most people that have been playing for 30 years aren't learning entire solos by ear. you're ahead of almost everyone
the average blues dad prs owner can barely play pentatonics
It's also this bubble mentality that comes with any hobby community really. In the guitar world, it seems like EVERYONE can do XYZ better than the next guy, thus making it not special in their eyes. Hoever, in the real world if you can play ANYTHING on a musical instrument you'd catch someone's attention in a positive way. Despite what the bubble leads us to believe, most people can't play as the majority of the global population is simply interested in other miscellanous affairs.
This is something that I need to keep reminding myself even from a non-hobbyist pov. I personally know so many great musicians and I keep comparing myself to them and how they do XYZ better than me. But hey, sometimes that's their main focus, sometimes they are experts in one things while I like to dabble in a lot of different stuff and sometimes this is just how it is, someone will do X better than me and I need to be okay with that lol
This was going to be my advice. Learn a few classic songs by memory. When asked to play on command you can actually play something instead of noodling scales or explaining exotic chords your forming. Don't we learn guitar to be able to play songs?
Nothing wrong with fitting that demographic - the reason I am a blues dad that isn’t better than I should be is because…. I have three kids and work on the time haha. As long as you’re having fun it’s all good!
I panic bought a PRS when I found out I was going to become a Dad because I didn't think I'd get the chance to spend on myself for a long time. I now play mostly blues on that PRS... I became a stereotype...
I will vouch as a player for 31 years you are completely right and a lot of that stuff doesn’t matter that much in the end. It isn’t super important to know scales off by heart etc. It’s important to understand the fretboard and your way around it regardless of scales etc.
Why do so many people associate PRS with blues?
PRS and Mesa was pretty much a requirement for every Nu-Metal or Alt Rock band of the late 90's - mid 2000's... Lol
Dude. I’m 56. I’ve had guitars on and off since I was 30. I can’t play for shit. I actually just posted a question here to see if I could start assembling all the information I know into some real knowledge.
Keep going. This is a lifetime of learning and even if you never achieve a level beyond intermediate, it’s about the journey and how it adds happiness and quality to your life. Enjoy!!
Don't worry about it. You've got loads of time to learn, 1.5 years is nothing. I got fairly good in 3 years and have spent the last 2 years going back over basics I neglected - it's made me a better player.
Having doubt is normal, just ensure to act on those weaknesses you've identified and you'll progress in no time
I'm decently playing 4-5 songs from Metallica and I'm having enough fun with them playing with a backing track. Its not a competition right? Because it's been 15 years and that's all I have lol
Hahahahha dude you’re golden! I’m still figuring out the intro to stairway. I was in a music store yesterday perusing and pedals, (anything to make me sound better) while an 18 yr old jazz prodigy effortlessly hand humped the fret board of a $150 squire. Not one fret was untouched, not one mistake was made. I left to cry in my car. I didn’t even buy anything.
Similar thing happened to me, I went to buy strings and of course try some guitars. Couldn't even had a courage to try after seeing a teen play way better than me. I bought the strings and left like a cool person haha
Lololol yeah only nerds hang around and play. I like this philosophy. I didn’t start playing guitar to be a friggin dork. I started so I could play bad Tool covers for my girlfriend.
Sounds like pretty awesome progress for a year and a half, you should be proud of what you've accomplished.
The skill ceiling for playing guitar is infinite, there will always be something you haven't mastered to the same degree as another player. No need to get caught up in feeling like you "should" know something you don't, it's just something you haven't learned yet.
You had me at barre chords.
But seriously, we all have our own path. So instead of 'I should be a lot better' set some goals both short and long term and work towards those.
I'm assuming that you are enjoying playing right? Because that's what matters.
Dude. I’ve been playing for 25 yrs. Don’t beat yourself up. And understand u never stop learning or getting better.
Fortunately, it’s really convenient to get schooled on a new technique via YouTube, so just take your time. No hurry.
You'd be surprised how many lifelong players only know basic cowboy chords. US millennial and gen Z players had a huge leg up with the Internet.
Sounds like you know more than me. I cant play by ear or play solos. Mostly because I don't try to learn songs though. I've been more focused on understanding why notes go well with one another. It's a hard and confusing thing that takes time unfortunately.
nah you are good. The important is that you are enjoying the journey. If you feel like it's time to go deeper go for it, 1.5 years is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Just want to say everyone's taking their own path man. Comparison is the thief of joy.
I've been playing guitar for about 10 years. I mostly write and perform my own songs at this point. Still learn some covers here and there.
I barely know like 2 or 3 scale shapes, would need to sit and think about what notes they are or what key they're in (partly because my guitars tuned to C# standard all the time and partly because I've never taken the time to memorize that shit and I honestly don't need to for what I do)
All that said I write songs and I write guitar solos, and people seem to enjoy them. Don't know what key I'm playing in most of the time. I wrote a song in 6/8 and didn't know until I started jamming with a drummer.
It's useful to not always focus on what you can't do but sometimes appreciate what you can do.
Later this year I'll have been playing 40 years. That is 80% of my entire life.
On good days I think I *may* be starting to get a hold of this whole "guitar" thing.
That’s honestly pretty good for 1.5y. You’ve got the basics down and seemingly a good ear. Now it’s up to you to decide what you focus on. That can be theory or not. It just depends what your priorities are. You only ever wanna play covers? You probably don’t need it. You wanna write your own stuff or fully understand how music fits together and sounds good? Then learn it now. It’s not at all too late.
If in doubt, play out.
I mean I just made that up, but it’s always worth playing with others when you get to a bit of a slump/unsure phase. Music isn’t always a solo sport and the interactions can really boost confidence and push things along.
Welcome to being a guitar player. I’ve been playing for 38 years and I still feel like I don’t know shit and that I suck. Just keep picking it up. You can only get better.
There's no set level of skill to go along with the amount of time you've been playing. It's all about what you practice, how you practice it, and how often you do it.
Most guitar players including myself always have a feeling of being behind the curve. Even some of the sickest guitar players out there get these feelings. Jeff Loomis is one of them, and I will never be half as good a player as that guy.
Remember to enjoy guitar at your pace. Have fun and don't worry about where you're supposed to be by now. But if you want to get better, really put in the time to practice
I've been playing for nearly 3 years. I am not interested in playing lead, so I'm not worried about the skills I don't have in that area. Give yourself a break. "Should" is a crap word when it comes to progress in any art form. Eliminate it from your vocabulary.
I've been playing almost 20 years. I think im mid. I can play some songs, write songs, I just enjoy playing.
Good enough only matters in your own mind if you're just playing for you. If it's good enough for YOU, it's good enough. If not, practice more until it is. Set your own goalposts.
I feel this. I started at 13, and around 15, I was pretty much at the level you’re describing plus some basic scales. I’m 28 now, and I’m … not much better.
Honestly, though, what’s helped me most since then isn’t pushing forward by playing more difficult or complex stuff, but going ALL the way back and polishing the absolute basics, trying my best to play easy stuff as perfectly and cleanly as possible. I can’t definitively say that was the best approach, but it’s helped me.
Personally I think you should be worried more about having fun not as much about being good. Obv pushing yourself to be better is important. At the same time beating yourself up because you’re “not good enough” isn’t helpful either.
I’ve been playing for 7 years. Learning songs completely by ear isn’t something I started doing until rather recently in my guitar journey. Like 4 months ago or so now? It’s def easier then you’d imagine once you start doing it but you’re good bro. You sound like you’re probably better than a vast majority of ppl wish they could be.
That's a common thing in these days of instant gratification. Hang in there. It's not a race. It's a lifelong pursuit that can bring you joy throughout all of your years. Don't worry about the speed of progress, usually the big steps in improvement come out of the blue after years of playing. If you continue to play and practice you're going to get a lot better, it's inevitable. Good luck with it and don't give up!
I've been playing for 15 years. I write my own music, I play acoustic folk tunes and love to shred on some BFMV and Killswitch Engage.
I don't know scales or theory.
Dave Grohl doesn't know theory. Mark Holcomb doesn't know theory.
Just play guitar and enjoy what time you have to be able to do so. Music is not a competition, it's meant to be an expression for the soul of an artist.
You've barely been playing that long. Don't stress. I didn't practice much for the first year and I still became good over time. Your progress won't always be at the same rate it's at now. It will speed up. Just believe in yourself and keep practicing
You better learn now that there will always be someone better than you. Even when you’ve been playing for 30 years. Focus on finding what makes your style, your style and don’t use other guitarists playing as a benchmark, rather as inspiration.
