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Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Mar 9 2008, 07:36 PM

Please add your entries to this thread - cutoff date is the 23rd of March, prizes and instructions are http://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=12966&st=0#entry154711!

Posted by: Kyle Logue Mar 9 2008, 08:30 PM

Give up guitar? No way!

Playing the guitar has opened so many doors up in my life. How? Well it started 6 years ago when I first decided that I wanted to learn how to play guitar. My parents wouldn't let me get a guitar even though I was willing to pay for it myself. I eventually bought a http://www.zzounds.com/item--KAMS35 online and had it shipped to a friends house so that my parents wouldn't know. I spent hours upon hours at my friends house learning how to play the hardest song that I could find, which at the time was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55A9H-PqOvY. I didn't have it perfect, but I got it down good enough to play it in front of my parents. I was scared to death to tell my parents I'd gotten a guitar, but I finally got enough courage to do it. I came home with a guitar in my hands and played Classical Gas to my parents and watched their faces go from mad to excited. Since that moment they've continually encouraged me to keep playing. I didn't play for them though...I played because I loved the instrument. 5 weeks after teaching myself some simple chords and some simple fingerpicking methods I wrote a song called Scenery. This song is still a legend amongst my friends who do live covers of it at Open Mic Nights around town. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6MZg2UeNYA's my friend philip covering the song 6 years later. There's nothing more exciting than having someone singing or playing music that you've written!

I've always viewed guitar as just a hobby even though I've spent in the upwards of $3000 on guitars and recording equipment. Being involved in music can also give you other opportunities that you'd never have if you weren't a musician. My background is heavily involved in computers. I've studied both computer science and web development at well known universities in the area. A few days ago, I walked into the local guitar store to buy some strings. I'm new to the area so I tried to find the company online first so I would know what to look for. The website wasn't that great, but I didn't think anything more of it. While I was at the store I wandered off to look at some guitars and the owner of the store came over to help me. One thing led to another and our conversation turned to the web development business that I run. At the end of our conversation he asked me if I would help design an online store and website for his business. Here's the catch though...he said that "if you didn't understand guitars and music, i don't think we could do this." As it turns out, my so-called "hobby" turned out to be something more of a key that unlocked a new opportunity.

Giving up guitar is definitely not an option for me. The exhilaration of hearing your own creations as well as being able to unlock new opportunities is too much of a good thing to let go.

You don't want to look back on your life and say "I wish I hadn't given up." Guitar is hard, but definitely rewarding!

You're going to get better and you're going to be a good guitarist if you put in the time. There will come a point in your life where someone will say to you "Woah! Play that again!" At that moment in time...when you know you rocked it hard...you'll feel like a guitar legend. That single moment of excitement and accomplishment will stick with you forever!

Keep Rocking!

Posted by: skennington Mar 9 2008, 08:43 PM

Winter Blues



Cold outside and the days are short, It's NOT the time to pass your torch.
Alot to learn at GMC,just look back and then you'll see.
For you five guys have done so much, it's not the time to give it up!

So pick up your axe and start to shred , don't ever think your playing
is dead. Winter Blues, yes thats been said, just take a look guys, it's all in your head!
Soon you will find a new lick to be born, you'll feel refreshed and won't be torn!

So don't think like this ever again, for you five are the men!


Steve

Posted by: superize Mar 9 2008, 08:56 PM

Ok so here is my entry

Why quit guitar?

Ever since i started playing guitar i feel that I have more to live for…..Before I just trained and spend a lot of time at my computer doing nothing….But now when I am not training I am sitting at my computer writing and communicating with people all over the world through the GMC forums and I really feel that I am a part of something big…..Before I joined GMC I didn’t make much progress and I didn’t play that much and my motivation was low but then came the magical day when I joined GMC and since then I have come a long way and really developed my guitar playing….if you feel that you cant make any progress let us help you with that….that’s what GMC is all about help ech other improve in their Guitar playing….I really hope that you decide to stay with us because GMC wouldn’t be the same without you guys…..

So please stay with us…

/Superize

Posted by: Marcus Siepen Mar 9 2008, 09:35 PM

I am not really good in writing stories or essays or stuff like this, so I won't even try, and I am also not trying to win a price by writing something here (I already have the Blind Guardian cd ), all I want to try is prevent you from giving up. I guess all of us already had this blues, I had it for sure. Just like you guys I thought I was stuck, I didn't make any progress anymore, I was tired or practicing the same things over and over again without getting ahead, I even thought my playing would get worse instead of better. But when I finally overcame this point playing was twice as much fun as it ever was before, it just felt awesome, so don't waste your chance to get to the same point. If you continue to work on your skills you will for sure overcome this period that you are stuck in now. Just grab your guitars and play, play something that you like to play, forget about progressing for a while, just enjoy the fact that you can play guitar, that you can jam with others, that you can create music and express yourself through your songs, don't just waste all this.

Posted by: chast Mar 9 2008, 10:25 PM

Giving up is boring!

