Should I stop practicing and playing guitar?

Look up 'play' in a dictionary.

You don't need a goal or a reason. If you enjoy it don't stop..

 

I don’t think it’s out of the ordinary. I’ve played for 20 years now, and still go through weeks where I don’t even want to (and sometimes don’t) pick up any of my guitars. Sometimes you just need a break, make it fun.
My two thoughts would be:
1-Have you played with other people? Whether it’s just another guitarist or bassist, or a band. This I think can be the biggest next step and something that excites. Not only do you have to get good at a piece to impress the other person, but working on music with others is the biggest joy. Even if it’s just covers, it can be so much fun.
2-As others have stated, have you tried working on your own music? No matter how good or bad, it has to start somewhere. I record a ton on my own and arrange entire pieces, then send them to others to rework parts before we jam. Just the process is fun though. It’s easy to get lost for 3-5 hours working out a piece. With programs like GarageBand it’s so simple to add drums even (even though they are electronic).
I learned at 16 working at scout camp. I spent several years with cowboy chords. Played in pop punk bands in high school and never learned to play leads until I was like 24. It all comes, but keep it fun and you’ll get where you want.

 

There's nothing wrong with your playing other than accuracy in bends and feeling the groove a bit more.

My guess is you're just isolated and bored. Playing with other people is a blast. Playing in public is a rush. If you're not doing that, or getting ready to do that, you're entertaining yourself. There's absolutely nothing wrong with entertaining yourself, but remember that *you* then become the audience. If you're not riveted by your playing, it's going to be difficult to keep going.

But it's like that with anything, isn't it? We either have personal goals and pursue them, or we make social gifts/communications and get involved to make them happen.

Or, we do something to make money. The wolf at the door is always the best motivator, but I understand you're not trying to make music a profession.

Isolation and boredom suck. Don't be so hard on yourself.

 

You are coming along well for someone who has only two years of playing. As others have said, if you enjoy playing, keep playing. The one piece of advice I would give is, play with passion! Don’t be too concerned with playing pieces note for note. Crank up that amp and make some noise! Let the real you come out! Don’t be afraid to suck. You gotta let loose, brother!

Put on a backing track and play along with it. Just let the music flow out of you. Start with a line that really lets your real feelings come out, then play it through over and again until you tighten it up. I would rather listen to a player who takes me someplace emotionally and makes some mistakes than someone who plays a piece note for note, but leaves me uninspired.

Finally, congratulations on having the guts to put yourself out there the way you did. That isn’t easy. You sound good.

 

I say quit making a job out of it. I get the drive to get better, but why force yourself to practice when you don't feel like it? That's a good way to burn yourself out- which is what you have done.

I'd suggest taking a break. Maybe leave a guitar out in your living room or office, so you can pick it up and play only when you want to. If you never want to again, then so be it. Life is too short to force yourself to do something that you don't want to.

 

Hope it's not a stupid question.....but WHY do you want to play?
I had an extensive musical background as a kid before I ever picked up a guitar, so it's difficult to relate sometimes to someone WITHOUT that training......and I'm a firm believer in a "learned" approach to music and playing.....but even today, my reason for picking up a guitar is to PLAY A SONG. The exercises and all that you do have a single purpose.....to help you play a song. Even after playing for 55+ years, I love to sit down and learn and "work out" new songs. I usually have a "good enough" technique to get that process started, but I'm always having to force myself to become comfortable with new lines, chord shapes, and picking techniques. Every day (if it's a good day) I'm learning something new. I urge you not to quit entirely, but maybe play things you enjoy more. Good Luck.

 

It's pretty normal to hit plateaus in your practice and feel like you're not making progress. Getting really good at anything is a journey. Quitting now would be a shame.

I made a lot of progress after about 5 years due to a combination of taking lessons and jamming with friends who were much better players and helped me push myself. I'm still pretty far from "really" good (or what I consider really good). But I'm also much better than I was 1 or 2 years ago.

Not feeling you're good enough is actually a good indicator that you've made progress and are now able to tell that you're not as good as you thought you were. Typically after 6 months to a year you'll feel like you've made a ton of progress and be happy, then as you learn more you'll find out you have a lot more to learn. That's pretty normal.

What got you started on the guitar? What are your goals? Do you want to maximize your potential or "just" be good? There's probably other questions to be asked.

If you want to maximize your potential then 1 hour a day may not be enough, you may want to spend at least a year with something like >5 hours a day. But that's not for everyone.

Are you taking lessons? Try a different teacher?

