# I can't play guitar anymore



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Very depressing. I used to have a large catalog of songs basically mastered. Most of the Boston catalog and a ton of Gary Moore tunes, Santana etc. Worked very hard on them for many months and then I got into a down phase where I did not play for a long time. I have basically forgotten them all now. Like starting all over again. Sure, its riff city and so on. Free style blues playing, no problem. But all those songs man...


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

So what is that?? For the last 6 months or so, I normally only pick up my guitars for 1/2 hour or so per day. Of course in that time my mother passed away, then my father a few weeks ago following the death of my older brother 2 years ago. But any kind of emotion I feel usually has me inspired to turn to my music to express and release it. Not so lately and my chops are most certainly suffering. I'm not sure how to reach way down any more. I know it's just temporary, but it is frustrating.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Not sure. When I was learning all those songs I would spend hours and hours working on the solos to get them perfect and then run through them over and over. It was a ton of work. I still love the guitar as much as ever but just don't seem to have that drive now to get them down. The thought of putting in that time again is scary although it would not be like learning them from scratch again. Just relearning them


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I haven't put any serious time in learning anything since I was in a band.

For quite a while now, I'll just flip the amp on, maybe use the drum machine and jam a bit.
It's getting a bit stagnant, at least I realize that, I guess.

At least your not starting out on them Scott, they'll come back.
It's like riding a bike...


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## Buzz (May 15, 2008)

I dont know any songs, only bits and pieces. I like drumming now.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I can't begin to count the number of band practices I've been in where we all knew the opening riff to somethng, to a LOT of things, actually, but damned if we knew more than that. We'd start at 8PM, and by 11PM it was like an entire night of musical blue balls. In that context, playing just about ANYTHING from start to finish, whether Frere Jacques or Mary Had a Little Lamb, wuold have been an orgasmic musical breakthrough.


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## hummingway (Aug 4, 2011)

Basically practising sucks. I look for regular performance opportunities and when they aren't there I have to force myself to go over whatever is my repertoire of the time, on a regular basis. Older stuff just gets left behind. 

So it goes. If you get them back you'll know what it takes to keep them alive anyway.


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## georgemg (Jul 17, 2011)

I agree with Hummingway. If I don't have something to work towards (with a band or solo show) it's pretty hard to stay on top of learning new songs.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> ....then I got into a down phase where I did not play for a long time.


Maybe it was just too difficult to be enthusiastic and to concentrate during this "down phase" and some of that is continuing, especially as you feel that you have lost some skills and memory of the songs. 

Cheers

Dave


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

same here sorta, if someone asked me to play a complete song these days I probably couldn't do it 

in fact I was at a friends place, they knew I played gtr & asked me to play something...damned if I could think of a complete song lol

it does get boring sitting down learning tunes so I have just been jamming with the stereo....that said, I'm about to work out some distinct songs front-to-back

maybe you just need a break for a bit


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

bluzfish said:


> So what is that?? For the last 6 months or so, I normally only pick up my guitars for 1/2 hour or so per day. Of course in that time my mother passed away, then my father a few weeks ago following the death of my older brother 2 years ago. But any kind of emotion I feel usually has me inspired to turn to my music to express and release it. Not so lately and my chops are most certainly suffering. I'm not sure how to reach way down any more. I know it's just temporary, but it is frustrating.


I am very sorry for your lost. I cant imagine going through all that within a 2 year period.You must be a very strong person inside to be able to keep going. Hope you find a way out of this frustrating time of your life.


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## geezer (Apr 30, 2008)

If I don't go over songs on a regular basis...I'm lucky if I remember the main riffs. I haven't been playing in a band situation for a while so I can't see myself wasting my time playing a bunch of songs I might never need to play again . I've had way to much bad shit happening in my life over the last couple of years , but on a positive note...all the stress has really brought alot of emotion out in my lead playing . Maybe it's a good time to start fresh and work on some of your own tunes . I always feel better creating something than copying someone else.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

Impossible Germany. What an incredible song. That solo break is stunning work. The whole band really kills in that one.