Well, guys, here I am, talking to you. Why do you want to give up? That’s boring, dudes! You may not be in the best mood, but you also have to use these sides of life. Make something positive out of it. Use your melancholic mood to write some beautiful ballads, it will give your ballad a totally different (at least a different feeling as after 8 beer and 3 Jacky Cola), your mood gives the ballad the right feeling, the right feeling for ballads.
Man, while writing this, I’m thinking “What the hell are you writing here?”
Everything I write sounds a bit ridiculous, it doesn’t even sound motivating or something else, so I just want to tell you something.
A friend once told me some wise (at least in my opinion) words “Suicide is giving up”, well, ok, you don’t commit suicide, but you kill your passion.
And what is a man without passion? Just think about it!
The Uncreator – Won’t you miss it to play some Iron Maiden songs before going to sleep?
Smells – Won’t you miss (attention! bad wordplay) the smell of new strings and immediately test your new strings on one of Muris’s lesson?
Mr. Theory – Won’t you miss all the theory you transferred to the fretboard? And you can’t see some progress? What about sweep picking?
MickeM – What about you? Won’t you miss looking after new gear? Testing new guitars and amps? And what about your guitar you want to build on your own? Don’t you want to know how it feels and sounds to play your own build guitar?
Tony – Don’t give up! Do you know Allan Holdsworth? Did he give up? Don’t you want to become your dream come true and playing like Mr. Holdsworth?

So, I think, now I talked to everybody of you – (I hope I didn’t forget someone) – and I still don’t know why I’m writing this.
I think I write this because I want to get know as much people as I can who do have the same passion as I do and I also don’t want to lose that people.

To finish that, a wannabe poetic sentence:

If you lose your passion for guitar playing, you also will lose the interest in GMC and do you want to leave your family in the lurch?

Amen

Posted by: Owen Mar 9 2008, 10:34 PM

GuitarGuitarGuitar!

Now in theory, I could wax lyrical about the overwhelming benefits of the guitar.
Hypothetically, I could aspouse that it is the best god damn thing since sliced bread
(But cmon guys we all know that's the Bigsby tremolo system! ).
I could also say that it cures all the worlds problems, I'd bet Andrew secretly wishes
shredding away on his Jem would make his poor hair grow back or that screaming arpeggios would return
Smells golden locks and do Tony's daughers homework

But they wont.

What I will say however, is that when I come back from a day of 'hard work'
(and you'll have to forgive me if my lazy 16 year old brain has a rather exaggerated concept of these two words )
And when I pick up my guitar, crank up the amp and break into some sweet rock n roll,
Its the damn best feeling in the world.

It serves as a release from all the stress of everyday life,
a way to expell every bad emotion in your body in a musical haze of notes, talent and emotion.

Sure, sometimes I get fed up of guitar, I'm sure we all do, but when I eventually return to it, as I always do,
I always feel that there is somewhere else to go with it, another adventure to take.

So whilst you may not always be able to change the world with your guitar,
it does take its weight off of your back, it does make everything feel a whole lot better and it does gift you
with a great way to express yourself. Through times of good and bad, a guitar and some good music
will always pull you through.

Posted by: Xranthoius Mar 9 2008, 10:38 PM

Hmm, so you want to quit guitar?

The guitar isn't just an instrument... It's more than that. It opens your mind and expresses all of your emotions. Playing guitar throughout the years has been such a unique experience. That feeling. Of standing upon hundreds of people. Cheering... for you. Such a rush cannot be matched...

People don't have to be able to play six notes per beat at 180 bpm to be concidered good. If you feel you aren't getting anywhere, start something new. Most people when they feel that way is because they are playing the same thing over and over again... Try a new song or write you own. Make sure you don't sit in your room and play by yourself. Get a group of friends together and jam....

A problem that you may have is that you practice too long. If you suddenly get bored... put it down and pick it up and hour later. Forcing youself to practice does no good... Listen to other people too. Youtube has a bunch of good players. If you get get a spark of modivation, it will kick you back up and get you playing again.

Posted by: Capt.Z Mar 9 2008, 11:52 PM

Heres my entry.

Hey, it may be winter, but its just a season. Its no reason to
give up guitar. So you got the winter blues. Big Deal!
We all do. Besides, if your stuck in from the snow, just
go on GMC. Keep practicing.

Winter will end eventually and everyones ready for it.
When spring comes you'll be performing outside again.
GMC's lessons are designed to make practicing fun.
So enjoy it. Dont let us down!

Posted by: kaznie_NL Mar 10 2008, 03:31 PM

Sorry , I post in the wrong thread, here's mine:

The guitar is a gentle piece of equipment, used by people who can treat it with fealing. If you an play like our senior GMC members, then you can say you have this feeling. People like them shouldn't ever try to stop play guitar. They have the feeling. When playing, you can feel the music go through your body, as every guitarist can tell.
You get caught bye the melodie. Your leg starts moving on the rhythm, and maybe your head aswell.
Now tell me, who wants to miss that feeling?

Everybody loves to play, but sometimes things don't go so well. You think your progress is low, and you don't see the fun in playing anymore. If you see yourself in the above description, then read the following.
It's easy to get rid of the guitar as soon as it get's a bit harder to make progress,
but with just a bit of selfdiscipline, you can stay playing guitar.
-Just make a schedule of playing for ten minutes a day, just pick nice songs to play. You can do larger sessions if you feel well with the ten minutes and if you can't stop playing after ten minutes.
After a while you'll find out that you just start playing and no way, your not gonna stop when the time is over!
-Take a piece of paper and wright down all the songs you can play or have played. When this
list is longer then one side of an A4, then stop when you have reached the bottom of the page.
next, write down all GMC lessons you've mastered or learned half. Next, write down all the theory knowledge you have.
You'll find out you know a lot! then you'll see that you've done great in the years, and you're a great player. You can still make progress, if you keep playing like that!

