Tomo speaks the truth. Very few people in the world are able to transcend the learning curve of the guitar in the first couple of years. There is true meaning in overcoming this learning curve. For myself it’s been a 40 year pursuit of continued learning and being comfortable with my own style. The motivation comes from a pure love of music and creation. No aspirations of stardom just a love of music and playing. I will continue to play until I physically cannot play anymore. Listen to Tomo!
Hearing someone like Tomo say that he didn't learn anything in his first year is such a relief and inspiration to me , and probably everyone else who is struggling in the early stages of learning . I certainly wont be quitting , Thanks Mary for another great Vid
Hi Mary, please use your pull to help get this gentleman on Anderton's "The Captain Meets". More people need to get to see this gentleman. He is such an inspiration and has so much knowledge to share. :-)
This is so inspirational I picked up the guitar in January and I got stuck on the f chord I just felt like I was not improving as fast as people I see on the internet you know playing crazy stuff only after 6 months but I am learning to love the instrument and move at my own pace.
People on youtube are lying a lot on their improvments. Learning guitar takes time. Just take it easy, if its hard, slow down till you can do it. And dont compare yourself with others. The first year will just get you started.
Bertie just be patient and keep trying. It takes time and strength to play guitar. I got stuck when I first started, but my love for guitar and music helped push me thru this. You will have "dry spells" in your playing. Just relax and let it happen. It's when you get frustrated that you don't make progress. I find that playing with other musicians helps inspire me to play better and improve my technique for the group.
Listening to him makes me motivated to grab a guitar right away and practice, even when I feel tired after work/school and/or just feeling stagnant about playing guitar.
The first minute of this discussion makes me feel so good. My teacher has told me I expect things to fast. Now I know it's not just me. I've only been at it 5 months.
I just recently found this great teacher on utube , I truly love him. He is definitely has so much wisdom and humility. She is definitely one of my favorites to watch .
Sometimes I doubt I’ll ever be a proficient guitarist and sometimes I’ll look at the time and I’ll be practicing 1st string and chord transitions at 10pm and think it’s ok , because I am a guitarist , it’s who I am .
I think it was Tomo that said in one of his videos that you should call yourself a guitarist even if you're still a beginner. You don't have to hit some particular level first. If you play the guitar, then you are a guitarist. That can be a freeing thought!
I’m 36 years old, been playing the guitar since I was 15 but never got serious with it and got stuck with the basic. I want to improve and doing solos more like Tommy Emmanuel and of course Tomo. I keep thinking and hoping it’s not too late.
You can always improve. I'm 43 and just starting to learn right now. So many good resources out there to guide us. I've had good luck with Justin Guitar and Tomo seems good as well.
Thank you for Curiosity Stream and Nebula. A couple hours after starting CS Nebula said my email was already registered, so just had to do a password reset and I'm in! So much and so cheap! Love that they both let me download to watch later when I don't have wifi. Great for listening while driving.
You mentioned about nerves and being calm when performing... Golfer Annika Sorenstam said the best thing about being nervous... When asked what she does when she gets those 'butterflies' in her stomach before a difficult tournament or making a particularly difficult shot, she replied... "I just make them fly in formation." :)
Thanks Mary, I don't play music, I know the motivation struggle, gee finding word to describe sucks. what I get from this is to dream about your passion to play, to push for ways to learn it from different angles. Tomo's words echoed in my thoughts the same words i told myself today. Live with this passion let this passion become you. Thanks again Mary & Tomo, I have some new ideas now, new paths ways to explore. Roy
I started playing when I was 15 or 16 G C and D, before that I would play the recorder , and was in the boys choir in church. In school the nuns would teach music, hymns and church songs, and sheet music notes. After I learned G C D I learned E And C then I started learning to play an F chord barring the E And G strings, lol buzzed a lot. Then later played in the church choir , and played for my newborn son. My ex wife played piano. I have two brothers who play guitar and one of my friends played guitar, I am now 70 and play again in the church choir, and play at different places at open mic's and have played in a couple of bands. But all in all I really wish I knew how to play, I play barr chords and finger style, but I can tell you that it's a journey that never ends, and for me, anyway I always feel inadequate and inferior to other musicians, and one day I might learn to play.