I dunno. I never learned how to play other people's songs - never in an intensive, disciplined way. I cook up my own stuff and just work on that. Feels truer to me. And sad stuff directly affects me. The passing of my father, two of my brothers and the sudden death of a good friend, over the last ten years or so - all of it screwed me over pretty good, made life tough at work and at home. But one thing - it sure made my playing feel deeper, more impassioned. I learned how to make my guitar "cry" a whole lot more. It also told me that life is short and that it's good not to waste time. Do what moves you, man.

Take some time off, if that helps. Put your guitars away and do something else for awhile. I think it will come back to you. But maybe it's time for you to redefine your own relationship to the guitar. Perhaps you can make it more of a tool of your own highly personal self-expression.


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## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

I feel your pain...in a different way. I've only been playing for about 3 years, and about 5 months ago i started taking lessons, so i've been forcing myself to "forget" all the old songs i knew because my muscle memory is making me repeat the poor technique that doesn't show in the new songs i'm learning.

Basically, in december I knew half of a lot of songs. Nobody wanted to listen to me play, but i didn't care. Now I know most of a small amount of songs, and can play them well enough to not have people throw rotten fruit at me, but after an hour of playing (at most) my setlist starts repeating itself.

Whatever you've forgotten, it's there in your subconscious, and "relearning" what you can't remember off hand will be 10x easier than the first go around.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Geez, I am surprised at the amount of people that are in my position. I figured I was going to be in a minority here. Just seems to me that after working so hard on all those songs to not be able to play any of them right now is depressing

The thoughts of going back to learn this one alone is depressing. I remember little pieces of it but that's it. I mean thats one of dozens that I used to be able to play. The thing with Boston is most of the songs are heavily layered. Many with up to 5 guitar parts and I had learned sometimes 2-3 of them so that I could play the whole song. They would switch mid song guitar 1 to guitar 2 etc. The all of them have solos.... uugh

Never even recorded any of them


[video=youtube;18fj48UstCs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18fj48UstCs[/video]


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## fretboard (May 31, 2006)

Hey GC. I'm only asking because I know you bravely brought it up before - but is there any chance your mind is still preoccupied with what those potato chips vultures do with the flavouring on their small bags compared to the bigger ones?

If you've not been able to come to some sort of closure with that, then maybe that's the place to start before picking up the guitar again? I dunno... I do know I've been putting off doing anything "constructive" on guitar for a little while now too - when I do pick it up, it's just the same ol' noodling and self-indulgent wankery. Doesn't even impress my kids anymore.

Since you've laid the groundwork for relearning lost songs - I'll make a solid effort to see how much of School by Supertramp I can get through tonight (used to play it back in University with some horn players). If you want some "originals" to figure out solo's to - I've got a few in the "close - but not quite there" or for that matter the "finished" categories I can send your way if you just want something new to occupy your time with. Who knows, maybe a handful of bits and pieces from old Boston solos are just what they need to make them complete?

My advice to you for tonight is to grab your best gal and go hit the town a runnin'. Teach the guitars they're not the ones calling the shots and you can take 'em or leave 'em whenever you choose. A little tough love never hurts.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

fretboard said:


> Hey GC. I'm only asking because I know you bravely brought it up before - but is there any chance your mind is still preoccupied with what those potato chips vultures do with the flavouring on their small bags compared to the bigger ones?
> 
> If you've not been able to come to some sort of closure with that, then maybe that's the place to start before picking up the guitar again? I dunno... I do know I've been putting off doing anything "constructive" on guitar for a little while now too - when I do pick it up, it's just the same ol' noodling and self-indulgent wankery. Doesn't even impress my kids anymore.
> 
> ...