I hope this helped you, and just get the guitar on your knee, while being on the pc. In this way you'll start playing without even noticing!
Also, just make a smile when you read this, it'll help.

cheers Kaz

Posted by: Tuubsu Mar 10 2008, 05:16 PM

(Okay so heres my entry I hesitated a little, but I this is a way of trying)
(I'll try reverse psychology)

JUST QUIT IT!

Guitar paying is for real MEN! And I just knew sooner
or later you guys would GIVE UP!

Andrew you wouldn't know a chord from a cord. I just knew
it was a too big slice of pizza to try on those Pavel's
sweeps! You American englishmen are all the same: "OOH!
Its winter and I'm cold and Depressed! I'll just go inside
To drink tea with buttered scones and watch Emmerdale!"
I knew you wouldn't have guts for it!

Tonymiro! you've got a new world ahead of you in guitar...
Too bad You don't have the balls to get there! Maybe you
should just move to your sisters house and smooch of her,
thats all you spanish guys can do anyway... Or maybe you
could be a street performer, you could do rasqueados on
Emaj chord all day and sing "AAAIIII! MARRRIIIAAA!". You just
might have the skills for that, if you even know what an
Emaj chord is...

MickeM! You can't teach an old dog any new tricks. Maybe
it would be better for you to go see your GRANDCHILDREN!!!
Guitar is for cool people! your not cool your a geek, GO
WATCH STAR TREK, AND LEAVE THE GUITAR PLAYING FOR PEOPLE
WHO STILL HAVE THEIR LIFES AHEAD OF THEM!

Smells... YOUR just so pathetic I can't believe you picked
up the guitar in the first place. I bet you can't even name
The strings in standard tuning... Oh! hey, since you don't
have the will power for guitar, maybe you could cuddle up with
andrew. YOU could bring the tea and Andrew the scones!
BRILLIANT!

AND The Uncreator! YOU must feel like a big boy for being the
youngest moderator in GMC! But that doesn't make you a good guitarist.
Guitar needs a lot of hard work and concentration, and young
girliemen like yourself just don't have it! Just go to UG and
debate what's the greatest Blind Guardian album ever, I think
thats all you can do anyway.

WINTER BLUES... just another excuse to be a LAZY!

Posted by: sam47 Mar 10 2008, 11:32 PM

Don't quit guys. Several years from now do you want to say " Damn, if I had just stuck with it, I'd be.........." .
You really want to give up all that you've accomplished so far? Man .you got support from all over the world here.
I think your not having any fun with your guitar. All work (practice). Spend a week just playing. What ever you know or just jammin' . Make up anything! Act like your on stage ! Who cares if it's not played perfect. Keep going like it was! Have some fun! Chank it up and piss off the neighbors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: ace_frehely Mar 11 2008, 04:27 AM

Why Quit When You Have Gotten This Far?


Winterblues, when you first thaught that playing guitar is so cool, you probably told yourself that I want to play just like ___________. Did you ever reach that goal? Maybe you did, maybe you diddnt. If you did, what happened to that goal, who was that person who inspired you the most? You have gone this far on playing the guitar and suddenly you just want to blow it off? You know better than that, Jesus knows your better than that. You know that you can do better and All of us know that you can do better as well. The guitar is a gift that you had something to make out of, and you have!YOU KNOW YOU HAVE IMPROVED MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT YOU WOULD! You probably think to yourself and ask if you play good, and you probably say that im alrght and I think Im good enought. NONSENSE! You can do better, you werent made just to be average, you were made to reach to the top and keep going and going. Jesus diddnt you create you to play average, he made you to reach to the ultimate potential where nobody has gone to and always reach and keep your way to the top. You are probably happy how far you have gotten, so why stop, You can be a Guitar legend and make history out of it, dont think its true, be positive, if you set your mind to it, you can accomplish anythng!

When I Started playing guitar, I made a goal that I would do what it takes to reach up and to play just like Ace Frehley, and I almost have and I will keep getting there step by step. If you guys quit guitar, you will start to misss out on the good times you had when you practiced and practiced, sure it was a long time process, but you had a fun time getting there. Dont you just love playing the lessons here in GMC and knowing alot of stuff in the forums, isnt that just loads of fun, did it mean anything to you. If you quit, you will start missing out on the fun and the funny times we have when we are talking about a certain thread, and we will start to miss on the stuff that you would say. Look at where your standing right now reading this, you know you dont want to and WE know you dont want to and we dont want you to, So dont. All I'm saying is that playing a guitar is something that you should be proud of and its something that you can make something incredible out of it and make the people that you know happy. You do something that not many people have the knowledge of doing, thats a gift, so you make something great about it. When you get older your gonna regret you ever quit.

Just dont quit, thats all im saying, if all of us had to vote if you should quit or not, I bet nobodys gonna agree on your decision and you know it. We care alot about this situation because we dont want you to feel bad for doing something like this.

Just think about it thoughtfully.

Posted by: audiopaal Mar 11 2008, 02:55 PM

This is a story I think you will benefit from reading...

A little boy was having difficulty lifting a heavy stone.

His father came along just then. Noting the boy’s failure, he asked, "Are you using all your strength?"

"Yes, I am," the little boy said impatiently.

