Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

[Christopher Caruana]

What are the biggest technical/playing issues you've faced or have had to overcome as a player?

Mine is my extremely hard pick attack and my short(er) fingers. In the past I've had to have my action a bit higher than most to combat the fact that I just instinctually like to dig in with my pick harder than normal, and in return, my playability suffers because the action is higher and my fingers aren't very long.

Ive been working on lowering my action to increase playability and at the same time mentally trying to back off my picking so its not as aggressive. working on trying to find a balance between the two

What are some of yours??

 

[Archer250]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

A weak, wobbly pinky. Seriously, the biggest reason I had to set my guitars up like chessecutters (http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x456/Archer250/WP_20140601_07_53_36_Pro.jpg) is because my pinky would flail wildly if it isn't applying a lot of force.

Also, most guitars are not really made to my taste. Personally, I'd prefer a 22-24 fret top mounted HH guitar with a laminated soft v neck, straight headstock with tuners on top, a 5 way switch complete with 1 vol 1 tone config, and a non recessed Floyd (but WITHOUT an angled neck joint).

 

[SlyFoxx]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

Bar owners.

 

[Christopher Caruana]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

A weak, wobbly pinky. Seriously, the biggest reason I had to set my guitars up like chessecutters (http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x456/Archer250/WP_20140601_07_53_36_Pro.jpg) is because my pinky would flail wildly if it isn't applying a lot of force.

Also, most guitars are not really made to my taste. Personally, I'd prefer a 22-24 fret top mounted HH guitar with a laminated soft v neck, straight headstock with tuners on top, a 5 way switch complete with 1 vol 1 tone config, and a non recessed Floyd (but WITHOUT an angled neck joint).

holy lord! that looks like a slide guitar's action haha

 

[Archer250]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

holy lord! that looks like a slide guitar's action haha

But then again, I am left handed lol

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

The only one I really struggle with is pushing down on the fretboard too hard. I normally have a pretty nice light touch with std chord shapes and single notes but...

I have short fingers and I tend to like bigger chord shapes so while stretching, my hands naturally push down too hard. :/

 

[CTN]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

I have long spindly fingers so the stretches aren't too much of a problem, but strength is, and as a result, so is speed. So I guess you could say from a technical perspective, fluidity is my biggest issue. In terms of playing/theory I guess getting to know how to produce interesting phrasingmhas always been (and will likely always be) my biggest challenge/goal.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

Trying to remember where everything is on the fingerboard and trying to better my phrasing.

 

[garryspicer]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

1/ Getting out of a playing rut ie not relying on the cliches I've learnt over the years.
2/ Keeping focused on a regular schedule to improve technical ability (scales / chords etc with a metronome). I find if I don't concentrate I start doodling.
3/ Keeping my wife onside, very important.
4/ Learning to connect my fingers with my brain.
5/ Not getting discouraged - believe me at 62 the physical side can mess with your head.

 

[garryspicer]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

1/ Getting out of a playing rut ie not relying on the cliches I've learnt over the years.
2/ Keeping focused on a regular schedule to improve technical ability (scales / chords etc with a metronome). I find if I don't concentrate I start doodling.
3/ Keeping my wife onside, very important.
4/ Learning to connect my fingers with my brain.
5/ Not getting discouraged - believe me at 62 the physical side can mess with your head.

Oh yeah, nearly forgot. Not being able to try every guitar in a guitar shop because I'm left handed.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

For me it's always been a lack of the self discipline to practice regularly. I tend to move in fits and starts.

 

[9unslin9er]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

Lead Singer Syndrome

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

Tendonitis. It's taken away a lot of my lead playing ability. I've lost about 1/3 of the use of both arms compared to average men my age and build.

Keeping interested/enthusiastic/inspired. I get tired, listless and don't want to play from time to time. Discouraged, worn down. Keeping in the right mindset to play, play well, and advance, learn something new. Pressing forward even when you don't feel hopeful.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

This forum, and writers block. Writers block sometimes attacks hard, and I can go a month without writing anything of worth, but then I can have an entire week where ideas are pouring out faster than I can remember them. Sometimes I also stay up late, awake for nearly 24 hours and all these ideas hit me and I get a surge of activity going.

 

[Oinkus]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

Arthritis has become my biggest issue . Well that and having the focus of a gnat ?

 

[Bludave]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

I play as much acoustic as I do electric(probably more). So I also prefer heavier strings & higher action. This makes the transition easier when I go from acoustic to electrics. I use 11's on my electrics and 13's on acoustics. I don't attempt to play at blazingly fast speeds except for a few tunes that require the speed. I am pretty much a blues blues-rock find of player and the music is just not super fast. Over the years I have found "where" my guitar prefer to be played and where I can get the best response from them. Some people will try to get every guitar they play or own setup the same way, and in my experience that won't always work. Som guitars need higher action, others will play fine with lower action. Its a matter of spending time with the guitar to get it correct. But if your saying that you need to play with lower action you should spend some time with a qualified tech to see what can be done about getting the action down to where you want it. I have a buddy who is a Jazz player and he likes his action at 1/32". With the slightest change in humidity or temperature his guitars fall out of adjustment and back to the tech he goes. I suggested to him to learn how to play with higher action or learn how to adjust it so you don't have to keep visiting the tech. It can be very frustrating from a players point of view that every few months ALL of your guitars need to be setup again.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

Inability to memorize songs.

Getting lost tracking where the "1" is in the rhythm. Surprisingly I do better on bass in this regard compared to guitar.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

The biggest issue I've faced when playing electric guitar is the way that being put on the spot can hurt my musical vocabulary, I tend to stick to ideas I know best instead of exploring the unknown.

I haven't done much live improv as of late, maybe I've gotten better.

 

[DreX]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

Being genuinely interested enough in technicaly oriented music to be motivated to learn how to do it. The music that's most emotionally satisfying to me also happens to be easy to play for the most part. I wish I could play neo-classical or fast Jazz, but I have no interest in listening to that kind of music, so I don't get the same natural exposure to the guitar aspect of it.

 

[vinta9e]

Re: Biggest issues you've faced as a guitar/bass player?

Mine is my extremely hard pick attack and my short(er) fingers. In the past I've had to have my action a bit higher than most to combat the fact that I just instinctually like to dig in with my pick harder than normal, and in return, my playability suffers because the action is higher and my fingers aren't very long.

Maybe try a thinner pick and see if it helps. Other than that, my advice is simply love your fingers the way they are. They are just minions, so don't blame them, train them.

Ive been working on lowering my action to increase playability and at the same time mentally trying to back off my picking so its not as aggressive. working on trying to find a balance between the two

Super low action and violent picking don't go well together. I've found my sweet spot setting, so you can too.

A weak, wobbly pinky. Seriously, the biggest reason I had to set my guitars up like chessecutters (http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x456/Archer250/WP_20140601_07_53_36_Pro.jpg) is because my pinky would flail wildly if it isn't applying a lot of force.

Been there. I spent a while doing four-finger exercises which taught obedience to my pinky. It wasn't really anything much fancier Kirk Hammett's warm-ups, you know - the usual boring 1-2-3-4s and chromatics. I just put a bit of time and effort into disciplining my left hand while training synchronization as a bonus. As of present, the little finger gives me no problems anymore, even though I discontinued these exercises years ago.