Actually that's just what we are planning to do tonight... so guitars be damned. The potato chip conspiracy did throw me for a bit but can't use that one as a solid excuse. To be honest I cant think of why. A day turned into a week and a week into a month and so on. Then gone. The thing is I had to play them all in their entirety to keep up with them. That was my practice session actually. So everytime you would learn one and moved on to the next one you had to keep playing that other one or you would lose that while learning the next one... so I just stopped learning after a while.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

I don't have the talent to play the Boston solo even if I could learn it. At least you have/had the talent. It will come back very quickly I imagine. I just keep thumping out those mindless minor pentatonic blues riffs because I can't find the time to learn anything else. We have a category of around 60 - 70 songs in fairly regular rotation, I have a hard enough time remembering the changes and lyrics, and God knows I'm not getting any younger


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

davetcan said:


> I don't have the talent to play the Boston solo even if I could learn it. At least you have/had the talent. It will come back very quickly I imagine. I just keep thumping out those mindless minor pentatonic blues riffs because I can't find the time to learn anything else. We have a category of around 60 - 70 songs in fairly regular rotation, I have a hard enough time remembering the changes and lyrics, and God knows I'm not getting any younger


To be clear and honest I had the solo down, but not all the notes. Similar to the guy playing it above, a lot of notes left out. The tab on that one has more numbers on it than the US deficit.

I guess the thing with the Boston stuff was that from the very moment I picked up a guitar I wanted to play those songs. Scholz is my man, those songs just never get old with me so it became an obsession. Which for learning them was good in a sense. I just kept at them until I had them.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

I like this one too. Always loved Scholz, maybe it's time I tried to play this. Would really help get those trills down. 

[video=youtube;q8IPa1pbolQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8IPa1pbolQ[/video]



GuitarsCanada said:


> To be clear and honest I had the solo down, but not all the notes. Similar to the guy playing it above, a lot of notes left out. The tab on that one has more numbers on it than the US deficit.
> 
> I guess the thing with the Boston stuff was that from the very moment I picked up a guitar I wanted to play those songs. Scholz is my man, those songs just never get old with me so it became an obsession. Which for learning them was good in a sense. I just kept at them until I had them.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

There's a Hal Leonard book out there that has the first two albums complete with tab. That's the book I used and she is pretty tattered now.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

The other one I remember really working my hole out on was November Rain. I had that one down. Spent frigging months on that song. The worst part about that one is you had to have the tone or it sounded like crap. I finally nailed it with an Epi LP I had with stock pick-ups into a Marshall set-up. Neither of which I still own. Funny about the Epi but its the one that nailed it.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Oddly, I am playing better now than I've ever played in my life,... which isn't saying very much.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

I FUTZ


I don't "play" and I admire to no end you guys that can. I get into songs and whhhooosh out my head goes the start by the time I get to the end. Working through the lessons books, I get all the work up to the 5th sting and then it all falls apart. Many times I think I should be playing the Uke instead  

It's ok, a few years ago I had to relearn to talk and do maths (and my Dr says it was NOT a stroke but she has no idea what happened, I still get fog's of not knowing where I am and not being able to remember a dang thing or having aphasia really bad). Sometimes in life your thinking meat just doesn't want to do what it was born to do. Sometimes it simply says "I've had enough, I'm on vacation till further notice, if anyone wants me tell them to go away."


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## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who forgets complete songs. Now a days I mainly improvise whatever comes in to my head. I still get pissed off with my self over one incident back about 40 years ago . I had written a song (instrumental) for a TV show. I had played it on a TV show. One night I was performing it live, just me an acoustic guitar, alone on stage with about 600/700 people in the place. I got about 3/4 through the number and my mind went completely blank. I had played that song a few hundred times, zippo couldn't remember the rest. I never played that damn thing again. So don't feel bad about forgetting someone else's material, when you forget your own material that's real bad.


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## BEACHBUM (Sep 21, 2010)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Not sure. When I was learning all those songs I would spend hours and hours working on the solos to get them perfect and then run through them over and over. It was a ton of work. I still love the guitar as much as ever but just don't seem to have that drive now to get them down. The thought of putting in that time again is scary although it would not be like learning them from scratch again. Just relearning them



So don't relearn them. I played in cover bands all my life. I got so I thought if I played those same old songs one more time I was going to scream. Haven't played in a band for a couple of years now and I'm actually enjoying being able to play what I want when I want. Try it, you might like it.


