Define Your Own Success

I posted what my goals are and defining my success but I find that I really didn't think about it as well as I liked and the advice and feedback from a few musicians I know .

So here goes . My immediate goals are to learn how to strum and know how to finger pick and learn everything there is to learn about guitar and song writing and have fun playing songs from great rock bands and country artists . For music and learning to play guitar became my passion through inspiration of so many great music artists from the 60's right to the 80's and country from the 90's and more modern country now .

If I have any big goals in the long run 5 years from now perhaps is to either become a musician and join a country music band or christian band . But I'll settle for playing guitar as a hobby if it only goes that far .

I think for me, like many others have said, I find success in the small victories during practice sessions, having an impactful gig completing a song, etc.

Ultimately my vison of musical success consists of being able to feel an emotion, translate that emotion to the instrument, and have that emotion also felt by the intended audience. I don't want to have to think as I play. I just want to feel the moment and have the freedom to interact musically with that moment.

What an inspiring topic and group if individuals!

If I can walk away from a practice session having written one new guitar riff that doesn't suck, then I consider that a successful session. A small success, but you've got to start somewhere.

I consider guitar successful when I have fun playing it. I've set goals in every aspect of my life from my job, to financial, to working out, to golf and candidly, it burned me out - always trying to achieve something and get someplace. I tried guitar 15 years ago and gave it up due to "lack of progress".

Took it up again just to enjoy wherever it took me on a given day. I think one of the things I like is there is no "scorecard" (and I love music BTW)...I know when I make a mistake but I can just leave it there and move on.

Learned a bad version of "Needle and the Damage Done" and "Melissa" - just enjoy the parts I recognize :)

Not much going on in this part of the forum so I thought I'd have a crack at this one...!!!

I would say that my first success was finishing my first song...I say this because it took me a hell of a long time...I started playing keyboards at age 9 and drums aged 12 and guitar then as well...I always tried to write my own stuff from the very beginning...For some reason I could never finish a song...I would get a riff or some chords together but not know what to do with them...sometimes I would get half way through a song and just get stuck and leave it and start something new...I was at least into my mid 20's before I ever finished anything...

Now in the last 10 years I've finished dozens of songs...some instrumentals and a few vocal tracks now...I'm just so glad I never gave up trying...!!!

I guess any future success would be performing live or making a living from music...In a way though I have something better than that...I've posted a few of my tracks in the listening post and had a really good response from members and instructors...for me that's more important than making money...!!!

:D

For me, success means that I make my living as a guitar player.

It also means I am blessed to have a job that I love, which is helping other people to connect with their joy of learning and playing guitar.

The way that has panned out is far different from the dreams of the early days of my career (for one thing, the Internet did not even exist!).

When I was young, my aunt gave me a book called, "Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow". I thought it sounded kind of cheesy at the time, but I committed myself to finding ways to make what I love (making music on the guitar) support me. I am now blessed with a profession I love.

It ain't the millionaire mansion on the California coast and gold records on the wall, but hey, it's all really good. I have a guitar in my hands every day and I love what I do. That's success to me.

Success to me is any little thing on my way to being in a band at some point down the road. I have tried with other sites some of the things on here, but never could get them there. Though, this site is definitely different. For example, I've tried hammering-on and pulling-off through random videos on YouTube, never could get it. But after a day of practicing the technique while playing the video in Guitar Fundamentals 1 a couple times, I finally got how to hammer-on, pull-off and trill!

That's big for me, especially considering I gave up even trying to play guitar for a while, but now I'm really back into it, thanks to all the good stuff this site has to offer.

Well, here's to all those small things leading up to that one big moment, I guess!

How exciting to hear that you're doing well and enjoying the sessions to boot!

I applaud your efforts, and want to encourage you. Don't give up. If you do, you'll just never know how 'good' you could end up being one day. I gave up years ago, and now that I'm wanting to come back to it, my fingers don't want to agree/obey/work/do their part. Give it everything you've got... even on the bad days. If you stick with it, not only can you believe in yourself, for not being a quitter, but you'll end up farther than you ever thought possible! That really brings inner satisfaction relating to success!

As for me, I've been away from the Forum and GT for quite a while. I mean, I stayed a member, but have been unable to enjoy the fruits of this site. Partly because I've been taking care of a disabled family member. Partly, because I'm finding myself discouraged with body parts that don't want to comply.

However, I was just reading a post that came in response to my last comment here. It said: "Well said my friend! Best of luck and please post links where we can hear your music."

I would truly like to post a finished work of mine. Now, you have to realize the brilliant guitar work on the piece is not mine, but that of the gentleman who arranged the music for me. The voice is mine though... and I love the fact that someone with so much talent was willing to work with me on this song. It's in Italian (if that's okay) and I wrote it, came up with the melody, approved the arrangement as it was being built, but did not put any of the instruments to the piece.

If someone will help me learn how to post a link you can hear it and hopefully enjoy the effort as much as I enjoyed participating in the creation thereof...

Anyone know how to post the link?????

Happy guitar practice everyone...

Ciao for now.
V.

Hi Victory hill
Try this
COPY AND PASTE
Right click on the web address where you link is..
address should highlite and a tool box with ;
Cut
Copy
Delete
will be there.. Click on copy
Then go to your message box where you want to post the link

place curser where you want the link to be..
Right click
Tool box with Paste will appear
Click on paste
Link address should show in your message box

Example.... http://www.guitartricks.com/forum/showthread.php?p=266921#post266921

Send message and link should appear in message highlighted ready for reader to click on..
Good luck..
Gordon

Hi there, Gordon...

I hope you don't think I'm ignoring you. I've been really busy. As I said, I have a disabled child...

However, I've been having a (very simple) web page created; and have decided to highlight my music there. For this reason, I am looking into putting my original song(s) onto You Tube, so that I can add a link directing any interested parties who may want to listen, or have need of a demo. Once I get that done, I will do what you suggested.

All this to 'add' to the sense of 'success' related to my singing/songwriting endeavors.

I'm really excited to share the work that my 'musical arrangement' friend has put toward my songs. He is quite the accomplished guitar player. The song I want to share first of all, is latin based, created in two versions (long/short) with a question and response guitar instrumental as the interlude for the longer version.

In another one of my songs (I always provide him with the melody and then give him a sense of what type of music/style/tempo/texture I want, from which he produces an arrangement) he used four different guitars... acoustic, electric, muted and ... I can't remember what the other is... but I love it... it's kinda jazzy... but not quite... (always in Italian, because I enter Italian Songwriting Competitions~ that's why I don't necessarily share with English speaking individuals).

In any case, (sorry for carrying on) I will do what you suggested, as soon as I have a link to place on the end of that posting string.

:)

Thanks for your help.

:);)