"No, you are not," the father answered. "I am right here just waiting, and you haven’t asked me to help you."


Talk to us, we're here to help you get back on track!
No need to sing the winter blues alone, let's start a choir!
We'll get you through this, and let you back out in the sunshine
with a burning ambition to pick up that guitar and make your fingers dance again!

Deep in your hearts you know what you love about the guitar
and that there is a selection of songs/riffs you just love to play.
If times get tough and you feel like you're not evolving,
play those songs and/or riffs and let the practicing wait till another day.

And when you're ready to pick up that guitar and want to learn a new note or two,
we're here to help you!

Paal.

Posted by: steve25 Mar 12 2008, 01:27 AM

So you want to quit guitar huh? It'll be harder to quit guitar then stay playing. Why? Because playing guitar is more than just a hobby, more then something you like doing every now and then it's a part of your life and so is music. Some people tell you that music is a part of their life. They haven't felt a thing until they start playing an instrument. It's not an addiction or an obsession, it's something you feel you have to do, for yourself and maybe even other people? Other people? Well yes, others enjoy your music as well. I bet someone has told you that they like what you're playing. If they didn't, don't you think they'd just ignore your playing or make some comment out of it?

Many people give up playing guitar every day. I bet there's thousands that do, but the truth is most of them come back. And do you want to feel like you're just throwing all those years, all those hours of your life away for nothing? And on top of that what will you do with your time if you don't play guitar anymore? You spend hours playing guitar what will you do instead? Is there much to do? Doesn't seem like it. Do work? Ha, i'd rather play guitar personally. Also you spent all that money, for what? To throw your dreams away? You have those dreams and they will stick with you for the rest of your lives. Do you want to go back to air guitar? Not much fun is it though, nowhere near as good as the real thing. When you achieve your dreams, new ones form you always have dreams that you want to achieve. So do it, you know that you can because others have. We are all equal we are all human beings and anything is possible. If one person has done it another can.

Imagine yourself in 10 years time, what do you see? Or perhaps what i should be asking is what do you want to see? Perhaps you want to see yourself stood on stage in front of thousands of people. It's your turn now, your solo is coming up, its you in the spotlight. It happens, and you perfect is beautifully. You can barely hear your guitar though, the cheer from the crowd is louder than the band put together. Offstage you're a star, everyone knows your name, every music shop window has posters of your bands album, the music channels are always showing your videos, there are thousands of tabs of your songs online and youtube guitarists can't get enough of covering your songs. Oh but wait, is that going to happen now that you're quitting guitar? Hmm maybe not but it's not too late. If you keep at it this could still happen you know. What are you afraid of? You live once, do what you want to do. Don't give up guitar, you started for a reason because you had dreams and you wanted to, and you still want to! If we miss something in our lives we can't rewind and go back. Don't put yourself in position. Now pick up your guitar and try again!

Posted by: Tjchep Mar 12 2008, 01:55 AM

Well. I was never a good writer .

So, this is my schedule, get up open up i tunes and put it on shuffle for about half an hour. Go get ready for school and stuff, come home. Listen to music, and do other things. Thing is, music is a Privilege, how sophisticated some people are in this particular area is an amazement and inspiration for most. Now, after saying music is a Privilege to listen too. What about making good music, that countless others could enjoy. Now It's your choice if you want to go and be a person thats just a listener to a creator of something that you will always love. Maybe your reason for quitting guitar would be you want to get a promotion at work, cool. But, what would be cooler/ more interesting to talk about, your cool new promotion or how you decided to join a band so you could become a bit more youthful again. Remember you only live once. Now if guitar is getting in the way of something you really want to peruse then leave it. But remember if you quit, think down the road at how you could be so good if you never quit. Then, you might start to think about how bad you messed up. And that's one of the worst feelings.

Just whatever you guys do, Just make sure your not regretting anything. You only live once and don't have second opportunities for everything. Just make some goals in life and go and achieve whatever you decided to go do.

tj

Posted by: Eat-Sleep-andJam Mar 12 2008, 03:11 AM

Heres My Entry:


For score and seven beers ago Hmmm. So you guys wanna quit ? Eh ? Well that sucks. *Self esteem
lowers 4 notchs*. If you guys quit your basically quitting on the rest of us ! Gmc is kinda like myspace, a place for friends ! Gmc is kinda like fine dining, it tastes so good ! Gmc needs you guys ! Andrew-what would I do without hearing your soothing British-Like voice on Murises voice overs, or hearing you shred your Bill Clinton Steve Vai Jem ! * Tear *. Smells- Your the MASTERMIND behind the StripClub Virtual Band idea ! You gave a chance for everyone at Gmc to be leftout included ! Your a heck of a guy and if you quit guitar I might just poop my pants quit myself ! So dont give up ! Uncreator-( Even though I didnt know you had a face till I recently saw it in your profile ) You need to start playing again ! Remember that time when the kid in your class said that he could play be he was a really a giraffe utter trash, and you showed him up by playing the hardest song you knew by Nile and made a fool out of him ? THAT TOUCHED MY BELLYBUTTON HEART. Dont stop playing guitar .
Tonymiro-where would I be without your consistant encouragement on the Theory Board ? And you constinantly pushing me to do better and play more ? Your the Emirl of my Food Network Slash of my Guns and Roses . Dont stop playing . MickeM- Mike, you helped me so much with gear in the past and trombone guitar in general ! I dont know where I would be without your guidence and assistance Please keep playing other wise other Swedes out there might also quit ! ( Kristofer Dahl!)


