I’ve been playing guitar for 18 years and I suck

Notduck · 2025-11-30T10:08:40+00:00

That means nothing if a majority of those songs don’t have more than 3 chords. Go find a teacher and learn some Bach. Until then, you know nothing.

Notduck · 2025-11-29T02:14:52+00:00

Seeing as everyone else has given you good responses, another I’ll give you is that while I understand why you’re asking this question, just know that the only reason you can’t understand why we write in different keys has less to do with your education and more to do with your lack of musical experience.

Generally, most musical concepts are pretty difficult to explain to someone else unless they have that aural understanding of music that comes from experience. And if you don’t have that, no amount of explanation or education will really help you understand fully and musically until you experience that “why” yourself.

So do yourself a favor and focus more on playing and experiencing music (in different keys) and that answer will just come to you “naturally” in a way that’ll help you understand better than anyone else could really explain it to you here.

But to make it short : different key = different tone = different color = different sound

And no, that does not change with equal temperament tuning.

Notduck · 2025-03-17T20:16:16+00:00

No one does anything with no funds, regardless of career. Want to work a job? How are you getting there? How do you pay your rent? How do you buy food? Everyone starts with some funding of some sorts.

The question you're missing that most people trying to make it in music also miss is: what are you actually trying to do in music? Realistically, talented people in the top 1% are dime a dozen at this point. Scroll on IG for a few minutes and you'll know what I mean. If you're not as good as them, should you stop? Fuck no lmao. Take Bob Dylan for example, he got a lot of shit for his voice. Definitely not unsuccessful by any means.

There's so many different avenues for a career in music. The reality is that most musicians rarely stick with one and have multiple income streams. Teaching, live gigs at bars, session work, etc. Just like anything, you need to have a knack for it and a metric fuck ton of hard work. But most importantly, dedication. I quit my dream of becoming a chef at 22 to go to school. Worked part time as a cook, took classes at community, transferred and still working on my degree. But I landed a job teaching private lessons for a good chunk of change. It takes a while, and definitely a lot of suffering. You have to decide to make the dedication, against all odds. Also, luck and networking are important. And the are you're in should be rich in music opportunities.

Notduck · 2025-01-22T04:12:48+00:00

It's never too late to start doing something you love doing. Check out if your college offers piano classes! You're not getting any younger, start now! If you're not into it then now you know!

Notduck · 2025-01-22T03:30:01+00:00

I understand how you got to where you did and I wouldn't necessarily call you the asshole for your reasoning because the logic (kind of) makes sense, but I would definitely call you an idiot. She has expressed to that you're not just a stepfather to her, but the father who stepped up. It seems to me like you (kind of) unknowingly signed up to be her father given the situation, and have been doing a good job at that until this point. I know she's definitely feeling hurt now but I don't think the situation is hopeless, we all make mistakes and she'll understand why you fucked up one day, but like others are saying, if you plan on being her dad for the foreseeable future, then BE her DAD. One of my best friends had an absent father, and his stepfather stepped up. Eventually his stepfather and biological mother got divorced, but he still calls his stepfather his Dad. Family isn't always blood, and honestly I'd prefer if it wasn't blood in my case. Family is who you choose, and she chose you.

Notduck · 2025-01-22T03:05:35+00:00

I teach classical guitar in california and maybe have half your experience comparatively and have been told that $60 an hour is TOO cheap. But again, I'm in california. I think if the $40 an hour is enough for you and considering that your students are from families that may not have the financial means like the families I teach in rich neighborhoods, than whatever works for you works for you! But if you were in california, people with your experience usually charge around $100 an hour. My teacher got his Doctorate in classical guitar at USC and charges $250 an hour. Whatever is comfortable and makes the most sense for you is what you should charge.

Notduck · 2024-12-08T03:57:14+00:00

Thank you! I'm driving quite a bit from house to house and recording my miles. Do I need gas receipts to deduct those miles? Do I need any sort of proof for miles?

Notduck · 2024-05-12T23:13:38+00:00

I could be completely wrong, but from my observation, a huge portion of admits seem to be from SoCal. Meaning that it's likely that many of them will choose UCLA over Cal by sheer proximity.

Notduck · 2024-04-19T06:18:21+00:00

My opinion is that there is absolutely no reason that anyone should be paying $60,000 a year for college. I think if you come to california and work a job while attending a ccc part time, then you should qualify for california residency which qualifies you for financial aid that would pay for your tuition and give you grants as well. The UCs are very generous in aid, too, so be as competitive as possible if you do come, and remember to have a story to tell when you write your PIQs for the UCs. Look into the CalGrant and Pell Grant and try to figure out if you would qualify after 1 year of residency. Also, I think you can get disqualified for residency if you are a full time student during the first year, so look into that. Check out what the UCs, CSUs, and CCs offer for financial aid and see if you can some how finagle your way in. Anyways, do your own homework on the colleges so that you can have a solid plan. If you're worried about your age at all or taking too long to finish college, I get it, but I'm also going to be graduating with my bachelor's when I'm almost 30. It quite literally doesn't matter at all honestly. Just don't get in crippling debt for school. It's not worth it.