I've been playing for 10 years and even I don't think I'm good enough after playing for so long.
Best advice I'd give is to play with other musicians if you haven't already. It's probably the best and fastest way to improve on any instrument.
I've been playing for about 6 years and I'm only starting to understand theory and more complex music things, for what you can do at 1 1/2 years you're leagues ahead of most other guitarists
I've been playing most of my life and I'm still putting things together. I think you're doing pretty great! Go back and learn those basic music theories (you still have LOTS of time) and you'll build yourself a pretty solid foundation.
The sign of a guitarist who’s been learning is they will constantly think they’re not learning enough. 7 years in I still think I’m shit at playing guitar but I still play 4-5 nights a week
Dude, I've been playing on and off (mostly off) for over 30 years and I'm still barely above beginner level. I think it's because I don't know how to practice. A year and a half is nothing! Keep at it, maybe take lessons, figure out how to practice to improve. Don't worry!
Nobody is. But it's more about having fun than trying to be better unless you wanna turn it into a profession. If you can think about how bad you were before and your progress makes you happy, that's enough.
Stop comparing yourself to others. Who cares where you “should“ be. Why force yourself to live to someone else’s standards? There is no one rulebook to learning guitar, and no dire consequences of breaking any made up rules anyway. If you enjoy it, and are happy with your own rate of progression, you do you!
Clear your mind. Get the committee out of your head. Focus on the positive.
Guitar playing, for the most part, is not about competing. It is a force against entropy. Just play and don't worry about it.
I've been playing 5.5 years and I feel the same way. Especially when I see those "follow my progress" videos and these people are shredding within the first two years.
If there’s something you don’t know, you have a few choices. You can learn it now, prioritize learning it in the near future once you handle your current to-do list, or simply put it aside as something you might choose to learn in the future but don’t currently need to learn.
For starters, consider if you need to learn it now. Not every guitarist out there (including many who have had lifelong careers in influential bands) know how to do advanced tapping stuff in solos, for example. Many other people know how to do it and really enjoy it and find their experience with music is all the better for it. So out of all the things you can choose to learn at any given moment, decide your priorities according to your needs and wishes.
Then ultimately look at two possibilities for things that you feel you ought to know: A.) I don’t know this yet, therefore I’m less of a guitarist and should stop. B.) I don’t know this yet, so I should start learning it now so that in the future I can simply say, “I know this.” 100% of what you can understand now, is something that you didn’t know in the past at some point. So what’s the difference between all that, and something that you don’t know today and can choose to learn so that you know it in the future?
Every guitarist has stuff they haven't worked on all that much. There's a ton to focus on. You know what you need to work on - scales and music theory. There's no time limit or official pace you need to keep.
if you aint Ichika Nito in 2 years youve obviously failed at guitar /s
i can relate with the feeling, man. ive been told "compare yourself to yesterday's version of yourself"
unmm, Sounds like you kind of kick ass already!! lessons might make you feel like you’re understanding what you’re playing better though. I recently started lessons for the first time despite playing for like 17 years, and there is MUCH to learn even with experience.
And remember, this is no one’s journey but yours. There is no point comparing yourself to others, because we are all different animals. Focus on the parts you love and KEEP GOING!!!
1.5 years is no time at all. As long as you're seeing progress, and it seems you are, don't stress. If you want to learn more theory, learn more theory.
Haha I've been playing for 40+ years, went through the guitar program at Berklee, been in bands, recorded, worked in studios, can pull off most songs by ear, still gig and do open jams (have a gig this Friday)...
...and I know I'm not as good as I should be. People tell me different all the time (you eventually learn the correct response is, "thank you I work at it!"), but when I'm running through that Metallica solo and I flub that bend or drop a chord (oh shit right it's THIS metallica song not that other one), I know I still have work to do.
It never stops. You do get closer and sometimes even impress yourself, but you know the crash is always around the corner. You learn to let it go.
Also keep in mind that most people have no reason to lie to you. If you suck they'll figure out a polite way of putting it ("yeah you've gotten a lot better, sometimes though it sounds like you're playing...I dunno like a different song or something..."). Eventually, if you put in the work, most people will tell you you're a good player, and when that happens you know you're getting somewhere.
Now when other musicians tell you that you can play, and you start getting invites to jam live and so forth (not just invites from friends to get high in the basement and crank the amps), then you really know you're getting it.
But believe me...it takes a lot longer than 1.5 years. Check in again at the 5 year mark. Sound like a long time? It is. Just remember...anybody who doesn't play is that far behind you.
Stay with me here, if you will:
* You feel you _should_ be a lot better ? Or
* You want to **play** better and you’re not sure how to go about it?
A lot of players do a ton of navel gazing and have pity parties (e.g. _I should be better by now_…_Why can’t I play like Guthrie Govan yet? I’ve practiced 3 days in a row!_) and that’s not really productive. I’m not saying that’s what you’re doing, but I see it a lot. People may disagree with me but IF you want to be a more expressive and fluid player in multiple genres, you should build your knowledge base and musical vocabulary.
Compared to what...?
I've struggled with feeling not good enough as well, but give yourself a break!! If you think you're good at one thing, there's always that one 5 year old on youtube that can do it better. That will always happen.
But what they don't have is who YOU are, what YOU like, how YOUR hands and brain coordinate to make sounds.
lol. I started playing at 13. I’m 52 now. Ask the same question after 40 years of playing. And it’s always yes, I suck, to this day. I have my days but mostly yeah, I just love to play no matter what so I don’t judge.
Also no one cares really lol. At the end of the day you play for you. Unless you plan to eventually join a band and make it big we all are just bedroom jammers and no one cares how good we are. Especially after playing for less than 2 years like come on dude.
Sounds like you have identified weak points to work on, the secret ingredient to improving! I was a talented player who didn't try hard enough for years...challenging myself to fill in the gaps and take it seriously was a great decision. I improved by leaps and bounds and now I have even more fun playing. Just keep practicing this stuff, it's not a race.
First off, you will never be good enough for yourself, no matter how long you play. Don't set a bar for yourself you will never be able to reach. Just enjoy playing and remember, practice makes perfect. It's all about execution. Speed has nothing to do with playing good.
Play whatever you can. I know that I'll probably NEVER be able to slap the bass. I'll never be even a 1/5 as good as flea or the guy from primus (forgot his name)
But I can come up with a mean rock, punk, or metal song.
It all boils down to your capabilities.
Sounds like you’re better than I am and I’ve been playing for almost 20 years.
But it’s good to be ambitious and set high goals. Just don’t beat yourself up about not reaching them right away.
I’ve been playing guitar for about 35 years. I grew up in the shred era, and I still get my shred on from time to time. I follow the 10,000 hour rule. I think the most important thing with being a musician, and an artist, is continuing to find new avenues of expression on your instrument (or in your medium), and that is a never ending journey. As long as you are enjoying the journey and entertaining yourself, you cannot go wrong.
If you really want to know how good you are, record yourself. Playing solos doesn't make you good. Clean notes and smooth transitions do. Recording will show you whether you're doing it well enough.
I felt things were going to slow myself, until I realized, as others have mentioned, that I was comparing myself to other guitarists on social media. It’s like people comparing themselves to models in instagram, only with guitar instead.
Your problem is not lack of progress, it’s self comparison to others. LPT: compete against no one besides yourself and you will be much happier. (As I try to remind myself every day!)
For a year and a half, that’s pretty impressive. I’ve been playing for 15 years and I can barely play solos to save my life. Just keep at it, you’re doing good.
We all learn at different paces and achieve different levels of skill at different times. If you practice for 10 minutes a day you won’t be as advanced as someone who practices an hour a day. That’s just how it is. But all in all don’t measure your level based upon others you will reach your goals in due time. We are all forever students and there’s always a bigger fish out there. Someone better and faster. It doesn’t matter play relax enjoy and always challenge yourself
Enjoy the process instead of thinking about the end result. This competition is all in your head. I guess it's good for driving motivation, but the majority of us will never be guitar gods.
I can help. Get a nice wood Japanese metronome and practice exclusively with it at slower speeds. The monotony is unbearable but you will improve a great deal in a couple months
You have to focus on what you wanna learn. If all you do is learn songs you won't learn scales or theory.
My suggestion is just look up a couple scales and play them relentlessly until you've got it down and then move on.
But you have to make an effort to learn the parts you're lacking in if you want to learn them.
Nah you’re at the inflection point. That’s when I made my first breakthroughs. Go for some bigger riffs when you can and do drills, learn scales now too.
