When did you notice?

[Mrgreggb]

I've been playing for close to four years. Being a relatively new player (I played a little growing up), I was feeling my way around for a couple of years. I've noticed over the last few months that my playing has improved dramatically. It seems like it happened overnight. Things that I couldn't do three months ago are so much easier now. Do things suddenly come together? I did spend a lot of hours spent grinding it out, but the progress seems to be exponential. I am definitely not a great player, but I see remarkable improvement. So my question for all is: When did you notice the improvement?

 

[snow and steel]

I'm always working to improve myself, and it seems every couple days I find I can do something that perhaps 10 years ago I thought impossible.

 

[Mrgreggb]

I'm always working to improve myself, and it seems every couple days I find I can do something that perhaps 10 years ago I thought impossible.

Same here. For a while, I thought I was stuck in reverse. I will always work to improve, but it's nice to see actual progress.

 

[sc-closer]

I have been playing off and on since the 80s. I have noticed the same thing.

 

[splatter]

I've been playing for 40 years . Sometimes I don't play much then other times like recently I play ALOT . I always notice improvement when I'm playing alot . Its not always that I've learned something new or realized something I was missing before.Sometimes and most often its just an improvement in dexteriity ( i can't spell the stinking word).Like monday night at band practice I was nailing the hammer ons in crazy train with ease ( you know the ones near the end of the solo way up on the high e string). I usually struggle with them . I always get through them and it sounds good but its never been easy like it was monday night .

If we keep at it we will all get better .........I hope

 

[Mrgreggb]

I've been playing for 40 years . Sometimes I don't play much then other times like recently I play ALOT . I always notice improvement when I'm playing alot . Its not always that I've learned something new or realized something I was missing before.Sometimes and most often its just an improvement in dexteriity ( i can't spell the stinking word).Like monday night at band practice I was nailing the hammer ons in crazy train with ease ( you know the ones near the end of the solo way up on the high e string). I usually struggle with them . I always get through them and it sounds good but its never been easy like it was monday night .

If we keep at it we will all get better .........I hope

Congrats!

 

[Sinster]

I've been playing for close to four years. Being a relatively new player (I played a little growing up), I was feeling my way around for a couple of years. I've noticed over the last few months that my playing has improved dramatically. It seems like it happened overnight. Things that I couldn't do three months ago are so much easier now. Do things suddenly come together? I did spend a lot of hours spent grinding it out, but the progress seems to be exponential. I am definitely not a great player, but I see remarkable improvement. So my question for all is: When did you notice the improvement?

I haven't..

I have a really hard time with the MLP Backing Tracks. I feel as though I can't compliment the track at all. I hear it and I just as lost as I was when I first started to play back in 88.

 

[circles]

I first noticed quicker, meaningful progress jumps as soon as I was able to play with a band, as opposed to lessons, books, simple covers, etc. Huge difference.

I'm mean, I'm still mediocre, but hey, I hold my own and hold grooves longer and deeper.

 

[02589]

I notice my biggest improvements when I go back to something that I haven't played in a long time and it seemed challenging at the time.

 

[brianbzed]

When I started playing ( almost 40 yeadrs ago! ) I noticed marked improvement evey few weeks or months. These days I don't seem to improve much, but speed and accuracy are better when I get off my lazy ass and practice regularly!

 

[Walt_T]

Playing in a band is certainly going to boost creativity, innovation, and skill.
I played a house band for three years before the owner died and his daughter turned the bar into a "Specialty Restaurant", which folded in three months.
The band had great chemistry(played southern rock, blues, and very selective country tunes). We played 3 nights a week, with a varying schedule(he booked other bands).
We had a big playlist, and rotated sets all the time.
As time went on, we refined everything we did. All of this happened on stage. We never had formal practices after the first few months, unless something new came along that needed tightening up.
Hard to explain, but the playing just comes in on stage.
Best of Luck!

 

[Fritz44]

I like to just noodle absent mindedly.......I'll useually just pick up one of my guitars plug it into an amp turn the volume down real low and just noodle while watching the ball game. Nothing structured nothing thought out. I just let my fingers glide up and down the fretboard. I do this almost every night for about 3 hours. I find this not only relaxing but very useful for muscle memory.... which in turn helps playing improvement.

 

[Ansen]

I know what you mean. Sometimes brain works it out "over night"...

 

[cvonkanel]

I still feel advancements in skill month to month. What was so hard a few months ago suddenly clicks and becomes easy. This makes it more fun and more challenging. Also makes it more rewarding when you start to learn things you thought you never would. Can't wait to see what ill be able to do five years from now.

 

[p90fool]

Often we improve the same way we seem to age - in fits and starts.

I've been working since 1980 and still make little leaps every couple of years or so. Granted it tends to be more about knowledge and versatility than outright chops these days, but even then I prefer my vibrato technique now to what it was fifteen years ago when I was being paid very handsomely as a sessionman.

All I would add is that if you plateau for a while don't worry about it, because it will happen, learning is not a totally linear progression.

 

[Otis Shredding]

Often we improve the same way we seem to age - in fits and starts.

I've been working since 1980 and still make little leaps every couple of years or so. Granted it tends to be more about knowledge and versatility than outright chops these days, but even then I prefer my vibrato technique now to what it was fifteen years ago when I was being paid very handsomely as a sessionman.

All I would add is that if you plateau for a while don't worry about it, because it will happen, learning is not a totally linear progression.

This for sure! Little plateau, small victory, little plateau, small victory...so glad you can never run out of new little things to learn.

 

[Heisenberg]

I've been playing for close to four years. Being a relatively new player (I played a little growing up), I was feeling my way around for a couple of years. I've noticed over the last few months that my playing has improved dramatically. It seems like it happened overnight. Things that I couldn't do three months ago are so much easier now. Do things suddenly come together? I did spend a lot of hours spent grinding it out, but the progress seems to be exponential. I am definitely not a great player, but I see remarkable improvement. So my question for all is: When did you notice the improvement?

I've experienced this myself. I took lessons for 6 years (Jr. High through High School). I was ok, but being a kid, I didn't practice as well as I should have. I could play some advanced things, but after graduating high school I got into other things like partying. Months went by and I didn't play at all. When I picked it up again, I expected to suck, but was better than when I left off. Since then I'll go for a few months playing consistently, then I'll fall off...I'm now 32. Each time I start up again, I'm "better" in some way than when I left off. It's very strange.

 

[RichBrew]

When did you notice... Do things suddenly come together? ...

Yes, if you stick at it. It happened one Sunday morning in August, 1973. The fretboard suddenly opened up for me - I could see shapes and patterns everywhere - and from that point on I started to develop a style.

However, at some point around 2006 I stopped playing altogether; just wasn't interested. After three years of falling over guitars strewn about the house I reached a decision: either play the bloody things or get rid of them. It became a New Year's resolution - and I chose the former - but it still took another five months before I picked one up again.

When I did, my technique immediately began to change without any conscious thought; something I am still developing 4 years on.

RichBrew

 

[chipper]

I think it's a never ending cycle. You play and practise with no apparent improvement for a time and then you suddenly reach the next plateau. This makes you happy with your new found awesomeness so you keep on practising, but nothing. And just when it starts to get frustrating, bang! next level.

 

[jc2000]

I haven't come across that wow moment yet.