Im now going to go cry myself to sleep, you guys are awesome keep playing.

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Mar 13 2008, 01:01 AM

Here's my part of the story> don't expect any prizes or anything I just wanted to write something to you guys>

Winter Blues

I got them winter blues,
feels like crying in my hearth

I got them winter blues,
feels like crying in my hearth

for five heroes of GMC are leaving
they want to give up a fight

O please Andrew do not goooo
Haven't you ever been told?

O please Andrew do not goooo
Haven't you ever been told?

This kind of a job here that you did,
can be done only by a man with a heart of gold,

O please please Smells,
Don't you be leaving us,

Good lord have mercy,
Smell don't you be leaving us,

If you go now now this,
You'll make an empty place in hearts of all of us,

O uncreator,
rise and show or hands,

O poor hearted uncreator,
rise and show or hands,

Your creator has given you the joy of music,
don't give it all away at glance

MickeM and Tonymirro,
O please please you can't leave

MickeM and Tonymirro,
O please please you can't leave

oooOH of you go , deep down in your soul,
you know how alone you will feel



So this is my story,
I got a few words to say to you,

I wouldnt write this
if i don;t care what you do,

You've made me got them winter blues and I'm crying,
for music in true five heroes of GMC is dying...

Posted by: Nemanja Mar 13 2008, 01:05 AM

Ivan that was cool you could make a good blues song out of it

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Mar 13 2008, 01:06 AM

THanks man... I sing this kind of stuff for years

Posted by: leedbreak Mar 14 2008, 07:22 PM

To decide to continue on the quest for playing guitar, One should consider where would you be now had you never touched one? I have no clue where I would be. Guitar has been a part of my life since a teen, and that’s a long while. Whoops, you could not be reading this had you never played so…

Better yet, lets construct two list to help you decide to play or quit.

Benefits of quitting:

1. You get to watch lots more TV like most people, maybe join a gym, chess club or be a greeter at Wal-Mart.
2. If like me, ebay and all this guitar stuff would be a ton of fun. And money to buy a couch and Oreo’s for TV time. Better hurry Idols coming on. Oh that’s ok you now have TiVo, I forgot. Got any chips and dip?
3. Ah, no more spending hour after hour on this forum and learning endless guitar lessons.
4. All these guitar cords make great tie downs for your truck. Providing you have a truck.
5. Donate your amp for a PA at the local ball park, hey it’s tax deductible.
6. Gluing all your picks together could bring forth a new style of art. The thin picks you never used anyway can pick your teeth pretty well.
7. Ah yes, for once in your life you can enjoy being bored.
8. If your guitar did not sell on ebay, they make great sledgehammers.
9. Sell this computer too. Don’t really need it now either. except for emailing jokes maybe
10. Best of all, you can spend this extra time learning something new, heck I just love starting over.


Benefits of NOT quitting:

1. You will be able to get the best feeling ever, like when you accomplish a new playing goal
2. No boredom ever if there is an axe in the house.
3. Spend time on this forum with cool people, you know, people like Kris
4. Grow as a musician and a person at the same time. Because one can not change without the other changing.
5. Re-realize that playing music is one of the most rewarding things a person can do
6. Be able to totally effect your progress with just the investment of time spent
7. Have the satisfaction of other people’s compliments, even if you did it wrong, they wont know
8. Be challenged almost everyday with new and exciting test of skill
9. Have a new lesson pop up that just seems like it was posted for you personally
10. Knowing good and well that time you spend practicing will be well spent and fun too.
11. Be the player you dreamt of


Summary:

See there. One more reason to keep playing. What else do you need to know. Playing guitar is the best way to spend these cold weary days, sure beats watching idol. So before you throw in the towel and sell all your junk remember two things from this old man.

If you quit now, you will leave a hole in you that nothing may ever be able to fill, you will be lost.

And

Quitters never win and winners can play 16th note triplets at 160, like some folks around here can

GL fellers,

Glad I could help you decide to keep playing. When you get big, remember to mail my check. Please !


Thanks

Posted by: Spiderusalem Mar 14 2008, 11:21 PM

To paraphrase a line from an old story of heroism that, for me, has always been a great source of wisdom I.E. Star Wars:

Posted by: Danilo Capezzuto Mar 15 2008, 07:29 AM

I know, sometimes she can hurt you but...she does that like no other, she cut in deep, but you bleed just to know you are alive! Is like two lovers, sometimes there are no word to say so, better sit back and hear what you feel.
Have you ever thought that she can move the air? Have you ever thought that she speak to every ear?
Playing a guitar is such a beautiful gift that you have, don't thrown it away, just play what you are, just say what you feel inside without open your mouth but moving your fingers. You don't have to write the history, just live a story with her, and believe me or not, in the end you will never have a regret.

Posted by: TortillaShred Mar 15 2008, 09:46 AM

"Well... Everything's over. We tried our best by asking GMC members to write something for us that would motivate us to not quit on guitar. Well... To be honest, they didn't have good-enough reasons for us to stop the Winter Blues... We didn't have them, neither... Worst, we didn't want to find them.

