# What's Do YOU Struggle With Most On Guitar?



## HaydenMusic

Answer the poll - I'll give some tips and answers to the clear winner (IE: the most common problem) on my next blog post at http://hayden-music.com.

Cheers!


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## Jim DaddyO

good poll. Thanks!


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## Steadfastly

Hayden, since I can only vote once, you should have made it multiple choice so I could select them all!


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## HaydenMusic

Jim DaddyO said:


> good poll. Thanks!


No problem! Interested to see the results

_
http://hayden-music.com_


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## HaydenMusic

Steadfastly said:


> Hayden, since I can only vote once, you should have made it multiple choice so I could select them all!


Haha! Duly noted.


_http://hayden-music.com_


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## bw66

You left my two out. 

Time.

Tendonitis. (From not taking the time to warm up properly.)


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## Greg Ellis

Hmm - other. My biggest struggle is singing and playing at the same time. I can manage either one alone, but putting them together, especially on certain songs, can be very challenging.


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## greco

I also like to add "rhythm(s) ....maintaining the same rhythm and being capable of plying several different rhythm patterns.

Cheers

Dave


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## mrmatt1972

I tend to repeat myself too much when I solo a lot in a jam session. I get annoyed that my fingers repeat themselves, if I had a lot of free time I would study modes and solo techniques.


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## jeremy_green

None pf those cover it for me. It is leaving space in my solos.... I need to learn to be more comfortable not playing


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## Steadfastly

jeremy_green said:


> None pf those cover it for me. It is leaving space in my solos.... I need to learn to be more comfortable not playing


You remind me of what a world famous pianist once said when he was asked what made him such a good pianist. He said "It's not the notes I play. We all play the same notes but when I learned to leave proper pauses in between the notes, that is when I began to be recognized for my playing ability."


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## Ti-Ron

Steadfastly said:


> Hayden, since I can only vote once, you should have made it multiple choice so I could select them all!


Same here!


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## HaydenMusic

bw66 said:


> You left my two out.
> 
> Time.
> 
> Tendonitis. (From not taking the time to warm up properly.)


You're right - I accidentally forgot time / rhythm! Maybe I can add that in now? Hmmm..

As for tendonitis - that's definitely an issue and something I show every guitar player how to avoid when I work with them. I have a full 'warm-up routine', but also a mini one that works really well and takes only about a minute. I'll share it in a blog post that I'll do soon.

Cheers!


_http://hayden-music.com_


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## HaydenMusic

mrmatt1972 said:


> I tend to repeat myself too much when I solo a lot in a jam session. I get annoyed that my fingers repeat themselves, if I had a lot of free time I would study modes and solo techniques.


If you're having problems with finding time to practice, try this: How To Improve Your Guitar Playing 'On-the-Go' & Without Your Instrument

Let me know if it helps! Talk soon.


_http://hayden-music.com_


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## HaydenMusic

jeremy_green said:


> None pf those cover it for me. It is leaving space in my solos.... I need to learn to be more comfortable not playing


Leaving space is for sure one of the main ingredients for great solos. One of the masters of this technique is Miles Davis - check out some of solos of Kind of Blue album. 

I'm going to be posting a 5 part blog series on improvisation and solos very soon. I'll keep you posted on that.

Talk soon!


_http://hayden-music.com_


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## zontar

Steadfastly said:


> Hayden, since I can only vote once, you should have made it multiple choice so I could select them all!


I've probably struggled with each one at some point--some more than others.


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## bw66

HaydenMusic said:


> You're right - I accidentally forgot time / rhythm! Maybe I can add that in now? Hmmm..
> 
> As for tendonitis - that's definitely an issue and something I show every guitar player how to avoid when I work with them. I have a full 'warm-up routine', but also a mini one that works really well and takes only about a minute. I'll share it in a blog post that I'll do soon.
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> 
> _http://hayden-music.com_


I actually meant finding time to play.



HaydenMusic said:


> If you're having problems with finding time to practice, try this: How To Improve Your Guitar Playing 'On-the-Go' & Without Your Instrument
> 
> Let me know if it helps! Talk soon.
> 
> 
> _http://hayden-music.com_


I actually led a workshop on this and wrote a couple of blog pieces myself a while back.

Like most of us, I know the solutions to my problems, but I choose to do other things...


