it out a couple more times before informing us that if we continued later than nine PM we'd be in violation of some ordinance and would be cited thus. But before they drove off the senior deputy remarked that we sounded pretty solid and wished us luck. I'd been playing the guitar for about two years at this point and the kudos from the cops was very inspiring. And we did go on to win an award at the talent show.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:31 am
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Now that’s a good question and a great topic, schnepf13.

I can’t remember how long it was before I actually caught on; but, it actually came in three stages.

First, in my first year of playing, when I was just about to turn 15 . I found out that the world was full of songs with the 3 chords G, C, and D. I soon progressed to even more 50s and 60s songs with the then popular C, A minor, F, G progression. Those chords were a blessing in disguise.

I didn’t pay much attention to picking much until I discovered, not long after, the boogie woogie and then Chet Atkins’ Windy and Warm.

After my kid brother stepped on my guitar I discovered girls. Little did I know guitars would have been beneficial, but Elvis and others filled that calling. :lol:
At 17 I really picked up on lead with my chum’s Strat and he taught me Underwater by The Frogmenn, Rumble, and others from that era. That was a whole different ballgame.

Side note: I can relate to your daughter’s clarinet experience. I so badly wanted to learn saxophone. I had difficulty getting any sound until I discovered the reed was upside down I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. Tell your daughter to hang in there. She’s off to a great start with a great instrument.

Later my room mate and I made a deal. I promised to teach him how to play drums if he taught me to play his trumpet. I got the scales going pretty good, my lip started to split and form callouses, his hands were raw, and that was the end of the lessons. :P
I turned 65 and got presented with a new Strat, and that keeps me amused trying to regain and capitalize on my youth with songs I knew, want to know, and new discoveries. All with a better understanding and new accelerated improved methods of learning which were not available when I was a teenager. :D
Cheers!
FSB

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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 11:39 am
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It's actually this month 30 years ago that I first picked up a bass, and started to play, so it's been a long time to think back, but I can say when I first learned the movable major and minor scales on the bass, that's when I was on my way. With that knowledge, I was roughly able to construct my own bass parts to songs, since I've mainly just concentrated on doing original songs, although I've done some covers from time to time, as well. I'd say I'd started knowing what the hell I was doing roughly 1 1/2 to 2 years in. I really didn't take lessons, other than getting this book, which I still own a copy of: Image

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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:27 pm
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Fender Strat Brat wrote:
Now that’s a good question and a great topic, schnepf13.

I can’t remember how long it was before I actually caught on; but, it actually came in three stages.

First, in my first year of playing, when I was just about to turn 15 . I found out that the world was full of songs with the 3 chords G, C, and D. I soon progressed to even more 50s and 60s songs with the then popular C, A minor, F, G progression. Those chords were a blessing in disguise.

I didn’t pay much attention to picking much until I discovered, not long after, the boogie woogie and then Chet Atkins’ Windy and Warm.

After my kid brother stepped on my guitar I discovered girls. Little did I know guitars would have been beneficial, but Elvis and others filled that calling. :lol:
At 17 I really picked up on lead with my chum’s Strat and he taught me Underwater by The Frogmenn, Rumble, and others from that era. That was a whole different ballgame.

Side note: I can relate to your daughter’s clarinet experience. I so badly wanted to learn saxophone. I had difficulty getting any sound until I discovered the reed was upside down I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. Tell your daughter to hang in there. She’s off to a great start with a great instrument.

Later my room mate and I made a deal. I promised to teach him how to play drums if he taught me to play his trumpet. I got the scales going pretty good, my lip started to split and form callouses, his hands were raw, and that was the end of the lessons. :P
I turned 65 and got presented with a new Strat, and that keeps me amused trying to regain and capitalize on my youth with songs I knew, want to know, and new discoveries. All with a better understanding and new accelerated improved methods of learning which were not available when I was a teenager. :D
Cheers!
FSB

Thanks FSB! I agree that there are so many more ways to learn now that just weren't available when many of us were starting out. If I had had access to Youtube as a teenager, it would've made learning guitar so much easier. It's great to actually see what people are playing as opposed to simply reading descriptions in a book.

It is great that you are continuing to enjoy playing and learning new things on guitar. That's one of the things I love about it. On one hand, it keeps me in touch with my youth and all the music I enjoyed from that time. On the other hand, the practice and learning helps me to keep branching out and exercising my brain and my hands. The learning truly never ends!

