Tenor Guitars, Classical Guitars

[rustydusty]

I believe that it's not important how you play it, but how it sounds. If you play a good classical piece on the guitar and it sounds right, the way you achieve the results are what works best for you...

 

[Down Up Dick]

I believe that it's not important how you play it, but how it sounds. If you play a good classical piece on the guitar and it sounds right, the way you achieve the results are what works best for you...

Well, we disagree, but the majority of UU players probably agree with your opinion. Perhaps it’s just we oldies who think as I do. I think many of us were taught that there are rules and correct ways to do somethin’. But if you play the way you prefer, and I play the way that I prefer, then, by today’s standards, we are both playin’ okay (Yay!).

 

[rustydusty]

Sorry, I wasn't saying you should play it my way. At 71 years old, I realize I'm never going to be a great guitar player, I just want to make myself happy and have fun doing it. I have played numerous instruments over the years with a lot of bands, have never had any lessons on anything, don't read music, play everything by ear. I have been told that I am a really excellent harmonica player but having fun is what it's all about...
I don't care if I don't play it the way some "expert" tells me it has to be done.
I'm happy...

 

[Down Up Dick]

Well, It’s becoming more and more evident that I’m falling out of love with my Classical Guitar. I’ve come to terms with it’s hugeness (I’m an avid mandolin player), but it’s overly deep and mushy low tones are getting me down. Also, I’ve never been much of a whizz with chord playing, but playing chords on my CG is really a grind. My fingers, though not particularly small, simply do not spread to the required distances.

I’m still working on spreading my fingers to the correct finger positions of both hands and trying to learn more chords, but I dunno if our relationship will last much longer. Now I’m gonna play some Irish tunes on a mandolin.

 

[Down Up Dick]

It’s really, really difficult and boring to fix all the mistakes one learned in the past. Learn stuff correctly or just go on playing it as it is. Bah!

 

[ploverwing]

It’s really, really difficult and boring to fix all the mistakes one learned in the past. Learn stuff correctly or just go on playing it as it is. Bah!

Oh my, yes. It's such a lot of work. I mean, learning it correctly is a lot of work too, but undoing all of the baggage that you've encumbered yourself with by not learning correct technique in the first place, uuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnhhhhh.

 

[Rllink]

I've had to relearn and break so many bad habits, I'm good at it. Relearning is what I do best.

 

[Down Up Dick]

I've had to relearn and break so many bad habits, I'm good at it. Relearning is what I do best.

Me too, but I’ve gone back to my other stuff, and I’m having a good time with it. I don’t think I was meant to be a guitarist. I’m much more comfortable with my Mandolins and my Irish Tenor Banjo. I like to play with fifths tuning better too.

 

[Down Up Dick]

Dispite what I said last time. I’m still pounding away at the guitar. I’m clearin’ up some of the old stuff, but I’m also enjoying my other instruments. There is some progress, but it’s agonizingly slow. However, that’s what I bought the big, clumsy thing for - to see if I could learn to play it, and I guess I sorta am . . .

 

[ploverwing]

Well, I'm trying both ukulele and guitar, and they're both agonizingly slow. I sound like ... well, I don't know what I sound like, but it's not what I want to sound like. So... good perseverance @Down Up Dick! Let's keep at it together

 

[Down Up Dick]

I played badly last night, ploverwing, and again today. I just can’t seem to find the strings. I’m back to position scales now — ahhh, me. Again, I don’t think guitar is my thang . . .

What does YT stand for? I didn’t answer your banjo question in “other instruments“ because I didn’t know what you wanted.

 

[ploverwing]

What does YT stand for? I didn’t answer your banjo question in “other instruments“ because I didn’t know what you wanted.

YouTube And no worries!

 

[Rllink]

What's the hurry?

 

[Down Up Dick]

I don’t understand. What’s what hurry?

 

[ploverwing]

What's the hurry?

I don’t understand. What’s what hurry?

I think Rllink was responding to this:

Dispite what I said last time. I’m still pounding away at the guitar. I’m clearin’ up some of the old stuff, but I’m also enjoying my other instruments. There is some progress, but it’s agonizingly slow. However, that’s what I bought the big, clumsy thing for - to see if I could learn to play it, and I guess I sorta am . . .

and my follow up reply to that.

@Rllink you're right, there's no hurry. In fact, there's a lot of putting time into process, and you cannot hurry that, especially because you have to train muscles, train your ear, train your brain to whole new ways of being used, and that only occurs through repetition. But from a beginner's perspective, it can feel frustrating to hit a plateau. I suspect a lot of people that want to learn more than a few basic chords and strums give up once they hit the first or second plateau of learning to play; it takes patience and perseverance to continue to improve.

I find it incredibly frustrating that I know how something should sound and I don't know how to make my fingers make that sound. I try not to feel frustrated or overwhelmed, because I understand, logically, that I am a beginner, I've hardly been doing this any length of time, and learning a new skill is not instant gratification; but my heart doesn't always want to listen to that.

 

[Rllink]

I think Rllink was responding to this:

and my follow up reply to that.

@Rllink you're right, there's no hurry. In fact, there's a lot of putting time into process, and you cannot hurry that, especially because you have to train muscles, train your ear, train your brain to whole new ways of being used, and that only occurs through repetition. But from a beginner's perspective, it can feel frustrating to hit a plateau. I suspect a lot of people that want to learn more than a few basic chords and strums give up once they hit the first or second plateau of learning to play; it takes patience and perseverance to continue to improve.