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## hummingway (Aug 4, 2011)

keeperofthegood said:


> I FUTZ
> 
> 
> I don't "play" and I admire to no end you guys that can. I get into songs and whhhooosh out my head goes the start by the time I get to the end. Working through the lessons books, I get all the work up to the 5th sting and then it all falls apart. Many times I think I should be playing the Uke instead
> ...


That's some scary stuff. I'm glad you came out of reasonably well.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Not sure. When I was learning all those songs I would spend hours and hours working on the solos to get them perfect and then run through them over and over. It was a ton of work. I still love the guitar as much as ever but just don't seem to have that drive now to get them down. The thought of putting in that time again is scary although it would not be like learning them from scratch again. Just relearning them


Just curious, do you learn by ear, Scott, or do you read music? You've probably told us before but I forget.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Steadfastly said:


> Just curious, do you learn by ear, Scott, or do you read music? You've probably told us before but I forget.


I am strictly a tab reader myself. I find it pretty easy to use. Obviously a lot of the songs are above my talent level but you can always cut out some notes and manage to get where you need. But I am nowhere near being gifted. Everything I have managed to learn probably took 3 times as long as someone that can really play. I look at some of these videos of these 10 year old kids and I get sick.


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## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I am strictly a tab reader myself. I find it pretty easy to use. Obviously a lot of the songs are above my talent level but you can always cut out some notes and manage to get where you need. But I am nowhere near being gifted. Everything I have managed to learn probably took 3 times as long as someone that can really play. I look at some of these videos of these 10 year old kids and I get sick.


it's those damn Norwegian kids isn't it...it's like they were born to be guitar gods.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I'm a visual learner. I find it easiest to see someone play it. Next comes ear, mediocre I'd say. Tab? Do I like getting teeth pulled??


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

mike_oxbig said:


> it's those damn Norwegian kids isn't it...it's like they were born to be guitar gods.


Thank you, Thank you very much... I'm only 2nd generation Norwegian but thank you very much. I'd like to thank my 3rd grade teaacher, Mrs. Gunderson... oh, there's no award? Never mind.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

Ten years ago I was playing a lot. I was learning Satch songs and Tommy Emmanuel songs and really getting them down. Then I went through a ten year dry spell. These days? These days I have fun.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I am strictly a tab reader myself. I find it pretty easy to use. Obviously a lot of the songs are above my talent level but you can always cut out some notes and manage to get where you need. But I am nowhere near being gifted. Everything I have managed to learn probably took 3 times as long as someone that can really play._* I look at some of these videos of these 10 year old kids and I get sick.*_



I hear you on the 10 year old kids. I feel the same way.

If you ever get a chance to learn to read music, I would strongly suggest it for anyone. The nice thing about it in a situation like yours (mine too) is when you forget a song, it's easy to get it back in your memory by going over it a couple times from the music score. I think learning that way also helps to remember it easier??? Maybe someone with more experience than me can chime in here and confirm or deny this for me.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Steadfastly said:


> If you ever get a chance to learn to read music, I would strongly suggest it for anyone. The nice thing about it in a situation like yours (mine too) is when you forget a song, it's easy to get it back in your memory by going over it a couple times from the music score. I think learning that way also helps to remember it easier??? Maybe someone with more experience than me can chime in here and confirm or deny this for me.


I played alto sax many, many,... many, many moons ago in high school. Four years. When I look at sheet music now, I can't even remember what note is what. I still remember what a half note looks like and a sixteenth note and triplet and other notations. But ask where C is and I can't tell you.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Comes down to age and what you are trying to do. At least for me anyway. I don't have any time to play in a band so that's out. So being a home noodler you have to figure how much time you want to devote to actually learning full songs. Funny thing is I have more time now than I did when I learned all those songs. I was on the road 3-4 days a week and would cram it all in when I was home


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> I played alto sax many, many,... many, many moons ago in high school. Four years. When I look at sheet music now, I can't even remember what note is what. I still remember what a half note looks like and a sixteenth note and triplet and other notations. But ask where C is and I can't tell you.


