Practice suggestions?

[slothrop]

This thread got me thinking:

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/general-music-discussion/149525-attention-aging-guitarists.html

I started playing guitar at 14 and continued playing/practicing regularly until I was about 25. My practicing consisted of learning songs, scales etc...pretty normal stuff.

Fast forward 8 years, I'm now 33 and trying to get back into it for fun, when I play now it's like I've never played before, my hands are not in sync at all, my picking is not good and there is little speed.

I'm not sure where to even begin anymore when it comes to practicing, I'm not a beginner but I just don't know what to do to sharpen up the skills again. Do I get a book or is there a site with lists of good exercises?

Any advice?

 

[SpottedBeaver]

I found myself in the exact same position as you. I played off and on for roughly ten years (age 16 to 26) and then I just stopped playing. I pulled my guitar out of storage to show my son some guitar and I found that I couldn't remember anything, my fingers wouldn't do anything and it hurt to play anything for five minutes. I'm 43 now.

A little over a year ago, I picked up a new guitar and amp and tried to teach myself some of the stuff that I could do before.

Here is what I did, and this is my suggestion. Find an instructor to help you acheive your goals. My wife got me guitar lessons for a Christmas gift, over a year ago. It's the best gift anyone could have given me. My main problem was that I didn't know where to start either.

A good instructor will recognize that you have played before and will shape instruction and exercises to reach your previous playing ability. Plus, you may find that you can learn something new. Even at my age, I'm still learning something new every day.

Good Luck.

 

[Mettle209]

A good instructor will recognize that you have played before and will shape instruction and exercises to reach your previous playing ability. Plus, you may find that you can learn something new. Even at my age, I'm still learning something new every day.

I agree. Plus, I find that a good guitar instructor will cut down the learning and acquisition time by half when compared to being self-taught. I have been self-taught all of my guitar life and my biggest mismanagement of time and effort is due to "not knowing what to learn or practice next"

 

[Dead Undead]

I feel like I've been cheating since I've had lessons from day one. Feels unfair.

 

[SirMyghin]

^
Consider yourself very fortunate. Where I am from we didn't have anyone worthy of the name, (very small town, 3600 people).

Get an instructor, have all the benefits I never did.

 

[Dead Undead]

^
Consider yourself very fortunate. Where I am from we didn't have anyone worthy of the name, (very small town, 3600 people).

Get an instructor, have all the benefits I never did.

I've had some incredibly talented teachers as well. My first teacher I outgrew in a few months (just got to fast and technical). My second one was kinda of an ass. He would always cancel lessons. He even invited me to play in front of an audience with him once (my first live performance), so he decided to cancel my lesson for that week and never tell me the songs we were going to play. So when it was about time to perform he taught me the songs and gave me 10 minutes to practice them before we played. What a jerk!
My current teacher is awesome though. He's not super technical, but he's still well versed in music theory. But the best part is he builds all kinds of stringed instruments, amps, and pedals. Totally lucked out on that.
Not sure I need a teacher anymore though. Nobody around here really plays technical music, so I have to learn the more complex stuff online.

EDIT:
Ignorant to say I wouldn't need a teacher anymore. Can always learn something. Sounded like I was taking it for granted too. Sorry guys XP

 

[stryker1800]

Whether or not someone really needs a teacher, a good one will benefit anyone though, is reallyreally dependent on the person. If I didn't have a teacher i would of never made it to where I am now, whereas my bass player friend is entirely self taught and taking into account the slight difference in how long we've been playing we're on pretty much equal terms, though strong in different areas.

His creative ability puts me to shame, because of how I was taught, but my technical abilityability blows him and most of my friends of equal experience out of the water.

 

[TRENCHLORD]

I can't speak for taking years off, but whenever I've fell out of practice from time to time, my stacatto picking(speed pikn) suffers more than anything else.

 

[slothrop]

Yeah, lessons would probably be the way to go I used to have a great teacher who focused mostly on theory and could really explain it well, but time is now an issue with two kids and working 50+ hours a week, lol.

I'll probably have to go with a book with some decent exercises to get the skills back.

 

[SpottedBeaver]

I have a little boy and I go to lessons once a week. Actually, I've taken a couple of months off from the lessons, since the holidays get a little crazy. But I'm still practicing. I'm going to pick the lessons up again in the next couple of months.

The thing I found was that you need to dedicate an hour or two each day to practice. Sometimes it doesn't work out to even a full hour. But, if you can get around an hour each day, then you should be able to make an hour lesson, once a week.

Oh, and I am playing the guitar purely for fun. It's kind of a therapy for me.