Within 15 seconds of the video. after 15 years of playing guitar and techniques of hand tone etc. i never really focused on scales etc. just mostly ear. now that im diving into the world of theory. its almost overwhelming. its exciting... yes... but.. terrifying. I cannot wait and feel like im trying to jump the gun, but every day i research for an hour or two in music, and different artists interpretations of music and theory. More and more, i feel like the ball is getting away, you learn something, and then its like oh wait, but what about this, so many holes in my back yard, need more shovels (rabit hole metafore).
Great advice, never give up.. at anything.. to be honest i'm pretty crap at guitar.. but i LIKE playing it, just for me (and my dogs!).. and enjoying the journey learning new music/theory etc.. honestly that's it.. i'd hate to perform, just not me..
My Dad used to say about being "cool, calm, and collected". It was a long time before I realized that's the wrong way round; collecting oneself is the prerequisite for being calm and then being cool will follow that.
I was learning the guitar when I was 11. But I quit. There were a number of reasons. First, being raised by my grandparents, there was no socialising with friends outside school hours. So practicing was in isolation. This is not fun. Second, my teacher gave me awful songs. The songs were intended to teach certain chords. One stands out - "Blowin' in the Wind". Although I could sing and play the song, I hated it. At age 11, the song was nonsensical. To this day, I greatly dislike Bob Dylan's music. Last, my fingers never became accustomed to the strings. There was always some pain. But the first two reasons were the most important. By the way, I was learning on an Ibanez. I'm now in my early 60s and regret giving it up. As a kid I had time to learn. As an adult, it can be so much harder. So if you're learning now, please don't give up - no matter what instrument you're learning.
There is always another style or technique to learn. I started playing for Church when I was 40. I took 3 lessons, and started learning songs. I can't match your Sultans of Swing with Leo, but it is always a restful time with me and a Guitar. Enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
Mary - I have drawn a blank trying to see you, or anybody else, on 'Nebula'. I have subscribed to curiositystream for a long time but your link leads nowhere?
Mary, Im a Newbe to your website, I really enjoy your videos, If I could ask you a question, what made you decide on the placement of your strap button on what looks like a 000? Thanks again for your vids, and enjoy the ride!!......RBW
i feel like i'm forgetting everything i have learned on guitar and i'm not learning new things either, what is you guys suggestions? do you have any advice, comment section people? (sorry for my english c:)
In my opinion, the best way to start your guitar journey is by learning your favorite songs. Through learning these you’ll naturally pick up on stuff that works together, i.e which chords sound good together etc. Then I recommend you solidify that knowledge by just focusing on learning new chords and putting them together in whatever way you like, you’ll suddenly be making your own music! Then learn scales, I would start with the pentatonics. Then you need to understand how the scales and the chords are related, which is easy BUT the thing you need to understand is what a ‘key’ is. I think that this is what stops beginners from progressing. So, learn what a key is, learn your open chords and barre chords, learn your scales, and you’ll have the foundation you need to become a confident guitar player. Good luck!!
I never liked the "how long have you been playing" question because it just feels like someone is trying to compare between you and them who is better/progressed faster.. for me I have been playing 20 years+ and have learnt a lot in terms of intervals shapes and relative pitch.. and next to nothing in terms of extended theory, scales, modes which notes make up chords etc. But then someone will come along and be like "WHOA 20 years.. can you play THIS then?" and it's just a downer lol. I made a pact with myself to just have fun but those kind of questions kind of ruin it a bit
Guys. Should I unlearn guitar and play righty ? I say that because I'm a left handed person and It's just so annoying that I can't try most of the instruments that I like but my gut tells me that I wouldn't be as accurate in picking as my dominant hand
Maybe just try it, but I imagine your gut is correct & it'll be really frustrating. It's not impossible to change your handedness but it's usually not worth the effort unless you literally can't use your dominant hand any more; an artist friend of mine had a stroke and lost all use in their dominant side so taught themselves to use their non-dominant hand for painting & writing. There are a lot more lefty guitars available now, most new Fenders are made in lefty models.
Go with what works for you. It might mean a bit of "translation" but fighting your natural inclination doesn't seem healthy to me. Bassist MonoNeon is right-handed but playing left-handed with the guitar inverted is what works for him.
