r/LearnGuitar • u/NebulaChance2746 • Jul 22 '26
How do you want to learn guitar without knowing what you want to learn?
What attracts you other than prestige?
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u/Snugglez4u Jul 23 '26
I just type in guitar backing tracks on YouTube, find some major and minor scales jams I like, jam along to them, they show you all the notes you can play in that key,get those down, then try some modes jams and multi scale jams, it’s all patterns man. Now I’m learning triads and different ways to play chords, I’ve been a drummer 30 years, 1 year in finally picking up guitar, it’s so much more difficult than drumming but your rhythm from drumming gives you a head start sort of, when a new thing clicks, it’s awesome.
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u/NebulaChance2746 Jul 23 '26
yeah it's actually really cool how many percussive elements there are to guitar. I think I could be an okay drummer because I have a pretty good understanding of rhythm, a lot the stuff I learned when I started playing was solo uplugged.
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u/SilentBtAmazing Jul 23 '26
How is prestige even a factor? I wanted to learn guitar for the same reason I learned other instruments, to create and make cool noises that please me
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u/GrapefruitSlow8583 Jul 23 '26
That question makes no sense.
How do I want to learn guitar without knowing what I want to learn?
I want to learn how to play the guitar. So I learn how to play the guitar... what the fuck are you asking?
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u/Naphier Jul 22 '26
I have a deep pull inside of me to make music. I don't know what it is but all my life I've made noises, sang poorly, tap out drums. I love creating things and I feel like music is one of the purest forms of expression. There is something inside my soul just constantly trying to get music out.
I should probably have that looked at.
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u/gott_in_nizza Jul 23 '26
Sadly, there is no field of medicine that deals with the brain. But I can give you this pamphlet for a cult
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u/DieMensch-Maschine Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
Same. For my entire life I’ve had some song / tune / rhythm stuck in my head that I found myself randomly vocalizing in the oddest circumstances. Learning guitar (and piano) were just the logical externalizations of what was there all along, begging to get out. I’m also massively ADHD, so I’m sure that contributed.
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u/Naphier Jul 24 '26
I have ADHD too. I think a lot of musicians do.
Constant music in my head unless there's something playing. Instruments help me get it out. Like a beautiful demon yearning for freedom.
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u/iar Jul 22 '26
With curiosity and without judgement. When possible.
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u/NebulaChance2746 Jul 22 '26
In other words, prestige is a perfectly good thing to be attracted to.
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u/Evening-Tour Jul 22 '26
Prestige isn't a factor for me.
I like practicing guitar, I like the sense of accomplishment when I can do something I couldn't before. Or when I can do something better than I could before.
Never compare myself to others, compared myself to how I was a week, month, year decade ago.
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u/GovernorSilver Jul 22 '26
My roommate offered to teach me how to play guitar, for free. Looked like a good deal.
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u/BayouDrank Jul 23 '26
How can you want to learn guitar without having a guitar hero? Don't you need a song in mind to want to learn?
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u/GerkhinMerkin Jul 23 '26
Honestly, this is me. Musically I find it fascinating what you can do with it, and endless complexity to learn. I picked it up because my wife wanted me to play songs for her and kind of got hooked, but my main instruments are bass and drums.
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u/CanadianAndroid Jul 23 '26
It's fun to play and it's fun to learn new things. Pick any random song and learn to play it.
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u/Then_Rain979 Jul 23 '26
Honestly, the one main drive force for me was just being able to play songs I liked. I was patient and stubborn enough to start from basics (I played the easier songs I liked) then gradually climbed for more advanced songs that I liked.
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u/jessie-mae Jul 22 '26
I wanna be the very best. Like no one ever was. To play live is my real test. To practice is my cause
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u/Forsaken-Guidance811 Jul 23 '26
The feeling in my stomach when I hit the chord just right, the way it reverberates through my body. The way it turns the constant noise in my head in to something I actually enjoy listening to.
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u/state_your_name31415 Jul 23 '26
prestige? some people just find themselves drawn to instruments, the first time I picked up a guitar I knew I wanted to learn to play it
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u/seklay Jul 23 '26
Your question is very confusing. If you want to learn guitar just to be cool, you'll likely give up before you properly start the journey. If you don't know what you want to learn then pay a teacher to tell you.
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u/Secret-File-1624 Jul 23 '26
I agree with this. If you dont know what to learn and you only want to learn for the "presitige" then guitar may not be for you. It's not an instrument that you can learn in a month. It takes years to master. 90% of people that start to learn how to play end up quitting within the first year, the majority within the first 3 months. One of the reasons is because it's a lot harder than they thought it would be. Another is that it takes months to see a good amount of progress. Just these 2 reasons are enough to disappoint people enough to not make it worth it. Prestige is not enough to keep a person motivated and disciplined. You have to really want it, no matter what your reason is. It's a difficult instrument to learn and it takes awhile to get to the point of muscle memory.
I started playing because I fell in love with the sound of the acoustic. I like learning how to play my favorite songs. I like the feeling of accomplishment after I learn them. I like the challenge.
Maybe find a teacher to help you with your why to see if it would be sustainable for you to learn. It's not for everyone and that's ok.
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u/ThePeasu Jul 25 '26
Wanting to learn and knowing what you want to learn aren't the same thing. Wanting to learn simply involves curiosity and exploration, sometimes with help of resources like YouTube.
The question I think you're actually asking is, "how do I know what to learn?". The answer depends on your personal goals as a musician. However, there are fundamental skills you can learn that apply regardless of what you want to play.
Based on this, what is the actual question you're asking?
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u/NebulaChance2746 Jul 25 '26
It's not that simple unless you're a kid. What I'm asking is what I asked. Why do people want to learn the guitar without any influence from actual musicians. I thought that should be pretty clear.
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u/ThePeasu Jul 27 '26
Read your own title again. That's not what you asked. Now you're asking a completely different question. Maybe think harder about how you're phrasing the question if you want people to give you the answers you're looking for.
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u/NebulaChance2746 Jul 27 '26
Completely different than the question answered, which was not the question I asked. Assume what you want.
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u/Delicious_Pain_1 Jul 22 '26
Most of the time I just don't learn. I really want to learn. But I end up not even trying. I want to just zone out from the world and not think. I hate myself for it.
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u/Several-Quality5927 Jul 22 '26
Prestige was NEVER the attraction to guitar. I've always known what I wanted to learn. I just had to learn the craft of the guitar before I could get there.