Day 1
Well, everything's already packed. Someone made a good offer on our equipment and everything's leaving tomorrow. It doesn't feel as bad as they all said... Guitar history? Feeling? Practicing? Meh, we really don't need that. It seems like we all made the right decision!

Day 4

Two days have passed since we last saw the huge brown-colored box leaving inside a truck with at least 50 packages. Some of them were bigger, some of them were smaller... But just one of them was leaving with tons of practice-hours, with lots of... Lol, we really must be kidding. Life's got more other things to do, ain't it?

Week 1

Just got home from work. We got to accept a couple of shred-minutes would've been fine, but nothing to worry about. We've unconsciously been playing left-hand air-guitar, making-up some melodies in our mind, but hell... Really, it's about nothing if we compare it to what life can have.

Week 2

Just woke up, and really... We turned to see that part of the room where our equipment, recording gear, etc. used to be. We saw ourselves sitting there improvising to a backing track... We saw ourselves on one of those days where every lick sounded better than any other day. Hehe... Maybe we should take breakfast better...

Month 1

It's enough. We tried to hide ourselves from the memories around our guitar-playing carreer... It even seemed during some days that the best decision was made when we sold our equipment... One of our most important parts in life... The only friend that made our emotions amplify through notes that reflected exactly our emotional state. If we could only play guitar now, some SERIOUSLY DOWN-TUNED MINOR SCALES would sound as loud and regretful as possible..."


Guys. It's not a guitar, an amp, effect pedals and lots of more things that you could lose if you give up or sell your equipment. You are losing a great part of all that you've lived, lots of hours spent, lots of emotions, and lots of failures that led to WAY MORE successes. Keep your equipment; I assure you that you'll eventually feel the need of running a full-neck scale... Play a legendary song.

Finally, just remember that progress grows in difficulty proportionally to the level that you play. Wasn't it great to finally be able to play a clear B chord when you first grabbed your guitar? You just got to find where your leverage point lies beneath now, and I guarantee you that satisfaction will as well grow A LOT too.


Sincerely,

TortillaShred

Posted by: dreadlocks Mar 15 2008, 05:28 PM

Why play the guitar?
Why not? That’s the reason i started to play the guitar no bad comes from it
Now why would you want to quit playing the guitar ? Give me one good reason? :|
Not making progress anymore? Like that never happened before.
Here are some good reasons that are supposed to make you stay
1) Mark Knopfler
2) fame (maybe)
3) a profession
4) fun ofc
5) no one likes quitters!
6) babes for sure
And when you're old the only thing you can do with your body is to play the guitar

I tried to come up with some reasons to quit
1) free time problem
2) costs of …(equipment, lessons, GMC )

The free time problem (I can understand ) but you have to sacrifice something
So unless you're having a real budget problem: don’t pity yourself

You'd better start playing because I need this Korg Pandora PX4D

Posted by: Mark. Mar 16 2008, 02:12 PM

Winter Blues.

Do you remember that day when you first heard that great song with that awsome guitar part,
it made a chill run up your spine. That day you desided to play guitar and be able to feel like that always!!
You've been at Gmc for as long as I can remember, and you must know by now that with Gmc you can achieve your goals !
Remember that day you started and all the other times you got to feeling "one day I will be able to do that!!"
You might don't feel like it now, but eventually you'll get this feeling again! And if you didn't practice all that time before you got the feeling again, you're gonna regret it!!
Sometimes you just got to do things in life which might seem pointless. But in the end, once you reached your goals, you know what you did it for !!

Also, you're the big names on gmc! With out you guys gmc just wouldn't be the same!
You keep me, and a lot of other people, carry on with guitar! You've become images of practice and hard work, you have shown us what you can achieve, what I can achieve ! If you guys gonna quit, we all are going to quit !
Why would we try to reach our goals ; to be like you guys, if our hero's quit while they're at the top ?

Please don't quit guys ! Do it for us, do it for gmc and most importantly do it for yourself!

Remember the music, remember that feeling !

Mark.

Ps: please dont mind my bad english

Posted by: Soul_Decision Mar 16 2008, 04:15 PM

Winter Blues.

You shouldn't quit playing the guitar, because you have practiced so hard and for so long. Now just because you have reached a plateau and feel you can't possibly get any better, you have lost sight of what playing guitar is really about and that is to have fun and enjoy yourself. So keep at it, you never know what lies ahead in the future, you may get discovered by some awesome label or band, you could inspire a lot of other kids and adults to pick up the guitar and start learning how to play, a lot of cool stuff like that could happen. If you decide to quit the guitar I will guarantee you this. You will regret the day you quit playing the guitar! Because you'll keep thinking in your head "This is what could have been if only I didn't quit......".

Please don't give up and do not self-limit yourself
And someday you will inspire me to keep playing the guitar.

Posted by: Fran Mar 16 2008, 10:24 PM

So true all of the statements above!
I actually quit guitar more than 10 years ago.

Guitar is part of music, and music is a very important part of my life. I bet the same thing happens to you guys. Quitting is losing part of yourself. Back then, I felt I didn't advance, I felt I wasn't good enough or even old (isn't that funny? I was just 20 years old and I thought I was old!)... I didn't find anyone to play with... so I quit

I spent the next ten years feeling that I was doing something wrong. Each time I heard a good riff, a good melody... at every concert... I even have found myself throughout the years dreaming that I was playing a great solo, only to wake up in the middle of the night knowing that it would never happen, never would be real.

