The pressure put on you to 'improve' your guitar playing

stufisher

Totally agree with @Tannin.

Also, I get enjoyment from learning about different guitars, different sounds, different genres of music, different techniques but it's all a mish-mash and I do most learning on a whim and not because of YT vids.

Given my recent struggles with Golfer's elbow I'm thankful just to be playing for even 20 mins every few days  I'm too old to care about lofty aspirations ... they've all been replaced by 'thankful for small mercies'.

This thread is reassuring though ... I wasn't expecting to read so many like-minded responses.

Tannin

^ Agreeing with me always earns a wiz.

viz

That gets a lol

Jez6345789

The competitive approach might appeal to young bucks and sell courses but it means little in the real world.
You can be the most technically competent player in the world  and boring as hell. Then the only people who appreciate you are the other guitar players in the room. 

Littlejonny

Slightly different angle here…, what strikes me about YouTube and instagram etc is that the guitar is presented as a kind of sport, in which people do impressive things, shred, noodle, solo. What virtually all of these great players lack is music…they’re making videos of themselves playing but who’s making music? When I was a kid, you formed a band, rehearsed in garages, played at clubs and pubs. Most of these young players who supposedly have a wealth of experience do not, and throw them into a real musical situation and all the shredding in the world means nothing without the ability to make culturally meaningful music. Where is the great music from this generation?

LionAquaLooper

I'd rather improve my songwriting than guitar playing. Much more satisfying coming up with an original composition with a nice hook and simple chords than doing sweep picking or widdly widdly tapping

Barney

The only pressure that is put on me is from myself to improve...I love playing and learning new things it's become like one big puzzle for me that I want to solve plus I really love trying to do it