The Guitar is Hard!

[hespeler]

Hi, I’m new here and I just want to start by saying that learning the guitar is hard!  I know I’m not telling anyone anything they don’t already know.

I’m a former classically trained musician who’s getting back into it after many years away.  I got my undergrad degree in music and played the upright bass in the college orchestra and jazz band and played bass in bar bands during that time period as well.  I didn’t pursue music after graduating and didn’t touch an instrument for many years.   About 10 years ago I started teaching myself guitar and got pretty decent but I mostly gravitated towards strumming chords and singing songs.  Sold all my guitars and pedals and now here I am at 50, borrowing my friends’s tele and determined to get good at this thing.

I know theory.  That’s not a problem but it only helps me so much right now.  Like everyone else, I’m overwhelmed with the amount of info.  I have Truefire and Guitar Tricks (I use Truefire more).  

I learned the bass guitar from a classical guitar player and he had me playing Bach Two Part Inventions with him.  Between that and college, I got very good at reading music.  The difference is, with both the upright and electric bass, I knew where my fingers were and what string I was on and could just look at the music.  It’s different wit the guitar.   I have to look down all the time and it’s hard to get through a passage.  
 

I was looking at a Guitar Player article about combining lead and rhythm (something I’m very interested in) and it had some SRV type Texas shuffle combined with some lead fills.  It took me so long to get one measure under my hands and I still can only play it really slowly.  I’ll think my pick is on the G string then I play and it sounds terrible and I look down and it’s on the D string.

I’ve only been playing for a couple of months now but I play a few hours a day.  Pentatonic scales, Arpeggio exercises, chord scales, etc, and then I learn songs, go through classes in Truefire but nothing sticks.  When I pick up the guitar I can’t remember anything except two solos I have been working hard on.  Gilmour’s 5 a.m. and Wiser Time by the Black Crowes.  Gilmour is based on E minor pentatonic and the Wiser Time solo seems mainly G minor pentatonic.

I know 2 months is nothing but I guess I’m just asking if this is normal because the guitar is a lot more frustrating and difficult than the bass.  Lol.

[Fretless]

Because of your background maybe you are subconsciously expecting to be able to get up to speed quicker than you are. Don't sweat it; don't rush it. You will get there.

[Gary Nelson]

I'll bet most of us at one time or another have asked ourselves the question " why am I doing this?".    I've heard Steve comment many times that if playing guitar was easy, everyone would do it!     I'll second what Fretless said - don't rush it.    Another thought - are there any qualified instructors where you live?    The internet can be a great learning tool (I often take online courses) but sometimes having an instructor in the room that can point out flaws in technique, etc might be the best option - at least to get you up and running again.

[hespeler]

36 minutes ago, Gary Nelson said:

I'll bet most of us at one time or another have asked ourselves the question " why am I doing this?".    I've heard Steve comment many times that if playing guitar was easy, everyone would do it!     I'll second what Fretless said - don't rush it.    Another thought - are there any qualified instructors where you live?    The internet can be a great learning tool (I often take online courses) but sometimes having an instructor in the room that can point out flaws in technique, etc might be the best option - at least to get you up and running again.

Yes I should look into that.  And yes my musical knowledge and experience definitely is ahead of my chops.

[Eracer_Team-DougH]

Knowing theory is head and shoulders above many

having more than 1hr play time is biggie too

I too have a lot of TrueFire courses. I find them only marginally better than the standard YouTube video

the lessons jump around a lot even when it’s a series of the same instructor 

SRV slap rhythm playing is tricky 

I suggest simpler style of playing songs first

Edited February 6 by Eracer_Team-DougH

[DianeB]

@hespeler  Welcome to the forum! I'm inclined to agree with @Fretless, who I know is an accomplished guitarist. Your feelings of frustration might arise from a natural tendency to compare your guitar skill to your proficiency in, shall we say, your neighboring skills. They give you a great head start. An experienced music educator could help you make the most of them without having to start from the very beginning, like many of us here. Stay in touch.

[Triple-o]

Seems to me you are being too hard on yourself.  You obviously have musical talents that many of us wish we had. Playing music in front of an audience and with other players that’s quite the accomplishment. 

I found that learning the guitar also meant looking at your hands. I would find some good string skipping lessons and practice those  exercises  while watching  your picking  hand. Memorize a few measures then play. I think that’s the secret of pick accuracy.