10 wasted years of guitar learning! , don't let that happen to you. Don't let any of these happen to you!
If I did something right last year was entering the local music shop, getting me a new guitar and amp, joining GMC and practicing non-stop without ever looking back. I feel good again, complete. I don't dream that I play guitar, I do it

Don't quit guys: dream while you are still awake!
Thanks GMC

Posted by: Mr GuitarTube Mar 18 2008, 10:33 AM

hello the uncockburn micke-tonic und stinks

i want to help you but i play much better than you.i think you should give up

there is only room for one rockenroller und that is mr guitartube.

you pricks

i want to have all the prizes pliz send to my imail

Posted by: fire Mar 18 2008, 11:45 AM

hey quitter-guys, no long essay here:
If you want to quit, quit (Equipment goes to Tobias Häfele / GERMANY9)
but consider:
You have a exemplary function here and how should andybody
have fun to start playing when just the instructors or even idols say
"guitar sucks - we dont like it"??
you've committed yourself to gmc - dont dissapoint the comunity.

thats all from me

PS: playing guitar is FUN!

Posted by: Cherio Mar 20 2008, 11:04 AM

Short and sweet

To Andrew: You got an Ibanez Jem a while back, and you had your eye on that beuty for a while am I correct? Why stop now, you've got an awesome shred machine. And what would your wife say when she finds out you quit (after getting the jem) And isn't GMC the place to be for GUITAR PLAYERS?

To Smells: You are running a Virtual Band here on GMC, how could you be in a band when you stop guitar? Sure you could probably sing, but playing and the guitar and singing would be way cooler

To TheUncreator: You are young, man. If you keep playing the guitar, when you are older, you will appreciate the guitar more than you do now. My dad stopped playing guitar when he was 22, he played for 13 years. He is now 62, and he wishes he never stopped. Keep playing man!


To MickeM: You are building a guitar mate!! What would you do with it once youve finished and quit the guitar?!? Making it is probably hard work, and you wouldnt want to spend time on making a guitar that at the end you wouldn't use?

To TonyMirro: You have been a great help to the GMC forum, 2.121 posts, now thats something. When someone asks you a question on the forum regarding a guitar, or YOUR guitar, what are you going to tell them???? 'Sorry man, quit the guitar...'
Good luck sleeping at night...

Now come on guys, be a 'guitarrrr prick'. KEEP PLAYING THE GUITAR, KEEP ROCKING. DO IT FOR YOURSELF. DO IT FOR GMC!

Posted by: ztevie Mar 20 2008, 01:01 PM

My entry:

So you've been struck by the winterblues? You say you'll never pick up that crappy piece of wood again? That may be a big mistake... I did that once, and the hell I lived thru afterwards is something I do not wish my worst enemy. Read this true story, and tremble with fear of what might happen to you...

It was back in the days of 1994. Life was grand, sweden took the bronze at the Soccer World Championships in USA, I had a nice paying job and a nice apartment where I lived with my girlfriend who was playbunny material(She fell in love with me at a party where I played creedence songs on a $150 out of tune acoustic)...
I had just bought a Peavey Vandenberg guitar, a wonder of playability which allowed me to finally learn the intro to Yngwie's Trilogy Suite opus:5 on half speed. You could say I was in my prime...

I guess all these things combined made me lazy and sort of content. Often I chose to watch TV, or drink a beer at the local pub instead of playing the guitar. My girlfriend was not happy, she really enjoyed listening to me practicing. She just sat there with her eyes glittering as soon as I started playing Trilogy at half speed for the 59 zillionth time... On these occasions we always ended up in bed, where we didn't go at it at half speed, it was more like 280 bpm.
Well, like all things, you get tired of them, no matter how enjoyable they are. I was in particular starting to feel somewhat annoyed by the fact that she insisted on calling me Yngwie during our bedtime sessions... Also, I have short hair, and I didn't appreciate the habit she had of putting a 80's hair metal wig on my head. I thought I looked silly and begged her many times if we could skip this part, but then she would just go insane and sulk for days afterwards...

So one day I just refused.... "Please play Trilogy", she said a Friday afternoon. For the first time I said: "No, this is it, I'll never play that damn thing again, sometimes I suspect you don't love me, you love Trilogy Opus:5 and Yngwie!" After some discussion where she eagerly insisted that I was her only love, she screamed louder and in a higher pitch than Queensryche's Geoff Tate: "OK, SO I DO IT MYSELF!!!".
She ran out to the guitar room, picked up my Peavey, and started her own version of Trilogy... Needless to say, it sounded like utter crap! She played it faster then me but not a tone was right. You could say this was the guitar version of Chinese Water Torture...
I thought it was best to leave her be until she calmed down. 7 hours later, she was still going strong. Neighbors had also starting to notice the noise coming from our apartment. As one neighbor put it when he called: "Could you please play that Trilogy at half speed again, I don't think you're ready for full speed just yet?" After explaining to him(and 8 other callers) that it was in fact my girlfriend who just started her shredding career, I finally had enough and called the ambulance...

They picked her up at 2am that morning... They had never seen such a severe case of mental illness. She was clinging on to my Peavey with enormous strength, and to get her down to the ambulance they had to unplug the guitar and carry her out to the car. She was still playing, but of course now at a much more pleasant volume.