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## Mooh

Mine is memorization, always has been. I can hear just fine, and concepts come easily, but memorizing tunes (fiddle tunes on guitar and mandolin), bass vocal harmonies (church hymns, it's a good thing I can sight sing), and the like, drives me crazy. Maybe it's because there are so many to memorize. I can play by ear, but not at the tempos required for fiddle tunes. For some reason chord changes don't bother me at all, either I remember them or my ear guides me...they're mostly predictable anyway.

Improvisation is easy though, it's simply a matter of my ears and my theory (those concepts I mentioned) working together.

I did a lot of musical theatre when I was a kid but seemingly it didn't train me to memorize. Same with the almost 50 years of choral work, and decades of cover bands, original bands, and one-offs.

My old man was the complete opposite. He could memorize anything and had everything from Shakespearean plays and sonnets to hymns and choral pieces to math equations and astronomy to...you name it, a mind like a steel trap. Freaky stuff. I won't go into it here, but after he had several little strokes and was mostly mute, every so often he'd burst forth with long memorized pieces. My Mum had great recall too, as do some of my siblings, others not so much.

The lack of memorization ability is part of what kept me from a solo career.

Peace, Mooh.


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## Sneaky

Right hand technique, or lack thereof. I have a lousy picking hand.


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## blam

none of the above... my biggest issue is with timing.


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## jeremy_green

HaydenMusic said:


> Leaving space is for sure one of the main ingredients for great solos. One of the masters of this technique is Miles Davis - check out some of solos of Kind of Blue album.
> 
> I'm going to be posting a 5 part blog series on improvisation and solos very soon. I'll keep you posted on that.
> 
> Talk soon!
> 
> 
> _http://hayden-music.com_



I look forward to checking them out.


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## FreewayJam

Steadfastly said:


> Hayden, since I can only vote once, you should have made it multiple choice so I could select them all!


+1 on this too !! Plus many of the other's listed / noted by other's, memorisation being tops among those mentioned, and maintaining good/proper
rhythm picking/strumming whatever it may be for the duration of a song. 

Somewhat uplifting though to read of the many different struggles that other's have, knowing that one is not alone when encountering the many frustrations 
of trying to improve your playing / ability's, and that maybe there is hope if so many other's encounter issue's with the same thing's i do. I know, i know - Practice, Practice, Practice.....

And agreed, this is a great "Poll" question Hayden !


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## Steadfastly

Mooh said:


> Mine is memorization, always has been. I can hear just fine, and concepts come easily, but memorizing tunes (fiddle tunes on guitar and mandolin), bass vocal harmonies (church hymns, it's a good thing I can sight sing), and the like, drives me crazy. Maybe it's because there are so many to memorize. I can play by ear, but not at the tempos required for fiddle tunes. For some reason chord changes don't bother me at all, either I remember them or my ear guides me...they're mostly predictable anyway.
> 
> Improvisation is easy though, it's simply a matter of my ears and my theory (those concepts I mentioned) working together.
> 
> I did a lot of musical theatre when I was a kid but seemingly it didn't train me to memorize. Same with the almost 50 years of choral work, and decades of cover bands, original bands, and one-offs.
> 
> My old man was the complete opposite. He could memorize anything and had everything from Shakespearean plays and sonnets to hymns and choral pieces to math equations and astronomy to...you name it, a mind like a steel trap. Freaky stuff. I won't go into it here, but after he had several little strokes and was mostly mute, every so often he'd burst forth with long memorized pieces. My Mum had great recall too, as do some of my siblings, others not so much.
> 
> The lack of memorization ability is part of what kept me from a solo career.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


That is very interesting, Mooh. I wonder if there is some technique you haven't heard of that would help you in this. On the other hand, our brains are all wired differently, which makes us an interesting human race.


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## bw66

Was just reminded today that controlling dynamics is a challenge for me. Whether it's to give expression to a solo piece or just to dial it back a bit during someone else's solo.


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## Mooh

Every so often I do a little reading and research on the matter and either I already do the stuff I find, or it's all snake oil late night infomercial crapola. Brain exercises? I do that all day long.

Peace, Mooh.



Steadfastly said:


> That is very interesting, Mooh. I wonder if there is some technique you haven't heard of that would help you in this. On the other hand, our brains are all wired differently, which makes us an interesting human race.


