Can an Old Dog Learn New Tricks?

[Ed Seith]

Starting a new topic on something I had started in another thread. I’m hoping some of the older folks and Papa can chime in with thoughts.
I have all kinds of speed and stuff when I improvise, but when I try to learn something note for note, I can’t even manage half the speed I get when I improv. I finally settled on fixing that, and it’s not working.
Lately I find myself struggling mentally with improvement, and even regressing on things like building my downpicking strength and speed. I’m usually self-correcting, but I’m having a hard time with this, and I’m not sure why. I know it’s a mental thing, but I’m at a loss for how to overcome it, and I find it affecting many aspects of my playing.
I think the problem may be the anxiety of aging and “I don’t know if I’m too old to improve like I used to” and that degenerates into “Am I so old I’m just going to start slowing down and losing what I already have” and the anxiety takes over from there. I’ve not generally been anxiety-prone in my life, so this is a new thing for me as I close in on 50, less than 2 years away.
There are a lot of styles, techniques and speed related abilities I wish I’d taken the time to learn properly when I was young, and I fear that my time has passed to break new ground. What I need help with is navigating my brain around those ideas. And I am royally fucking stubborn, and I know it.
I guess where I get lost in my mind is that the greats built their skills when they was young. Hetfield picked like a demon when he was young. Paul Gilbert – don’t get me started. Even a lot of the young guys and gals here are blowing me away.
The question is, as you age, is there a difference between keeping what you have (as those folks have been able to) and being able to improve technically (like I’m wanting to)? That’s where my brain is struggling.
Thanks!

 

[Filip Tomiša]

I replied to your question on another post but i’ll paste it here also if people want to read it.
I think it’s in our nature that we start overthinking our skills and that we always compare ourselves to others who are more skilled than us and have probably been doing this since they were a kid and we think to ourselves: “I don’t know if i can do this, i’ve been playing for a long time and i still don’t know that, maybe if i was younger i would be able to learn this…” but the truth is we are always capable to improve no matter how old we are. We might think that it’s easier to learn something when we are younger which might be true but that doesn’t mean that you can’t learn that thing when you are older. You are always going to improve if you just pick up your guitar and start playing. If there is a techinque that you want to learn, focus on that technique and practice. You might say “well the time is an issue” but I’m pretty sure that everyone has 15 min of free time in their day and in those 15 min just practice that technique that you want to learn. You are not going to forget everything else that you’ve learned before if you just focus on the new technique, you will just have to remind yourself a bit and you’ll be good to go. In those 15 min you will improve a tiny tiny bit but if you keep doing that regulary you will eventually become really good at it. Imagine a drop of water is the improvement you got in those 15 min, it might seem like nothing, but if you keep doing it that drop will become a river. It’s really a mental thing. Don’t doubt yourself, we don’t realise what we are actually capable of. Next time you start doubting yourself, imagine that that doubt is a person telling you: “you can’t do that” and you tell that person: Well fuck you, who are you to say that I can’t do it” and prove that person wrong.

 

[idssdi]

I think Papa still learns new stuff so it is definitely possible! Just try to clear your mind and don’t focus on ‘I need to improve’ all the time. Sometimes it’s really ok to just have lots of fun without learning anything new. Honestly I’m still young and I have been trying to learn Brazil for a month now and some days I just don’t practice it and have fun and that’s completely fine. If you really want to learn something new you should be able to still learn some new things and it doesn’t nescecarily have to be the shreddy technical stuff it can also be just something like slide guitar or theory and whatnot.
In the end it’s just a case of do you believe in this (please don’t because I don’t think it’s true)

I’m not old btw(or at least I don’t think I am) but I figured I’d chime in.

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Hey Captain Ed. I have read this and i’m going to give you a heartfelt response when I have the time tomorrow. I have a lot to say that I hope you find inspiring. Don’t be down on yourself. I love watching you play and I don’t want you to feel down.

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Hi there Ed! I just wanted to let you know, that papa gates is the epitome of learning whatever you want to learn despite of your age. I think the only thing that might come into play, is like you say, the mentality. Don’t get in your own way. I have seen Women who are in their nineties become master Yoginis and men who are in their eighties picking up amazing flat picking techniques for the 1st time. Age is never a factor under any circumstance. As far as regressing on certain things, it happens to us all. Unfortunately I think it’s just the ugly cycle of what we do. Sometimes if you spend so much attention on something or not enough attention it can have cons to it. Believe it or not, I’ve actually gotten worse on my hail to the king solo because I got good with it and things came into my life where I couldn’t practice it. I’m now back at 80% bpm trying to get it back up again. Things come and go with how well you can do it because you are only human. We might be perfect and amazingly flawless for years at something, but for some unknown reason and phenomena we end up being terrible at it eventually and we can’t figure out what happened. All I would like to say, is tried to let guitar be enjoyable. I know it’s hard for it to be enjoyable when you feel like you’re taking a step back instead of a step forward. But I think the purpose of playing the guitar is to play the guitar and not become too involved with learning the guitar to a fault. We should try to not over think things so much. I hope this helps in any way shape or form. There was a great guitarist, I can’t remember his name, but he’s quite legendary. He was interviewed and asked how he progressed with his playing, he responded with “don’t ask me anything I probably am doing everything wrong.” Don’t lose the joy of why you started to the frustrations of why you can’t. Much love!!

 

[Ed Seith]

Thanks, Jak, and everyone. I think by putting what was in my head out there – here – I was, in a way, analyzing myself and realizing that it really IS just in my head. The anxiety. I need to work through it, for sure, but I do now understand that the limitation is in my mind. I just need to figure out how to get around it.
Thanks for the kind words, encouragement, and respect – you guys rule!

 

[Ed Seith]

I also have to say, I think the thing I need to focus on the most in my MENTALITY is “CHUNKING” for faster playing. That’s going to be the key to putting discipline into the chaos and making it so I can play fast and not just improvise fast.

 

[Syn Gates]

Plateauing is an inevitable part of the journey Ed, and happens many times in the pursuit of greatness. I believe that there is so much information at this school and I know that I haven’t held back on any of the techniques demonstrated in the “Etudes”, that it can be physically and emotionally overwhelming. You may not have the immediate dexterity that comes with being 20 years younger or even 10, but you’re not even close to being “too old for this shit” as my man Roger Murtaugh would lament These doldrums are normal, necessary, and never-ending. The good news is that you will get past it with your “royal” obstinance and doggedness. The better news is that once you do, you will be SO fucking proud of yourself. And so will we my brother.

 

[Ed Seith]

Thank you, Keymaster Syn! I will charge forth!