Hello again everyone here at PB studio. The reason that I have started this thread is because I have been experiencing a period of extreme doubt and anxiety as to my own musical self-worth; perhaps I am in need of a reality check. I am 23 years old now and I am currently very distrought concerning my potential and self-worth as a guitarist/musician. During the last 3 years that have transpired since I first decided that I wanted to become the best musician that I could possibly be, (and that guitar was the intrument that I wanted to pick up and eventually become decent at) I have been led to beleive that one's own excellence as a musician was a product of two factors: 1.) time spent working on one's craft &
2.) one's ability to constructively focus during the time that they choose to spend. Is this in fact, the honest to goodness truth regarding ones potential to become a virtuosso? Or is there something that I am not accounting for? In other words, what I guess I am asking is "Are there pre-determined factors/circumstances that exist external to a person's determination and effort, that can either significantly constrain them from OR significantly enable them to become a world-class guitarist?".

On a tangential note: It has occured to me, that if tommorow I were to somehow see the future and to find found out that all the time I have been choosing to spend on guitar would result in nothing more that mediocrity 30 years from now, I am concerned that I would probably never pick up the instrument again. I am a very anxious guitarist at the moment...and I feel very isolated.

I totally get what you're talking about. I've been playing for over 20 years, I'm just a hobbyist and always have been. When I first started playing I was really into it and really wanted to get good and be in bands and the whole thing. As time went by I realized I wanted to keep playing because it relaxes me, it's fun and I have a genuine love for the instrument. But... at my core I'm not a musician. I'm a guy who plays guitar for fun. For the last six months or so I've put more effort in and been more serious about technique and its paid off. I'm at the highest playing level I've ever been at. But again... I'm still not a musician and I'm okay with that. The guitar is there for me to hang out with and have fun with. I have no personal interest in being a song writer or virtuoso. I just want to keep getting better and play the music I enjoy listening to.

I think each person needs to figure out how important it is to them and exactly how far they want to go in any given art form or interest. Potential is a word that gets thrown around a lot. I think motivation and perseverance are more important words. People that are born with physical or mental advantages have the "potential" to master different interests and crafts faster and arguably to a higher degree but that doesn't mean they will. If one has the motivation, desire and perseveres through rough periods they are only limited by self induced limitations. If it's what you really want just nut up and get through it.

There is one other question that I have of a more specific nature than my post above that I would like to pose (specifically to folks such as Pebber, FrakH and Underoche b/c going by the vids that I have seen, these are people on the forum that have trully become boss at playing guitar). Have any of you (or for that matter, any of the world class musician firends that you might know) had to endure prolonged periods where your personal confidence in your musical pursuits has been utterly in tatters. And if so, could you elaborate to the best of your memory as to 1.) what you experienced, 2.) how you handled it, and 3.) What was the out-come of how you handled it. One thing that I find parcticullarly upsetting is the thought that I could eventually become so dis-illusioned and frightened by my instrument that I might choose to remove it from my life completely. There have been times where I felt significant acrimony towards my axe. It were as if I was engaged in a one-sided relationship with the thing, where-in I regularly make what other people in my life consider to be unreasonable personal sacrifices for it (often with minimal reciprocation). For instance, my mother has regularly voiced concerns to me about my mental well-being when she sees me isolated in the wood-shed for long stretches of time with little to no human contact. I dont know if my motivations or my heart are in the wrong place a.t.m. but something has definitely become askew with me. I am not looking for empathy here but rather advice from the guitar brain-trust on this forum. I think I need to order Pebbers picking anthology. (I recently received my first paycheck from my "new" job and I would like to place an order). Hopefully some in depth direction from Pebber's newly released DVD's will help get me un-scrambled.

I'm a little confused on if you are asking about potential, or just fishing for inspiration to keep playing.

The way I see it, with enough time, anyone (minus a few select imbeciles) can do anything, but no one can do everything. Annoying things like food, shelter, health, and sanity end up being far more limiting than how naturally fast your fingers twitched before you held a guitar. If there's something you're not accounting for, it's how much easier that is to say than it is to execute. It takes a tremendous amount of effort to even suck at playing, and you're in deep trouble if you don't plan to get any joy out of it until you hit world class status. When you've practiced ~50 hours a week for ~2 years and don't seem to be getting any better, then I would start to worry about not having the potential to progress.

Since I don't think that's really what you wanted, I suggest noodling around on a hot tube amp near max volume for awhile, always lifts my spirits :)

Also, I would hope that listening to the music of the players which you wish to someday play like makes you want to practice. How can you have doubts after listening to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9mgW5v0yMU or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ7W1NJkQvU ? Perhaps looking up some blues that doesn't require ultimate technique, but still leaves you going "man, that's awesome!" would be beneficial? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF5YW57oLKY

And finally, this guitar = isolation thing you have going on... many play music with people, for people. If you could make a friend who plays the drums/bass, or convince an existing one to try to learn to, even if you only get together once a month, I'd imagine you would like this much more than exiling yourself to the woodshed.

