Bret's Learning log

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22

Rattling through my head today and yesterday. I have a habbit of quitting/giving things up for what ever reasons.

I took music back up, to help deal with a depression I am going through from a divorce last year. I thought, yeah great just learn to play music, don’t have to be amazing, just play along, and then write your feelings down, put it to some music and it will be cathartic, that’s all I hear is how music is cathartic, and that people write music through their experiences, and come through ‘the other side’ so to speak

Unfortunately, I am not experiencing this. I am finding that I don’t feel like I am getting better/improving, I constantly am critical in such a way that I don’t play, and while I have written things down, I still feel like crap. I have been working on this for a year now, and while I wanted music to be my savior, or my anything, there are days where I feel nothing when I play, except frustration because I feel like I suck.

I continually hear and want to feel that music is fun to play, I just don’t feel it when I play, usually badly… I don’t know how to overcome this feeling to just keep going to be honest.

Stick it out I will, however, I guess this learning log is now going to be some kind of emotional torture piece for people reading along, i’ll do my best to keep them short.

23

High expectations are always a burden. They have a tendency not to be fulfilled. I know that myself as well.

I don’t know if this would work for you. But that’s what I do sometimes. Find a simple song, try to let go of expectations and pressure that you have to be good. Play it just for yourself. Without app. Without added pressure. Just listen to the music you are creating - and if something does not sound right, it won’t matter at all. Just for this dedicated playing without expectations time. Would that help?

Let me know, if you don’t want any comments. Thanks

24

Yes I think it might.

I am going to stay away from the app songs for now, and look through songs I really wanted to learn, and see if they fit the chords I know and a strumming pattern and go from there. It could be that expectations you are talking about, and feeling like the stuff I want to play I am not playing because I am not at that level yet.

I’ll do that tomorrow and see how I go. Thanks for reading.

1 Like
25

I just wanted to share a little update, and what I guess you could call a win.

After my last post and feeling super discouraged, I actually haven’t touched and instrument in nearly a week, except for some vocal work almost daily no piano or guitar.

I went to see a performer Thursday night, who had also performed at my work last week. While she was at my work, she was sitting and the way she held her guitar looked supper uncomfortable, but guess it works.

When I saw her perform standing up though, something occured to me how she was holding the guitar, which I tried today.

When I sit properly, the guitar is at an angle for me to play, the neck isn’t close to my body, it’s like an almost 30 odd degree angle away, this makes my fretting hand comfortable for all chords so far, minimal wrist bend. The F chord, just starting on that and it’s a progression.

However, I put my strap on, and literally stood up, keeping the same angle of the neck, made a little adjustment to the strap, and felt like this was by far the most comfortable way. I was continually trying to have the guitar flat across my body, which wasn’t how I played it sitting down, so why try to do it standing up right?

Anyway, the chords felt decent, actually good. I went through a scale which seemed to be ok, the F chord however, is a little more difficult standing here, as I have a decent wrist bend. So my practice will include slow changes for the F chord, with minimal wrist bend, and given that is where I am at with this chord, it’s good that it is known now and not later.

Aynway, just felt like I am feeling marginally better today about it all.

Also, after sitting there mesmerized by this chicks performance, I decided that I want to perform, nothing like what she is doing, and nothing right now, but maybe some day busking for shits and giggles, maybe a pub or what ever, but at least now I have something that music is ‘for’ rather than just aimlessly playing, which can also be what it’s about right?

26

Yes. I think it’s very important to have a purpose. Something, that is your personal “why guitar?”. It might feel like a small step for you . If you ask me though, it’s a huge one :sun_behind_large_cloud:

27

I just spent the better part of 2 hours going through an Aussie guitar songbook I have, 101 easy guitar songs, and I managed to find nearly a dozen level 1 songs, the same level 2 and then I guess there would be more level 3.

I think this as mentioned before, is going to be a really big motivator for me, as they are songs I grew up and songs that I love.

I will look for somewhere on the website, but I thought I saw somewhere to suggest songs, I think that Justins space is amazing, everything he does for little money, I have purchased quite a few things to help with donations because I believe that he is doing and has been doing an amazing thing.

I would like to suggest some songs that I think people could also love, which might help with some motivation.

I was also put onto this website, which truthfully could have been someone from here,

but if you type in your chords, you get a list of songs, I think this could also be a massive help to find songs you love to play to keep your motivation.