I think my daughter is off to a great start on the clarinet! She was getting frustrated at first because she kept making a lot of high-pitched squeaking sounds, but those seem to be getting fewer and farther between, now. Fortunately, my wife used to play saxophone in high school so she can help her a bit with her technique. I'm only useful for helping her with her sight reading. :)


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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:34 pm
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PaulLF wrote:
It's actually this month 30 years ago that I first picked up a bass, and started to play, so it's been a long time to think back, but I can say when I first learned the movable major and minor scales on the bass, that's when I was on my way. With that knowledge, I was roughly able to construct my own bass parts to songs, since I've mainly just concentrated on doing original songs, although I've done some covers from time to time, as well. I'd say I'd started knowing what the hell I was doing roughly 1 1/2 to 2 years in. I really didn't take lessons, other than getting this book, which I still own a copy of: Image

Paul, I played bass in a couple of bands in college and used that exact book to help get the hang of it! I probably still have my copy sitting around, somewhere. I remember spending lots of time going over the scale patterns for the major, minor, major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales. Once you get those down, you can fake your way at least through a lot of songs...


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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2018 8:41 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
I think it's always been "fun" but of course any skill takes time to develop some proficiency. For me the moment I realized I *might* be onto something occurred in the 9th grade when our fledgling five-piece garage band signed up for our junior high school's annual talent show. We'd worked hard to put the requisite three-song repertoire together and were rehearsing Wilson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour" for the umpteenth time when some unenlightened homeowner down the street called the sheriff. The officers pulled up then sat in their cruiser while we belted it out a couple more times before informing us that if we continued later than nine PM we'd be in violation of some ordinance and would be cited thus. But before they drove off the senior deputy remarked that we sounded pretty solid and wished us luck. I'd been playing the guitar for about two years at this point and the kudos from the cops was very inspiring. And we did go on to win an award at the talent show.

Arjay

Kudos to the cop for the words of encouragement! I can think back on a lot of times my various band rehearsals could have resulted in calls to the police. Fortunately, most of my neighbors over the years have been pretty understanding. 8)


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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:35 am
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I found that after high school I really came into my own. I feel bad for the first few girlfriends though. :lol:


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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:56 am
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ghost_of_strings wrote:
I found that after high school I really came into my own. I feel bad for the first few girlfriends though. :lol:

Again, I can relate. I started playing in high school and any girlfriends I had back then I had in spite of my guitar playing, rather than because of it :)


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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:16 am
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schnepf13 wrote:
PaulLF wrote:
It's actually this month 30 years ago that I first picked up a bass, and started to play, so it's been a long time to think back, but I can say when I first learned the movable major and minor scales on the bass, that's when I was on my way. With that knowledge, I was roughly able to construct my own bass parts to songs, since I've mainly just concentrated on doing original songs, although I've done some covers from time to time, as well. I'd say I'd started knowing what the hell I was doing roughly 1 1/2 to 2 years in. I really didn't take lessons, other than getting this book, which I still own a copy of: Image

Paul, I played bass in a couple of bands in college and used that exact book to help get the hang of it! I probably still have my copy sitting around, somewhere. I remember spending lots of time going over the scale patterns for the major, minor, major pentatonic and minor pentatonic scales. Once you get those down, you can fake your way at least through a lot of songs...


Yeah, it's a great book. There's a lot of useful information in there, and it did help me learn the notes on the fretboard. That's one book I always want to have in my possession, if even for sentimental reasons.

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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:22 am
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You have to love it. That F barre chord was a PITA :!:

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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:44 am
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It's been so long, I can't really recall.. Probably at some point when I was around 13/14 or so and had been taken lessons form a good teacher for a few years. Stuff just started happening with my hands that just seemed to not take as much effort as they used to.


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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:25 am
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ghost_of_strings wrote:
I found that after high school I really came into my own. I feel bad for the first few girlfriends though. :lol:

LOL!

For me, I started with some basic books, and some records that my sister left when she moved out (same way I learned to type). As soon as I was proficient enough to noodle through something recognizable, I signed up for lessons.
After a few months of lessons, I would drop them and continue on my own, learning sonsg from tab books and sheet music (though more often than not, I'd play the sheet music part on our chord organ to get the feel and play it "by ear" on guitar rather than trying to memorize the neck).

As I would feel that I was hitting a plateau, I'd sign up for 4-6 more lessons to get over the hump.

Rudy Sarzo spoke about Randy when touring with Ozzy. He said that when they rolled into a city, most of the crew who weren't working on setting up for the show were partying, Randy would be off taking a lesson from one of the local guys.
I imagine that those teachers learned as much from Randy as he learned from them.

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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 11:30 am
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Miami Mike wrote:
You have to love it. That F barre chord was a PITA

I never had a big problem with the "F"... I'd just wrap my thumb.
The "B" was always the PITA for me, particularly some of the forms not used all the time in standard 12-bar like the B7.

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Post subject: Re: Getting Over "The Beginner's Hump"
Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:43 pm
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CB91710 wrote:
Miami Mike wrote:
You have to love it. That F barre chord was a PITA

I never had a big problem with the "F"... I'd just wrap my thumb.
The "B" was always the PITA for me, particularly some of the forms not used all the time in standard 12-bar like the B7.
I hear ya on that one, Rich. To B or not to B? That is the problem. :lol:
FSB

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