Insecurity about playing in front of others...

[milod]

I'm not sure that to "shred like V.H." is necessarily the goal even for many pickers who wanna play "like" somebody they listen to frequently.

 

E.g., we're back to the "rhythm guitar" thing. Lots of people can bang out chords, but how many do it really well?

 

Then too, one must ask what he or she really wants from their guitar playing.

 

Frankly I've enjoyed playing music with folks who'd be 120 right now as well as some mid-teens. Needless to say, each has his or her own "book," just as stuff I'm most familiar with may not be for somebody else who's exactly my age.

 

What makes it most "fun" is the effort to play stuff together well so the ensemble sounds good. I think that's more important by far than an immediate copy of this or that band.

 

Folks with whom you'll get along well in any sort of ensemble will be very much involved in a give and take if they want a good ensemble sound with you, and you have to be prepared to do the same. If that chemistry doesn't work, it's nothing personal, it's just that your goals as a human being don't necessarily match.

 

That has nothing whatsoever to do with cutting down your ability on the guitar, either. It just means you need to play with other folks who have more similar goals and with whose personalities yours makes a better match. I know I've had great fun with folks who were far better at a given style than I am, and with some who weren't as skilled in a given style that I'd switch to because they were more comfortable there. But it all comes down to personality, like it or not, not skill.

 

m

[GIANTRobOT420]

Eye of the Tiger DKX

[Artie Owl]

My grandfather told me that the next step in my playing is to get out there and play with others. One of two of the greatest tragedies in the world is that he didn't share his talent in music for the same fear I imagine. The other was that he didn't get a chance to go be a pro golfer. His family and their needs always came first.

[lazarusvt84]

been 'playing' since I was 9 (but stopped between 23 and 35 yrs old)...I have similar 'shyness' problem when I jam with my talented 15-yr old whom I taught basics (then turned over to pro teacher 4 yrs ago). I've gotten much better over last 1-2 yrs by simply trying to "keep up" with him. Practice, practice, practice....that alone will improve ability and increase confidence. I'd WANT to jam with someone BETTER....

[Daryl M]

Everyone here is dead on with the advise. The fastest way to get better is to play with better players. You WANT to jam with better players. You'll say, "Dude, show me that riff you just played." And he will. It's great.

 

If this guy is the type who just wants to impress you with his skill, or compare it to yours, then you wont be hanging with him anyway. Don't sweat it though, because 99% of players are not like that.

 

Chances are, you wont be jamming long before he looks at YOU and says, "Dude show me that riff..."[cool]

[duane v]

Some musicians are good at the spontaneous jam sessions, while other musicians are not quite there. It's always best to know where you fit in from a skill level stand-point before joining in on a jam session. If you have a strong feeling you wont be able to keep up, then just be a spectator. You can learn plenty by being observant.... Basically do not put yourself in a position where you'll be asked to unplug and sit out...

 

Speaking for me, I have little patience for musicians that aren't prepared for even an informal night of jamming, which is why I had my son and daughter do the private lesson deal on guitar when they became interested, simply because I do not have the patience to teach people guitar.

 

Simply find musicians that are at about the same level as you to jam with. You will definitely grow faster than with musicians that are well beyond your skill set.

[chordcrasher]

I think everyone has some same sort of start up hang ups about playing in front of others. My first time in an acoustic folk club setting (no amps no & PA) my fingers turned into bananas when I tried to play something I had played for ever

Just remember that there will always be some better and some worse than you and there is nothing you can do about it exept help the beginers and seek help from the advanced guys. Most decent folks will help, I know there will always be the one smart arse flash guy that thinks he is gods gift to music but most people are not like that

 

Guitar playing is not all about raw talent its a great deal to do with how much work you put in and how much you love doin it. Much as we all love the vintage Gibsons et al it doesnt mean that you cant produce a great sound out of a beginers level guitar either.

 

Go out and play and enjoy it