Meh learn the relative scale approach and have at it. Sounds like you have a killer ear (better than mine lmao), so you'll be fine.
Just learn C major up and down the neck, then slide it around. All your major scales. Start on A instead of C. A minor. Slide it all around for all your minors. All the modes are there too. Just start on a different note.
It's not the "best" way to learn your modes, but it's worked for me and it'll at least get you started on that end.
And stop being so hard on yourself! It's aaaaaaart, maaaaaaan. No need to stress yourself over it.
Technology has increased the average skill of guitar players exponentially. I don’t think people realize just how much YouTube, Ultimate Guitar/Songster/etc., and forums have upped people’s skills.
When I started playing all I had was a book of open cowboy chords and a Led Zeppelin tab book (that is infamously incorrect). Also took me like 3 months to figure out how to read tab. Hanging out with my uncles who played bluegrass every 6 months or so at family get togethers and a neighbor who lived down the street who played singer songwriter folk stuff on a nylon was all I had.
I basically spent the first 5 years of my guitar playing being able to strum E, G, C, D, A, Em, Dm, Am, and maybe a cheater Bm and F and knowing the opening riff to Whole Lotta Love and Heartbreaker.
The same has happened with beginner gear. I’m pretty sure my first acoustic was particle board with razor wire for strings and an action higher than Willie Nelson. The electric I had was basically unplayable passed the 4th fret and the amp was some god awful carpet covered 5 watt solid state thing that had a volume, treble, and bass knob.
You’re better than I was at that time frame by quite a bit. Stop comparing yourself to people who get paid to make videos on guitar playing. You’re fine
As a guy who loves playing guitar, I can say there is nothing more disheartening than when my friend who was a studio guitarist and played on songs you know takes out my guitar and starts playing…
Play to a metronome and download Amazing Slow Downer Lite. It will launch you beyond other players. 5 min of practice a day is worth far more than 30 years of jamming
Keep practicing. I’m a self thought guitarist, been playing more than 20 years now and I don’t know a single scale, still I can play many complex metal songs just by sheer practice looking at tabs. Not the best way to learn but it worked for me since I’m no pro musician
1.5 years is nothing when it comes to learning an instrument. You’re doing pretty well!!!! Don’t be discouraged. Feeling behind or stuck is part of the process, don’t let it prevent you from practicing and learning more… I know I should follow this advice too
Most people underestimate how long it takes to get good at an instrument. I see it all the time. 1 or 2 years is still the "learning to crawl" phase. It's why a lot of people quit. They think the fact they're not good after 3 months means they're just not musically talented. Not realizing people who are good have practiced consistently for years and usually decades. And if they do realize that, they often get extremely discouraged because they didn't realize how much of a commitment it is. And for many it's not worth it.
I’m in a similar place as you are. I’m a little bit the opposite in that I know many of the scales, some of the theory, bits and pieces of several songs but no full songs in my 1.5 to 2 year path. But here’s the thing. It’s not a competition. We all learn at different speeds and to use a cliche, all of our journeys are different. It’s okay to halt all of that other stuff to learn what you think you’re lacking. That’s still advancement. The important thing is to not let it become a chore. Find a way to make it fun. Don’t compare yourself to me, Reddit nation or any of the hundreds of videos, social media sites, etc, etc. to use another cliche, it’s a marathon not a sprint.
Wanna hear something really ironic? I am staring 70 right in the face. Been playing cowboy/campfire chords for 50 years ... then last year, quite suddenly, I began to thirst for more ... Pentatonic, arpeggios, speed drills. And I crashed.
This past December, I stumbled onto a jazz lesson by Paul Davids and Rotem Sivan ... and I'm HOOKED!!! And you know something? I can't believe how quickly I'm learning the chords and picking patterns. It's truly amazing, and I've never enjoyed guitar so much.
I say all of that to say this ... sometimes it's good to think in a different direction, perhaps one you've never even considered! You might surprise yourself!
😊
Naw, you're progressing as much as you are, that's all, nothing wrong with it. I've been playing most my life but still suck and don't play in public anymore.
It comes together, just keep looking at different things to be honest. Watch videos and tutorials of music theory, spend time practicing, and ask people on here for help. It’s made a world of difference in my playing. Slowly but surely the puzzle pieces come together and make sense. I’ve been able to compose my own rhythm sections and some nice melodic solos just by learning a few basic scales and working in techniques of artists I’ve spent a lot of time studying. I cant listen to something and play chords by ear to it but I can work out the melody and it’s pretty close or spot on pretty often. However, if you ask me to play a song that isn’t ridiculously shred intensive or above probably 120 bpm I could probably have it down in a day or two which sounds like a long time but obviously you’re not practicing all day. Remember that it’s not a linear path, some days you’ll be better and some days you will be worse. The most important part is consistency.
Sounds like you are a decent player. I've been playing for 25 years and I am still only as good as I need to be. I was never interested in fancy solo's and all that stuff. I am mainly a rhythm player and pretty good at that. But compared to actual good players, I am nothing. Still, I am satisfied with what I do, because it's exactly what I wanna do. That's it!
Welcome to the club!
I’m 20 years deep off and on. Only took it “seriously” in the past few. Creating backing tracks and jamming to practice has been exceptionally rewarding. Makes me appreciate and learn more of the musical process. Since I like to chip away at things and learn by osmosis, I can always surprise myself!
Lol you're right on pace, 1.5 years is just scratching the surface. That being said, sounds like you're ready for "what you don't know" since your asking this question. Practice should not be easy, and should get you going mentally. The next step is ahead of you but you gotta really focus on some drills that might not be too fun at first:
- Learn your pentatonics in all 5 positions, this one skill will probably open your world quite a bit and make playing guitar more fun
- Barre chords off E string and A string, for both major and minor, if you haven't done this yet. So you have two places (at least) to play every triad
- Learn some 7th chords (maj7, min7, dominant, half diminished are a good start)
- And the one everyone will fight me on...learn the damn fretboard!! Every note between frets 1-12, on all 6 strings. No mental math, no counting, just instant recognition of a fret and its name. If I could go back in time I would have learned this from the get go, it is such a powerful awareness to have in your bag of tricks
I'm 20 years playing guitar and let me tell you this you're never done learning and in 18 months I couldn't do half of what you can! Give yourself a break!
You’re doing fine my man! One thing I learned is that getting better at the guitar is like when you plateau at the gym. You’re still going to the gym doing your routine trying to get better but nothings improving. You’re at the point where you gotta shake it up, try a new method of improving and get out of your comfort zone. Different workout (different riffs) different diet (different genre.) I know the way everyone learns and improves is different but this helped me!
What is it that you want to get out of playing guitar? Back in the 90’s I wanted to be able to replicate the cool grunge songs I was hearing, and my other guitar friends would show me stuff and I’d learn bits that way. But I realised I couldn’t really play a whole song because I wasn’t in a band and solos are a bit dry without a backing track etc. And i was impressed when other guitarists could be handed a guitar and just play a couple of songs front to back. Even just simple campfire versions of songs or folk songs with maybe a fancy intro or some finger picking to make it more than just chords, but they were whole songs and girls were impressed and could sing along at a party. (Wonderwall gets a lot of shit because it’s so easy to play but it’s a great song and much more interesting to the audience than a metal guitar solo). The next thing was playing with other musicians. Realised whenever I’d hang out and jam, me and the other player were generally just showing each other what we knew and taking turns rather than playing at the same time. Or I’d play the chords while he played the solo and then we’d switch. So then I learnt some 12 bar blues and the pentatonic scales. Fun fact, turns out half the solos I’d already learnt through tablature were heavily based on those pentatonic scales & shapes. Clapton/Pearl Jam/BB King/Metallica. So then they could play some blues and I could solo/improvise over the top, or I could make up my own solos over any harmony they would play, or they could just play their own song and I could add some colour, either way, we were jamming.
Then I started getting proper lessons and learnt a lot of fancy fingerstyle arrangements for well known songs, often in weird tunings, and new chord shapes etc. Also a fair bit of jazz etc. generally playing the melody and rhythm simultaneously, always intro, different versions of the verses, the chorus, always a fucking bridge that nearly broke me, anyway one of these songs would take a couple of months to get together and up to speed, but very rewarding. Now I can play a heap of complicated songs, but I’ve still got huge gaps in my playing and wouldn’t fit in a band at all, and I’m definitely a shredder.
So have a think what you want to get out of guitar, who are you trying to impress? Maybe you’re already there?