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## jeremy_green

Mooh said:


> Mine is memorization, always has been. I can hear just fine, and concepts come easily, but memorizing tunes (fiddle tunes on guitar and mandolin), bass vocal harmonies (church hymns, it's a good thing I can sight sing), and the like, drives me crazy. Maybe it's because there are so many to memorize. I can play by ear, but not at the tempos required for fiddle tunes. For some reason chord changes don't bother me at all, either I remember them or my ear guides me...they're mostly predictable anyway.
> 
> Improvisation is easy though, it's simply a matter of my ears and my theory (those concepts I mentioned) working together.
> 
> I did a lot of musical theatre when I was a kid but seemingly it didn't train me to memorize. Same with the almost 50 years of choral work, and decades of cover bands, original bands, and one-offs.
> 
> My old man was the complete opposite. He could memorize anything and had everything from Shakespearean plays and sonnets to hymns and choral pieces to math equations and astronomy to...you name it, a mind like a steel trap. Freaky stuff. I won't go into it here, but after he had several little strokes and was mostly mute, every so often he'd burst forth with long memorized pieces. My Mum had great recall too, as do some of my siblings, others not so much.
> 
> The lack of memorization ability is part of what kept me from a solo career.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


Is this issue across the board in all aspects of your life? Or do you have some things that you can remember well?
I find things I HAVE TO remember I can... but then i will forget EVERYTHING else. Perhaps some of it may be prioritizing ... crappy problem.


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## HaydenMusic

The poll is reveling some interesting data - would love to get a few more votes! : )


_http://hayden-music.com_


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## Mooh

jeremy_green said:


> Is this issue across the board in all aspects of your life? Or do you have some things that you can remember well?
> I find things I HAVE TO remember I can... but then i will forget EVERYTHING else. Perhaps some of it may be prioritizing ... crappy problem.


Most aspects. I've suspected for years that I've got an undiagnosed condition of some kind. Some things I can remember well, but I don't have the instant recall that wins Jeopardy games, I need time to open the file in my head, like about how slow my computer of 15 years ago was.

Peace, Mooh.


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## allanr

Forty years of blues harp allowed me to pick up the guitar and find pleasing blues improv lines almost effortlessly.

Everything else is a major struggle for me.


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## Jim DaddyO

Memory is a weird thing. I can remember all kinds of facts, figures, trivia, etc. But I still can't get all the positions of the C maj scale down pat. Or any other for that matter. Going through it every day for months and the brain still won't grasp it. Birth dates, anniversaries and names I have a hard time committing to memory too.


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## Guest

Getting out of a 'rut'. Recently (past few months, actually) I'm just not in the
mood to play/learn anything. I still pick up my acoustic during commercials, but,
I find myself just noodlin' around without any feeling or desire to expand. It's
come to the point where when I do grab an electric, it's usually one with lighter 
strings because my callouses are not what they used to be.


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## HaydenMusic

laristotle said:


> Getting out of a 'rut'. Recently (past few months, actually) I'm just not in the
> mood to play/learn anything. I still pick up my acoustic during commercials, but,
> I find myself just noodlin' around without any feeling or desire to expand. It's
> come to the point where when I do grab an electric, it's usually one with lighter
> strings because my callouses are not what they used to be.


Hey laristotle,

Try this: http://goo.gl/e2Njb

It might help you get out of that rut. If not, let me know and let's see what kind of plans we can come up for you.

Talk soon!

_
http://hayden-music.com_


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## HaydenMusic

The Poll is pretty close between: Speed, Improve/solos, Theory, & General Technique. 

I also read a lot of talk on this forum about rhythm & timing, and votes for all of the above! So I've decided to do some blog posts on all these subjects. The first installment will be on Improvisation & Soloing. 

Here's part 1 of a 5 part series called *"The 5 Ingredients You Need To Make Your Guitar Solos Great"*: http://goo.gl/R10hm

Hope this helps! If anyone has any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] or reply on this forum. (Note: email is fastest). 

Cheers!
_

http://hayden-music.com_


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## Guest

tnx for the link Hayden. will check it out.
I plan to do some jamming next sunday with
some good bud's. this should snap me out
of it (usually does).


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## Option1

greco said:


> I also like to add "rhythm(s) ....maintaining the same rhythm and being capable of plying several different rhythm patterns.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Dave


This!! Although I chose "General Technique" in the poll.

