Getting stuck in skill level ... what to do?

Zwiebelchen

Zwiebelchen

Fractal Fanatic
Hey guys...
Looking back over the last two years, I felt that my guitar playing hasn't improved a lot since then. I am stuck at a skill level where I know all the important techniques, can play one or two more difficult solos after some practicing... but all in all it doesn't feel right. All the time when I'm watching videos of guys on the web that are so incredibly good, I'm kind of feeling like reaching a dead end. I simply don't know how to go on with my guitar practice.

It's pretty much all about speed and learning new licks now, but I don't seem to improve at all. In fact, the lack of improvement really pulls the motivation down little by little with every passing month. I tend to practice less and less each day. Sometimes I don't even practice for an entire week and just play a little bit for fun and nothing else.
Don't get me wrong... I love playing guitar, but I simply do not know what to do to finally get some sense of achievement again. :/

Can anyone give me any good hints what to do if you feel stuck in your skill level?
I'm mostly self-taught. Used to learn guitar through online lessons (Mostly justinguitar.net) and never took real guitar classes. I can't lose the feeling that when attending to real courses, it's all about milking some money out of my pocket and getting stuff shown I already know anyway. I know the theory... but my fingers simply refuse to move the way they should.
 
I would like to know the answer to this also because I am suffering from the same thing.

I took lessons from a couple different teachers and the only skill that I walked away with after a few months was to play the exercises on the tab.
 
It sounds like there's something you wish you could play better than you can. Take that something and slow it way down—however slow you have to go to get your fingers to move the way they should. When you can play it right, add just a little of the speed back in, until you start making mistakes again. Then slow it back down until you can play it correctly again. Always end your practice playing it right, no matter how slow you have to go. The improvement will come.
 
Rex said:
It sounds like there's something you wish you could play better than you can. Take that something and slow it way down—however slow you have to go to get your fingers to move the way they should. When you can play it right, add just a little of the speed back in, until you start making mistakes again. Then slow it back down until you can play it correctly again. Always end your practice playing it right, no matter how slow you have to go. The improvement will come.
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This is exactly the way I'm doing it, but I got two issues with this:
1) Doing the same exercises day by day isn't really fun... and takes the motivation away slowly
2) I always come to a point where I can not go faster anymore without making mistakes even after weeks of training - and this point is FAR below what should be possible, considering all the ridicolously fast shredders out there.

All in all, I feel like I'm doing something wrong, although a lot of people seem to say that it's the right path to follow. I'm totally lost here.
 
take some lessons
play with other musicians
record yourself- write some songs
choose another genre (jazz, country, classical, etc...)
play with other musicians
learn to read music (if you don't already know how)
transcribe solos and songs
get away from your instrument

most of us hit a plateau at some point and it takes years to get through... music is a very long race IMHO, much longer than a marathon, in fact there is no end
 
For me, anything Paul Gilbert has used as teaching methods are what I use for my students. Focusing on rhythm and vibrato can make your technique now sound 20x better than learning to play faster. I've never focused on scales or specific licks that I deemed complicated, because at the end of the day it was just someone else's and i'd rather try to do something myself. I think we all reach a point where we feel like we've been stagnant due to not seeing any real progress but I think as long as you are enjoying yourself in whatever you are doing, whether it be writing, riffing, jamming, producing....thats all that matters.

There are times I feel like i had better riffs at 15 then I do now at 23, but its all in context. Have Fun, thats the whole reason we play guitar!
 
Zwiebelchen said:
Hey guys...
Looking back over the last two years, I felt that my guitar playing hasn't improved a lot since then. I am stuck at a skill level where I know all the important techniques, can play one or two more difficult solos after some practicing... but all in all it doesn't feel right. All the time when I'm watching videos of guys on the web that are so incredibly good, I'm kind of feeling like reaching a dead end. I simply don't know how to go on with my guitar practice.

It's pretty much all about speed and learning new licks now, but I don't seem to improve at all. In fact, the lack of improvement really pulls the motivation down little by little with every passing month. I tend to practice less and less each day. Sometimes I don't even practice for an entire week and just play a little bit for fun and nothing else.
Don't get me wrong... I love playing guitar, but I simply do not know what to do to finally get some sense of achievement again. :/

Can anyone give me any good hints what to do if you feel stuck in your skill level?
I'm mostly self-taught. Used to learn guitar through online lessons (Mostly justinguitar.net) and never took real guitar classes. I can't lose the feeling that when attending to real courses, it's all about milking some money out of my pocket and getting stuff shown I already know anyway. I know the theory... but my fingers simply refuse to move the way they should.
Click to expand...