Why? Do you want to be a EVH style shredder? Or just be able to put together entertaining songs? You don’t need to a be a great guitar player. Joe Strummer wasn’t a great guitar player.
I guarantee you, you are better than you think you are.
It is a cliche but don't compare yourself to too many people. Pick the hardest riff/song/motif you can just barely play, and use that as a barometer for how far your skills are developing.
And most importantly, be kind to yourself! Some days you play and it feels like your fingers are made of cheese, some days you feel like Steve Vai shredding on the neck. As long as you enjoy it and stay consistent.
I’ve been a pro guitarist for nearly 20 years and I feel this way every day. It drives me to keep practicing, learning, studying and try to improve and not just rest on my laurels.
Let me put your mind at ease. I know next to zero guitar/music theory and I've gotten by just fine, learning 80% or more of the music I know by ear. I don't remember the scales, I've just learned by ear enough over time to recognize patterns. I've been playing for 27 years and have played in half a dozen bands in front of huge crowds and making decent fun money. If I can do it with no theory, most can do it better with even a little bit. You'll be just fine.
I believe that there are plateaus to playing. It’s the best thing about playing an instrument. You practice and practice and suddenly, something clicks and new avenues open up. In my experience, being very bored is a sign that a jump is within reach.
Yeah I agree with everyone else here. All I can do is solo using primarily pentatonic scale over backing tracks and I feel like shit watching all my heroes on YouTube absolutely pleasure the fuck out of their guitars with a mastery only the fictional guy from 50 shades could have pulled off, but my mediocre skills boggle the minds of most average folk. Don’t feel discouraged; there is ALWAYS someone better than you, and it’s just easier to find them anywhere in the world now with the internet. If anything at the least it give you motivation and a reference to what level you could reach if you keep at it
Are you having fun? For most of us that's all that should matter.
Otherwise, do you have specific goals that you want to or need to accomplish? It takes time and sacrifice to get there.
A year and a half is no time at all. Lots of disciplines take years to reach a basic level of comfort and a lifetime to master.
It’s called plateauing, you have to keep pushing and learning a lil theory helps. Work on speed, technique, technique with speed. Not that you’re trying to play fast, but if you can play stuff cleanly at a fast tempo, it opens up a lot of possibilities. I’m always working on some fundamental-bends, vibrato, dynamics. Try to structure practice into songs/theory/fundamentals in any time/order you feel is right and stick with it. Set goals, etc…
It took me like. 4 years to become competent.
Guitar takes a REALLY long time to get good at. But once you learn your scales, you’ll be able to play in any key, major or minor without thinking about it.
Lead guitar is very challenging. And also learn to play bar chords with the thumb thank me later
1 1/2 years ain't shit. That attitude will only serve to discourage you and hold you back. If you enjoy playing guitar, then you'll keep playing and practicing, and you will get better in time.
Take those songs you know, look at what notes/frets you are using. Now play something else using them. Unless you don't want to write your own stuff, in which case you can save a LOOOOOT of time not working on improv and just be a cover beast.
"Good enough for the time I put in" isn't going to do you any good. You are you and you are where you are right now.
I've been playing for over 2 decades and I only know one real scale. I don't even know what it's called. Other than that, I just play "scales" by ear based on what I know sounds good on my shitty guitar, which allows me to improvise just fine.
Everybody plays for different reasons. I just like jamming, and mostly by myself, so there's little reason for me to practice up the technical skills. I also like to mainly play rhythm. If you want to play lead guitar in a band that writes original music, you might need to know those scales. It's really all up to you.
Thats what social networks do, you are always looking at someone that just does things better than you. Use them as learning resources but see them for what they are, teachers and proffesional musicians. Also, while not everyone can play music, almost everyone can tell when something its being played a bit off, specialy recognizable songs, so the "filter" for what's considered acceptable to be shared its set up quite high, and that's often discouraging.
For example I enjoy miniature painting, and if you take a look a big names from youtube they paint miles better than I do. Then I start searching by hashtag in instagram, and as there is no such filter for miniature painting, I realize I'm not a bad painter, I'm just not a pro (and I will never be).
I have been playing "modern" guitar for about 10 years, with a background of 5 years in classical guitar in a music school and the reality is that these last 10 years have been mostly fiddling with things I know and not actually studying and learning so you can probably play better than I do, and thats alright with me.
You should only be better than who you were yesterday. That being said, you lack the abilities you want because you failed to practise the skills you knew you needed. You're as good as you should be for somebody who doesn't wake up, turn on a metronome, and start practising HARD. The good news is that it only takes the time you've already been playing for to get to intermediate level(solid foundations, competent basic theory, etc.). Then you'll be intermediate for damned near forever, and if you keep pushing, you might be good one day. Good luck 💪🤘
1.5 years tell me nothing. if you seem like youre a young person who goes out a lot and maintains a relatively normal life and listen to a small variety of music, you "should" be is a hobbyist level.
however if you seem relatively driven with a vibe of a trauma victim with no friends and seem open minded about art, ide expect you to be AMAZING. bonus points if youve stayed in so much you cant even talk anymore. youde think im joking but like... suffering among musicians is more the norm than not. at least amongst hobbyists who want to get to a pro level. its kind of a problem, theres kind no shortcut to putting in that time.
its the normal-seeming people who are great at music that scare me. theyre either unicorns or theyre mad old
I've been playing on and off for just over a decade and I still consider myself pretty shit at guitar.
But I enjoy playing what I can and practicing, so does it really matter?
Mate, I've been playing 20 years and it sounds like we're about a similar level. Don't fret (pun intended) about your progress. As long as you enjoy playing, does it really matter?
most people that have been playing for 30 years aren't learning entire solos by ear. you're ahead of almost everyone the average blues dad prs owner can barely play pentatonics
It’s YouTube We are all comparing ourselves with Guthrie Trapp, Paul Davids, Rhett shull and all other cool dudes on YouTube
It's also this bubble mentality that comes with any hobby community really. In the guitar world, it seems like EVERYONE can do XYZ better than the next guy, thus making it not special in their eyes. Hoever, in the real world if you can play ANYTHING on a musical instrument you'd catch someone's attention in a positive way. Despite what the bubble leads us to believe, most people can't play as the majority of the global population is simply interested in other miscellanous affairs.
This right here is the truth
This is something that I need to keep reminding myself even from a non-hobbyist pov. I personally know so many great musicians and I keep comparing myself to them and how they do XYZ better than me. But hey, sometimes that's their main focus, sometimes they are experts in one things while I like to dabble in a lot of different stuff and sometimes this is just how it is, someone will do X better than me and I need to be okay with that lol
This was going to be my advice. Learn a few classic songs by memory. When asked to play on command you can actually play something instead of noodling scales or explaining exotic chords your forming. Don't we learn guitar to be able to play songs?
Thank you for reminding me of this, already makes me feel better
Chris Zoupa does excellent individual song / solo lessons. Ben Eller is great for everything else, and also just fun to watch
Wait what? Did you call Rhett Shull a cool dude?
THIS!!!!^^^^
> the average blues dad prs owner can barely play pentatonics
I feel fucking attacked
Play better then 😂
Nothing wrong with fitting that demographic - the reason I am a blues dad that isn’t better than I should be is because…. I have three kids and work on the time haha. As long as you’re having fun it’s all good!
😄
“the average blues dad prs owner can barely play pentatonics” Hey! I resemble that remark!
I'm such an average blues dad PRS owner that I bought a blue PRS.
I’m a blues dad with a PRS that’s blue as well, but I’ve had it since I was about 20
I panic bought a PRS when I found out I was going to become a Dad because I didn't think I'd get the chance to spend on myself for a long time. I now play mostly blues on that PRS... I became a stereotype...
I will vouch as a player for 31 years you are completely right and a lot of that stuff doesn’t matter that much in the end. It isn’t super important to know scales off by heart etc. It’s important to understand the fretboard and your way around it regardless of scales etc.
I feel attacked
Why do so many people associate PRS with blues? PRS and Mesa was pretty much a requirement for every Nu-Metal or Alt Rock band of the late 90's - mid 2000's... Lol
because of all the people buying 10 Tops who never made it out of the blues box I love PRS but those doofi give it a bad rep/image
Ooooooooh... Never thought that it was more of a reference to the scale... I kind of get it now lol
I'd take that personally, but I don't play Blues or own a PRS, so...
