Hardwork.desire,practise.--Vs.natural ability

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Was not sure where to post this.....
Now I am not advocating we all burn our guitars but, Having studied this for more than 40 years I have come to the conclusion that some people are naturaly gifted with the ability to play our beloved instrument and others get somewhere near it by shear hard work,practise and the desire to play. Some seem able to learn from books,tab and the ability to approach from the theory side, I have never been one of those but have been amazed at my friend Will Cowell`s progress as he is coming to it from that angle!
But every now and then you get someone who has it all, the ability to learn correctly and the natural talent to get better and better, enter D.H.........
This thread is just me having a ramble but I contrast D.H against the gent in his late 70`s that I recently sold a guitar to who wants to play so much he can taste it! and I think the world is not a very fair place for us wannabees
Having shared a stage with Sarah once or twice and amazed at her dexterity, it reminded me of my mother doing her knitting intricate patterns at incredible speed, yet to her it was nothing
Maybe I should take up knitting??

[Ken Byng]

John, Sarah didn't just pick up playing completely on her own. Although she did show a natural aptitude for the instrument, I can assure you that she had years of intensive learning via myself. Some days she would come away from the lessons in tears - frustrated with herself for not being able to immediately replicate what was being shown to her. (She was desperate to get from one level to the next in minimum time). Yet, she would beaver away all week and would return the following weekend with the parts well and truly nailed. This was especially the case with speed picking and with extremely slow pieces, both of which can be very difficult to perform to a high level of technical ability.

So in response to your interesting heading - Hardwork.desire,practise.--Vs.natural ability - it is both.

[James Crowbear]

read this a while back on the mother ship :
20 % talent - 80 % work

[Paul Brennan]

Jerry Byrd is quoted as saying "talent is highly overrated because all the talent in the world means nothing if you have not desire".