I practice guitar. have practiced on and off for about 2 years. well i bought the guitar 2 years ago. and I reallay haven't practiced that much. But i have practiced enough so that I'm good at playing melodies. But

-Chords, i just can't do them. They hurt too much and i get sprained . I dont want permanent damage so i just don't practice that much. I already have permanently damaged thumb and finger from doing office work so I just don't wanna risk it more.

-Playing scales fast and trying to get faster. trying to practice for speed. --Well i practice everyday just alittlbit but many times, even though i have already been playing for 2 years, many times i get sudden aweful pains in the fingertips and it stings so bad.. then for about 1 day it stings so much i can't touch nothing. Moreover, if i practice too much i get carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms really bad because i already suffer from that. So that's why i don't really play much.

Anyways, so my question is.can anyone Just become  great by Practicing lots and lots like Tommmy does, or like that other autralian kid "Smoking Joe" plays?...I don't think anyone can just practice alot and become great. Some people may have stronger hands and fingers  OR may risk their health but I wouldn't want to risk it alot. So i'm probably never gonna get good enough.

I think it's partly "gift". By that I mean how the brain is wired. Some people seem predisposed to music, while others struggle with it.

Anyone can be taught to do anything.  But it's through practice.....serious practice that you become good at it.  Will you ever be a master of the art? Who knows.

You need to get callouses on the ends of your fingertips. That helps it hurt less when you press on the strings. The only way to get them is to use them, so you'll have to suffer thru a little pain or quit.

Get yourself one of those squeeze balls to work up the muscles in your hand and fingers.

Only the very motivated get any good. If you don't want to learn bad enough, you may as well quit now.

Laurie

For a second I thought he was talking about that 8 year old who's made 250k from painting landscapes.

Well, my oldest boy plays bass. He would practice for hours on end when he was a kid - every day - and sometimes his fingers bled. He's actually very, very good now ;o).

Laurie

Yes, actually, anyone can become great by practicing.

People think talent is what allows you to become great. This is incorrect. Talent influences how long it takes to become great.

A talented musician will become great, from scratch, in 6000 hours of practice. Anybody can become great at any instrument with 10,000 hours of practice.

The problem is that most people are incapable of that kind of dedication. I have way more than 10,000 hours practicing the piano and I can play anything at all, having only heard it once. This is not talent - although a lot of people thought it was.

I am even better at software. I can write any kind of software, again because I have practiced it for an extraordinary amount - more than 60,000 hours.

Nobody can become great 1 hour a week for a couple years - that is 100 hours.

Nobody can become great 10 hours a week for a couple years - that is 1000 hours.

Anybody can become great 40 hours a week for 10 years - that is 20,000 hours.

Same I play 12 string and you have to be dedicated enough to put up with some pain until you get the callouses. Also if you have injuries already you probably shouldn't aggravate them by playing unless you see a doc and make sure it's ok. Playing guitar isn't something you play just a little, you either play or you don't.

Mozart was not a prodigy. His father was the greatest music instructor of his time, and forced Amadeus to begin intense musical study from the moment he could sit up by himself. By the time Mozart was 11, he had 10,000 hours under his belt, equal to most adults beginning their musical careers.

By the time he was 16, he had 20,000 hours completed.

By the time he was 21, he had 30,000 hours completed. Of course he was the greatest musician of his time - he had a lifetime of experience when others were just getting started.

Quote - even though i have already been playing for 2 years, many times i get sudden aweful pains in the fingertips and it stings so bad.

If it hurts is because you are doing something wrong, too much pressure, wrong fingers position, wrong guitar, wrong string gauge.
Learn some techniques and find one and also an instrument that fits better your hands.

Thanks. guys.

Quote - > Quote - even though i have already been playing for 2 years, many times i get sudden aweful pains in the fingertips and it stings so bad.

If it hurts is because you are doing something wrong, too much pressure, wrong fingers position, wrong guitar, wrong string gauge.
Learn some techniques and find one and also an instrument that fits better your hands.

