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Post subject: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:34 pm
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Hit the wall is a term that runners/cyclist use describing "Bonk". Confused?

It's when you run out of fuel and come to a crawl. I am in "Bonk" mode with my guitar playing right now. Back in the early 80s I was in my prime with my playing, but I was young and had others to jam/learn from since I was gigging. Then marriage, kids, I was away until about the year 2000, and picked some of that back, then I get busy and am just recently getting back into playing, but I'm having a hard time being motivated and am constantly "Noodling". I don't think I can play a whole song correctly right now.

At 54 years old, this might be my last chance to be a "Well Rounded" guitar player/music maker. I have always played by ear and I doubt I can sit through lessons. I'm sure others have gone through this same sort of progression and I'm wondering what yall did.

I'm even considering learning Tab in combination while progressing using my ear as much as swore I would never use Tab.

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:38 pm
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Part 2. This is what I'm thinking. Learn Tab, and pick one song a month to perfect using YouTube.

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:44 pm
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It happens I know you said not thinking lessons but I can honestly say Its the very best thing I have ever done! My daughters last Christmas knew I would never actually call so they bought me a gift card and I had to go to not hurt their feelings lol..Ive played acoustic off an on as I have stated for decades but taking lessons for electric and also for slide and a bit for my bass it NEVER gets stale..I also use a plug in for winamp called Chords that lets you put in any mp3 and it picks out the chords its way more fun to play with music my opinion but the best part is the more I have used it the better my ear has gotten and I find I seldom look at the moving chord plug in..I also found extending my horizons and honestly checking out some of the newer groups like shinedown, foo fighters etc has made music kind of fresh and I dont get stuck constantly playing my favorite 70's stuff. I hope maybe sometime you rethink the lesson part because I was in a rut and just having another persons input opened tons of new doors! In closing Im willing to bet almost everyone goes through stretches where they too hit the wall..then you hear a new song and get inspired all over again..

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:56 pm
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Monalst wrote:
It happens I know you said not thinking lessons but I can honestly say Its the very best thing I have ever done! My daughters last Christmas knew I would never actually call so they bought me a gift card and I had to go to not hurt their feelings lol..Ive played acoustic off an on as I have stated for decades but taking lessons for electric and also for slide and a bit for my bass it NEVER gets stale..I also use a plug in for winamp called Chords that lets you put in any mp3 and it picks out the chords its way more fun to play with music my opinion but the best part is the more I have used it the better my ear has gotten and I find I seldom look at the moving chord plug in..I also found extending my horizons and honestly checking out some of the newer groups like shinedown, foo fighters etc has made music kind of fresh and I dont get stuck constantly playing my favorite 70's stuff. I hope maybe sometime you rethink the lesson part because I was in a rut and just having another persons input opened tons of new doors! In closing Im willing to bet almost everyone goes through stretches where they too hit the wall..then you hear a new song and get inspired all over again..


Hi Mona.

I know that's the correct answer, but $95 a month for 2 hours, half an hour at a time is too much for me.

Perhaps I'm just being too lazy.

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 3:58 pm
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I play my mandolin.

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:03 pm
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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:06 pm
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Mr. Gary, i have been in this same spot for years. i too play by ear. i can't afford lessons. i'm like you. i just want to be a solid well rounded player. i only half $@! know the pentatonic scale. i need to learn the scales used in country but i'm lazy. my leads are from the hip and thats not comfortable when my turn comes around. like you, i don't have another guitarist or bass player to sit around and really work on chops or trade knowledge. you tube is great but i get frustrated with just hitting the cool licks and not knowing what scale is being played. theory? who knows. i'm curious to see what kind of responses we get. i plan on using the suggestions and not being so lazy about playing.


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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:15 pm
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jeebus wrote:
Mr. Gary, i have been in this same spot for years. i too play by ear. i can't afford lessons. i'm like you. i just want to be a solid well rounded player. i only half $@! know the pentatonic scale. i need to learn the scales used in country but i'm lazy. my leads are from the hip and thats not comfortable when my turn comes around. like you, i don't have another guitarist or bass player to sit around and really work on chops or trade knowledge. you tube is great but i get frustrated with just hitting the cool licks and not knowing what scale is being played. theory? who knows. i'm curious to see what kind of responses we get. i plan on using the suggestions and not being so lazy about playing.


Maybe we can motivate each other jeebus. I have never been interested in playing lead much and really don't care about "Scales". I have always been a rythem picker. I hope to improve on stuff like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO2NrtSb ... ature=plcp

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:44 pm
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Gary, my dusty old fender acoustic is always within arms reach. i love to strum. it may very well be my favorite guitar. i'm happy just playing rythym but i like the challenge of lead playing. my band members also encourage me to play solos and i enjoy it although it scares me. if i can encourage you in any way just shoot me one of those PM thingys and i'll give you my personal e-mail if you want.
i can hit 45 south and be in TEXAN country in 3 1/2 hours. don't tempt me. i'm a crazy bastard and i really want a t-shirt from that guitars/guns/gold store just north of houston.
cheers


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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 4:59 pm
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Why Lessons.... :?:

Alternate Picking.......Timing with/by playing with a metronome, correcting pedagogical issues, which will dramatically improve your playing...

You say you don't play lead... :?: :?
Well that little You-tube vid is a lead, you played GBE strings as melodies and used EAD strings as your contrapuntal rhythms....

As far as lessons there are many available for free on the internet.
Learning Tab is simple as Tablature dates back to medieval times when musicians could not read or write thus Tab ( or early version of show and tell ) was the practical solution to having everyone on the same page... :lol: :lol:

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 5:00 pm
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I was sitting in on a friend's guitar lesson and took something away that has always stuck with me in regards to learning guitar.

He described the process as follows:

You learn for a while
You hit a "learning plateau"
You learn for a while
You hit a "learning plateau"
You learn for a while
You hit a "learning plateau"

Etc. etc. you get the idea. You are just at a learning plateau, it's normal. You will progress again shortly as long as you keep practicing.

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 6:36 pm
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i happened to lose my touch ever since we disbanded...

I never had the inspiration to play as well.. I was like play by ears to, seriously I never even know chords and notes on the bass :lol:

the thing that motivates me was the person who made me pick up the bass in the first place.. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 7:44 pm
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:?:


Last edited by linnin on Wed Oct 03, 2012 10:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 8:38 pm
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Everyone's situation / remedy, will be different. A few months ago I was just playing by myself and seeing my abilities quickly diminishing because I wasn't pushing myself. It scared me that I was getting rusty when I wanted to get better.
I started back at lessons again. I'm now practicing with a three piece. A few months ago I wouldn't have had the confidence that I could carry all the guitar work. But it is really making me get serious, and I'm getting better every week. Next week we're going to work on Zep's, Rock and Roll. I must be nuts!
Bottom line, you have to get out and play with people. Or, have some friends come over to jam. Playing by yourself is just an endless loop.

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Post subject: Re: What did you do when you "Hit the Wall"?
Posted: Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:11 pm
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Drew365 wrote:
Bottom line, you have to get out and play with people. Or, have some friends come over to jam. Playing by yourself is just an endless loop.


I'll 2nd that motion. Play with people, and play with people who are better than you. And - you don't have to play lead to be a good guitar player. Ask Tom Petty, or Ian Anderson.

Oh, and a little aside Drew... to answer that question in your signature:
At Ralph's Vegetarian Poodle Clipping... on East 12 Whittier Boulevard... right near the Jack-In-The-Box on Glenn Oaks... where the freeways meet in Downing!

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