I'm really having trouble with the decision to get a guitar and learn to play again or not. I'm 31 yrs. old. I originally played guitar for hours a day on a daily basis from the time I was 14-19. At the end of my five years I was to the point where I could play a good number of songs perfectly, all the way through, and was no longer embarassed or afraid to play in front of strangers because I knew I was at least "ok".
Around the 4 yr. mark I hit a plateau. For the next year it didn't seem like I could progress any further in any areas. I was just stuck and couldn't seem to make the jump to that next level of skill that many people I knew were at. So after a year of that I got a bit discouraged and started not playing as much.
Then what happened was I would pick up the axe now and again to play, and I wasn't nearly as good as I knew I 'could be' or 'used to be' because I no longer played daily and it went to maybe once or twice a week. So I'd get really mad and frustrated when I'd go to pick it up because I'd have a harder time than I used to with things, be slower, not as comfortable, and start messing up stuff I knew I could play perfectly at one point. That made me not want to pick it up even once a week.
I got broke and sold my axe and my amp to pay bills.
It's been 15 years since I've played now. I've talked about wanting to play again ever since I sold it, but having been there and done it before, I know the kind of dedication and hours it takes to get really good. And I know I won't be happy unless I'm really good. And I can't come to an honest decision as to if I have the dedication and the time I know it's going to take to stick with it.
I guess in my mind, to make the decision, I have to decide if there's a point. It's fun, but if no one was ever going to hear you play, would you bother? I'd like to be in a band, but that's kinda far fetched for me. I know I'll never be a famous musician or anything like that...
So I think about what it would be like to get an axe, spend the time, and get going again, and find myself imagining that I can play just as good as ever. At that point all I can think of is... so what? What's the point? If I'm not going to have a band and make music I like... I donno, I'm also undecided as to if this kind of time investment is even a wise thing to do at this point in my life. ARGH! Don't you think something like wanting to play a guitar would be an easy yes or no thing? LOL How sad...
I feel so torn...
Around the 4 yr. mark I hit a plateau. For the next year it didn't seem like I could progress any further in any areas. I was just stuck and couldn't seem to make the jump to that next level of skill that many people I knew were at. So after a year of that I got a bit discouraged and started not playing as much.
Then what happened was I would pick up the axe now and again to play, and I wasn't nearly as good as I knew I 'could be' or 'used to be' because I no longer played daily and it went to maybe once or twice a week. So I'd get really mad and frustrated when I'd go to pick it up because I'd have a harder time than I used to with things, be slower, not as comfortable, and start messing up stuff I knew I could play perfectly at one point. That made me not want to pick it up even once a week.
I got broke and sold my axe and my amp to pay bills.
It's been 15 years since I've played now. I've talked about wanting to play again ever since I sold it, but having been there and done it before, I know the kind of dedication and hours it takes to get really good. And I know I won't be happy unless I'm really good. And I can't come to an honest decision as to if I have the dedication and the time I know it's going to take to stick with it.
I guess in my mind, to make the decision, I have to decide if there's a point. It's fun, but if no one was ever going to hear you play, would you bother? I'd like to be in a band, but that's kinda far fetched for me. I know I'll never be a famous musician or anything like that...
So I think about what it would be like to get an axe, spend the time, and get going again, and find myself imagining that I can play just as good as ever. At that point all I can think of is... so what? What's the point? If I'm not going to have a band and make music I like... I donno, I'm also undecided as to if this kind of time investment is even a wise thing to do at this point in my life. ARGH! Don't you think something like wanting to play a guitar would be an easy yes or no thing? LOL How sad...
I feel so torn...