What I do when I’m in your situation is stop and re-evaluate where I’m at on my journey as a guitar player. Am I acting responsibly to becoming a better rounded musician. I have learned that music styles fade as you get older, what you enjoyed as a teen to your late thirties is one thing, but as you get older your music enjoyment level either increases or decreases. You become older, wiser and more determined to take your craft in different directions. So with that in mind, what I do is go there and when I mean there I mean anywhere that I stopped myself from going in my past. Learn some chicken Picken, Jazz standards, not just one song but at least 20, but just don’t learn the song, learn the sound the amp makes when playing that style. Now I’m 46, been there done that. I have played for 37yrs and have been through drought after drought after drought, you get the point. After 37 yrs I’m still learning music theory, I relearn the same stuff every yr and pickup something new every time. So long story short if you are stuck, become unstuck. The sites and apps I use to get unstuck are.

Vanderbilly.com Members teaching members how to play songs.

Truefire.com (paid subscription) you can get lost for days on that site.

I use a band in the box type of software on my Mac or Ipad such as Cordbot pro IOS and Ireal B for mac and IOS. This is where I will learn to play melodies. Because of copyright the chords can be added but the melodies cannot, this is where you can spend time learning single line melodies to songs, it get’s you out of the Scaler approach of playing notes in secession or playing repetitive note groupings of patterns.
I use guitar pro to learn tabs. Learn to use the app to its fullest potential. Take your licks and document them, its great for learning to transcribe. It’s boring and painful at first but repetition is key. The more you do it the better you get.


This is my Mantra. I have said it a thousand times and I will say it again and again.
Treat your life in three inner circles. The most inner circle is your comfort zone, that’s where most people live, the next outer circle is the learning zone, and this is where you need to live as this is where you are always learning something new. And the outer Circle is the Panic zone. That zone you are rarely in but when you are in it you are learning stuff that is way beyond what you think you could ever do this is where you will grow the most. I have many pieces of music that I am currently working on that are in that panic zone. It might take me yrs to get through them and that’s ok with me, because I am doing it.

So use whatever tool you can, but never quit. Music is a journey and a craft. To master it, takes a lifetime of failures and hit and misses.
 
Vhalen50 said:
For me, anything Paul Gilbert has used as teaching methods are what I use for my students. Focusing on rhythm and vibrato can make your technique now sound 20x better than learning to play faster. I've never focused on scales or specific licks that I deemed complicated, because at the end of the day it was just someone else's and i'd rather try to do something myself. I think we all reach a point where we feel like we've been stagnant due to not seeing any real progress but I think as long as you are enjoying yourself in whatever you are doing, whether it be writing, riffing, jamming, producing....thats all that matters.

There are times I feel like i had better riffs at 15 then I do now at 23, but its all in context. Have Fun, thats the whole reason we play guitar!
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Hmm, maybe it could indeed help focusing on a different aspect for a while. I think I'll try that for the next months, maybe it really helps to get some accomplishment back into playing.

That being said, I feel like it could be important to say that I'm 25 now. I started playing when I was 19. The thing is, I don't even feel like I'm playing for six years. I feel like I'm on the level of someone playing for a much shorter time. I recently got in contact with a guitar teacher that is 3 years younger than me... and this is kind of depressing, I gotta say, seeing that someone can be so much better than myself with even less time spent on practicing.

@Scottburrow:
I think this is one of my major problems... I simply don't know how to leave the comfort-zone. I used to play so much scales, that I kind of regard them as being inside the comfort-zone. And I don't know how to break out of this. When I'm improvising solos, I'm usually always doing the same patterns, although I know a lot more, simply because they feel most comfortable. My brain simply can not think of something new to begin with. I try to throw some occasional licks in, but most of the time it doesn't feel right. This is actually my biggest problem, I have to say. It's not so much the speed that is troubling me, but the missing creativity when it comes to improvising.
 
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So many good advises here in this thread !!

I think it's something that we all suffer for from time to time you feel you haven't made any progress in months and months
these plateaus are boring for sure. As many already said, go out of your regular zone for a while plays something completely different
from what you are used to, different style / technique .. learn a bunch of acoustic songs for summertime campfires, work with that
for a while and when you're back on the electric it feels easier compared to the steel string acoustic guitar.


Try to determine in advance what kind of song you are about to write and stick to it and see it through make a complete song out of it
and forget about the technique for a while and just play and discover new territories ..

