I'm frustrated.

[Roselynne]

Getting a teacher -- just one person you can play for and who can play along with you -- is a huge step in a good direction. Group classes may also be good, if you can find them.

I have guitar and ukulele teachers, and I've just started jamming with other folks on a regular basis. One of the most important lessons learned from an informal jam is that everybody makes mistakes, or gets lost -- no exceptions (including the teacher/leader). Now that I know this, I'm able to play better with the group, and I'm learning how to avoid throwing others off, or getting thrown.

Mistakes can also be our friends. Sometimes they really are improvements, and I've added more than a few of 'em to existing arrangements.

On a couple of occasions, I've kept on making the same stupid mistake on a song I knew very well. After the umpteenth take, I'd realize I liked the mistake. Only problem was, it did not go with the song I was trying to play. I put the song aside, worked with the mistake, and came out with a new (to me, anyway) tune. After that, I had a much higher chance of playing the original song correctly.