Question for Musicians on the Spectrum

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I agree on the plateau thing, it's the same way with me. I'm on a total hobby/play-along with cd's level, I can't imagine playing with other people, ever, I'd just freeze totally.

Funny, but I've been asking myself the same questions. I've been playing guitar for decades, in the last couple of years I've been playing solo which is a real challenge mainly because I tend to lack precision and this is highlighted when only one guitar.

I'd say my strengths are a good ear and seemingly infinite music memory. I can hear a vocal line for the first time and play accompanying chords immediately. I have hours and hours of music I can recall. I also can pick up songs quickly - I've learnt a 2 hour set in 2 weeks and played it live no problems. Other musicians try my patience when they take ages to learn a piece - then forget it a week later!

And I also have an excellent sense of rhythm. I'm in a band where I'm working out all the arrangements, drums, bass, brass etc.

This isn't to boast - I'm just trying to show the contrast with my big weakness, which is the physical coordination. I get frustrated as my fingers just don't obey the messages from my brain. I used to get into a repeated conversation with my flamenco guitar teacher. I'd play a wrong note, he'd say "that should be G, not F#", I'd reply "I know" and he'd say "well why did you play the wrong note, then?". He believed that hands always do exactly what the brain asks, which may be his experience, but not mine. I have a lack of precision. Especially with right hand arpeggios, strumming seems OK. I've always struggled with soloing, too.

When I play scales, it can be 95% perfect - then some horrible glitch. Other guitarists tell me "well it takes a month or two to get it". I've been playing these for YEARS!! !! It's not like there's one difficult part I need to work on. The mistake seems totally random.

I'm trying to develop strategies to work round this weakness - it's bad enough to cause me real concern at times. One book I've found that seems to be helping, focussing on the attention and awareness side of playing is "The Principles of Correct Practice For Guitar" by Jamie Andreas.

I should've read this properly before posting. You've described exactly what happens to me, too!

Man, let me tell you something.

- Playing in time.
- Learning songs.
- Having a good musical ear.

These are all VASTLY more important than how well you can solo. People who think guitar soloing is more important than being able to play the guitar properly are abundant, and they are all idiots. A guitar solo is nothing without the rhythm or the backup behind it. That's why while I can solo pretty well, I'm much more interested in being able to write well, make harmonies that sound more otherworldly than the norm, just push the boundaries instead of just being able to go widdly-widdly-widdly during a Guns 'n' Roses cover.

I agree, Johns Hopkins. Going widdly-widdly-widdly during a Guns 'n' Roses cover is over-rated! A lot of people do place more emphasis on solos than on writing. I've always thought that this is because writing involves more creativity, which is something that does not come easily to many people.

Sometimes when I play my songs for people, they reply, "Don't worry. You'll learn to play solos one day." Then I say, "I can play solos, but that song doesn't need one," and they just say, "Don't worry, it'll get easier," like they didn't hear me!

I should try that line! (Is that OK or would you feel plagiarized?)

I'm the same way. I gravitate towards rhythm and strumming. Lately I've been getting into finger picking and soloing, but I can't go back and forth between rhythm and leads. And no matter how good I get, I still have moments where my fingers freeze up or somehow hit the wrong string.

When I'm on stage, I get so excited that I make a lot of mistakes. I put a lot of intensity into my music, especially when I have an audience. But I am sort of a novelty act, so I guess it's all right.

Sorry to be rude but I hear this a lot from rock guitarist who are very myopic musically and know little of music beyond rock, and usually say things like this to overcompensate for their own lack of technical ability.

Rock guitar soloing is a very shallow musical form usually preformed by mediorce musicians that has little to do with the context ,yes. But a guitar solo in jazz or classical - that's a whole other thing, and a VASTLY important one in those genres. Being able to improv and solo is also highly valued in many forms of folk music as well.

How many lead guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
37; 1 to change the bulb, and 36 to tell you how much better they would have done it...

There's more to life than solos...

I've played in maybe 3 bands in 30 years. Only one lasted 10 years (and I left...I wanted to get people up to dance, and the band wanted to play standards from the 60s and 70s...fun...for the first few years..

If you're up there with a bunch of other folks, it's not so bad. You can always be a keyboard player (like me), then you have something to be behind... I did occasional solos, but Keith Emerson isn't losing any sleep over me...

As long as you're having fun, play what you want.

That depends how define a solo. Solo pieces in jazz and classic where then guitar is the only thing playing, that's entirely different. In fact, I think a solo is defined as one instrument playing on its own, and as such a guitar solo in context of the surrounding music isn't a solo at all.

But I think you're keeping your horizons as close as those people you refer to - by the way, I am not one of them. I am into allsorts of music - by saying that 'rock guitar soloing is a very shallow musical form performed by mediocre musicians.' I'm not usually a fan of guitar solos in rock but saying that they're mediocre musicians is just insulting to an entire genre.

Frankly, you're starting to sound to me like the elitist classical and jazz players I've met who think they're above anything outside their chosen genre.

yeah..shore..go for it!

I would also like to mention that my boyfriend Flakey has been playing guitar for about 15 years...and he has no sense of rhythm to speak of....which can kinda be insanifying to play with.
He speeds up, slows down, goes to the wrong chords...stops songs right in the middle if we are practicing over minor errors...arrrrgh!

Hey, EvilKimEvil..you ought to come play at my venue sometime!

The only time I can think of that this has really come up was the time I accidentally dropped my headphones on one of my decks while I was playing.

I am uncoordinated when it comes to doing 2 different things with each hand, such as piano or guitar or drumset. But I play trombone and other brass instruments, and it doesn't get in the way there because one hand just has to hold the instrument up (for the most part) while the other moves the slide or presses the valves.

I totally understand where JohnH. is coming from, as well as AspieMartian. I think you probably are both right and both thinking the same thing. There are some rock guitarists who are very mediocre and can't play or solo on any song that has more than 4 chords, but figure something out that sounds cool on one of those songs and the public thinks it's awesome. But, if you listen to more than a few bands, you'll notice that some have a lot of songs that go outside that "box" and are more musically complex. Playing an improvised solo over one of those songs is every bit as impressive as playing one over any jazz standard.

I am uncoordinated, but I don't think it affects my playing, necessarily. I think my brain affects my playing, because I have to understand everything I'm doing; I have to think everything I do through, until I just get it.

Luckily for my guitar playing (which I just started this fall), I'm a french horn player; which is also a left handed instrument.

Now, on mellophone, that's a little interesting; since it's all right hand.

One of my favorite grad professors has this to say about instrumentalists:

"We are fine motor athletes."

I like that quote!