I'm sure the information is still in your brain. It likely wouldn't take too long to force it back out. Our brains have a marvellous storage capacity and nothing ever gets totally forgotten. It's just prompting it to come out but the effort is usually very satisfying.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

Scott:

This is just a personal opinion (much like everything else on a forum) but here's my take on your situation. If you stop to consider how much good came out of learning those songs front to back regardless of whether you're able to retain every nuance of the actual songs, you wouldn't feel like you've lost as much. Secondly, I think it is unreasonable to think that any of us can possibly retain all of what we've learned note for note if we keep picking up new material. How boring would it have been to learn well a minimum number of songs and nothing else over the years? That's why learning new stuff to replace the old keeps us fresh and inspired. As you have already said, if you really have a desire to go back and re-learn some of those old songs I'm sure they would come back in no time. So then what? The cycle starts all over again. For me, just playing is my medicine. I'm 57 and still taking lessons and still playing scales and arpeggios and still enjoying it for what it is. You're just in a frump. It'll pass.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Swervin55 said:


> Scott:
> 
> This is just a personal opinion (much like everything else on a forum) but here's my take on your situation. If you stop to consider how much good came out of learning those songs front to back regardless of whether you're able to retain every nuance of the actual songs, you wouldn't feel like you've lost as much. Secondly, I think it is unreasonable to think that any of us can possibly retain all of what we've learned note for note if we keep picking up new material. How boring would it have been to learn well a minimum number of songs and nothing else over the years? That's why learning new stuff to replace the old keeps us fresh and inspired. As you have already said, if you really have a desire to go back and re-learn some of those old songs I'm sure they would come back in no time. So then what? The cycle starts all over again. For me, just playing is my medicine. I'm 57 and still taking lessons and still playing scales and arpeggios and still enjoying it for what it is. You're just in a frump. It'll pass.


I guess you are right. It's just a little depressing to have put so much time and effort in to have forgotten them all. I might start going back into the guitar mags again with the backing track cd' s. they were always fun to work with and something new each month


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## jimsz (Apr 17, 2009)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Very depressing. I used to have a large catalog of songs basically mastered. Most of the Boston catalog and a ton of Gary Moore tunes, Santana etc. Worked very hard on them for many months and then I got into a down phase where I did not play for a long time. I have basically forgotten them all now. Like starting all over again. Sure, its riff city and so on. Free style blues playing, no problem. But all those songs man...


No offense dude, but you may be making a mountain out of a molehill. I think many of us go through phases of playing and not playing. I have a songbook with well over 250 tunes in it, all worked out with vocals, chords and solos, and often may not play many of them.

However, due to the fact that I have worked them all out previously, as you have with your tunes, it takes very little time to remember them and playing them once again. You could easily do the same thing and probably in as little as a couple of weeks of nightly playing. And, it's not like you're going to have to remember all of them right away unless you plan to start gigging and will be playing all of them.

Don't be depressed, just pick up the guitar, stand in front of the songbook and start playing and turning pages. You'll be back in no time.

And, if not, I'll have to come to your house and beat you with a wet noodle.


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## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

It happens maybe you need to try writing and composing your own songs and solos, this can be very rewarding or maybe just go to jams and try the challenge of improvising and playing music on the spot. If nothing else your ear will benifit. Hell if you can play Gary's stuff note for note you got some skill!


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

khingpynn said:


> It happens maybe you need to try writing and composing your own songs and solos, this can be very rewarding or maybe just go to jams and try the challenge of improvising and playing music on the spot. If nothing else your ear will benifit. Hell if you can play Gary's stuff note for note you got some skill!


I do get together the odd time with a few guys and we just jam freestyle to backing tracks. Lots of fun. The Gary Moore tunes I had learned were just some of his slow ballads. The easier stuff. Again, I am basically a hack but given enough time can normally learn stuff in the intermediate range.