I find it incredibly frustrating that I know how something should sound and I don't know how to make my fingers make that sound. I try not to feel frustrated or overwhelmed, because I understand, logically, that I am a beginner, I've hardly been doing this any length of time, and learning a new skill is not instant gratification; but my heart doesn't always want to listen to that.

I get frustrated sometimes. But I remind myself that we are not in a race and there is no finish line to cross. No matter how quickly or how agonizingly slowly we learn, it is all the same.

 

[clear]

I find it incredibly frustrating that I know how something should sound and I don't know how to make my fingers make that sound.

If you are talking about creating a good tone consistently across all fingers; then it is definitely hard. Even early-intermetiate players make mistakes in tone production (based on listening to 5th-year guitar students on Delcamp). As a beginner, I'd play a (short) piece all nice and good, then one of my notes come out sounding too different (compared with the same note from another finger).

If you are talking about duplicating a sound from a recording somebody did; then it might be a fruitless pursuit because (1) different guitars, (2) recordings just sound different than live, (3) possible post processing.

I played badly last night, ploverwing, and again today. I just can’t seem to find the strings. I’m back to position scales now — ahhh, me. Again, I don’t think guitar is my thang . . .

I read your posts, and it goes: I hate this guitar thing, I quit guitar, I picked up guitar again, I hate it, I quit, I pick it up again, etc. I think a lot of people go thru that loop (including myself); except you seem to loop it many more times and in very short periods. Have you considered why?

Why do you play the guitar?
What is making you give up?

 

[Down Up Dick]

I’m TRYING to play it because I bought it to see if I could learn to play one. I keep givin’ the darn thing up because I don’t like to fail, and I don’t understand why I haven’t achieved more success, and, even though I understand how to play it, I just can’t seem to accomplish it. And though chords are my usual nemesis, with the CC, my hands seem too be too small to fret them. I really think my hands are pretty much average though.

I play other string instruments, high so-so, without nearly this much trouble and frustration. I play baritone uke and tenor guitar in the same tuning all right. I dunno . . . Bah! And double BAH!

 

[ploverwing]

If you are talking about creating a good tone consistently across all fingers; then it is definitely hard. Even early-intermetiate players make mistakes in tone production (based on listening to 5th-year guitar students on Delcamp). As a beginner, I'd play a (short) piece all nice and good, then one of my notes come out sounding too different (compared with the same note from another finger).

This. Definitely. No, I do recognize that I can't replicate someone else's playing in any exact measure, although I can try to emulate the musicality that they achieve (eventually, I'm still struggling with mechanics - this goes with both guitar and ukulele). That's definitely encouraging to hear that people with more experience still struggle, too. It's hard to watch amazing players and think that there's any ever chance to get even somewhat competent. I mean, it's also kind of discouraging that 5th year players still stumble with the same nonsense that I am, but I'm assuming it's at a much lower rate, lol.

To paraphrase Dory... "just keep playing, just keep playing..."

Actually, I've started focusing on mainly exercises this week (I'd been lax on that, treating my pieces as exercises), to try and build those skills at an even more basic level, and I can feel a difference in these exercises from when I first tried them a couple of months ago, so there's definitely been some progress (yay!!).

 

[clear]

Actually, I've started focusing on mainly exercises this week (I'd been lax on that, treating my pieces as exercises), to try and build those skills at an even more basic level, and I can feel a difference in these exercises from when I first tried them a couple of months ago, so there's definitely been some progress (yay!!).

I'm bad there too where I just like to play songs. I hate exercises (and a hate etudes just a little bit less), so I don't spend enough time on them. Your post inspired me to put in some practice time into this month's exercises (I'm in an online guitar class and we have 2 exercises this month).

I’m TRYING to play it because I bought it to see if I could learn to play one. I keep givin’ the darn thing up because I don’t like to fail, and I don’t understand why I haven’t achieved more success, and, even though I understand how to play it, I just can’t seem to accomplish it.

I don't think anybody likes to fail, but we all have to start from zero and failure is part of the learning process. If you ever observed a kid learning to walk the first time, it doesn't happen immediately. It's a gradual process from crawling (and doing some face plants) to walking while holding onto something (and doing more face plants) to walking a few steps free standing (and usually ending in an ungraceful fall), etc. Everything we learn, we must fail or it's impossible to learn.

Failures can be evaluated too. I'm currently taking an online guitar class that requires me to publish recording of the month's assigned songs (for others to critique). I don't wait until I have the song perfect; I post when I feel that I'm at a point where comments I need to know if I'm (failing) on the right track or when I just want some encouragements/motivation.

I feel your posts are similar to my latter reason; so I'll say to you, "keep at it. I bet you're playing better than when you first bought the guitar". Now, that's kind of generic, but that's just because I don't know any details about you. I think everybody on UU wants to see you succeed; the UU community is very supportive.

Besides encouragements, the other thing about your post above that I noticed is possibly taking on materials that's too difficult. When I do this, it's a sure-fire way of getting discouraged (it's like telling the baby not to crawl or hold on to anything and just start running; that's not going to end well). I'd suggest following a guitar methods, it might seem too basic at first, but they are usually well-thought-out steps to teach you how to play well.

At the expense of embarrassment, I'll show you some of my "failures" this month:

First "failure"

Next "failure" a week later

This is the target:

I'm currently nowhere near the target, but I'm not too discouraged because I can see that each successive "failure" is better than the previous. At this rate, I'm hoping to get there by end of the month.