Learning to

Move quickly, smoothly, and effortlessly from one chord to another. Practice? Well, I can practice going from an Am7 to an Em7 until I'm blue in the face. But is it the right way for open chords? I don't know because I can't get it. Should I spend more time with barre chords? Is that necessary in order for me to make that change? I don't see how barre chords can help since I can't finger pick either. I know Joe, you said you could teach me in 30 minutes and honestly, that kind of makes me feel worse since I've practiced the finger picking thing for what seems like decades and still can't get it. Soooooooo, I'm probably pretty dense if all it should take me is 30 minutes. But hey Joe, I know you were giving me hope.

I've never had a guitar lesson in my life. I've been playing a long time but I admit, in an environment (venue) that seemingly only inspired me to play(along) and not learn more than I needed to learn. I remember the first time I sang a song and I received a nice reaction from people. Then people would ask, "do you know" this or that one. It was a good feeling. The ego was frosted. Soon I was learning songs all on my own using open chords and standard tuning. Actually it was all fairly easy to do, especially when you learned to skip over those difficult chords and still sing the song.

I guess I don't really have a question but if there's one (desperation) hidden in my post and someone can answer it that would be great. I think I'm as talented as many folks I've seen or heard play but then real talent comes along and I feel like such a poser..........like a middle-aged-crisis-biker in his brand new leathers trying to impress me by pretending he's the real deal.

The fact that I'm losing my hearing, my eyesight, and my memory is frustrating but it doesn't deter my desire to play. However, it does totally piss me off.

BTW, I have nothing against middle-aged-crisis-bikers. Just an analogy

Hope springs eternal, Doc, and whatever you do, don't be too hard on yourself.
It's all about combining the mechanics with what's in your heart. Nothing to get even borderline-desperate about.

Perspective rules,
Joe

If you get a positive reaction when you play, Doc, you must be doing something right. There are plenty of great songs to learn that don't require difficult chords. I just learned Folsom Prison Blues - pretty easy, but a blast to play, and a great song.

If you are playing a "simple" song with feeling and emotion, I'd rather hear you play than someone who has all the "chops" but plays without feeling and seems to be going through the motions. If you are enjoying yourself, play on! And if others enjoy hearing you play, then they must be able to tell you are not "posing", but simply sharing your love of a particular song with them.

walrus

walrus said:

If you are playing a "simple" song with feeling and emotion, I'd rather hear you play than someone who has all the "chops" but plays without feeling and seems to be going through the motions. If you are enjoying yourself, play on! And if others enjoy hearing you play, then they must be able to tell you are not "posing", but simply sharing your love of a particular song with them.

walrus

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Exactly right. Play on!

Hey Doc....there isn't a wrong or right way to play guitar. It is wrong to have any instrument and not play it, though.

Open chords sound the best, but sometimes barre work best or augmenting chords to fit your style work even better. Only you should care what you play and how you play it.

I'm with you on the hearing, eyesight, and memory, but at the end of the day time with a guitar is time well spent.

Now go play and quite yer whining...

Nothing is easy till you know how to do it. The next trick is doing it well. I learned finger picking by starting with the basic Travis picking style. The first two notes are played together then two single notes follow. Once you get that down you can kind of develop a feel for where and when. Pinching two notes together is basic in many styles of playing. Consider the beginning of "Soul Man".

As far as barre chords go, they are sometimes the easiest way to go. I'm working on a song now that has a quick change from Am to A and back to Am. Tried it in first position and gave up on it real quick. Doing it barred is easy peasy. I use chordbook.com quite frequently to find all the inversions of the chords I need so I can find the easiest way to make changes.

When all is said and done, your connection to the song and your instrument is most important. You can lay down a basic rhythm and sing around it by coming in late in a few measures here and there. Hope this makes sense.

Now if someone could help me with pull offs I would be eternally grateful.

griehund said:

Now if someone could help me with pull offs I would be eternally grateful.

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Try using a coin or something to pull the ring back a little before putting your finger in it.
Saves fingernails.

adorshki said:

Try using a coin or something to pull the ring back a little before putting your finger in it.
Saves fingernails.

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Took me a second or two, but that's funny!

I can only contribute as a limited and highly unskilled guitar player. I tend to like some more complex tunes, therefore my taste doesn't match my skill level. However, I try as best I can. Great thing about the internet these days are the myriad of guitar chord sites to find the songs you like. Even then, sometimes the original key has chords and progressions that are just unfathomable to me. However, many offer transposition services on these songs. Many times, if I find something that's just beyond my skill (almost everything) I can transpose it a couple of times and find it in a key that is doable and has less difficult chords. If you can do that, then you can play the song. Then if it gets out of your vocal range, then you grab the capo and hunt around a bit.

