Errrr.....complaint, complaint, complaint

This is what happens to me when I don't feed my cats before I practice:

Hmmm, now how do I make that chord?

My paws are getting calloused!

He loves the fender, ironically his name is Gibson.

Seriously though, I sympathize with you Pearl. It has taken me months to lean Tequilla Sunrise and play it properly. Just keep at it and try not to stress out over it. One day it will just happen.

Hmmm, now how do I make that chord?

LOL! great pic. Think he/she/it is attempting to do some lapsteel, or rather lapclaw.

Pearl: Yes I know :x

Love the cat pics. :D

Can't see a cat band ever being successful though - they'd all want to play lead....

As far as songs go, I find that concentrating on just one doesn't work all that well for me.

So I have several on the go at any one time. Some simple old ones (well, OK, all mine are simple, but...) that I both polish a little, and just enjoy warming up with. Then a few that are a bit more advanced in the learning process, and so on.

I find that I work best when I sneak up on a song. I rarely go for the full frontal assault.

I don't attempt to 'pounce' until I feel that the bird is well in range. If I try and jump too early I just seem to end up hot and flustered, lightly dusted with feathers, and feeling faintly foolish.... :oops:

In other words it doesn't work for me to keep bashing away at the same piece for too long. Further down the track when my skill set is stronger I expect to be able to use that approach. But right now it's not comfortable, so sneaky does it.... :wink:

Maybe get the cat(s) to give you some lessons in sneaking up on things without them noticing what you're up to?

Cheers,

Chris

LOL, those cat pics are cute....and he/she's obviously talon-ted....but there is no way in the world I'd let my two dogs so near to my instruments!!!!

Maybe the feline was trying to get you to play "Cat Scratch Fever?" or "Feline Groovy?" (Quick paws for groans - OK, back to the thread.....)

We all have days when it's hard to change from a D to an A chord without fluffing....and we all have days when you just don't ever want to put the guitar down, though your fingers feel like you've been strumming a cheesegrater....the trick is to learn consistency....

There will come a time when what you're struggling with now will seem laughably easy and you'll think "Did I really say that!".....until then, just keep practising - the guitar is your friend, but like all friends, there will be times when you can't communicate with each other....

Perseverance, patience and practise.....did someone already say that?

:D :D :D

Vic

LUV the cat pics. My cats aren't so talon-ted on the guitar...just hungry all the time. I do have one cat, though, talon-ted at soccer! He like to kick his food around and chase it down!

hi pearl

bad days happens to everyone so don't be discouraged. Slow process is slow and could never be taken for granted. As more experienced players like Wes had said, if you don not play a piece for a while you tend to play it a bit sloppy even if it a song you know well. Having said so I agree with Chris suggestion: do not focus on a single song or excercise but play a variety of them, this way you will not be obsessed by your bad results. Also a break helps in most case: i.e. last week I was struggling a bit to play a reggae-like excercise and playing a bass and staccato strum one. I relaxed myself for a couple of days just playing along to CCR greatest hits (one of the best thing a developing player could do IMHO!) and yesterday all of sudden I made to play the excercise quite well!

Cheers

Matteo

LOL, those cat pics are cute....and he/she's obviously talon-ted....but there is no way in the world I'd let my two dogs so near to my instruments!!!!

Maybe the feline was trying to get you to play "Cat Scratch Fever?" or "Feline Groovy?" (Quick paws for groans - OK, back to the thread.....)

Lol. Actually I think it was Stray Cat Strut. :lol:

My kitties just leave when I play guitar, stopping to cast a look of withering disdain from a distance on the way out.

Ha!

Those are great cat pix. Thanks for posting.

I am a cat lover and those pics are simply great.

Still, i think i will keep the guitar...

hmmmmph... :roll:

:lol: :lol:

yeah....what she said.....tonight, I can barely hit one note right....drives me nuts.....a real big "hmmmmmph" :roll:

I've been playing, on and off, for about four years now and I can't even really finish an entire song yet. I progress surprisingly slowly when it comes to the guitar but I have made progress. Keep at it. Little by little. Before you know it you'll have it down. Do you use a metranome when you play to help keep in time?? Just wondering.

I've been playing, on and off, for about four years now and I can't even really finish an entire song yet. I progress surprisingly slowly when it comes to the guitar but I have made progress. Keep at it. Little by little. Before you know it you'll have it down. Do you use a metranome when you play to help keep in time?? Just wondering.

I sometimes use a metronome. I'm using it more often now that i'm really making more of an effort this year to get better and not just to strum around.

btw, go to the easy song database and find the song free Falling by Tom Petty. You'll be able to play that all the way through. It's as easy as Horse With No Name but more cool. Good luck.

as long as your "friends" is'nt smelly cat