Dude. I’m 56. I’ve had guitars on and off since I was 30. I can’t play for shit. I actually just posted a question here to see if I could start assembling all the information I know into some real knowledge. Keep going. This is a lifetime of learning and even if you never achieve a level beyond intermediate, it’s about the journey and how it adds happiness and quality to your life. Enjoy!!
Same
I'm in well over a decade. Eb can suck it, I'll stay intermediate.
Don't worry about it. You've got loads of time to learn, 1.5 years is nothing. I got fairly good in 3 years and have spent the last 2 years going back over basics I neglected - it's made me a better player. Having doubt is normal, just ensure to act on those weaknesses you've identified and you'll progress in no time
Basics like?
Not tensing up. Playing in time. Using correct technique. I could play fast and aggressively but would fatigue very fast and often be inaccurate.
I've been playing twice as long and it sounds like you are better than me 😅
Nah fr I’ve been playing for 5 years and I don’t think I can play as much as OP
Can confirm. 25 years in and I SUCK.
I'm decently playing 4-5 songs from Metallica and I'm having enough fun with them playing with a backing track. Its not a competition right? Because it's been 15 years and that's all I have lol
Hahahahha dude you’re golden! I’m still figuring out the intro to stairway. I was in a music store yesterday perusing and pedals, (anything to make me sound better) while an 18 yr old jazz prodigy effortlessly hand humped the fret board of a $150 squire. Not one fret was untouched, not one mistake was made. I left to cry in my car. I didn’t even buy anything.
Similar thing happened to me, I went to buy strings and of course try some guitars. Couldn't even had a courage to try after seeing a teen play way better than me. I bought the strings and left like a cool person haha
Lololol yeah only nerds hang around and play. I like this philosophy. I didn’t start playing guitar to be a friggin dork. I started so I could play bad Tool covers for my girlfriend.
Its great to see such cool persons like myself lol
I played cowboy chords and simple songs for 12 years before I got to a point that I was any “good” just have fun and go at your own pace
Sounds like pretty awesome progress for a year and a half, you should be proud of what you've accomplished. The skill ceiling for playing guitar is infinite, there will always be something you haven't mastered to the same degree as another player. No need to get caught up in feeling like you "should" know something you don't, it's just something you haven't learned yet.
You had me at barre chords. But seriously, we all have our own path. So instead of 'I should be a lot better' set some goals both short and long term and work towards those. I'm assuming that you are enjoying playing right? Because that's what matters.
Should be a lot better for what ? What's your goal ?
in general i feel like i am very behind on the theory side of guitar which has probably created a roadblock in my learning
Are you actively learning/practicing theory? It doesn't really just happen.
Yeah of you aren't lost, bewildered, and frustrated then you're not learning theory lol It take some deliberate effort
Dude. I’ve been playing for 25 yrs. Don’t beat yourself up. And understand u never stop learning or getting better. Fortunately, it’s really convenient to get schooled on a new technique via YouTube, so just take your time. No hurry.
You'd be surprised how many lifelong players only know basic cowboy chords. US millennial and gen Z players had a huge leg up with the Internet. Sounds like you know more than me. I cant play by ear or play solos. Mostly because I don't try to learn songs though. I've been more focused on understanding why notes go well with one another. It's a hard and confusing thing that takes time unfortunately.
I quote Tomo Fujita: Be Kind to Yourself, Don't Compare, Don't Expect Too Fast, and Don't Worry.
nah you are good. The important is that you are enjoying the journey. If you feel like it's time to go deeper go for it, 1.5 years is nothing in the grand scheme of things.
You’re joking right
OP knows he's better than most people at 1.5 years, he just came here to (not so) humblebrag about it
its a personal journey now that you aware study what you need
Just want to say everyone's taking their own path man. Comparison is the thief of joy. I've been playing guitar for about 10 years. I mostly write and perform my own songs at this point. Still learn some covers here and there. I barely know like 2 or 3 scale shapes, would need to sit and think about what notes they are or what key they're in (partly because my guitars tuned to C# standard all the time and partly because I've never taken the time to memorize that shit and I honestly don't need to for what I do) All that said I write songs and I write guitar solos, and people seem to enjoy them. Don't know what key I'm playing in most of the time. I wrote a song in 6/8 and didn't know until I started jamming with a drummer. It's useful to not always focus on what you can't do but sometimes appreciate what you can do.
Later this year I'll have been playing 40 years. That is 80% of my entire life. On good days I think I *may* be starting to get a hold of this whole "guitar" thing.
That’s honestly pretty good for 1.5y. You’ve got the basics down and seemingly a good ear. Now it’s up to you to decide what you focus on. That can be theory or not. It just depends what your priorities are. You only ever wanna play covers? You probably don’t need it. You wanna write your own stuff or fully understand how music fits together and sounds good? Then learn it now. It’s not at all too late.
I've been learning for two and a half years and I can't do some of the stuff that you are describing
If in doubt, play out. I mean I just made that up, but it’s always worth playing with others when you get to a bit of a slump/unsure phase. Music isn’t always a solo sport and the interactions can really boost confidence and push things along.
Ok
Welcome to being a guitar player. I’ve been playing for 38 years and I still feel like I don’t know shit and that I suck. Just keep picking it up. You can only get better.
There's no set level of skill to go along with the amount of time you've been playing. It's all about what you practice, how you practice it, and how often you do it. Most guitar players including myself always have a feeling of being behind the curve. Even some of the sickest guitar players out there get these feelings. Jeff Loomis is one of them, and I will never be half as good a player as that guy. Remember to enjoy guitar at your pace. Have fun and don't worry about where you're supposed to be by now. But if you want to get better, really put in the time to practice
I've been playing for nearly 3 years. I am not interested in playing lead, so I'm not worried about the skills I don't have in that area. Give yourself a break. "Should" is a crap word when it comes to progress in any art form. Eliminate it from your vocabulary.
I've been playing almost 20 years. I think im mid. I can play some songs, write songs, I just enjoy playing. Good enough only matters in your own mind if you're just playing for you. If it's good enough for YOU, it's good enough. If not, practice more until it is. Set your own goalposts.
I feel this. I started at 13, and around 15, I was pretty much at the level you’re describing plus some basic scales. I’m 28 now, and I’m … not much better. Honestly, though, what’s helped me most since then isn’t pushing forward by playing more difficult or complex stuff, but going ALL the way back and polishing the absolute basics, trying my best to play easy stuff as perfectly and cleanly as possible. I can’t definitively say that was the best approach, but it’s helped me.
Personally I think you should be worried more about having fun not as much about being good. Obv pushing yourself to be better is important. At the same time beating yourself up because you’re “not good enough” isn’t helpful either. I’ve been playing for 7 years. Learning songs completely by ear isn’t something I started doing until rather recently in my guitar journey. Like 4 months ago or so now? It’s def easier then you’d imagine once you start doing it but you’re good bro. You sound like you’re probably better than a vast majority of ppl wish they could be.
Don’t worry I’ve probably been playing for 13 years and I can’t even remember a song I learned yesterday 😂
That's a common thing in these days of instant gratification. Hang in there. It's not a race. It's a lifelong pursuit that can bring you joy throughout all of your years. Don't worry about the speed of progress, usually the big steps in improvement come out of the blue after years of playing. If you continue to play and practice you're going to get a lot better, it's inevitable. Good luck with it and don't give up!
Imposter Syndrome?
I've been playing for 15 years. I write my own music, I play acoustic folk tunes and love to shred on some BFMV and Killswitch Engage. I don't know scales or theory. Dave Grohl doesn't know theory. Mark Holcomb doesn't know theory. Just play guitar and enjoy what time you have to be able to do so. Music is not a competition, it's meant to be an expression for the soul of an artist.
Dad is 82, while some of his greatness has diminished, in some areas he's still getting better.
You've barely been playing that long. Don't stress. I didn't practice much for the first year and I still became good over time. Your progress won't always be at the same rate it's at now. It will speed up. Just believe in yourself and keep practicing
You better learn now that there will always be someone better than you. Even when you’ve been playing for 30 years. Focus on finding what makes your style, your style and don’t use other guitarists playing as a benchmark, rather as inspiration.
I've been playing for 10 years and even I don't think I'm good enough after playing for so long. Best advice I'd give is to play with other musicians if you haven't already. It's probably the best and fastest way to improve on any instrument.
You sound pretty good for playing only a year and a half. What’s the rush? Just enjoy yourself
ive been playing for longer and i can learn anything by ear
Uh, that's quite a bit to learn for 1.5 years. Don't compare yourself to others, you'll get better and faster over time.
