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Post subject: How long did it take you to get proficient with guitar?
Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:40 pm
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Hi,

I have been on a tear to learn to play guitar lately. Thanks to business being horribly slow, I am able to practice between half an hour and 2 hours per day. Being 41 means I learn slower then I used to.

I thought it would be interesting to hear from all of you how long it took you to get to where you felt proficient with guitar. I know the term proficient with guitar is very open to interpretation, but how many hours of practice do you think it took to get there?

Martin


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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:01 pm
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On average I practice between 1 and 3 hours a day. Sometimes I practice up to 7 or 8 hours in a day. And I'm still nowhere near being proficient on guitar. So practice as much as you can and play the best you can, that's what matters. There's no special formula or set time that works for everyone.

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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:10 pm
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I spend a few hours every day fooling around, I should be more disciplined in my approach. But at the end of the day, it's about having fun.


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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:22 pm
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Finding people to jam with seems to make you a lot better in relatively little time in comparison with practicing by yourself.

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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:30 pm
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texasguitarslinger wrote:
Finding people to jam with seems to make you a lot better in relatively little time in comparison with practicing by yourself.


+1 when i was just messing around i didnt seem to get any where but when i got a "band" with so friends i got better quicker


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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:44 pm
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I'm still working at it and my grandson is catching me quickly!! :?


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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:17 pm
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Snowy72 wrote:
I spend a few hours every day fooling around, I should be more disciplined in my approach. But at the end of the day, it's about having fun.


I'm with you. While I'm not exactly good, I'm trying, and I enjoy playing. You've gotta have fun with it, and at the same time know (or at least have an idea of) where you're trying to get.


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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:24 pm
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When I was 16-18 I'd wake up, Play my guitar till my fingers hurt and my head ached, then I'd read Guitar Mags and Books on Tab, theory and Biographies about my favorite players. Like "Hammer of the Gods" and "No One Here Gets Out Alive" (Realizing it was mostly fokelore, the John Densmor book is more accurate and way more Boring). Then I'd Play my Guitar again and go to sleep.

On School Days I'd Do my Homework while correcting papers as a Teachers Aide. Get home Play my Guitar till my fingers Hurt and my Eyes Ached, and go to sleep reading something about music or the guitar.

By the time I was a Senior I Played the 15 minute intermission at our High School Play. Instrumental Versions of Stairway, Testify, and Babe I'm Gonna Leave You. I had to Edit "Babe" for time, 'cause I went off on Testify a little too long.

But really, It took me 5 years if you count playing the Trumpet. Guitar wasn't my first instrument, so I took to it faster. Plus there was always a guitar in the house and I had my own since I was 8, but i didn't do anything with it till I was 16......darn it!

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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:03 pm
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Ha! I'll let ya know when I get there. :lol: Like some others have pointed out, jamming with others or just playing in context will expedite the process. Play hard and have fun!

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Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 11:05 pm
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FirstMeasure wrote:
Plus there was always a guitar in the house and I had my own since I was 8, but i didn't do anything with it till I was 16......darn it!


Yeah, I got my guitar when I was 11, but I never messed with it until I was 13. If I had known it would be so much fun I would've dropped my fiddle earlier and played guitar back when I was 9. So much wasted time. :(

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Post subject: Being proficient
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:00 am
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I got my first guitar when i was thirteen. I didn't really start trying until like 6 months after I got it. If you find people to jam with, or to just teach you little things books don't say, you'll learn faster. If you don't care too much about reading music and more about playing, first learn with a beginners book, covering from basic songs all the way to about the Star Spangled banner. This will give you enough knowledge to understand scales and the ability to know 'where to put your finger next'. Once you cover that, learn how to read tabs, and start playing songs you actually like. Start with simple ones and keep challenging yourself. If you can't find the right sound then buy a cheap multi-effect pedal.. it'll keep you really interested.

I'm 18 turning very close to 19 now, and in all honesty, I think the only thing holding me back from forming a really good band/ sound is the fact that I can't afford all the gear I need. Now don't get me wrong, I learned much further than just the Star Spangled Banner through traditional sheet music, but I believe stopping around there is ok (only if you know a good amount of scales).

And most importantly of all, do whatever is fun to you. I could have read sheet music for years, but after a while I realized I wasn't learning, I was just getting bored.

Rock on man!

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