Well not much different from all the other advises ..

:)


my 2c

good luck and have
a great journey

//Kenneth
 
Stringmanipulator said:
.. learn a bunch of acoustic songs for summertime campfires, work with that
for a while and when you're back on the electric it feels easier compared to the steel string acoustic guitar.
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I always practice with the acoustic when I'm practicing, for that "relief" kind of reason when I come back to the electric.

Try to determine in advance what kind of song you are about to write and stick to it and see it through make a complete song out of it
and forget about the technique for a while and just play and discover new territories ..

Well not much different from all the other advises ..
Click to expand...
As far as that goes, my creativity has never had something lacking when it comes to actually writing songs. I really enjoy writing new songs and do at least one or two per month. In fact, writing and performing songs is what still keeps me on track even with my current loss of motivation. It's just that all this creativity is suddenly gone as soon as I want to write a guitar solo. I don't know, I always end up copying something from musicians I like or play my preferred patterns.
 
My apologies if I am talking down to you...unfortunately your original post doesn't give a very good idea of your experience or skill level. Anyway, here are some thoughts. What is your experience playing in bands? If not a lot, you should get in a band. That is really where you can hone your chops. Sounds also like your passion has fizzled too and you are being hard on yourself. You need to get INSPIRED!!!! Take a break and just listen to lots of different music. Are you stuck in box patterns? Make sure you play to have fun. It just takes a TON of practice, and if you are getting frustrated and practicing less and less, you are not going to improve. Stop worrying about speed and focus on melody, expression, emotion and feel. The empty space and phrasing is so much more important than playing fast. Be creative and mix up different techniques ie legato, alternate picking, bends, strong pull-offs and hammer-ons, harmonics, single string runs, vibrato. Make sure those fingers are STRONG.

When you can play with confidence is when you really start to get GOOD, and to play confidently, it helps to know all of the notes on the fretboard and at minimum the minor scale up and down the neck. Focus on the 7 notes of the scale (and their shapes) in both directions (ascending to right starting with index on root and then with ascending left with pinky on root. Then same thing descending) in addition to learning the 5 different positions. This will allow you to be much more fluid and move around the neck much more confidently.

I love the quote of EVH where he said if you hit a wrong note, smile and hit it again and then everyone will think you meant it.
 
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I've been in plateau type situations several times during my guitar playing days.

The thing I've learned about playing guitar is that I never improve unless I challenge myself. I enjoy challenges, but they can also be frustrating, as I'm not the most patient guy in the world. Not challenging myself has been my downfall in the past. For too many years I simply played the same things over and over again and never really made a point to do anything new.

One thing to take in mind is that although you do need to challenge yourself, don't set your sights too high right off the bat. Find licks or rhythms that are difficult for you at first, but still within the realm of possibilities.

When I'm stuck on a plateau, I start looking at things to work on that I'm not familiar with, such as new techniques, new types of rhythms or licks, or new types of music altogether. For example, I've primarily been a metal/hard rock guy all my life. Lately, I've made a point to get deep into blues and jazz. I've only been on this changed path for about a month but I surprise myself everyday with how many new things I've learned and even how I can apply them in my comfort zones.

When practicing new things that you find challenging, take it slow and work it up to speed. This process could take minutes or it could take weeks. I've come across licks that have taken me hours over several days' worth of practice sessions. It was frustrating at times, but once you get it down it's very fulfilling.

Another thing to remember is that for most people (including myself) being a great guitarist just takes a ton of practice. Most of the best well-known players out there have had periods of time in their lives in which they'd practice for hours a day for several years. I've found that unless I continually practice, I lose some of what I've gained.
 
Vhalen50 said:
For me, anything Paul Gilbert has used as teaching methods are what I use for my students. Focusing on rhythm and vibrato can make your technique now sound 20x better than learning to play faster. I've never focused on scales or specific licks that I deemed complicated, because at the end of the day it was just someone else's and i'd rather try to do something myself. I think we all reach a point where we feel like we've been stagnant due to not seeing any real progress but I think as long as you are enjoying yourself in whatever you are doing, whether it be writing, riffing, jamming, producing....thats all that matters.

There are times I feel like i had better riffs at 15 then I do now at 23, but its all in context. Have Fun, thats the whole reason we play guitar!
Click to expand...

+1 on the Paul Gilbert comment. I started his online video lessons a while back and it really helped me start learning again and get excited about playing again. He really is an amazing player and teacher no matter your level.
 