Try to learn more songs? Try to learn more difficult songs? What stuff gets you excited? How about playing with others? Is there some other guitar that will inspire you? Or a completely different instrument?

EDIT: Btw that video, given you've been playing for 2 years, is pretty darn good!

 

Dude! That's freaking awesome. You can play. Way better than me at two years and more technically proficient than I am now.

The main difference between that clip and the original is the feeling. Get loose. Emphasize some notes and deemphasize others. You have a really strong foundation. Keep going! It takes time.

I think you should rethink about playing with others. There is so much you can learn doing it. If you have the time to practice like that every day, you have time to jam s fee hours a week. I don't know what you mean when you say you're not good with others. Maybe a little jam session here and to there will help you with that. Most of the time players aren't that critical, especially when have the chops. I would encourage you to reach out.

 

things that may help:
get a looper pedal, improvise more- try to find your own riffs and develop them, write songs and sing, find some like minded folks (after this illness) and jam/ play together, stop learning other peoples songs-use them as a bridge to start to develop your own thing and your own knowledge about the guitar. play louder

 

There is never a "good enough" point - there is only whether you are enjoying yourself. You only play for yourself, it sounds like, and if you are not interested in playing with other people, or writing and recording music, then the only reason to do it is if it's fun for you personally (well, that's the only reason, anyhow, because you are not going to get rich and famous beginning guitar at 41).

If I wasn't interested in making music with other people and playing shows I would definitely not play music. It is a HUGE amount of work and time investment to be a good musician!

 

You are not a professional musician, and it does not appear that your career path is impacted by your ability to play guitar. Enjoy this as a hobby. Be clear about your goals, and if this is an unpleasant thing, walk away from it for a bit. I've gone years without playing... I was doing serious hobby photography, mixed media art and even running a performance group (for profit) and maybe I never touched an instrument... then I come back to it when I feel like it. If this is a thing you are doing for pleasure, do it for pleasure alone... don't let it be a stressor in your life, you will come back to it when you are ready.

 

I’ve been playing for 50 years and can’t come close to that you can play after two. I play every day and love it.
If you don’t enjoy it, quit.

 

Consider taking lessons. When you’re self taught the teacher doesn’t know very much. Seriously a teacher can give you new ideas to get out of a rut.

 

Two years is a SHORT time in learning an instrument.

if you don’t enjoy the journey, choose another path

 

Two big challenges to learning any instrument:
1. Plateaus. There are periods of time when you don’t feel like you’re improving. Working through them always reveals the opposite.

2. Identity. Who are you as a musician? What music speaks to you and what music speaks for you? Maybe you’re not practicing the right music or not playing with the right people (difficult these days).

One tip I would give you is this: learn the difference between practicing and playing then don’t neglect either. Practice is work, it’s self criticism, it’s drilling down into the toughest parts of the music and challenging the weakest aspects of your technique. Playing music is fun, energizing, life giving, relaxing...without critique or worry. Make sure to do plenty of both.

 

You sound really good for someone who's only been playing for 2 years. Maybe, instead of copying other solos, learn what scales work with what chords, and start to improvise your own licks and solos over songs that you like, and develop your own style. That's what makes it interesting and fun for me. I've been playing for decades, and I couldn't play the solos from Hotel California if my life depended on it, because I don't have the patience for that, but I can improvise my own over the chords to that song, and I enjoy doing that, even if I'll never be as good as Don Felder or Joe Walsh.

 

Dude, I've been playing on and off for over 40 years, and I don't play that well - what the heck are you worried about??

 

Take a week off.You'll either miss playing and want to get back to it, or you'll want another week off. Get to that point and think about it again.

 

I don't think there's a guitar player anywhere that doesn't think he or she shouldn't be better. Except maybe Yngwie, but he's a mental case. Point is, there will always be something to get better at. You never stop being a student. When you get in a slump, it's time to change up your practice routine. Try things you're not comfortable with. Don't be afraid to change things up.

 

You are obviously very capable as a guitar player. But it seems perhaps, that you are just going through the motions, and not really enjoying each and every note that you play.

You should try to get in touch with your own creativity and expression. Put your mark on something that you make.

Practice is boring, there is no doubt about it. Don't make playing the guitar all about practicing. It is helpful to practice, but you can practice and have fun at the same time.

Forget the guitar for a second. Just think about music, because the guitar is only a tool used to make music. If you love music, then make some with your instrument that you enjoy listening to.

Music and guitar should be your secret hideaway from the world, where you can reflect, and build melodies. Use it as therapy for your soul.

I'm the opposite, I need to practice more, and stop having fun . It takes a lifetime to get where you want to be.

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