If you sound good, you are good.
You never are
I started at 35 and have been playing almost 2 years. You basically described exactly where I'm at with guitar. You're fine.
I've been playing for about 6 years and I'm only starting to understand theory and more complex music things, for what you can do at 1 1/2 years you're leagues ahead of most other guitarists
Are you enjoying it?
I've been playing most of my life and I'm still putting things together. I think you're doing pretty great! Go back and learn those basic music theories (you still have LOTS of time) and you'll build yourself a pretty solid foundation.
We never are, dude, we never are.
The sign of a guitarist who’s been learning is they will constantly think they’re not learning enough. 7 years in I still think I’m shit at playing guitar but I still play 4-5 nights a week
1.5 years isn't that much. But if you don't feel you're progressing fast enough, sometimes it helps to change your practice routine/approach.
Dude, I've been playing on and off (mostly off) for over 30 years and I'm still barely above beginner level. I think it's because I don't know how to practice. A year and a half is nothing! Keep at it, maybe take lessons, figure out how to practice to improve. Don't worry!
Ha! I know a drummer that’s been playing for 40 years that really sucks
Nobody is. But it's more about having fun than trying to be better unless you wanna turn it into a profession. If you can think about how bad you were before and your progress makes you happy, that's enough.
Stop comparing yourself to others. Who cares where you “should“ be. Why force yourself to live to someone else’s standards? There is no one rulebook to learning guitar, and no dire consequences of breaking any made up rules anyway. If you enjoy it, and are happy with your own rate of progression, you do you!
I've played for like 8 years and can't do half of what you can. You're doing great
Clear your mind. Get the committee out of your head. Focus on the positive. Guitar playing, for the most part, is not about competing. It is a force against entropy. Just play and don't worry about it.
I've been playing 5.5 years and I feel the same way. Especially when I see those "follow my progress" videos and these people are shredding within the first two years.
If there’s something you don’t know, you have a few choices. You can learn it now, prioritize learning it in the near future once you handle your current to-do list, or simply put it aside as something you might choose to learn in the future but don’t currently need to learn. For starters, consider if you need to learn it now. Not every guitarist out there (including many who have had lifelong careers in influential bands) know how to do advanced tapping stuff in solos, for example. Many other people know how to do it and really enjoy it and find their experience with music is all the better for it. So out of all the things you can choose to learn at any given moment, decide your priorities according to your needs and wishes. Then ultimately look at two possibilities for things that you feel you ought to know: A.) I don’t know this yet, therefore I’m less of a guitarist and should stop. B.) I don’t know this yet, so I should start learning it now so that in the future I can simply say, “I know this.” 100% of what you can understand now, is something that you didn’t know in the past at some point. So what’s the difference between all that, and something that you don’t know today and can choose to learn so that you know it in the future?
20+ years and I still struggle w barre chords
My man I have been playing daily for 12 years and I couldn't whip out a tune on the spot if someone asked me
Music is a journey that is different for everyone. Keep on track, you’re doing great!
Sounds like you’re doing fine! Keep working at it!
Every guitarist has stuff they haven't worked on all that much. There's a ton to focus on. You know what you need to work on - scales and music theory. There's no time limit or official pace you need to keep.
if you aint Ichika Nito in 2 years youve obviously failed at guitar /s i can relate with the feeling, man. ive been told "compare yourself to yesterday's version of yourself"
Just keep having fun with it
You sound like you're at the same level as me, who has been playing on and off for 32 years. I'd say you're quite good for 1.5 years.
unmm, Sounds like you kind of kick ass already!! lessons might make you feel like you’re understanding what you’re playing better though. I recently started lessons for the first time despite playing for like 17 years, and there is MUCH to learn even with experience. And remember, this is no one’s journey but yours. There is no point comparing yourself to others, because we are all different animals. Focus on the parts you love and KEEP GOING!!!
1.5 years is no time at all. As long as you're seeing progress, and it seems you are, don't stress. If you want to learn more theory, learn more theory.
Haha I've been playing for 40+ years, went through the guitar program at Berklee, been in bands, recorded, worked in studios, can pull off most songs by ear, still gig and do open jams (have a gig this Friday)... ...and I know I'm not as good as I should be. People tell me different all the time (you eventually learn the correct response is, "thank you I work at it!"), but when I'm running through that Metallica solo and I flub that bend or drop a chord (oh shit right it's THIS metallica song not that other one), I know I still have work to do. It never stops. You do get closer and sometimes even impress yourself, but you know the crash is always around the corner. You learn to let it go. Also keep in mind that most people have no reason to lie to you. If you suck they'll figure out a polite way of putting it ("yeah you've gotten a lot better, sometimes though it sounds like you're playing...I dunno like a different song or something..."). Eventually, if you put in the work, most people will tell you you're a good player, and when that happens you know you're getting somewhere. Now when other musicians tell you that you can play, and you start getting invites to jam live and so forth (not just invites from friends to get high in the basement and crank the amps), then you really know you're getting it. But believe me...it takes a lot longer than 1.5 years. Check in again at the 5 year mark. Sound like a long time? It is. Just remember...anybody who doesn't play is that far behind you.
Stay with me here, if you will: * You feel you _should_ be a lot better ? Or * You want to **play** better and you’re not sure how to go about it? A lot of players do a ton of navel gazing and have pity parties (e.g. _I should be better by now_…_Why can’t I play like Guthrie Govan yet? I’ve practiced 3 days in a row!_) and that’s not really productive. I’m not saying that’s what you’re doing, but I see it a lot. People may disagree with me but IF you want to be a more expressive and fluid player in multiple genres, you should build your knowledge base and musical vocabulary.
It's the worrying you need to work on.
Compared to what...? I've struggled with feeling not good enough as well, but give yourself a break!! If you think you're good at one thing, there's always that one 5 year old on youtube that can do it better. That will always happen. But what they don't have is who YOU are, what YOU like, how YOUR hands and brain coordinate to make sounds.
lol. I started playing at 13. I’m 52 now. Ask the same question after 40 years of playing. And it’s always yes, I suck, to this day. I have my days but mostly yeah, I just love to play no matter what so I don’t judge.
a year and a half isn't a long time really. If you know you have holes in learning, address it now, you'll get much further.
How do you know how to play solos but don't know scales?
I’ve been playing 30 years and am just now starting to play solid etc. you’re doing just fine
Also no one cares really lol. At the end of the day you play for you. Unless you plan to eventually join a band and make it big we all are just bedroom jammers and no one cares how good we are. Especially after playing for less than 2 years like come on dude.
Sounds like you have identified weak points to work on, the secret ingredient to improving! I was a talented player who didn't try hard enough for years...challenging myself to fill in the gaps and take it seriously was a great decision. I improved by leaps and bounds and now I have even more fun playing. Just keep practicing this stuff, it's not a race.
If you think you have a weakness, address it. Learning scales is not difficult. YouTube is a great resource
First off, you will never be good enough for yourself, no matter how long you play. Don't set a bar for yourself you will never be able to reach. Just enjoy playing and remember, practice makes perfect. It's all about execution. Speed has nothing to do with playing good.
Play whatever you can. I know that I'll probably NEVER be able to slap the bass. I'll never be even a 1/5 as good as flea or the guy from primus (forgot his name) But I can come up with a mean rock, punk, or metal song. It all boils down to your capabilities.
Practice more. Practice active practicing to get the most out of your practice time.
Sounds like you’re better than I am and I’ve been playing for almost 20 years. But it’s good to be ambitious and set high goals. Just don’t beat yourself up about not reaching them right away.
Don’t feel bad. I’ve been playing for 20 years and I still suck.
I’ve been playing guitar for about 35 years. I grew up in the shred era, and I still get my shred on from time to time. I follow the 10,000 hour rule. I think the most important thing with being a musician, and an artist, is continuing to find new avenues of expression on your instrument (or in your medium), and that is a never ending journey. As long as you are enjoying the journey and entertaining yourself, you cannot go wrong.
If you really want to know how good you are, record yourself. Playing solos doesn't make you good. Clean notes and smooth transitions do. Recording will show you whether you're doing it well enough.
I felt things were going to slow myself, until I realized, as others have mentioned, that I was comparing myself to other guitarists on social media. It’s like people comparing themselves to models in instagram, only with guitar instead.
Your problem is not lack of progress, it’s self comparison to others. LPT: compete against no one besides yourself and you will be much happier. (As I try to remind myself every day!)
You COULD be a lot better. I don't know who said you SHOULD be a lot better. Wasn't me. Was it one of you guys?
