Stuck... Options

[wylde_guitar]

Well, lately I haven't been getting very much better anymore, and I'm wondering why. I'm working on new things, but I'm progressing reaallly slow, especially to how I was a couple months ago. I've been playing for a few years and I'm wondering what happened. If anyone else feels like this or knows what to do, please help because my goal is to be the next Malmsteen

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[superize]

This happens to everybody eventually. You feel big improvement ad then all of a sudden it stops.

My only advice is to keep practesing and practise hard and eventually you will notice improvement

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[Bogdan Radovic]

Well when you're starting you will notice huge improvements , after you get better and better improvements will be there but not that noticeable and obvious..Be sure that with every good practice your are getting better this way or another..My advice will be to make a list of exercises for particular techniques and be focused on them..You can keep track of your progress in bpm of the metronome..Just make small realistic tasks for yourself and try to achieve them..Focused practice will get you far..But I'm sure you are already progressing (tone wise etc ) in things that aren't that obvious to you but are present!

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[Kizaze44]

This has happened to me over the years. What's gotten me out of it is 1) improvise over a new genre. Try Hall & Oates instead of Megadeth, or whatever, you get the idea. Also, try learning a classical lesson, or flamenco - this worked for me by accident. I only played one of Kosei's lessons for about a month because it was so damn challenging, then when I went back to improvising over the stuff I love, I blew myself away. Good luck - you'll find your own way I bet.

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[Ivan Milenkovic]

These kind of periods happen to all players, usually when you practice a lot or learning new stuff. It takes time for brain to really settle with this new knowledge. Don't worry, results will come sooner then you think. If you really feel you're pushing too hard, try to take a small brake, day or two. If not, keep rockin, it will not go in vain I promise you that

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[Muris Varajic]

You're experiencing less progress in technique?
Your improvising abilities?
You seem to learn things slower?

There are many more subjects
and so we would need more info if possible
to help you as much as we can.

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[Daniel Robinson]

I think Bogdan has the idea that i would suggest.

You see when you first are learning you are just learning how to move your fingers...play chords etc.

After reaching a certain point it is about cleaning up rather than learning new things. As you start to play faster for example, at first it is going to be sloppy and loose. As time goes by you will start to clean it up even though you are playing at the same speed. So it doesnt seem like you are improving at all.


Let me give an example of what happend to me and what helped me overcome a problem.

One of my goals early on was to be able to play 12 to 13nps....not bad company in that range...Randy Rhoads for example. I would practice and practice my scales and practice scale fragments to get my picking better. Once i hit 16th notes at 120BPM my picking would start to fall apart. I struggled against this wall for months and months. I was so frustrated! I just couldnt figure out why i couldnt stay clean any faster than that.

The most frustrating part was that i knew that i indeed could pick faster than that..much faster. If i just played an open string and trem picked i could get to 16th trips at 170. So why oh why couldnt i play anything at all cleanly at above 16th notes at 120BPM. I started thinking that maybe my fretting hand was the culprit, so i spent many more months just practicing legato technique's trying to strengthen my fingers.

Still after almost a year i saw very little improvement i began to give up hope...i just thought...well maybe i am just not capbable of doing it and thats that. So for awhile i just gave up practicing like i had been i would just have fun with the instrument, i would put on my favorite Ynqwie songs and just jam with him like i was an awesome guitarist. At first it i was really sloppy but i didnt care i was just having fun after all. Until one day it struck me that...whats that! I actually played that lick...wth! I tried it again...no success...i tried for days and days trying to duplicate this miracle moment when i actually played something fast. Something occured to me a couple days later though. I hadnt been thinking about what i was playing so hard. I was just jamming. So i just continued like this for a couple months. After awhile things i had struggled with just seem to fall away and i was in new territory.

Sometimes focusing too hard on a thing makes it that much more difficult to be relaxed and having enjoyment. I am sure all of us have had that one lick that really just bakes our noodles. We practice and practice it but it seems like it will never come. Than one day you aren't thinking about it and it just happens.

So my biggest is advice is sometimes not to take it so seriously. Its ok to be serious about music, but don't take for granted the fact that it is supposed to be enjoyable too. If you are in a more relaxed state of mind you are going to be more relaxed and you will find you can do things you thought impossible a week ago.

Also this comes back to Marcus L's Speed playing topic. Its hard to learn to play fast if you don't know what it feels like to play fast. I spent almost a year trying to play cleanly at 120BPM never pushing myself any harder. When i started jamming to those Ynqwie songs i was playing things that were twice that speed....sloppy mind you but still attempting them. After while i realized that pushing myself beyond what i thought i could play actually improved me more than pounding my head against the wall at something at the very edge of my ability.

Pushing yourself beyond what you think are you are capable of may just trigger growth, and you find joy and newfound skills in the guitar.

Daniel

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[Moon Boots]

I think Bogdan has the idea that i would suggest.

You see when you first are learning you are just learning how to move your fingers...play chords etc.

