You don't have natural ability

[grandinq]

I think they are the ones with something close to that natural ability ..... then there's the rest of us.

Striving for something is always good though.

Some people can take 4 or 5 basic chords and create a song most of the world will be humming for years to come.

So true about taking a few chords. Yesterday all day long for some reason I had that 80’s song I’ll Melt With You in my head all day. Dang thing is basically two chords, C to F, for the verse and the chorus. But it’s such ear worm!

 

[Henry Zelma]

If you don't have natural ability its because you don't have natural drive to achieve at something.

 

[mr_fender]

We all have different strengths and weaknesses. If you want something bad enough and work hard enough, the sky's the limit. Hell, look at Django Reinhardt. Dude had basically 2 usable fingers on his left hand after being horribly burned in a fire and still managed to become a world renowned jazz guitar player. Rick Allen of Def Leppard is another one. He had his arm ripped off in a car accident and is still an awesome drummer in a huge multi-platinum selling band. Never underestimate the power of determination.

 

[USMC_Trev]

All the talent in the world means nothing unless it gets honed after countless iterations of effort. The greatest batters in the world take a zillion cuts at the plate to get that .300+ batting average. Tiger Woods has hit more golf balls than actually exist in some first world countries...

and artist of any medium - writing, clay, guitar, whatever - have played more in a day than most of us will in most months as a matter of course. They’re driven. They forget to eat because they’re playing. Girlfriends have left because they know they’re second to a chunk of wood and wire. That’s just the way it is. They do what they’re meant to do relentlessly. Guys like m@ mentioned, it’s who and what they are first and foremost. The rest of us are just dudes with guitars. Some realize it, some self delude.

 

[unix-guy]

We all have different strengths and weaknesses. If you want something bad enough and work hard enough, the sky's the limit. Hell, look at Django Reinhardt. Dude had basically 2 usable fingers on his left hand after being horribly burned in a fire and still managed to become a world renowned jazz guitar player. Rick Allen of Def Leppard is another one. He had his arm ripped off in a car accident and is still an awesome drummer in a huge multi-platinum selling band. Never underestimate the power of determination.

I think both were fairly capable musicians before their accidents, similarly Tony Iommi minus 2 fretting hands finger tips, as well as some others.

Not to take anything away from them because it's still quite amazing what they've all done... But they were relearning something they already knew

 

[Mark-B]

F’ck him. Play because you want to, love to, ..feel driven to. Style, technique and confidence comes with practice, everything else - the rest - will come in time. Some will get to where they want to be sooner, others, later. I have been playing since I was a kid and I Still am not where I would prefer to be.

..Enjoy the journey, never stop learning, and don’t listen to fuckwits who feel the need to judge your ability. No matter their own.

 

[TG3K]

Did Bob stop calling out people for having "no natural talent" and take this experience as a lesson that musical ability isn't innate, it's learned and anyone can learn and excel at if they build the right discipline and method for practicing and acquiring the knowledge?

Oh yeah, Bob told that story to students (including me) as an example of how determination and discipline can take someone a long way. And years after his lessons with Bob, Tim still spent TONS of hours with a guitar in his hands working on getting better. (He still does.)

I've taught hundreds of guitar students and have seen some who picked it up quickly, and others who didn't. And among those who didn't, there were still some who wanted it bad enough to overcome any barriers and become good players. But I still believe there are some people who can't get there regardless of how hard they try. My dad was a good example of that. He wanted very much to be able to play an instrument or sing, but despite being married to a talented musician and teacher (my mom), he never "got it". He never could tap his foot to a beat nor carry a tune despite years of trying.

 

[peteri]

I believe everyone can be taught to a competent level, as others have said - it will be easier for some, harder for others.

The two key points for me are, firstly people wanting it enough - meaning they will play until their parents consider therapy (like John Mayer), just do it again and again and again.

And secondly finding a teaching approach which works for them, for me - visual learning is best, and when things are explained to me I need to understand why, drives teachers mad - but that's how things stick for me. If someone just says 'because it's how it's done', I'm out

 

[peteri]

Oh, and all of the above excludes Guthrie - I just don't understand how you can get that good

 

[Mark-B]

...was thinking about this thread last night - something about it pissed me off. ..Then I remembered that when I was a kid (and this is reaching back), some local, he came-up to me after hearing me play and said roughly the same thing.. “you don’t have natural ability” ..just out of the blue.. I don't think I was ever really known to kiss an ass, so, he went away pretty quick.. About three?? years later?, that exact same person came up to me after a set and said I had a lot of natural ability and started comparing me to other players.

Well .. I guess it takes about three more years to get "natural ability" in some people's view.

Point being, of all the things a person can say in judgement - them judging "natural ability" shouldn't be too high-up on the list of things to pay attention to. It's a catchall put-down for lazy people. If it was constructive criticism - and I have heard, and actually appreciate that kinda thing - hell, If I can learn from something, that's one thing. But don't listen to catchall bullshit thrown out there to bring somebody down. Brush that off.