Neil


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## jeremy_green

Nice post Hayden, Heres a clip of me wanking over an A minor loop on my Loop station pedal - warts and all. As you can clearly see. Leaving space is my nemesis!

https://soundcloud.com/jeremy_green/a-minor-loop-improv-may-2013


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## HaydenMusic

jeremy_green said:


> Nice post Hayden, Heres a clip of me wanking over an A minor loop on my Loop station pedal - warts and all. As you can clearly see. Leaving space is my nemesis!
> 
> https://soundcloud.com/jeremy_green/a-minor-loop-improv-may-2013


Hi Jeremy,

You got some nice lines in there! I do agree though - I think those great lines you're doing can be better showcased with some more use of space. I just wrote a Blog Post on the subject: http://goo.gl/mVQYt

Let me know if it helps! 

Cheers


_http://hayden-music.com_


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## HaydenMusic

Here's part 2 of a 5 part series called *"The 5 Ingredients You Need To Make Your Guitar Solos Great"*: http://goo.gl/mVQYt

Again, if anyone has any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected] or reply on this forum. (Note: email is fastest). 

Cheers!
_

http://hayden-music.com_


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## Shaun Letang

I posted 'theory'. I can strum up something that sounds good naturally, but when it comes to the technical terms etc, I still need to learn that stuff.


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## doriangrey

good post...I enjoyed your blog article on space...good stuff!


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## Swervin55

Hayden: good poll. I voted speed. I don't want to shred but there are solos I just can't play due to lack of speed. A couple of examples are the lead in to the solo for April Wine's "Roller" and Chris Shifflett's lead in "Long Road to Ruin". No matter how often I practice (starting slow then gradually speeding up) I just can't seem to get to the speed required. Its as much a problem with picking technique than it is with fretting. At the same time I don't really beat myself up about it. I have a job, those guys don't (haha).

The other issue I have that isn't listed in your poll is the difficulty in putting into action the theory that I have been learning over the past couple of years. It's easy to sit and play scales, pentatonics, triads and arpeggios but to use them in a jam scenario or incorporate them into a live setting is a problem for me.


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## Jim DaddyO

Swervin55 said:


> The other issue I have that isn't listed in your poll is the difficulty in putting into action the theory that I have been learning over the past couple of years. It's easy to sit and play scales, pentatonics, triads and arpeggios but to use them in a jam scenario or incorporate them into a live setting is a problem for me.



^^^ That is so true.

To be honest though, I have been putting a concentrated effort into scales, and every time I pick up the guitar to practice, I have to look at the chart again. I concentrate on C maj and still no retention after months of going up and down, up in one position and down in another, up 4 notes and back 3, etc. etc. It just does not stick in my head.


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## Robert1950

Just about everything would have been a choice for me. I tend to avoic theory like a kitchen full of cockroaches.


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## nonreverb

Where not to play...


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## -ST-

I chose general technique. 

Rhythm has been a challenge when I'm playing solo. I've done better since getting a PorchBoard - (foot stomp box) because it has made the rhythm more visceral. I'm fine when I'm playing with a rhythm section. 

Short repeating figures (rhythm riffs) are really hard for me. (e.g. Cold Shot, Love Me Two Times, Roadhouse Blues, Sweet Home Alabama). I'm not sure if this is why I tend to avoid covering songs with iconic signature guitar riffs or if this is a manifestation of my desire not to play songs that have been covered enough. It's not that they are hard to play from a technical or motor skill standpoint. I just can't get my head into 'looper' mode. 

Memory issues - I can remember the guitar parts but lyrics are just in one ear and out the other completely bypassing the memory.


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## Guest

-ST- said:


> Memory issues - I can remember the guitar parts but lyrics are just in one ear and out the other completely bypassing the memory.


That's me as well. I find that when i sing at a jam, I tend 
to make up the lyrics. 'third verse same as the first' thing.


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## deadear

I checked memorization because it was as close as I could come to retaining. Most people can learn any song once they have a grasp on the guitar. The difference between average and great is the ability to retain what you learned after not playing a song for months.


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## Intrepid

Speed. As I get older, arthritis is taking it's toll on my finger speed. Every once in awhile, the arthritis will "lock" my fretting hand in a chord position and it takes extra effort during complex chord changes. I'm slowing down.


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## hjr2

The thing I struggle with the most is just picking the guitar up. When I do, I can play for hours but sometimes I just don't even want to touch it.


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## Mizter

Yeah, I tend to agree. 

Double picking scales up and down the strings at very high speed is the most difficult thing to do for me.


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