After reaching a certain point it is about cleaning up rather than learning new things. As you start to play faster for example, at first it is going to be sloppy and loose. As time goes by you will start to clean it up even though you are playing at the same speed. So it doesnt seem like you are improving at all.


Let me give an example of what happend to me and what helped me overcome a problem.

One of my goals early on was to be able to play 12 to 13nps....not bad company in that range...Randy Rhoads for example. I would practice and practice my scales and practice scale fragments to get my picking better. Once i hit 16th notes at 120BPM my picking would start to fall apart. I struggled against this wall for months and months. I was so frustrated! I just couldnt figure out why i couldnt stay clean any faster than that.

The most frustrating part was that i knew that i indeed could pick faster than that..much faster. If i just played an open string and trem picked i could get to 16th trips at 170. So why oh why couldnt i play anything at all cleanly at above 16th notes at 120BPM. I started thinking that maybe my fretting hand was the culprit, so i spent many more months just practicing legato technique's trying to strengthen my fingers.

Still after almost a year i saw very little improvement i began to give up hope...i just thought...well maybe i am just not capbable of doing it and thats that. So for awhile i just gave up practicing like i had been i would just have fun with the instrument, i would put on my favorite Ynqwie songs and just jam with him like i was an awesome guitarist. At first it i was really sloppy but i didnt care i was just having fun after all. Until one day it struck me that...whats that! I actually played that lick...wth! I tried it again...no success...i tried for days and days trying to duplicate this miracle moment when i actually played something fast. Something occured to me a couple days later though. I hadnt been thinking about what i was playing so hard. I was just jamming. So i just continued like this for a couple months. After awhile things i had struggled with just seem to fall away and i was in new territory.

Sometimes focusing too hard on a thing makes it that much more difficult to be relaxed and having enjoyment. I am sure all of us have had that one lick that really just bakes our noodles. We practice and practice it but it seems like it will never come. Than one day you aren't thinking about it and it just happens.

So my biggest is advice is sometimes not to take it so seriously. Its ok to be serious about music, but don't take for granted the fact that it is supposed to be enjoyable too. If you are in a more relaxed state of mind you are going to be more relaxed and you will find you can do things you thought impossible a week ago.

Also this comes back to Marcus L's Speed playing topic. Its hard to learn to play fast if you don't know what it feels like to play fast. I spent almost a year trying to play cleanly at 120BPM never pushing myself any harder. When i started jamming to those Ynqwie songs i was playing things that were twice that speed....sloppy mind you but still attempting them. After while i realized that pushing myself beyond what i thought i could play actually improved me more than pounding my head against the wall at something at the very edge of my ability.

Pushing yourself beyond what you think are you are capable of may just trigger growth, and you find joy and newfound skills in the guitar.

Daniel

I've found all of this to be very true - it's when I'm having a great time and feeling the music that I make the most progress. Great advice as always Daniel.

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[mattacuk]

As Muris has said, it would be good to know a little more info about where you are right now with your playing

Is it that you have reached a certain level, for example you can play cleanly and have good technique, but cant progress any further to the "next stage"?

Or is it that you feel your playing hasnt yet reached that level, and you feel you will never get there?

I am sure with a little more info between us all we can help out !

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[wylde_guitar]

You're experiencing less progress in technique?
Your improvising abilities?
You seem to learn things slower?

There are many more subjects
and so we would need more info if possible
to help you as much as we can.

I'm trying to learn how to do quicker shreds up and down the fret board and its always sloppy, and I think my problem may be as Daniel said, and it's that I'm too serious about mastering this one thing.
(If you're wondering I'm really serious right now in particular because I'm not lead guitar in my band and everyone but the other guitarist thinks that. Only problem is he is also the singer and we don't want to make him mad, so I'm going to have to get good enough to rock his world with my guitar to claim my rightful place )

Thanks everyone who put in their 2 cents, and more comments are welcome!
(If you put in your 2 cents, but it's a penny for your thoughts, where does the extra penny go??)

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[Muris Varajic]

I'm trying to learn how to do quicker shreds up and down the fret board and its always sloppy, and I think my problem may be as Daniel said, and it's that I'm too serious about mastering this one thing.
(If you're wondering I'm really serious right now in particular because I'm not lead guitar in my band and everyone but the other guitarist thinks that. Only problem is he is also the singer and we don't want to make him mad, so I'm going to have to get good enough to rock his world with my guitar to claim my rightful place )

Thanks everyone who put in their 2 cents, and more comments are welcome!
(If you put in your 2 cents, but it's a penny for your thoughts, where does the extra penny go??)

I see,you are mostly not satisfied with your current technique.
Then the solution is practice,focus yourself on topics you wanna do better,
like picking,tapping or whatever.
Try to learn as many lessons from GMC as possible and then
apply those small licks and chops into your own playing.
One important thing related to shredding,
just do your best to keep it musical as much as you can,
with shredding only we somehow miss the point of music here and there.

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Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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