Bad habits...

[Trippin Hillbilly]

I found some old tapes I made after a few months of picking up a guitar and I get the feeling that I've gotten worse.

Well not worse per se cause that's not possible but I think I've picked up way too many bad habits. My biggest problem being that I mute so much now that sometimes it feels like im just bashing the guitar like a drum instead of just playing it and letting it ring beautifully.

Anyone else ever feel the same way? I gotta figure out a way of breaking 4+years worth of bad habits. Fantastic.

[dmbguitar718]

Definitely.

[Trippin Hillbilly]

It's a pain in the ass.

[Tranman66]

haha, switch to fingerpicking, it'll keep you away from muting too much. or strum with your hand. come on seriously... is it that hard to control

[Appfro]

i hear ya. i've noticed that i write w/ a lot of muted strings now too. i try to open stuff too but i end up sounding like dashboard. so i guess those are my options...dave or dashboard oh well.

[a1075dd63aa12]

Definitely.

[Grachi]

yea. Sometimes i find in situations that I should use my pinkie, I still don't. not when forming chords but like hitting notes on the guitar consecutively like when you should use your pinkie I instead move my hand and use my ring.

It means I have to move my my hand more than you should have to and is harder to keep the right rhythm. I've been forcing myself lately to get that pinkie on the fretboard when I'm not just strumming chords though.

[xan.]

i have only been playing for 1 year, i hope i dont get any bad habits. what are some bad habits to look out for?

[Kahn]

I bite my finger nails. Oo oo and pick my nose too.

[smedley]

yea. Sometimes i find in situations that I should use my pinkie, I still don't. not when forming chords but like hitting notes on the guitar consecutively like when you should use your pinkie I instead move my hand and use my ring.

It means I have to move my my hand more than you should have to and is harder to keep the right rhythm. I've been forcing myself lately to get that pinkie on the fretboard when I'm not just strumming chords though.

I think I use my pinky too much

[fatjack]

yea. Sometimes i find in situations that I should use my pinkie, I still don't. not when forming chords but like hitting notes on the guitar consecutively like when you should use your pinkie I instead move my hand and use my ring.

It means I have to move my my hand more than you should have to and is harder to keep the right rhythm. I've been forcing myself lately to get that pinkie on the fretboard when I'm not just strumming chords though.

I think I use my pinky too much

not possible

[Dutch]

i hear ya. i've noticed that i write w/ a lot of muted strings now too. i try to open stuff too but i end up sounding like dashboard. so i guess those are my options...dave or dashboard oh well.

and the choice is obvious on which to stick with.

[jkanter]

I stopped playing guitar for a good 6 months up until about a month ago. All I was doing was stuff sounding like DMB and all that stuff. So I took time off, now I am back and have a refreshed view of what I want to do with the guitar. I still suck but at least I suck and don't sound like DMB

[Trippin Hillbilly]

I stopped playing dmb a long time ago for that exact same reason.

[Appfro]

yea i play very few dmb songs now if any. i almost never play him unless someone asks me. i've started trying to play a lot of clapton to try to learn more chords and cool progressions. i usually stay away from the blues progressions if at all possible though.