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## big frank (Mar 5, 2006)

Thank goodness I'm a 61 year old geezer with no band to play in or guys to jam with.
I play for the pure pleasure of making the sounds I like to make...mainly with one of my guitars on my lap in front of the computer either playing to tabs or from memory.
It's all I need.
Why put pressure on yourself?
Enjoy!!!!
I'm always learning something. Maybe in small increments. Maybe forgetting songs I used to love to play. I can always re-discover them though.
Enjoy your playing.
That's all.


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## Guest (May 6, 2012)

Come out to Riff's jam this june.evilGuitar:
We'll get you rockin' in no time.


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## Jim DaddyO (Mar 20, 2009)

Well, I am not as dedicated as I should be, but my song book is getting thicker. Mostly been on a Blue Rodeo kick, and, after all the work I put into building my Strat, I am usually picking up the acoustic. Maybe it's because I couldn't play a solo to save my life, and I play for myself only and the acoustic is much more suited to a solo instrument. I am still getting in about 7 -10 hrs a week of working on songs.


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

We all know as get older, the drive we once had diminishes , guitar playing is no exception, I don't learn anything hard anymore, because its always comes too the question why am i spending all this time learning this..Just to say to myself i did it.......there are so many other things i can be doing around the house.
if i was in a band it would be different, but you can spend alot of time learning lead solo's and i have found the last few years i don't like copying solo's, i would rather make up my own, much more fun and i think you learn more.


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## The_Penguin (Feb 26, 2012)

I feel your pain. I used to know quite a few songs in the 80s. When I had no real life, there was no internet to get distracted with, I learned a lot of songs by ear. I spent hours and hours on them.
Then I quit playing for a long time. Whenever I'd pick up a guitar, I'd try to play something I KNOW I knew, played 100s of times in a garage band, and just couldn't do it. 

I've recently started playing regularly again. I've been playing Rocksmith on the XBox, and it's a lot of fun.
Interestingly enough 2 songs I should really do well on "More Than A Feeling" and "House of the Rising Sun" both of which I had played 100s of times, I really suck at. 

Unfortunately playing guitar, and golf, both need more time than I'm willing to give them to be any good at. 
I wish I had the drive, motivation, and time but alas, I don't.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I know I've forgotten tons of songs--although every now & then one comes back when I'm just playing chords--I'll play a riff or a chord progression, and think it sounds familiar--and realize what song it is.

If I got together to jam with others, I think some of them would come flooding back, but others I would probably get lost on them.


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## Lemmy Hangslong (May 11, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> I do get together the odd time with a few guys and we just jam freestyle to backing tracks. Lots of fun. The Gary Moore tunes I had learned were just some of his slow ballads. The easier stuff. Again, I am basically a hack but given enough time can normally learn stuff in the intermediate range.


Im pretty sure that is the case with most of us. we all lack in some area and excel in another... look at the youtube sweeper guys... shredding sweeps like a demon but have a difficult time bending and vibrato to pitch... and I dislike singling anyone one out because it can come off as negative or biased or even envious and truth is cudos to them for taking the time to get skilled but...

I look at it like this... forget what you have been told and realize the only expectation of you is to be honest and humble within your playing. I'm not just saying this lightly I really do mean it and I live by this statement myself. I'm 44 and only realized this fully in the last 5 years! Once I realized this I began a new journey... one of self discovery which has allowed me to use my limited abilities to a greater potential and eventually someday maximizing this potential. 

It's like making mistakes... the only people who make no mistakes are the ones who do nothing or lie to themselves. Pros discuss how to handle making mistakes because they to have to control this aspect of their performance.

I'm in a band now and hope to maintain that for the next several years... if i loose this situation I might not find another band or I might find one who knows... I'm not fussing over it because I will continue on the journey.

Be humble, be honest to your self and rock on!


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i've never been able to play guitar.
seriously.
if you stick a guitar in my hands and say "play something", i can't.
i actually don't know anything.
never have.
i'm strictly an improviser.
or a rhythm guitarist/accompaniest when i'm singing my own songs.
i'm never really sure what it is that i do, beyond the fact that i enjoy doing it.