Even when you're doing everything right it hurts, let me clue you. When you are first learning, or don't play very often, the strings hurt. (has played guitar). The only way to keep it from hurting is to make the skin thicker. And the only way to do that is play. Don't matter what gauge the strings are or any of that. It's gonna hurt at first.

Laurie

Every one with a lot of practice can become good or very good, but talent is talent.
You can practice 10,000 hours and be very good, but a person with talent will do with only one hour of practice will do the same you did with 10,000 hours of practice.
Of course, a person with talent and with 10,000 hours of practice becomes a grand master and there are very few of them...

Quote - Even when you're doing everything right it hurts, let me clue you. When you are first learning, or don't play very often, the strings hurt. (has played guitar).

The price to pay for beginners, but soon you learn how to do more easier, without pain and no need for ice block for your hand, even the callous that once you had go away.

Quote - > Quote - Even when you're doing everything right it hurts, let me clue you. When you are first learning, or don't play very often, the strings hurt. (has played guitar).

The price to pay for beginners, but soon you learn how to do more easier, without pain and no need for ice block for your hand, even the callous that once you had go away.

That may be true, but you need to get them first. And until you do, if you want to play, you grin and bear it.

Makes me feel glad for you that you don't need to wax anything...lol.

Laurie

 Practise makes perfect.
10% talent 90 % practise.
100% conviction.
Off to the studio to practise !

Quote - Every one with a lot of practice can become good or very good, but talent is talent.
You can practice 10,000 hours and be very good, but a person with talent will do with only one hour of practice will do the same you did with 10,000 hours of practice.
Of course, a person with talent and with 10,000 hours of practice becomes a grand master and there are very few of them...

This is an exaggeration and if you remove the hyperbole you're saying what I already said, which was with talent greatness comes in 6000 hours.

Obviously the talent continues to play even more and after 30,000 he is amazing. After 60,000 he appears to be able to do things that humans are not capable of.

Which is where I am with software development.

The problem is that a "talent" doesn't spend 60,000 hours in what he has talent, he spend this time doing other things where he is not so talented.

When I was ten year old it took me only 15 minutes to learn logarithms, no more time was needed, but to learn how to ride a bicycle it took me several months!

As others have said, pain in your fingers is part of learning to play guitar.  You're pressing down on little bits of steel wire, and your fingers don't like it at first. If the pain is in your finger tips, that's normal, and you're just gonna have to play through it.  If other parts of your hand start hurting, that's when you need to stop. 

Try and find a teacher who can look and make sure you don't have any technique problems.  That can not only slow your progress, but can lead to things like making your carpal tunnel worse.  Also, a teacher should be able to tell if your guitar needs a setup adjustment.  Really high action just adds to your workload.

I'm gonna have to disagree slightly with bagginsbill when he says that anybody can become great with 10,000 hours of practice.  First, I think it's a bit of an oversimplification.  Simply putting in the time isn't enough.  What makes you better is practice, properly focused.  If you're trying to play something, and getting it wrong, stop, back up, and if necessary, slow down until you can play it properly at the slower tempo.  Then, work your speed back up.  That way, you're not practicing mistakes.

Also, some people just have more talent in some areas than others.  Give me 10,000 hours, and I could probably do a decent job hitting major league pitching.  Give me  1,000,000 hours, and I probably wouldn't be able to hit like Ted Williams in his prime, because I wasn't born with some of the physical gifts he was.

I've been playing guitar for 50 years, and am a pretty fair blues/rockabilly guitar player.

Technique, which seems to be the argument here, is important, but touch is equally if not more important.
My response to JosterD would be to keep playing the melodies, learn modes, chord structure, and find and learn how to use the "blue" notes.

If 3D art and music have one thing in common, it would be that patience is your most valuable tool. :)

BB has it right on the money regarding talent, time and dedication.  The reason so few people become extremely accomplished musicians (or anything else) is - as BB said - the time involved.

Re the pain factor...