Yup on Gilbert. Im on his Site....User name is Kdog. Paul now uses the Chat feature to check in on us. So many Good players over there. I asked him myself what to do when in a rut.

His answer? Learn more songs. See how someone else got out of a rut.
 
Some thoughts.

If you can't play something slow and perfect it can never be played fast.

Things take time to learn and age has nothing to do with it. Both Vai and Malmsteen are monster players, one is younger than myself and one slightly older but they are on their journey as we are all on our own. I like both of these players but would not want to be either of them.

There will always be people "better, richer or faster" but music and life shouldn't be a competition. Its about being who you are.

Be who you are, you like writing songs. Focus on that. Focus on listening to other styles of music, analyse why the melody works against the chords, counterpoint or harmony.

Let's take Lennon and McCartney, great song writers but not lead guitarists, Michael Jackson, he sure knew how to sing and dance but used for example Steve Lukather and EVH amongst others for guitar stuff.

Play with others, improvising live is something that will develop the ear. I think nowadays there is far too much focus on learning solos note for note, but it's still worth doing. Transcribe things yourself, even violin or saxophone it doesn't have to be guitar.

There are a lot of resources for today's player learning the instrument and a lot of players to look at on You tube etc. but that in some ways is good and in some ways it isn't. Play with others and develop your strengths and passions.

Listen away from the instrument, go for a walk.

Try focused short practice sessions.

Hope it's useful.
 
Plateaus are 95% mental. In my experience there are only two ways out of them, brute force (continue to practice the same things regardless of the desire to do so) and distraction (redirecting your focus to other musical areas to give you mind a chance to figure out the plateau). Both methods work, both have merits and discounts. For me personally, I tend to combine the two by playing the same things but focusing on peripheral issues.
 
Rex said:
It sounds like there's something you wish you could play better than you can. Take that something and slow it way down—however slow you have to go to get your fingers to move the way they should. When you can play it right, add just a little of the speed back in, until you start making mistakes again. Then slow it back down until you can play it correctly again. Always end your practice playing it right, no matter how slow you have to go. The improvement will come.
Click to expand...

This guy is right! I am no expert and also not gifted but playing it fast with mistakes makes you learn the mistakes. they dont go away. Play with no mistakes slow and then fast till they are gone. Also play it 100% right and stop. Dont ever stop on a wrong play. When you try the next day the right take sticks. Dont know why but hes right.
 
Zwei - it's a shame you're not in the UK, cos I run a 'rut busting' clinic sort of thing
it's a one on one session [4 or 8 hour session]

what you need is not more speed [cos that comes with time - you just have to believe me on this]
you need fresh ideas, inspiration and an injection of motivation...

when you feel good and motivated, the speed comes
when you feel more confident you are more carefree to take risks and play above your norm

you need to learn something new, some new approach to note selection
or a new approach to composition [which includes licks, riffs, solos as well as songs]
you need something fresh and exciting..
 
ok, here's my tuppence worth

i've been playing for 30 years, so i've been through what you're describing

the first thing to remember is - we don't improve in a straight line. as others have said, we jump up for a bit and then plateaux and then jump again. being on a plateaux can be very disheartening, but you mustn't let it get you down. just know that you'll break out of it at some point...

as for advice -

1) if you have a habitual practice routine, or you find yourself mindlessly playing the same stuff every time you pick up the guitar - stop

2) i taught myself to play by learning songs and not only is it great ear training, it exposes you to unfamiliar territory. put on a cd, or dive into your mp3 collection and just learn whatever comes up

3) buy a looper, or use the one in the axe. record chord sequences and play over them. come up with melodies...don't just blow. make sequences that change key, because that will force you to listen and be aware of what's happening, rather than going on autopilot.

4) improve as a musician, not just as a guitar player. write some tunes and record them...with bass, drums...the whole shebang.

one of the reasons we get stuck on a plateaux is, we find it hard to break out of old habits. so stop what you're doing and do something else.
 
If you find yourself using same patterns over and over again (presumably scalar in nature in a box patter up and down the strings), try working out solos on a single string. This can literally open up a new dimension.

Try working solos out a piece at a time for your compositions instead of in one shot. Take a phrase and work through it, attacking from different angles. Put that portion of the tune on loop and just keep trying different things. You may be surprised what you come up with (and learn) this way.

Pick up a book called (don't quote me here) "The Principles of Correct Practice For Guitar" , read it, its not a long read. It will frustrate you but consider that it has been proven to work. Its very difficult (at least for me) to follow the methodology it describes (playing guitar in extreme slow-motion). Just food for thought.
 
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