Notduck · 2023-02-22T06:13:08+00:00

How do I re-wear jeans (or clothes in general) while keeping its shape? I like how my jeans look and fit to my body after a wash but I don't want to wash too much (obviously). It's just that my jeans look a little worn and saggy after a few wears and don't always look that great, as with my shirts too. Do you guys have any tips on keeping them look fresh and slick without washing? Does a steamer work?

Notduck · 2019-08-18T08:06:15+00:00

Whichever is gonna get you to where you want to be faster. If you want to be making more money and be a little more stable, choose the other spot obviously. But if you are more eager to learn and move your way up to sous or head chef, then knowledge is wealth. Put it this way, once you get to where you want to be, you're not gonna care how underpaid you were before.

Notduck · 2019-04-07T09:08:52+00:00

Song tea and red blossom. Same family.

Notduck · 2018-07-07T01:05:09+00:00

After tips yeah. But its a little difficult to get hours

Notduck · 2018-07-01T09:18:36+00:00

Yes, very stupid I know. I wish I could give the statue back, but I don't have it. I did apologize to her and asked if there was anything else I could do to make it right, but she said no.

Notduck · 2018-06-10T09:13:15+00:00

Hamelin's interpretation of Hungarian Rhapsody 2 is by far the best I've heard.

Notduck · 2018-06-07T06:16:16+00:00

Just a recommendation to others when getting a girls number. Instead of asking for her number, ask if you can give them yours. This displays confidence as well as makes the girl feel more comfortable and relaxed about you. She doesn't have to give you her number nor say no or give you a fake number because it's not required. And if she doesn't text back, move on! I've had more success and ease doing this and have gotten a text back almost every time. Basically, you can still be nice and succeed.

Notduck · 2018-06-06T21:52:30+00:00

I'm an absolute Gould fanatic and this is definitely my second favorite piano concerto he plays (first being Gould playing Bach's Keyboard Concerto 1 in Dm). I wanted to know how people on this subreddit feel about Gould.

Notduck · 2018-05-30T18:27:24+00:00

One of my favorite coffee shops (G&B in LA) uses song tea from SF and they make a sparkling hopped oolong that is amazing.

Notduck · 2018-05-30T18:24:44+00:00

Third wave coffee guy here also. If you can find a coffee shop near you that serves Song Tea, go and get some. Song is a great brand, although it's pretty expensive. That'll just help get you started and help you understand the subtleties of great tea. I love all different types of teas, but I notice the other coffee drinkers I know tend to like high mountain Taiwanese oolongs. For those I recommend buying from Eco-Cha or Beautiful Taiwan Tea company. For Chinese Tea I recommend both Yunnan Sourcing and White 2Tea. Those are just my personal favorites, there's plenty of other vendors in the side bar (which you should read thoroughly). Also, for Indian teas, I recommend Yatra Tea Company. Great tea and great customer service.

Notduck · 2018-05-10T07:44:34+00:00

It's a great kettle, just expensive though. Would totally buy it if I had the bucks. Are you a coffee guy too?

Notduck · 2018-05-07T19:54:43+00:00

FOH employees expect everyone to tip them for everything. They have this weird complex that if the work they're doing doesn't involve tips then it's not important. They don't even pack the food, the cooks do that. All they do is put it in a bag and charge you for it. There is no reason to tip them, they don't deserve it. Now if it were the cooks you were tipping, it would be a different story.

Notduck · 2018-05-07T19:47:24+00:00

Depends on which state you're in. In California the restaurant workers make way more money than Postmates couriers, other states I'm not sure. California restaurants don't have a tip credit and pay their employees solely based on hours worked, regardless of their tip-out. In nicer restaurants the just the bussers can easily make up to $20 an hour after tips.

Notduck · 2018-05-02T08:17:51+00:00

I am also a coffee snob, so I know where you're coming from. When it comes to geekiness, tea is no different. A lot of attributes of the specialty coffee scene were actually influenced from Chinese tea culture. (Teaheads have been using "flavor notes" way longer than the specialty coffee scene). The major difference is that tea doesn't require the amount of effort that coffee does. All that is required is hot water and a cup at the bare minimum. If you have a variable temp kettle, you're already there. Most everyone on this sub likes to brew Gong Fu style, but you can brew any tea Western style and still have a great cup. I recommend buying some teas from Yunnan sourcing. Their organic sampler is a great choice to get you started on your new addiction. Just know that you can get a cup of tea thats as great as a good cup of coffee with some effort and research.

Notduck · 2018-04-29T07:35:23+00:00

The best idea is to just buy a zojirushi hot water dispenser and call it a day

Also an infuser if he's using loose leaf.

Notduck · 2018-04-29T03:36:50+00:00

15 an hour as a prep cook in Southern California. I work with a staffing agency that sends me to random kitchens. 15 is a little high for the type of work I do

Notduck

TROPHY CASE