What Are the Biggest Mistakes In Playing?

[Garb]

I have played guitar in some capacity for about 20+ years and have recently gone back to basics and taken some online courses (justinguitar.com). Having developed bad playing habits over the years and almost having to re-learn a lot of the way have played in the past, I would say a foundation of strong fundamentals from the get go is very important. One thing that Justin preaches and I now whole-heartedly believe is "practice what you don't know not what you already know."

I have gotten more out of my practice/playing sessions since I bought my Taylor back in November than I feel I did for much of the previous years combined. I try to balance between exercises and playing songs. One thing I have made sure is to not avoid songs because of the difficulty factor (e.g. hard chords/chord transitions, tricky timing, multiple techniques, etc.) By playing songs that are more challenging, I have and will become a better guitar player.

[Tanque Verde]

Thanks, Larry. I'm hoping to incorporate more picking into my cowboy chording. And I think scales might be a good place to start.

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by HHP

What are the most common mistakes people make in learning to play or continuing to play? As a flatpick player , I would say...

Using too much left hand force/tension
Not using enough right hand force/tension
Not optimizing set-up
Spending too much time with exercises and not enough playing music
Not progressing thru the basics before attempting complex tunes
Thinking details don't matter
Thinking playing guitar and playing music is the same thing.

But what exactly are "too much" and "not enough"? Did Son House use too much right-hand force? He crashes around like a baby elephant much of the time, but many people seem to think he didn't do too badly ... Is it always wrong to attempt complex tunes before plugging laboriously through the basics? I've certainly done it and had some good results. I think it's often difficult to isolate general principles because each person comes at it in a different way.

One principle that worked for me was having a kind of music that I really wanted to play. After giving up my teenage of dream of being the next Jimmy Page, I spent the next 6 years or so barely playing because I had no real idea of what I wanted to do with the guitar. When I heard fingerstyle ragtime and blues, a light bulb went on and I began practising a lot. I couldn't "just learn" all sorts of things - chord substitutions, scales, etc. - in a vacuum; they had to be part of a music I wanted to play. Otherwise, they were meaningless - a bit like learning a language for a country I knew nothing about.

[Taylorplayer]

Originally Posted by HHP

What are the most common mistakes people make in learning to play or continuing to play?>>>>

From LJ's post: "People want to learn to play guitar, not work an instrument. Our children learn to talk without knowing how to read or write by mimicking peers and adults for several years before they start school."

Amen to that! I think it's a great idea for people just starting out to take lessons. But, there has to be some element of "fun" in the process. Otherwise, sooner or later they are going to lose heart and walk away from it.

Case in point: A guy about my age (50's) at work used to ask me a lot of questions about guitars. I could tell that he "had it bad". I hooked him up with a nice really clean Strat and an amp. He was really excited, started lessons, and practiced faithfully. About 18 months into the process, his teacher still had him working on scales (which are important to know). But, the guy's wife kept asking him "when are you going to play a song?). His teacher had not showed him anything to play -- even a simple 3 chord song -- just for fun. Sadly, he gave it up and walked away...

[220volt]

By far the biggest mistake in my experience is repeating what you already know how to play well. It's like running in the sand. You got to learn and practice things you are uncomfortable with. Things that are unknown to you. Otherwise you can spend 40 years of "playing" and not move much.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Tanque Verde

Thanks, Larry. I'm hoping to incorporate more picking into my cowboy chording. And I think scales might be a good place to start.

Hi TV...
Scales are to music what the alphabet is to language.

They are what we 'spell' chords with...

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by 220volt

By far the biggest mistake in my experience is repeating what you already know how to play well. It's like running in the sand. You got to learn and practice things you are uncomfortable with. Things that are unknown to you. Otherwise you can spend 40 years of "playing" and not move much.

Lightnin' Hopkins, hang your head in shame!

[Kerbie]

Not getting in enough playing time. The more, the better.

[220volt]

Originally Posted by ewalling

Lightnin' Hopkins, hang your head in shame!

I was talking about us, mortals Big names and stars have their own niche and style and make living out of it, so perfecting what they already know might best for them. There are many exceptions of course (Tommy Emmanuel, Joe Satriani, Tony Rice etc...) Constantly practicing and learning new things. I think key word here is "learning". Isn't that what we all strive for?

[cotten]

As always, Larry has provided some very wise, helpful counsel. Thank you, sir, for adding so very much to the friendly, excellent information available here on the AGF!



I was going to say that one of my biggest mistakes in playing is when I forget to put strings on, but now I'm too embarrassed...

cotten

[ewalling]

Originally Posted by 220volt

I was talking about us, mortals Big names and stars have their own niche and style and make living out of it, so perfecting what they already know might best for them. There are many exceptions of course (Tommy Emmanuel, Joe Satriani, Tony Rice etc...) Constantly practicing and learning new things. I think key word here is "learning". Isn't that what we all strive for?

I do agree with you from my own perspective - I don't spend a lot of my playing time repeating the same things; in fact, probably like many others here, I take on too much new stuff. That said, I think there is nothing wrong with a guitarist, or any musician, wanting to play within much tighter limits and this narrowing down can be a plus rather than a minus. I'd guess that Lightnin Hopkins and John Lee Hooker couldn't do a fraction of the stuff that probably many players on the AGF can produce, but they perfected a sound and turned it into something sublime. I sometimes think I might be better served to concentrate on playing less stuff better. But the trouble is, there so much great guitar music out there that I want to have a crack at learning!

[RustyAxe]

Comparing oneself to others. It's fine and dandy to aspire to be a better player, even to reach the level of <insert your favorite guitarist here>. But understand that whoever it is you admire most at some point was no more skilled than you are now.

[usb_chord]

Too much time spent talking ..not enough time spent playing.

[Opa John]

Don't know if this has been menioned yet or not, but I know several "guitarists" who can play HALF of a lot of songs. I don't know anybody who wants to hear HALF of a song.

If you're going to learn a new one, learn ALL of it....all the way through. The same holds true for the lyrics.....don't do the song if you don't know all the lyrics.....or at least enough of them to make it sound like a complete song.

[BlondeBlake]

Originally Posted by Opa John

Don't know if this has been menioned yet or not, but I know several "guitarists" who can play HALF of a lot of songs. I don't know anybody who wants to hear HALF of a song.

If you're going to learn a new one, learn ALL of it....all the way through. The same holds true for the lyrics.....don't do the song if you don't know all the lyrics.....or at least enough of them to make it sound like a complete song.

Where is the "I like" button?