How come no matter how good i get I'm never satisfied with my guitar playing.?

Question

Okay so I'm always getting better at guitar, and music is my life. But no matter how good i get I'm not satisfied, I want to get even better then i set new goals for myself and when i reach my goals I'm still not satisfied, i want to be even better. I have played about a year, and i get from a lot of people that I'm really good, especially from other musicians who play guitar and stuff, say I play as good as someone who has played 6 years when I have only played a year. But i still don't see myself as a good player, idk why this is.

Answer 1

Welcome to the frustrating world of being a musician! LOL

There are always going to be great technical players- ANYONE can learn to play an instrument, and when a person dedicates a lot of time learning to play, they get better and better.

There are some pro players that are amazing technical players- and their egos are as big as their abilities.  Have you ever listened to Eddie Daniels?  Amazing clarinet player (and sax)... his technical ability is flawless, and he can read charts like a mother.  He's got a great sense of dynamics and phrasing... but when he begins to speak instead of play, well, it loses all luster.  He KNOWS he is great and he will tell you so.  Repeatedly.  I admire him for his ability, but I consider him a clarinet player- not a musician.

What defines a MUSICIAN (in my mind, anyways) is that you are never good enough.  What I mean by this is that your personal standard is always higher than your critic's.  You constantly push yourself and know that there is always something more you can practice or learn to better yourself.

John Coltrane was never happy with his music.  Neither is Joe Satriani.  They know where their own weaknesses are, even if their audience can't seem to find them, and constantly work to better themselves.

This is a frustrating place to be, to say the least!  Especially in competetive environments like college or gig auditions- you see everyone as reaching this awesome standard, but the standard you set for yourself is so high that it makes you feel a million miles away from the other guys.

There is nothing wrong with this... but don't let it get you down.  It is ok to expect perfection from yourself, but you have to temper that with a healthy shot of "it was still good- I portrayed what I needed to and it was beautiful."

Sometimes mistakes make the music more beautiful... it reminds you that you are human... and music, I think, is the ultimate human experience.  Sorry if that sounded like a bad fortune cookie or something, but I feel like when you do play something perfectly every time, it becomes mechanized... my computer can do that.

So keep pushing yourself, but don't forget to give yourself some credit now and again!  The other thing, is remember to have fun!  When you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong.  :)

Answer 2

Probably because you didn't have a teacher, I'll bet what you did was start out with what other people showed you.....and then played tab, right ??? I've had hundreds of kids say to me, "how come I've been playing for four years and don't sound any better ", well I soon found out that they were doing just what I told you, they all learned intros to the same songs, ( Stairway to Heaven, Smoke on the Water, Metallica, etc.....) they all do the same thing, and not one of them could play a complete song...I make my students learn how to read music, and continue with a song until they know the complete song......you wouldn't believe the kids who tell me that they can play and I say well show me just one song that you can play all the way through.....well they just look at me, because not one of them could do that. They all knew bits and pieces of songs that someone else showed them or a few chords to famous songs.....well some of my students who only have six months of lessons can play scales, chords, and at least four complete songs.....most of these in the first position.....(the first four frets).....I started them out with two or three scales, and then three chords and some exercises, and didn't move on until they got those down correctly.....they would play those three chords until they could play and change them with ease, all this helped to get the hands, and finger muscels ready for playing, it also helped to obtain the callouses nessasary for playing without pain !!!!!!!! Even if you only go for six months get a teacher, she/he will try and correct what your doing wrong....most self taught students don't hold their hands or fingers correctly, the fingers should be perpendicular to the strings, and the thumb should be in the center of the back of the neck of the guitar....if not when you start to progress and get into the more complicated music your wondering why you can't do it, well that's because you've formed bad habits that have to be corrected in order to do the more complicated music. Your knuckles should be paralel to the strings, because if not later when you have to make a barre chord and play fingers that involve four frets your going to think wow that's imposable, well it's not if your taught right from the beginning the correct way to do this....most people when first starting guitar don't pay attention to the way the guitar, hands, and fingers should be placed, and then later wonder why they can't go any further. If you can't get a teacher try one of the sites on the internet......some of them are really great, just check them out and you'll see the things that your probably doing wrong !!!!!!!!!! I've had lots of students who can play after three months of playing ( selftaught ) but then they get stuck and can't go any further.....and then can't figure out why !!!!!! Can you play a few scales, know when your playing a song what key it's in, and most of all can you play a complete song from beginning to end......I bet not !!!!!! I'm not being smart it's just that I've seen this for years with students who are self taught !!!!!!!! Keep playing , but get some books on scales, know what chords that your playing, learn about key signatures, do exercises that most books have, learn to play in different keys. Go to your music store and ask the clerk for a good guitar learning book, one that has a Cd in the back of it.....or you can even ask for a video  that will show you the correct way to do things.....and I promise you'll see an improvement in your playing, I hope that this helps, good luck to you. I've played for over thirty five years, so I know what I'm talking about, and I teach classical and acoustic !!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

Because you're a true artist. =]

Answer 4

Well, that's completely normal, you've just trained your ears more and are starting to listen.

As for Chessmaster's answer:

Well, I have to say that you probably confused the question because the asker doesn't seem to be one of those you're describing (those who get on my nerves just like on yours).

I agree with most of what you have said, except one thing: the position of the thumb. This is true on acoustic, but not on electric...how would you do a vibrato like Eric Clapton or a bend/portamento with your thumb behing...answer: the vibrato would be sloppy and the bend out of tune - and I have seem MANY do it wrong because of keeping their thumb behind the neck. Of course, you have to do it if some 4-fret stretch is to be played or when playing barre chords etc...simply when it is needed, but not always on EG...in fact, mostly not. This is the difference between the instruments, and it shouldn't be forgotten to say.

Answer 5

Because you have such a keen interest in learning and improving you are the worst audience for you.  Performances are like bubbles, once you blow them up, you have to let them go.

Answer 6

gotta learn your music theory. CHORDS,

modes, and scales. A great book is THE GUITAR GRIMOIRE

by adam kadmon

look it up it'll blow your mind