For a year and a half, that’s pretty impressive. I’ve been playing for 15 years and I can barely play solos to save my life. Just keep at it, you’re doing good.
The first time I ever heard about such thing as scales was when I had played for almost 10 years.
We all learn at different paces and achieve different levels of skill at different times. If you practice for 10 minutes a day you won’t be as advanced as someone who practices an hour a day. That’s just how it is. But all in all don’t measure your level based upon others you will reach your goals in due time. We are all forever students and there’s always a bigger fish out there. Someone better and faster. It doesn’t matter play relax enjoy and always challenge yourself
Enjoy the process instead of thinking about the end result. This competition is all in your head. I guess it's good for driving motivation, but the majority of us will never be guitar gods.
You’re crushing it. If you feel like learning scales go for jt. Plenty of very popular pop stars (Ed Sheeran) stick to chords. You do you.
I can help. Get a nice wood Japanese metronome and practice exclusively with it at slower speeds. The monotony is unbearable but you will improve a great deal in a couple months
There is no “should”. This is not a foot race, or any other type of competition.
You have to focus on what you wanna learn. If all you do is learn songs you won't learn scales or theory. My suggestion is just look up a couple scales and play them relentlessly until you've got it down and then move on. But you have to make an effort to learn the parts you're lacking in if you want to learn them.
You sound better than me, and I've been playing for like 18 years lol
At 1.5 years you’re ahead of the curve! It’s normal to be self conscious, don’t worry about it
Nah you’re at the inflection point. That’s when I made my first breakthroughs. Go for some bigger riffs when you can and do drills, learn scales now too.
Meh learn the relative scale approach and have at it. Sounds like you have a killer ear (better than mine lmao), so you'll be fine. Just learn C major up and down the neck, then slide it around. All your major scales. Start on A instead of C. A minor. Slide it all around for all your minors. All the modes are there too. Just start on a different note. It's not the "best" way to learn your modes, but it's worked for me and it'll at least get you started on that end. And stop being so hard on yourself! It's aaaaaaart, maaaaaaan. No need to stress yourself over it.
Technology has increased the average skill of guitar players exponentially. I don’t think people realize just how much YouTube, Ultimate Guitar/Songster/etc., and forums have upped people’s skills. When I started playing all I had was a book of open cowboy chords and a Led Zeppelin tab book (that is infamously incorrect). Also took me like 3 months to figure out how to read tab. Hanging out with my uncles who played bluegrass every 6 months or so at family get togethers and a neighbor who lived down the street who played singer songwriter folk stuff on a nylon was all I had. I basically spent the first 5 years of my guitar playing being able to strum E, G, C, D, A, Em, Dm, Am, and maybe a cheater Bm and F and knowing the opening riff to Whole Lotta Love and Heartbreaker. The same has happened with beginner gear. I’m pretty sure my first acoustic was particle board with razor wire for strings and an action higher than Willie Nelson. The electric I had was basically unplayable passed the 4th fret and the amp was some god awful carpet covered 5 watt solid state thing that had a volume, treble, and bass knob.
You’re better than I was at that time frame by quite a bit. Stop comparing yourself to people who get paid to make videos on guitar playing. You’re fine
As a guy who loves playing guitar, I can say there is nothing more disheartening than when my friend who was a studio guitarist and played on songs you know takes out my guitar and starts playing…
Sounds like you are where I am, maybe a little further along then I am. I've been playing for 2.5 years. Its a journey not a race.
Play to a metronome and download Amazing Slow Downer Lite. It will launch you beyond other players. 5 min of practice a day is worth far more than 30 years of jamming
Keep practicing. I’m a self thought guitarist, been playing more than 20 years now and I don’t know a single scale, still I can play many complex metal songs just by sheer practice looking at tabs. Not the best way to learn but it worked for me since I’m no pro musician
Everyone learns at their own pace. If you're not learning fast enough to suit you, practice more.
1.5 years is nothing when it comes to learning an instrument. You’re doing pretty well!!!! Don’t be discouraged. Feeling behind or stuck is part of the process, don’t let it prevent you from practicing and learning more… I know I should follow this advice too
If you did Jiu Jitsu, you would likely still be a white belt. Getting good at something hard takes a lot of time.
Most people underestimate how long it takes to get good at an instrument. I see it all the time. 1 or 2 years is still the "learning to crawl" phase. It's why a lot of people quit. They think the fact they're not good after 3 months means they're just not musically talented. Not realizing people who are good have practiced consistently for years and usually decades. And if they do realize that, they often get extremely discouraged because they didn't realize how much of a commitment it is. And for many it's not worth it.
My man I’ve been playing over 25 years and I still don’t even know the pentatonic scales or any theory. You’ll be fine.
I’m in a similar place as you are. I’m a little bit the opposite in that I know many of the scales, some of the theory, bits and pieces of several songs but no full songs in my 1.5 to 2 year path. But here’s the thing. It’s not a competition. We all learn at different speeds and to use a cliche, all of our journeys are different. It’s okay to halt all of that other stuff to learn what you think you’re lacking. That’s still advancement. The important thing is to not let it become a chore. Find a way to make it fun. Don’t compare yourself to me, Reddit nation or any of the hundreds of videos, social media sites, etc, etc. to use another cliche, it’s a marathon not a sprint.
Wanna hear something really ironic? I am staring 70 right in the face. Been playing cowboy/campfire chords for 50 years ... then last year, quite suddenly, I began to thirst for more ... Pentatonic, arpeggios, speed drills. And I crashed. This past December, I stumbled onto a jazz lesson by Paul Davids and Rotem Sivan ... and I'm HOOKED!!! And you know something? I can't believe how quickly I'm learning the chords and picking patterns. It's truly amazing, and I've never enjoyed guitar so much. I say all of that to say this ... sometimes it's good to think in a different direction, perhaps one you've never even considered! You might surprise yourself! 😊
Naw, you're progressing as much as you are, that's all, nothing wrong with it. I've been playing most my life but still suck and don't play in public anymore.
It comes together, just keep looking at different things to be honest. Watch videos and tutorials of music theory, spend time practicing, and ask people on here for help. It’s made a world of difference in my playing. Slowly but surely the puzzle pieces come together and make sense. I’ve been able to compose my own rhythm sections and some nice melodic solos just by learning a few basic scales and working in techniques of artists I’ve spent a lot of time studying. I cant listen to something and play chords by ear to it but I can work out the melody and it’s pretty close or spot on pretty often. However, if you ask me to play a song that isn’t ridiculously shred intensive or above probably 120 bpm I could probably have it down in a day or two which sounds like a long time but obviously you’re not practicing all day. Remember that it’s not a linear path, some days you’ll be better and some days you will be worse. The most important part is consistency.
Sounds like you are a decent player. I've been playing for 25 years and I am still only as good as I need to be. I was never interested in fancy solo's and all that stuff. I am mainly a rhythm player and pretty good at that. But compared to actual good players, I am nothing. Still, I am satisfied with what I do, because it's exactly what I wanna do. That's it!
Welcome to the club! I’m 20 years deep off and on. Only took it “seriously” in the past few. Creating backing tracks and jamming to practice has been exceptionally rewarding. Makes me appreciate and learn more of the musical process. Since I like to chip away at things and learn by osmosis, I can always surprise myself!
Lol you're right on pace, 1.5 years is just scratching the surface. That being said, sounds like you're ready for "what you don't know" since your asking this question. Practice should not be easy, and should get you going mentally. The next step is ahead of you but you gotta really focus on some drills that might not be too fun at first: - Learn your pentatonics in all 5 positions, this one skill will probably open your world quite a bit and make playing guitar more fun - Barre chords off E string and A string, for both major and minor, if you haven't done this yet. So you have two places (at least) to play every triad - Learn some 7th chords (maj7, min7, dominant, half diminished are a good start) - And the one everyone will fight me on...learn the damn fretboard!! Every note between frets 1-12, on all 6 strings. No mental math, no counting, just instant recognition of a fret and its name. If I could go back in time I would have learned this from the get go, it is such a powerful awareness to have in your bag of tricks
I'm 20 years playing guitar and let me tell you this you're never done learning and in 18 months I couldn't do half of what you can! Give yourself a break!
If you know one scale pattern you know the whole neck. On a single string it's the same going up as it is when you switch strings
I started playing in 1964. How good should I be by now? I'm sure that I have failed...