As Laurie remarked, yes it does hurt at first.  Play every day for at least an hour and it won't be so bad after a couple of months.  Eventually it won't hurt at all.  Until, of course, you get old (like me) and end up with tendonitis or RSI.  :)

Another thing to consider is your playing position.  If you're sitting, you should try to learn the "classical" playing position.  I don't mean the left hand style so much, rather the way your guitar is held relative to you.  If you're standing, don't make the mistake of having your strap as low as Jimmy Page.  You can do all that stuff when you have the techniques in the bag.

The importance of having a good, playable guitar shouldn't be underestimated.  Too many beginners have some horrible plank with an impossible action and lousy strings.  Luckily, you don't have to spend a fortune nowadays to get a decent guitar.

As for the guitar, the strings must be perfect parallel and very near to the fretboard in all positions.
Very little pressure is needed to stop the strings. You are touching and not wrestling the guitar.

Quote - As for the guitar, the strings must be perfect parallel and very near to the fretboard in all positions.
Very little pressure is needed to stop the strings. You are touching and not wrestling the guitar.

Incorrect.

There should always be a slight amount of relief in the neck, meaning it will be very slightly bowed.  This should be barely noticeable but without it, the strings will rattle like crazy, no matter how gently you play.

BTW, do not ever try to adjust the neck relief yourself unless you really know what you're doing.  Always have it adjusted by a guitar tech.  A good setup can mean the difference between a so-so guitar and a glorious one.

String height is a personal matter and, within certain boundaries, will vary considerably.  For example, I like a moderate action with light strings.  I could go lower but, since I tend to hit the thing quite hard, it would be impossible for me to play without a lot of rattle.

 Soo.. since we're talking guitars.. How about nylon versus steel? When I had a guitar in my youth, it was stringed with nylon (well three nylon strings and three that were like covered in some metal.. I never bothered to know the TERM, I just wanted to play some simple chords)

But occasionally I tried someone else's steel-stringed guitar and MAN that hurt!

So the strings does matter. And of course the sound is different, too.. but as long as you're still learning.. it doesn't matter too much (at least IMO)

Right now i'm trying to get acquainted again with a keyboard. I used to be good. and practice may make perfect, but 20 years of non-practice certaintly makes you lousy LOL!

real guitars have steel strings so far as I know ;o).

Most kids guitars have the nylon strings.

Laurie

Strike that...some acoustics do have nylon strings. I've just personally never seen one. All the hubs guitars and my son's guitars have steel strings, including the acoustic guitars they have.

Laurie

 Well the ones I had weren't kid's guitars. They were proper "grown up" and rather expensive guitars. But with nylon strings. And acoustic. I've tried an electric guitar once at school. That was like playing with rubber bands L the strings were so soft compared to what I was used to...

I had no problem with nylon or steel strings, I played drums!

After decades of using Slinky's, I've gone to D'Addario flatwounds except for a plain steel 3rd string. FWIW, but I only play electric these days.

The tone of nylon classical strings is very warm and pleasant, and they are easy on the fingers. I prefer that sound over steel strings on an acoustic, but as always, it's a preference.

And, yes, Tommy Emmanuel is gifted.

 It could be that your string action is too high.  Anything over 1/8" at the 12th fret is going to put undo pressure on your finger tips.

otoh i played my guitar so much this week that my pick hand hurts! LOL

D'Addario Blue Steel on the electrics, . Martin Phosphor Bronze on the acoustic.

TG - Nylon strung guitars are totally different animals from steel strung.  By and large a sweeter tone but with much less sustain.  Generally a different build and feel from the steel strung versions.

Talent and practice time, it may be right for some stuff but not for creating art, you need something else, an special sense of beauty, Mozart may have had so many hours of practice but, at the risk of sound exaggerated, you can feel a small piece of the divinity that come from the human soul, there is way more than practice you can feel humanity expression :-)

If a four-year-old can use an item like a professional, that's a gift.  If a forty-year-old is only average still at using an item after years of reading manuals and taking classes on it, that's called being normal.

You can bet Tommy Emmanuel has talent to burn.  But nobody learns guitar in a couple of hours.  Buy the best guitar you can afford and use the lightest gauge strings that will sound good on it.  Then play it for at least 8 hours a day.