Who do we think we are?

And I look like this:



Many already know, but...


Nice cover, but watch your technique. I notice that your right hand picking technique uses mostly thumb movement. When you strum, you divert some of that toward the wrist, but you're still using you thumb. Avoid picking with your thumb unless you're finger picking. When picking single notes, you should use your wrist, and when strumming, you should use your wrist to orientate your hand and your elbow (shoulder as well if you're strumming hard) to apply the force to the strings.
 
Nice cover, but watch your technique. I notice that your right hand picking technique uses mostly thumb movement. When you strum, you divert some of that toward the wrist, but you're still using you thumb. Avoid picking with your thumb unless you're finger picking. When picking single notes, you should use your wrist, and when strumming, you should use your wrist to orientate your hand and your elbow (shoulder as well if you're strumming hard) to apply the force to the strings.

Yeah, I knew I was doing a bad job at the picking. I am sick right now, I recorded that today. I wasn't really thinking too much. I hope my dad dosen't find that, though. I am not supposed to have online accounts. I should have headbanged in the video, but my neck was sore...
 
Yeah, I knew I was doing a bad job at the picking. I am sick right now, I recorded that today. I wasn't really thinking too much. I hope my dad dosen't find that, though. I am not supposed to have online accounts. I should have headbanged in the video, but my neck was sore...

Don't headbang in cover videos unless you're playing with a band and, preferable, playing a concert. If you're tired and you revert to a bad technique, then you have a habit of a bad technique. Changing habits is hard, but it must be done if you have a bad one. Have you ever had lessons? I know that teachers typically don't address these issues because... well they just usually don't (it's too much work that could lead to losing a student, I think). Get yourself a metronome if you don't have one and practice with it. If you want to learn to shred, beginning at a slow pace with a metronome and increasing the speed is the best way to do it. I'm well out of practice and can't play songs as well as I once could, but can still rip through scales if I pick up a guitar.
 
Don't headbang in cover videos unless you're playing with a band and, preferable, playing a concert. If you're tired and you revert to a bad technique, then you have a habit of a bad technique. Changing habits is hard, but it must be done if you have a bad one. Have you ever had lessons? I know that teachers typically don't address these issues because... well they just usually don't (it's too much work that could lead to losing a student, I think). Get yourself a metronome if you don't have one and practice with it. If you want to learn to shred, beginning at a slow pace with a metronome and increasing the speed is the best way to do it. I'm well out of practice and can't play songs as well as I once could, but can still rip through scales if I pick up a guitar.

No lessons. My dad taught me a few chords, and how to play a couple songs because I was bored, and I learned from there. The reason I will never take lessons is because lessons might ruin it for me. I need freedom, I don't do well with being taught anything. I learn a lot by myself, but once I am taught, I am discouraged
 
No lessons. My dad taught me a few chords, and how to play a couple songs because I was bored, and I learned from there. The reason I will never take lessons is because lessons might ruin it for me. I need freedom, I don't do well with being taught anything. I learn a lot by myself, but once I am taught, I am discouraged

Lessons in something you enjoy aren't a bad thing. It could, in fact, turn into a good thing. If your parents will pay for it, then take lessons. The positive pedagogical experience is a good thing. I understand you feel you've had none of that; then try to take advantage of the opportunity to learn something you love from somebody who knows it better than you do.
 
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I'm so glad my parents made me take lessons. I know many people that never got them and have been doing the fundamentals wrong forever, can't unlearn it, and therefore either suck ass or have plateaued

Take some lessons, they won't restrict you and won't learn the basics wrong and be ruined forever.
 
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Lessons in something you enjoy aren't a bad thing. It could, in fact, turn into a good thing. If your parents will pay for it, then take lessons. The positive pedagogical experience is a good thing. I understand you feel you've had none of that; then try to take advantage of the opportunity to learn something you love from somebody who knows it better than you do.

I can't anyways, I am not allowed to play guitar on weekdays until my grades get better. Fuck my life.
 
I am not going to college. I am a failure in typical terms.

Only if you tell yourself that. You have to persevere and not be a self-fulfilling prophecy, if you want anything more out of life. To succeed in college all you have to do is work your ass off, let nothing that happened in high school carry forward or influence you.

I ended up kicked out of high school man for ditching massive amounts of class and drinking alcohol on campus. I ended up in continuation school with druggies and criminals. But when I got to college, I was ready to work and make something of myself. By the time I got to the Master's program, I was a straight A student. It's all in your mindset and work ethic. You got this.

Never call yourself a failure again. You're not even an adult yet, you haven't had the chance to fail. "You have to believe in yourself or no one will believe in you" - Ozzy.
 
Only if you tell yourself that. You have to persevere and not be a self-fulfilling prophecy, if you want anything more out of life. To succeed in college all you have to do is work your ass off, let nothing that happened in high school carry forward or influence you.

I ended up kicked out of high school man for ditching massive amounts of class and drinking alcohol on campus. I ended up in continuation school with druggies and criminals. But when I got to college, I was ready to work and make something of myself. By the time I got to the Master's program, I was a straight A student. It's all in your mindset and work ethic. You got this.

Never call yourself a failure again. You're not even an adult yet, you haven't had the chance to fail. "You have to believe in yourself or no one will believe in you" - Ozzy.

This. I walked a similar path. I graduated high school with something like 1.8 GPA and will be graduating college with a 3.9. High school is nothing. Look to yourself and your goals, whatever they are, and you can get somewhere near them. But it's up to you to make the commitment.
 
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I am not going to college. I am a failure in typical terms.

This post is fucking hilarious to me because you remind me of myself when I turned 15 and I distinctly remember posting about it on here about ten years ago. Anyway, you're young and are in the hardest point of your life thus far imo. You're clearly not an idiot, you just have to decide one day to do better. I wish I had learned the lesson sooner than I did. Don't despair, life will improve marginally.

Edit: @Baroque - you're a grad level math major right? I might need help with some econ calculus.
 
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I didn't get the proper math background so I get lost easily. For example I had a test today and the questions took what we had learned in class and added some wrinkles and new language that I had never seen. Had no idea what to do and had to basically cheat my way through it which I hate doing.
 
I didn't get the proper math background so I get lost easily. For example I had a test today and the questions took what we had learned in class and added some wrinkles and new language that I had never seen. Had no idea what to do and had to basically cheat my way through it which I hate doing.

Do you have the option of taking math courses as an elective? I know it doesn't sound like an ideal elective but math courses get more and more interesting the further you get.

I actually started as a music major and I was taking math for fun, because I was interested in 12 tone rows and theory. Ended up switching over. But yeah feel free to ask questions if you want.
 
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