Becoming a better guitar player

[guitarchuck]

Yesterday I came across a YouTube video from John Standefer that really hit home to me. Here's the quote:

I think most guitar players would like to get better, but the thing is, you kind of come to the end of yourself when you play by ear. in other words, you learn what you learn and you get pretty good at that thing and you add a little to it once and a while, but if you're actually honest a lot of times you'll look back at the last 10 years of your guitar history and realize you haven't really gained much ground at all in that whole time. You did like 90% of your learning in the first 10% of your guitar playing career, and you really haven't grown since then. So part of it is having the time to practice, but the other part of it is having something to practice. John Standefer

He goes on to say that you can make a ton of progress by practicing just 2 1/2 hours a week. (30 min a day, 5 days a week)

My problem isn't enough material, I have DVD's, books, tablature by Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Jerry Reed, Paul Yandell, John Knowles, Craig Dobbins, and many others. My problem is that I don't take the time to learn something new. I'm just like the quote above! I play Chet Atkins style guitar at church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, & Wednesday night. I play occasionally at home, but I hardly ever take the time to learn something new. So I've set my mind to spend more time learning. I think we a lot of us get in a rut, going down the same old path, playing what we have for years and once we make that rut it's hard to get out of it. We say we don't have the time, but usually it's: We don't take the time!

Gotta go practice!

[John Knowles]

Chuck,

I can really hear John Standefer's voice in that quote. It sounds like you hear him in a real specific way. Nice...

John

[PhilHunt]

I try and practice at least 30 min to 1 hour everyday. When I was younger and not married and lived at home I would play and practice for about 4 or 5 hrs straight everyday. Life changes when you get married and have kids. That's why when I see some of these young squirts at CAAS who can play like monsters, I'm like..."Yeah, they probably live at home with mom and dad, and they have plenty of time on their hands to practice....just wait until you get married and have kids! hahaha"
One thing that I do to make it enjoyable and make me a better player is to actually sit down and a learn a new obscure Chet tune from beginning to end. Take "I Feel Pretty" for example....that's a tough piece to play. But if you learn it and play over and over and over again it makes you better and seems to make the flexabilty in your hands better.
Also, when I learn a new Jerry reed lick, I try and learn to play it in different keys all over the neck.

[Brian]

My wife and I just had our first baby, he is 4 months now and i know what phil is saying it really takes up time . i still find time to practice but not every day. but I just run through the tunes that i play mostly my the hardest ones i know one day it might be Travis tunes and two days later it might be some Chet stuff. but it keeps my hands in shape. I am a brick layer and if I go to long with out practice my hands get real stiff.

[RandeDager]

I never run out of material to practice because I'm either coming up with new arrangements for upcoming performances or I'm learning Chet, Jerry, etc. tunes that I never got around to before.

My understanding for people who go the formal route is that it is a matter of discipline. If you are accountable to be prepared for your next lesson when you get with your instructor, then you take things more seriously and practice to be prepared. On your own there is nobody to disappoint but yourself if you slack off. The same is true for learning academic material through self-study vs. being enrolled in a formal class.

It comes down to the value that you place on it as opposed to the value you place on things that might distract you. People are often surprised about their decision when they look back on it.

I agree about marriage, kids, etc. To me a lot of that is non-negotiable, but to choose to get only 6 or 7 hours of sleep instead of 8 wasn't too difficult for me.

[guitarchuck]

I'll be 49 this year and I've been playing the guitar for almost 36 years now. Yes, John, I did hear him in a really specific way. This part of the quote really hit home:

You did like 90% of your learning in the first 10% of your guitar playing career, and you really haven't grown since then.

Since I feel my calling is to play at church, John Standefer also mentioned how when he became a Christian and started playing with the guys it church for free it was such a let down, because he was used to striving for excellence. He said that don't happen a lot of times in our churches. He said that who deserves our best more than God? Anyway, like John Knowles said, I did hear him in a really specific way.

All of you make some really good points. I know that I will never be on the professional level, just for the simple fact that it takes more time than most of us have. I work 4/10's and also overtime quite a bit. I'm married and I still have one daughter at home. I have a married daughter and a married son. Now I have a couple of grandkids! I really do think many of us could improve by just by setting our mind to it and making some time to learn new things. I know I waste a lot of time setting here in front of this computer.

Oh, by the way, my wife and daughter are gone this week to help out at youth camp. So I've had time to myself. I've been playing guitar a lot and had some time to myself. I just have to set my mind to this and take the time from now on.