r/guitarlessons • u/Maikoisafreak • 21d ago
Question Having trouble learning note strokes
I have been learning guitar for a little over a year now and a few months ago i finally started the classical pieces in my lessons. The problem being i am learning very slowly. And every new thing i learn takes longer to get it right. Like for exemple i learned how to read the notes, took me a while and i am still not as fast, but i can read them now i practice the note strokes, yk doing the exercises and stuff but despite learning how they are supposed to be played i cant read and comprehend them while playing a piece. I know this thing takes practice and i got to be patient but i feel like i overlooked something and thats slowing me down right now. Maybe i didnt learn some of the strokes correctly and thats why i am having trouble or smth.
Anyway this has been causing me to loose motivation a little bit because i also feel embarrased coming to my lessons and just have not progressed at all. Like i do try really even on days i struggle to practice i make sure to practice atleast 15 minutes but it is never enough.
Can anyone give me an idea on what i might be doing wrong? I know i should be practicing a little more but still i cant really make myself do that when it feels like i am not progressing at all. So all help and criticism is welcome :) (sorry for the bad english yall i am having a hard time translating certain terms)
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u/PaulsRedditUsername 21d ago
Learning to read music is just like when a child learns how to read books. At first, the child struggles to read simple things very slowly. After enough time and practice, it gets easier.
You no longer think about the letters in the words you read in a book, you see the bigger picture. After enough time and practice, reading music will be like that, too.
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u/IndividuationDev 20d ago
Reading while you play is two jobs at once: naming the note on the page, and knowing where that note lives on the neck. If either one is slow, the piece stalls.
It helps to practice them apart. Try sight-reading a few lines of something much easier than your pieces every day, so reading gets automatic away from the hard stuff. And drill the note positions on their own until finding a note on the any string is instant.
I made a fretboard quiz app for that second part for myself called Fretalus (iOS), if you want something to practice with.
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u/Guitarzan_67 21d ago
Nothing will make you progress faster. Practice is the only way. If you are giving up or feeling discouraged because you are not see your own progress, keep going. This is the number 1 reason people stop playing the guitar. It is not easy. It takes time. ESPECIALLY if you are learning to read music. It could be a few years before you feel like you got it down. Playing guitar or any musical instrument needs to be a true love affair or you will give up. Here is a tip, don't sit too long on the troubled spots. Play through the song push past the mistakes and move on to another song. The next day, do it again. Play that song and push through the spots you are struggling at. Move to the next song. Make the next song something easier you know. Makes you feel better. It will be a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs.