How long to become good?

Insert name____ · 17-09-2005 10:57am #1

Just a quick question,
Roughly, can anyone gimme an estimate on how long it takes to become kinda good at playing the guitar. I know everyones skills are gonna differ but how long did it take all of you?
Just started my acoustic lessons

I'm a bit of a late starter at 20, but ah well, better late than never!

Johnny Storm · 17-09-2005 11:08am

I'm 46, I started when I was 13 and I'm still crap. Does that answer your question?

Insert name____ · 17-09-2005 11:18am

Damn it, not the answer I was hoping for!

I'll just havta take note of the fr ted joke,...how do you get to carnagie hall?...............................................practise! lol

Johnny Storm · 17-09-2005 11:25am

Actually I think it really does depend on your inate skills and how hard you are willing to work at it. A good teacher will help.

Zapp Brannigan · 17-09-2005 11:32am

You're never good enough. Keep that mind frame and you'll always get better.

Doctor J · 17-09-2005 11:55am

Don't worry about being good, just be good enough that you can enjoy playing and that shouldn't take long at all with a bit of graft. Guitar playing is fun, that's why we sad bastards talk endlessly about it... when not playing, of course

Karl Hungus · 17-09-2005 1:34pm

Doctor J wrote:

Don't worry about being good, just be good enough that you can enjoy playing and that shouldn't take long at all with a bit of graft. Guitar playing is fun, that's why we sad bastards talk endlessly about it... when not playing, of course

What he said. Just play!

On the other hand I've been playing for about 6 years and I still suck like complete bollocks.

feylya · 17-09-2005 2:29pm

14.62 years.

I know a guy who's been playing maybe three years and can play any Vai/Satriani/Petrucci solo without any problems but his rhythm and feel sucks. On the other hand, I've been playing about 6 years and I still completely suck.

Tar.Aldarion · 17-09-2005 2:40pm

i know a 12 yr old whom is better than most people who have been playing for that long

it's all about your effort though laddie.
I put in no effort and just mess about,i'm crap.I enjoy it though and that is all that matters to me.
What i di was just get a tab,learn the song.get somebody i know who can play the son to tell me if i do an ok job and then move onto the next tab,good luck.

Shanannigan · 17-09-2005 3:03pm

everyone i've spoken to who i consider to be good, says that they suck... don't beat yerself up if you think you're not good enough... i mean you'll never be able to play EVERYTHING... be happy with what you can play, and just keep workin at what you can't... its not about how good you are its about how much you enjoy it

Karl Hungus · 17-09-2005 3:38pm

Shanannigan wrote:

everyone i've spoken to who i consider to be good, says that they suck... don't beat yerself up if you think you're not good enough... i mean you'll never be able to play EVERYTHING... be happy with what you can play, and just keep workin at what you can't... its not about how good you are its about how much you enjoy it

It's not about beating yourself up, I think it's more to do with be able to suprise people with your playing, or if you aren't actually that good, you don't come off like an asshole with an ego. I still suck reguardless.

I agree though, it's all about how much you enjoy playing.

fish-head · 17-09-2005 3:50pm

Get a good teacher and you'll get better twice as fast as learning by yourself, plus you wont develop any bad habits.

Shanannigan · 17-09-2005 3:55pm

i don't believe in bad habits... if you teach yourself you develop your own style.. and you learn at your own pace

Insert name____ · 17-09-2005 4:40pm

Thanks for all that! I suck at the mo, but havent been practising all that much to be honest. I know I'll never be brilliant but once I can play a few songs that I like I'll be happy!

First song...my lovely horse...

Shanannigan · 17-09-2005 6:41pm

hahaa... you'll wanna leave out that sax solo though

feylya · 17-09-2005 6:43pm

The sax solo is the best bit

Shanannigan · 17-09-2005 6:57pm

yeah i know, i never got why ted and dougal wanted to leave it out...

Insert name____ · 17-09-2005 7:49pm

Shanannigan wrote:

yeah i know, i never got why ted and dougal wanted to leave it out...

Got myself a female version of their sequin jackets today to help set the mood and enlighten me, lol

Shanannigan · 17-09-2005 8:07pm

you need the casio keyboard drum loop and yer guitar and yer sorted

Niall123 · 17-09-2005 9:29pm

I got lessons for a while, did alot of good. I really noticed changed when I knew how to play a coulple of songs and I got a good guitar.

0utshined · 17-09-2005 9:52pm

The main thing is consistency. Practice often and have a proper practice regime rather than just farting about playing licks. I do neither which is why I'm still crap but I tried it for a while and was able to notice the difference.

Either that or make a deal with the devil at the crossroads and be done with it

Quattroste · 19-09-2005 8:46am

I onlsy started when I was 21 and I am playing 13 years now. I think I am ready for that Devil Crossroads deal and all that....

cantdecide · 19-09-2005 7:03pm

HERE is the definitive answer!

learning guitar is exponential- you learn something-the next thing is easier and makes sense of the last two things you learned. However it leads to at least four more questions.

If you are hungry, you will keep answering those questions. it is important to do this in order to learn WHAT the questions are.

teach yourself under guidance from someone else, not necessarily a teacher and you should kick ass in 1 year. i know someone who did this.

cantdecide · 19-09-2005 7:06pm

.........also. don't dwell on trying to achieve perfection on everything single buzz. you will be become better and more rounded at everything you've done previously as long as you keep progressing.

It wasn't me! · 19-09-2005 7:34pm

Be a perfectionist at the start. Lay a solid foundation for yourself. I didn't and now I've to make up a lot of lost ground. It's tough, but it's worth it.

BossArky · 20-09-2005 3:03pm

- Play with other people who are better than you
- Try to play for at least 30 mins each day
- Don't sit in your room playing to yourself for ages... gets boring and you will loss motivation if you don't see any progress... espcially if you don't have much of a basis.

Shane Smith · 16-10-2005 10:22pm

just play the ****in thing

feylya · 16-10-2005 10:26pm

Why did you drag up this thread just to post that?

-=al=- · 16-10-2005 11:52pm

a lifetime...

depends completly on the individual

Hanginthere · 18-10-2005 1:07pm

Yea we are having our second gig this friday and I didnt realise how much better I have gotten lately untill I finally nailed a solo with sweep picking, I was sort of stunned. Ive been playing for 4-5 years if even that and Im pretty confident at guitar at this stage. Im not great at playing proper chords but thats not what my influences use so Im not really to bothered by it I still cant get tapping to sound right though :rolleyes:

truncated spurs · 18-10-2005 6:47pm

yeah the best thing to do is (a) learn songs AND play along with them
(b) try to learn songs beyond your ablilty
and general advice - when learning a solo or challenging part slow it right down, you'd be amazed at how quick you can get it up to speed if your fingers know exactly where to go

tolosenc · 20-10-2005 5:24pm

I have been playin for a year now, and i find that you just want to keep gettting better. For instance, i can learn the rythm guitar to most songs in about 1-2 hours, but that no longer satisfies me. I want to learn solos (so maybe this time next year!).

Also: Me mate has been playing for about 9 months, but he's better than anyone I know. His da is a hypnotherapist and an excellent guitar player, and tought his subconcious how to play. But I wanna do it the proper way.

How long to become good?

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