What happens when you are horrible at guitar?

[repoman]

Start playing banjo

[Seance]

Familiarize and befriend the discomfort. It is part of the process of growing.

You play music. You practice. You reach a plateau. Then you feel stuck. You
feel like you're in a rut and going nowhere. When you do feel movement, you
then feel like you're slowly slogging uphill. And eventually you reach another
plateau. Rinse. Repeat.

This is how growth works (both musically and personally).

Put the radio on and play along on guitar (try to figure out the melody or a bass
part or a guitar part, or something that meshes with it, or the rhythm part, or
hit one note to the rhythm of the drums.

But make sure it is the radio (or the modern internet equivalent) because random
is key. Don't put your music collection on shuffle. Doing that you encounter musicians
that you are impressed with, and the high regard you hold their musicianship might
cause you to feel worse about yourself. Put the radio on. It doesn't matter if you don't
like the songs/type of radio station—in fact that might help. Divest your ego from the
process and just react.

Playing music with others can help. In that case it really isn't about how "well" you
play, but how cohesive you all are together. This is why people who say: "We started
a band as a joke" often arrive at something. They disengage their ego ("We're just
fucking around and 'joking'") and pay attention to each other (listen/feel/respond).

When you play music with other people it can be wise to set aside at least 30 minutes
of "fuck around" time. Which means switching instruments. Play an instrument that you
"don't know" how to play. Just wing it. Feel it. Observe. Respond. Harmonize wavelengths.

Record. Lay down something simple. Don't like it? Make it simpler. Or exaggerate what
you don't like and then lay down another layer. Repeat.

Good luck.

[Mosfed]

Start playing bass

[comesect2.0]

on a serious note, this is what I do when we suck more than usual...

TAKE ALL YOUR STRINGS OFF BUT ONE
now play that string
next day add another string
next day etc.

[actual]

Start playing bass

Why, I never!

[tremolo3]

Start playing bass

Fat fingers huh

[friendship]

Familiarize and befriend the discomfort. It is part of the process of growing.

You play music. You practice. You reach a plateau. Then you feel stuck. You
feel like you're in a rut and going nowhere. When you do feel movement, you
then feel like you're slowly slogging uphill. And eventually you reach another
plateau. Rinse. Repeat.

This is how growth works (both musically and personally).

Put the radio on and play along on guitar (try to figure out the melody or a bass
part or a guitar part, or something that meshes with it, or the rhythm part, or
hit one note to the rhythm of the drums.

But make sure it is the radio (or the modern internet equivalent) because random
is key. Don't put your music collection on shuffle. Doing that you encounter musicians
that you are impressed with, and the high regard you hold their musicianship might
cause you to feel worse about yourself. Put the radio on. It doesn't matter if you don't
like the songs/type of radio station—in fact that might help. Divest your ego from the
process and just react.

Playing music with others can help. In that case it really isn't about how "well" you
play, but how cohesive you all are together. This is why people who say: "We started
a band as a joke" often arrive at something. They disengage their ego ("We're just
fucking around and 'joking'") and pay attention to each other (listen/feel/respond).

When you play music with other people it can be wise to set aside at least 30 minutes
of "fuck around" time. Which means switching instruments. Play an instrument that you
"don't know" how to play. Just wing it. Feel it. Observe. Respond. Harmonize wavelengths.

Record. Lay down something simple. Don't like it? Make it simpler. Or exaggerate what
you don't like and then lay down another layer. Repeat.

Good luck.

Extremely seasoned advice here.

Failing that start playing banjo kazooie

[Jwar]

Start playing bass

What about when you suck at bass and guitar though.

haha.

[Seance]

Start playing bass

What about when you suck at bass and guitar though.

haha.

Smack, tickle and rub your amplified instrument like playing a drum.

If you "suck at bass and guitar" then you are using too much mouth.
—Try more manual/digital manipulation.
—Use your phalanges (either hand- or toe-based bones will do).
—Palm it.
—Backhand compliment your strings.
—Deploy your fingernails like tiny silver hammers for surprise flick-attacks.
—Bow the strings like a violin using only the friction of your fingerprints.
—If all else fails... karate chop that motherfucker.

[comesect2.0]

—If all else fails... karate chop that motherfucker.

[Seance]

—If all else fails... karate chop that motherfucker.

Right in the neck.

[Seance]

Or..............

http://vimeo.com/149406020
http://vimeo.com/163538685
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SsuJSwqKXI[/youtube]

[Gone Fission]

You get a DDS and a PRS.

[friendship]

seance is a very valuable member of the community imo

[Seance]

seance is a very valuable member of the community imo

Ha. Thanks.