The first guitar teacher I had, a professional musician, he referred me to a couple of bands looking for a guitar player when he thought I was okay-enough to hang with them. I will always remember what he said.. "You'll get up there, and you'll be nervous because you know that eventually you'll make a mistake .. But when you do make a mistake, 95% of the people in the crowd won't know - they'll be there to have a good time. 3% might have noticed - but they will just appreciate you being up there and will forgive you practically anything as THEY will be there having a good time.. and then there will be one or two miserable c**** who will want to judge you for it. ..You don't listen to that type, as, usually, they don't have the guts to stand-up in front of a crowd and put themselves out there" he said, "they're the type who just lift themselves up by criticizing others, and anybody who would put you down for the fun of it, isn't exactly good friend material are they? ..So brush it off, go home and practice."

..not verbatim, but pretty-damn-close. And true enough. He also said that if you don't practice every-day, you are just spinning your wheels.. You don't easily get better. which is also true-enough :0)

Thanks, Ian! :0) ..a good guy was Ian. ;0) :0)

Knowing I was a Huge Fan, he also threw-out Gary Moore as an example of what a "Working Man's Guitarist" should look like. "Gary makes lots of mistakes" he said .."his recovery is always flawless. Nobody dwells on his mistakes" ..and that's true-enough! :0) I saw Gary, live, a Bunch of times.. He occasionally dropped the ball - a stray note here or there, but, man, you had to scrape your jaw off the floor after a show. The guy was brilliant.

Nobody is perfect.

Practice. And Learn-a-little every-day.. Enjoy it. Have fun with it. A person does that, and they will do fine.

 

[Muad'zin]

I think both were fairly capable musicians before their accidents, similarly Tony Iommi minus 2 fretting hands finger tips, as well as some others.

Not to take anything away from them because it's still quite amazing what they've all done... But they were relearning something they already knew

You still got to have determination though. a refusal to quit because things got tough. Because you can bet that most people who accidentally lose some or part of their fingers, or an whole arm, will quit music altogether.

 

[unix-guy]

You still got to have determination though. a refusal to quit because things got tough. Because you can bet that most people who accidentally lose some or part of their fingers, or an whole arm, will quit music altogether.

Totally agree!

 

[Robboman]

I very highly recommend the intense 2014 movie Whiplash.

It's about a jazz drummer, not a guitarist, but the premise is this relationship between student and teacher where the teacher is incredibly cruel and ruthlessly torments the student as a means of motivating him. Explores the notion that this is the only way to achieve true greatness.

Quote: There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "good job".

You just gotta watch this movie!

 

[Chad Beattie]

I very highly recommend the intense 2014 movie Whiplash.

It's about a jazz drummer, not a guitarist, but the premise is this relationship between student and teacher where the teacher is incredibly cruel and ruthlessly torments the student as a means of motivating him. Explores the notion that this is the only way to achieve true greatness.

Quote: There are no two words in the English language more harmful than "good job".

You just gotta watch this movie!

Yes! Just watched it a few weeks ago and was thinking about it for this thread also.

 

[yyz67]

As for those who are 'blessed' with talent, if its not matched by developing a good practice and work ethic it will just go to waste.

"Don't let it go to waste." "You're not living up to your potential." "You could be so much more if only you...".

In our society (and also many others) these phrases can be used as motivation tactics or shaming tactics or both (usually). In my life, I've consciously and unconsciously shamed myself internally for not fulfilling some vaunted higher potential in different areas. It's a kind of grandiosity I will never live up to but think I'm supposed to. The hardest thing has been to find my own voice and path--even if certain talents go to "waste" in the eyes of others. It's hard to let all that go.

My perfectionism (and hiding myself away) was somewhat deconstructed a few years ago when I took a risk playing instruments I've never played (cello, bass guitar) in low risk improv environments. I found a kind of improvisation and risk-taking that was outside of performance or perfectionism or being seen as anything. It was freeing to just musically and rhythmically romp solo or with others. I miss that in this covid-isolated world.

In my experience the biggest difference between those who succeed in achieving some skill or creating something, and those that don't, is that the former just freakin' do it, and don't stop.

I get that. Yet for some (like me now) it has to come from inner desire and motivation. For me it used to be the mere joy of accomplishment or ego satisfaction of getting somewhere new, but in my middle age I've done enough of that (and it worked for many things) and it doesn't call me any more.

 

[EdgE]

Man, that's not a thing to say to anybody on the first lesson.there isn't a guitarist that has made it, that hasn't worked for it, some have the ability to take it in different directions ,read up on Vito bratta, there's a article ( it was an epiphany for me) were he said he had to play like 8 to 10 a day to keep up the way he played guitar.
Ok i never heard of him ,but just listened to him ,wouldn’t worry