Like I said, this comes from a total lack of skill and talent. However, I have no grand aspirations to do anything other than make myself happy. At that, I succeed fairly well. When I play more, I get better. When I play less, it's like my fingers have disowned me. :encouragement:

just fall into the music the rest will work out

Bikerdoc.....yeah, I get ya.....we all hear that person from time to time that plays a guitar waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than we do......then that player hears someone who plays waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than they do....then that player hears........well, you get it......this is my main thought...you could have been that great player if you had put a million more hours into it.....but then you would have to take away the million hours from your life that make you who you are, and you wouldn't be you.....some sacrifice a lot of "life" to become very good at something.......others sacrifice becoming very good at "something" to have a "lot of life"....most fall somewhere in between.....it's all good!

krugjr said:

...some sacrifice a lot of "life" to become very good at something.......others sacrifice becoming very good at "something" to have a "lot of life"....most fall somewhere in between.....it's all good!

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BOY Howdy does that resonate with me.
Somewhere along the line in high school I managed to pick up on how many artists bemoaned the strictures of life on the road and a while after that I started realizing that a lot of 'em also started losing their creative edge and love for the art when they had to start delivering product according to a contract timetable instead of according to their own personal muse's timetable.I don't exactly consider that selling out because "selling out" implies they have a choice about whether or not to deliver and there's no legal consequences.
This is even worse: you lose your love for the art because now it becomes work.
Ever notice how often a band's first 2 or 3 albums are their best and then they start to sound bland and formulaic?
So I decided I would always play for love and get a regular job so I could afford to do it.
Now that you're retired, Doc, ya got no excuses:
Practice, practice, practice.
Maybe try your hand at writing, even.
Just write down the chord names over the lyric lines.
Use some standard old progressions to jump start the process, hundreds of thousands of blues tunes can't be wrong, right?
You'll thank yourself in the morning.
:friendly_wink:

adorshki said:

Try using a coin or something to pull the ring back a little before putting your finger in it.
Saves fingernails.

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That's a right hand thingy. I need help with the left hand thingy.

adorshki said:

BOY Howdy does that resonate with me.
Somewhere along the line in high school I managed to pick up on how many artists bemoaned the strictures of life on the road and a while after that I started realizing that a lot of 'em also started losing their creative edge and love for the art when they had to start delivering product according to a contract timetable instead of according to their own personal muse's timetable.I don't exactly consider that selling out because "selling out" implies they have a choice about whether or not to deliver and there's no legal consequences.
This is even worse: you lose your love for the art because now it becomes work.
Ever notice how often a band's first 2 or 3 albums are their best and then they start to sound bland and formulaic?
So I decided I would always play for love and get a regular job so I could afford to do it.
Now that you're retired, Doc, ya got no excuses:
Practice, practice, practice.
Maybe try your hand at writing, even.
Just write down the chord names over the lyric lines.
Use some standard old progressions to jump start the process, hundreds of thousands of blues tunes can't be wrong, right?
You'll thank yourself in the morning.
:friendly_wink:

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I've written a few over the years. Even threw in a barre chord here n' there.

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=6695866&q=hi&newref=1

That is a nice tune BD! It sounds to me like your chord transitions are pretty nice!!

Bikerdoc said:

The fact that I'm losing my hearing, my eyesight, and my memory is frustrating but it doesn't deter my desire to play. However, it does totally piss me off.

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I'm right there with you, Doc. No future in aging, eh?

I've been playing in church groups for the last decade or so. Before that, I just messed around with whatever music struck my fancy . . . but not that seriously. Once I joined a group, I didn't get to pick out the songs . . . well at least I don't generally get the final word. Sometimes I look at a new lead sheet and just shake my head. Yeah, like I'm ever going to get these crooked old fingers into that chord shape. However . . . I'm going to have to figure out some way to play it. Sometimes I can figure out a different chord voicing . . . or substitute a simpler chord (like Fmaj7 instead of Fmaj9) . . . or sometimes I just have to grind away at it until I get it good enough to blend in. If I was just playing for my own entertainment, I'd probably just play a different song, but I don't have that choice. Over the years, at a mostly glacial pace, I've found that a lot of stuff I really struggled with is now second nature. That's satisfying, but there is still an endless amount of stuff to learn. Maybe like a lot of things in life, the struggle is what gives it meaning.

Doc it sounds great . I always come across better players all I can do is shake my head . I know I never get that good but it does give a little kick in the backside to try a little harder on the next one . One thing slowing that down is playing time do I do the best I can .

This gentleman is one of new players that strike a chord with me to try a little harder . His guitar just ticks me right off ! Olson SJ BRW Cedar top .

Play what you love it's all good after that
http://youtu.be/AHkZDY06JtE

Rayk said:

Doc it sounds great . I always come across better players all I can do is shake my head . I know I never get that good but it does give a little kick in the backside to try a little harder on the next one . One thing slowing that down is playing time do I do the best I can .

This gentleman is one of new players that strike a chord with me to try a little harder . His guitar just ticks me right off ! Olson SJ BRW Cedar top .

Play what you love it's all good after that
http://youtu.be/AHkZDY06JtE

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Nice vid Ray. I enjoyed that immensely. Having an Olson guit doesn't hurt either. I have not seen one of those that wasn't stunning to look at. Judging by this recording they sound amazing. I think Doyle Dykes ( I know he is sponsored by many co. including our beloved brand ) is now pushing Olsons..

Yes there's pics of Doyle on the Olson site . Mau says besides the two Mics he records into a apogee interface and iPad pretty good sound if you ask me . Don't know how they do it still trying to half that good a sound on my PC lol