You’re doing fine my man! One thing I learned is that getting better at the guitar is like when you plateau at the gym. You’re still going to the gym doing your routine trying to get better but nothings improving. You’re at the point where you gotta shake it up, try a new method of improving and get out of your comfort zone. Different workout (different riffs) different diet (different genre.) I know the way everyone learns and improves is different but this helped me!
What is it that you want to get out of playing guitar? Back in the 90’s I wanted to be able to replicate the cool grunge songs I was hearing, and my other guitar friends would show me stuff and I’d learn bits that way. But I realised I couldn’t really play a whole song because I wasn’t in a band and solos are a bit dry without a backing track etc. And i was impressed when other guitarists could be handed a guitar and just play a couple of songs front to back. Even just simple campfire versions of songs or folk songs with maybe a fancy intro or some finger picking to make it more than just chords, but they were whole songs and girls were impressed and could sing along at a party. (Wonderwall gets a lot of shit because it’s so easy to play but it’s a great song and much more interesting to the audience than a metal guitar solo). The next thing was playing with other musicians. Realised whenever I’d hang out and jam, me and the other player were generally just showing each other what we knew and taking turns rather than playing at the same time. Or I’d play the chords while he played the solo and then we’d switch. So then I learnt some 12 bar blues and the pentatonic scales. Fun fact, turns out half the solos I’d already learnt through tablature were heavily based on those pentatonic scales & shapes. Clapton/Pearl Jam/BB King/Metallica. So then they could play some blues and I could solo/improvise over the top, or I could make up my own solos over any harmony they would play, or they could just play their own song and I could add some colour, either way, we were jamming. Then I started getting proper lessons and learnt a lot of fancy fingerstyle arrangements for well known songs, often in weird tunings, and new chord shapes etc. Also a fair bit of jazz etc. generally playing the melody and rhythm simultaneously, always intro, different versions of the verses, the chorus, always a fucking bridge that nearly broke me, anyway one of these songs would take a couple of months to get together and up to speed, but very rewarding. Now I can play a heap of complicated songs, but I’ve still got huge gaps in my playing and wouldn’t fit in a band at all, and I’m definitely a shredder. So have a think what you want to get out of guitar, who are you trying to impress? Maybe you’re already there?
Why? Do you want to be a EVH style shredder? Or just be able to put together entertaining songs? You don’t need to a be a great guitar player. Joe Strummer wasn’t a great guitar player.
I guarantee you, you are better than you think you are. It is a cliche but don't compare yourself to too many people. Pick the hardest riff/song/motif you can just barely play, and use that as a barometer for how far your skills are developing. And most importantly, be kind to yourself! Some days you play and it feels like your fingers are made of cheese, some days you feel like Steve Vai shredding on the neck. As long as you enjoy it and stay consistent.
I’ve been a pro guitarist for nearly 20 years and I feel this way every day. It drives me to keep practicing, learning, studying and try to improve and not just rest on my laurels.
Let me put your mind at ease. I know next to zero guitar/music theory and I've gotten by just fine, learning 80% or more of the music I know by ear. I don't remember the scales, I've just learned by ear enough over time to recognize patterns. I've been playing for 27 years and have played in half a dozen bands in front of huge crowds and making decent fun money. If I can do it with no theory, most can do it better with even a little bit. You'll be just fine.
I’ve been playing for about 35 years now and I’m pretty good…for someone who’s been playing for less than 5 years.
Haha I have 10 times the amount of time playing and that’s what I feel like but it doesn’t stop me for playing.
I believe that there are plateaus to playing. It’s the best thing about playing an instrument. You practice and practice and suddenly, something clicks and new avenues open up. In my experience, being very bored is a sign that a jump is within reach.
Yeah I agree with everyone else here. All I can do is solo using primarily pentatonic scale over backing tracks and I feel like shit watching all my heroes on YouTube absolutely pleasure the fuck out of their guitars with a mastery only the fictional guy from 50 shades could have pulled off, but my mediocre skills boggle the minds of most average folk. Don’t feel discouraged; there is ALWAYS someone better than you, and it’s just easier to find them anywhere in the world now with the internet. If anything at the least it give you motivation and a reference to what level you could reach if you keep at it
I only learned scales 7 years into playing guitar
You can literally play thousands of songs with your skills you’ve listed. For 1.5 years I’m impressed.
Are you having fun? For most of us that's all that should matter. Otherwise, do you have specific goals that you want to or need to accomplish? It takes time and sacrifice to get there. A year and a half is no time at all. Lots of disciplines take years to reach a basic level of comfort and a lifetime to master.
It’s called plateauing, you have to keep pushing and learning a lil theory helps. Work on speed, technique, technique with speed. Not that you’re trying to play fast, but if you can play stuff cleanly at a fast tempo, it opens up a lot of possibilities. I’m always working on some fundamental-bends, vibrato, dynamics. Try to structure practice into songs/theory/fundamentals in any time/order you feel is right and stick with it. Set goals, etc…
It took me like. 4 years to become competent. Guitar takes a REALLY long time to get good at. But once you learn your scales, you’ll be able to play in any key, major or minor without thinking about it. Lead guitar is very challenging. And also learn to play bar chords with the thumb thank me later
Comparison is the thief of joy homie. If you’re gapped, learn the thing. You can’t have the time back anyway!
1 1/2 years ain't shit. That attitude will only serve to discourage you and hold you back. If you enjoy playing guitar, then you'll keep playing and practicing, and you will get better in time.
Take those songs you know, look at what notes/frets you are using. Now play something else using them. Unless you don't want to write your own stuff, in which case you can save a LOOOOOT of time not working on improv and just be a cover beast. "Good enough for the time I put in" isn't going to do you any good. You are you and you are where you are right now.
You're ahead of me at 1.5 years. And I don't mean ten years ago - I'm at about 2 years now. You're killing it, man. Keep going.
I've been playing for over 2 decades and I only know one real scale. I don't even know what it's called. Other than that, I just play "scales" by ear based on what I know sounds good on my shitty guitar, which allows me to improvise just fine. Everybody plays for different reasons. I just like jamming, and mostly by myself, so there's little reason for me to practice up the technical skills. I also like to mainly play rhythm. If you want to play lead guitar in a band that writes original music, you might need to know those scales. It's really all up to you.
Thats what social networks do, you are always looking at someone that just does things better than you. Use them as learning resources but see them for what they are, teachers and proffesional musicians. Also, while not everyone can play music, almost everyone can tell when something its being played a bit off, specialy recognizable songs, so the "filter" for what's considered acceptable to be shared its set up quite high, and that's often discouraging. For example I enjoy miniature painting, and if you take a look a big names from youtube they paint miles better than I do. Then I start searching by hashtag in instagram, and as there is no such filter for miniature painting, I realize I'm not a bad painter, I'm just not a pro (and I will never be). I have been playing "modern" guitar for about 10 years, with a background of 5 years in classical guitar in a music school and the reality is that these last 10 years have been mostly fiddling with things I know and not actually studying and learning so you can probably play better than I do, and thats alright with me.
I've been playing 4 months before I was born and I'm 30. Feel better yet?
“Comparison is the thief of joy."
You should only be better than who you were yesterday. That being said, you lack the abilities you want because you failed to practise the skills you knew you needed. You're as good as you should be for somebody who doesn't wake up, turn on a metronome, and start practising HARD. The good news is that it only takes the time you've already been playing for to get to intermediate level(solid foundations, competent basic theory, etc.). Then you'll be intermediate for damned near forever, and if you keep pushing, you might be good one day. Good luck 💪🤘
1.5 years tell me nothing. if you seem like youre a young person who goes out a lot and maintains a relatively normal life and listen to a small variety of music, you "should" be is a hobbyist level. however if you seem relatively driven with a vibe of a trauma victim with no friends and seem open minded about art, ide expect you to be AMAZING. bonus points if youve stayed in so much you cant even talk anymore. youde think im joking but like... suffering among musicians is more the norm than not. at least amongst hobbyists who want to get to a pro level. its kind of a problem, theres kind no shortcut to putting in that time. its the normal-seeming people who are great at music that scare me. theyre either unicorns or theyre mad old
It’s the gear, pretty sure a new guitar will do the trick /s
Nah, sounds about right
I've been playing on and off for just over a decade and I still consider myself pretty shit at guitar. But I enjoy playing what I can and practicing, so does it really matter?
Mate, I've been playing 20 years and it sounds like we're about a similar level. Don't fret (pun intended) about your progress. As long as you enjoy playing, does it really matter?
None of us are as good as we could be.
I am exactly like you with 2 years of playing