Focus and Time...find theem...make theem your friend!

Oh man....!!
I could have a field day with this one....lol!
Well....Ill skip specs.
How I handled it......become better!

DONT GIVE UP.....PERIOD!

Dont forget...2 years minimum with a new technique...Thats to see if it works!!!!
Not to mention ALL the other material to learn.

Hey Frakh, when you say 2 years for any technique... does that apply to all techniques basic and advanced or were you meaning towards techniques that are new to you? Just curious. I've been working on my sucktastic legato for a month or so now, so it's always nice to know time frames for improvement. I realize it's off the main topic and apologize if it's a distraction.

Lmao that's actually comforting. Good to know it's a marathon and not a sprint.

HEHEHE....
yeah...many...many years!!
lol!

I always say....record yourself in the process....you will see comparing the videos that you didnt waste your time!!!

Kind of a reassuring payback.

these replies by the gurus are........ important!! anyway im glad i haven't any frustrations with practicing new technique. i see improvement since i started. even though slowly, im driven and satisfied by the little results ive had so far than what used to practice(uncheduled undisciplined no gain) before i stumbled into pebbers youtube channel. driven as in im driven to practice every day.

Alrighty, I know this probably wont provide answers (or immediate solutions to the problems I had listed above.) But I decided to set my alarm for 9:00 AM on my day off work today...And I am gonna shed till its time for me to sleep tonight. As they say in Alcoholics Anonomous gotta things "one day at a time"...So thats what I am going to do with Axe. Will report back before I go to bed. Plans are: to doing 12 min of each trill perms. from left hand basics. 101 (up to but NOT including 3 finger trill) and then 20 min picking each open string to progressive nome' 'tup's...I hope I can get to 3 N.P.S. scales tonight because after all the trills my left hand will get all gooey and the stretches would not be problem...but I prolly wont have time if I stick to this plan.

the way I see it is: the more time you put in practice the better you get , the easier it gets to play a song or technique.
the real challenge is find time and the will to practice...
if you love playing guitar you will find the time and the will, and you will get better...
you might not be among the best players in the world, but you will earn respect from friends, from your band and from the big cats..
I dont know man, i play guitar because I love it , i love the way it sounds , I love the expressions you can get out of it... one single bend note has a lot of meaning and feeling....I had my reality check already, I know I wont be teh best player but I practice to get better and I will be the best that I can be , thats for sure..

5-6 hours of trills... no wonder you're worried you might become "frightened" of your guitar. Hell, I'm frightened of your guitar.

Picking adjacent strings? Non-adjacent strings? Combining left- and right-hand exercises? Chromatic scales? Wholetone scales? Ladders? Spiders? Module 3? Pentatonic scales? Sequences? Intervals? Module 4? Ear training? Sight reading? Arpeggios? Songs? Playing scales over backing tracks? Improvising over backing tracks...

Thats page 1.

lol...hehehe

I really hope you find time in your day to have some fun and don't forget to take care of yourself. If you don't take care of yourself your body and mind will break down, you'll get sick if you're depressed it will worsen. I admire your dedication, just don't end up like of those crazy gamer kids that stay up for like 50 hours and forget to eat and go the toilet lol.

jvieira is right. you got to have some time for your own fun as well man. dont stop 'living' because of practicing. and networking is part of being a musician too(i dont know if hanging on facebook and sms is a good idea though. hanging around real people is). watch movies tv and do whatever else you like.

lasted from 10am-6:30 pm, decided that I was fried, started drinking beer, and playing Call of Duty with my little brother. Today was solid

Although truth be told, @ least one hour of that timeblock was spent chugging mtn. dew and smoking outside for regular 5 min breaks.

Everyone goes through these periods of self doubt. Frank Zappa said his advice for young musicians was never give up and keep going. Pebber has told me this many times. That's really all you can do. And, as FRakh said, find time and make the best of it. In my late teens 18-21 I sat at home and played guitar. Did not have a job. It literally drove me insane and I had to seek medical/mental help. This happens to some and not to others. In my 20's there were times where I put the guitar down for long stretches of time. In my late 20's and into my 30's Pebber kicked my butt into overdrive and I started practicing 8 hours a day again.

You have to give it time. But believe me, we have all been there. You have to keep pushing forward.

Also, as Pebber stated, genetics play a big role. I see it with my own students.

Music can be learned. I don't know exactly what it takes to become a virtuoso other than lots of time.

A book could be written on this subject. Just put this out of your mind and keep going. Seems like you might be in a rut? Start learning new things or join a band and get out, play, get chicks, rule the world. That's what it's all about!

Ursin that was a great coment...
I wish I had a like button right now!!!