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## Guest (May 7, 2012)

That! pretty much sums it up for me as well.
My motto .. let your fingers do the walkin'


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

laristotle said:


> That! pretty much sums it up for me as well.


With total sincerity, I politely disagree with your self-evaluation !!

Cheers.

Dave


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## Rick31797 (Apr 20, 2007)

if i am going too spend alot of time learning a song, just for something too do, i would rather learn it and record it, that way at least you feel you have accomplished something and you can look back on it when your fingers don`t work anymore.


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## Guest (May 7, 2012)

greco said:


> With total sincerity, I politely disagree with your self-evaluation !!
> 
> Cheers.
> 
> Dave


Thanks Dave. Nice of you to say that. I was really referring to David's last line.



david henman said:


> i'm never really sure what it is that i do, beyond the fact that i enjoy doing it.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

david henman said:


> ...i've never been able to play guitar.
> seriously.
> if you stick a guitar in my hands and say "play something", i can't.
> i actually don't know anything.
> ...



I've seen you playing, though, Dave. I wish I could play as well as you can't.


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## BIGDC (Aug 16, 2011)

I get periods like this, too. I think sometimes it's a case of not having any regular "jam buddies" to bounce ideas off and make music with. Over the last couple of years I've been spending 8-10 hours a week practicing and trying to get my (limited) playing skills back after a 30 year break (mid-50's now). Sometimes I think, "What's the point" and then I realize I'm enjoying something that I love and that I neglected for far too long, so I just keep plodding on and scaring the cats.


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## Hamstrung (Sep 21, 2007)

Hey at least you aren't THIS guy!... (I hope!)

[video=youtube;Vms_6_TSQuc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vms_6_TSQuc[/video]


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Thanks Hamstrung...That was such a good laugh !!

Cheers

Dave


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## Maxer (Apr 20, 2007)

That was hilarious. Thanks - that made my day. Now I don't feel so bad when I flub that chord/progression.


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## GTmaker (Apr 24, 2006)

first of all, that video above was halarious....I know I hired musicians with that disposition....

anyways...here is my problem...if had this problem always, but it really hit home this past Monday.

On my way back home, I popped into L&M Cambridge as I usually do when I'm going by there.
Place is empty except for staff...

I pick up a nice 52 RI tele hanging on the wall and sit on a stool . As soon as I get comfy, there comes a young salesman holding a guitar cable.
He doesnt say anything BUT plugs in the guitar and turns on a Fender Blues amp.
All of a sudden its show time and I cant even think of a chord to play. Complete blank.

What I need is a little set ( about ten minutes should do it) that I can use when I go out and test guitars.

Do you think its a good idea and what should I include in my little set.


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## Guest (May 9, 2012)

what ever you want. when I check them out, I just do very basic
(I'm not there for an audience). strum a chord, turn dials, check intonation.
that sort of thing. scales and what not.


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## BIGDC (Aug 16, 2011)

> [Hey at least you aren't THIS guy!... (I hope!)/QUOTE]
> 
> It's guy's like him that get scousers a bad name (spoken as an ex-scouser!)


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

BIGDC said:


> > [Hey at least you aren't THIS guy!... (I hope!)/QUOTE]
> >
> > It's guy's like him that get scousers a bad name (spoken as an ex-scouser!)
> 
> ...


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## JHarasym (Mar 27, 2007)

GTmaker said:


> what should I include in my little set.


First crank the volume to 11, then play these (they'll love you):

Stairway To Heaven,
Smoke On The Water
Sweet Child o' Mine.
Crazy Train


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)

JHarasym said:


> First crank the volume to 11, then play these (they'll love you):
> 
> Stairway To Heaven,
> Smoke On The Water
> ...


Don't forget "Hell's Bells"


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## JHarasym (Mar 27, 2007)

bluzfish said:


> BIGDC said:
> 
> 
> > Why that guy hasn't copped an aneurism or heart attack yet is beyond me. I keep expecting him to grab his chest and keel over like sack of potatoes off the back of a truck.
> ...


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