Now, 14 years later, she is at an asylum 25 miles from my home. The doctors haven't much hope of her ever getting better, they have many patients who is committed ther from various shred-diseases, but this is by far the worst they have ever seen...
They succeeded to get the Peavey out of her hands by giving her some paralyzing medicine, but all her awaken time she's now mumbleing the Trilogy Suite with her mouth. She does this quite accurate and at correct pitch(even tuned down a ½ note), and very impressingly is she does this at full speed!

As you understand, of course my life is in ruins now, I lost my love in life, and every Sunday afternoon is spent at this asylum(visiting hours 3-5pm), listening to my love mumbleing the Trilogy intro over and over and over again...
The other pateints and staff at the asylum has requested me to bring some other songs for her to listen to. Not that she will stop mumbleing, but they thought a change of tune would be nice. Nothing helps...
I played Impelitterri, Gilbert, Petrucci and countless others but to no avail. She did turn silent and laughed for a few seconds when I played Michael Angelo Batio, but then she started going Yngwie again.

So for me it's too late, but all you young guys out there should learn an important lesson from my mistake. Now I dwell in my dark apartment, asking myself again and again, oh why did I say those dreadful words: "No, this is it, I'll never play that damn thing again"

Don't let this happen to you, wear that wig, and don't be so picky about her calling you Jimi, John, Paul or whatever... You will thank me later, I promise!

Posted by: Bluesrock Mar 22 2008, 07:01 PM

You'll never quit because u know the feel of the guitar
You pick it up and feel the neck , the strings and the pick
you hear the surge of power as the amp comes to life
you love the sound of just strumming the strings for the first time that day
you can't wait to finish warming up so u can just play
and as u improvise and lose yourself in the music you feel your soul fly
it opens up and all thats left is music ,nothing more and nothing less
just try and quit , i dare you

Posted by: eddiecat Mar 22 2008, 07:12 PM

QUOTE (ztevie @ Mar 20 2008, 01:01 PM)

Posted by: Tjchep Mar 22 2008, 07:19 PM

QUOTE (ztevie @ Mar 20 2008, 01:01 PM)

Posted by: Capt.Z Mar 22 2008, 09:56 PM

Well, here is a second entry incase the first one loses...

"Ahh yes, i remember when i once wanted to give up guitar...
let me think.... oh yea!
Right after i left Guns N' Roses, and i formed the snakepit...
it was a winter much like this one, and we just had a concert.
I nearly gave up, and over the next decade, i had other side
projects, and performed with many other bands...

I was not fully satisfied, and nearly quit until...
We formed Velvet Revolver, and all was well.

Now im a guitar legend, and im in guitar hero 3(cool!)
If you wanna be more like me, than keep practicing...
believe me its worth it.
Sincerly, SLASH"

well i hope everyone likes it. i used wikipedia to
find most of this out. so i hope i win.

Posted by: Col Roberts Mar 23 2008, 09:57 AM

Every person who picks up a guitar will eventually reach a point where they
feel they have reached a plateau and can't continue to improve. If you put
your mind to it, and put in the hours, you can achieve anything. Doubt in
your ability is the enemy and must be overcome. Winter time is period where
depression is often common, but what better way is there to beat depression
than to nail a new solo, create a new riff or collaborate with other guitar
players. Every time I complete a new lesson, bring a lesson up to the correct
tempo or learn a new scale I feel energised and eager for the next step.
There is so much to learn, and I fear that a lifetime isn't long enough to
learn it all. But am I going to give up? No! To give up would be saying that
all this time I have invested was a waste of time. As one famous guitarist said
about learning to play, "It's one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent
perspiration". Come on, remember all those achievements you've had with your
playing, the enjoyment and fun you can have, the music that's waiting to be
created and the fact that guitar players rule. If you give up now, and then
decide years later that you do want to play, you can never get that precious
time back!

How about you guys forming a collaboration and composing a tune called "The
Winter Blues". Hey, it might just be the tonic you need.

Posted by: Nick325 Mar 23 2008, 06:54 PM

andrew is it ok if i post mine in a few hours or so? im going out for easter and dont have time to post it now.

Posted by: IslandGuy Mar 24 2008, 12:46 AM

Long time lurker, first time poster. I hope you enjoy.

An Ode To A Guitarist
=====================

You hit a chord, the crowd goes wild
The spotlight hits your face
You got your axe, your amp and picks
Your power chord sets the pace

Your solo starts, palm muted licks
"I'll start out slow", you said
But as you start to warm them up
Your fingers want to shred

The crowd cheers now, their fists held high
They're calling out your name
They don't know of all the work
That went into your fame

When starting out, you practiced scales
Pentatonic, major, minor too
Then modes and chords, you learned them all
Your skills just grew and grew

At GMC they teach you stuff
Like taps and sweeps and scales
You play for hours every day
And now, your axe just wails

Of course it can get very hard
To practice every day
But should you quit and give it up?
No sir, no how, no way!

It's in your blood and in your heart
The need is deep inside
You've come so far and learned so much
You couldn't quit if you tried

On the stage or by yourself
You play guitar for fun
Just face it guys, you can't let go
Your axe and you are one

Posted by: Andrew Cockburn Mar 24 2008, 02:08 AM

Wow, lots of amazing entries

All good things must come to an end, and entries are now closed - The affected members will read your entries, and if, and I mean if we decide not to give up guitar, we will award prizes to those of you who convinced us the most

Winners will be announced next weekend!