The Double Edged Sword of Guitar Idols Part 2

In Part 1 of this column, we discussed the transcendent ability of every ‘guitar idol’ to inspire a new generation of musicians. Inspiration is the lifeblood of creative energy and these notable individuals have been and still are the most effective conduits for conveying that energy.

We also discussed the downsides of inspiration on a mass scale. Large amounts of young and ambitious guitar players have trouble defining themselves as individual musicians due to their all-encompassing devotion to a particular band or genre. There are multiple reasons for this, but the larger-than-life concept of a guitar idol and the high level of commercial saturation that comes with it definitely plays a role.

When I was nearing the end of the first part, I felt that there were some more drawbacks that needed to be addressed. These drawbacks have less to do with the audience as they do with the ‘idol’ themselves. Now, obviously, this perspective is coming from an outsider who has no experience being a ‘rock star’ in the mainstream sense. But I am a lifelong musician who feels quite comfortable exploring any musical project that happens to interest me, regardless of style or genre. However, I wonder if the same would be true if I had to manage the expectations of millions of fans in addition to satisfying the financial appetite of a large record label.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING A “SOUND”

Many of the greats have that unique quality to their playing which can be instantly recognizable. Sometimes it’s the way they vibrato a note or their particular phrasing style. This generates a powerful sense of familiarity with listeners which is similar to recognizing a singer’s voice.

But what does this mean for the originator of those sounds? Are they unknowingly constructing their own cage?

We all have those little nuances which are unique to us. But if we hear ourselves on enough recordings or have musically inclined (and honest) friends who can point out our repetitive moments, then we can make a conscious effort to reshape or even overhaul our playing.

But if you’ve built a successful career upon a certain style, then you might be encouraged to ‘play it safe’ by those around you. 

This could manifest itself in different forms. If you’re known for your heavy distortion, then it might be risky to experiment with a ‘cleaner’ tone. If you’re playing style is synonymous with ‘tapping’, then you might not have much luck writing an album which is completely absent of tapping licks.

LESS PRACTICE TIME

I’ve read in various interviews that practice time can be hard to find for high profile touring musicians. When you’re not playing on stage, you might have obligations involving all kinds of promotional press which can surely chew up a big part of the day. Not to mention the constant traveling from city to city must take its toll. If you’re touring all over the world (as most big names do) you can be stuck on a plane for 10 or more hours at a time. That’s 10 hours of potential practice time lost.

I’m sure people are reading this and thinking, “well that’s the trade-off you have to accept for being a successful musician.”

Since I’m not in that position, the only response I can muster is, “fair enough.”

But this loss of practice time could definitely have a negative effect on your future creativity.

CAN THERE BE GUITAR IDOLS IN TODAY’S WORLD?

The current shape of the music industry hardly resembles the gargantuan cash cow of decades past. This reality highlights the question of whether we’ll continue to have guitar idols in the future. Yes, there are those YouTube videos which go viral and produce a burst of temporary ‘internet fame’ to some talented unknowns. But these moments are becoming more and more, well, momentary.

Today’s viral video can be tomorrow’s distant memory in a world where attention spans have become so narrow. In this new world, will there be successors to the ‘guitar god’ throne who can carry on the tradition started by the likes of Hendrix and Van Halen? I’m not sure.

If the answer does turn out being ‘no’, then what would be the silver lining to this new reality? (After all, there’s no sense in living life like the glass is half empty)

One possibility is that we could see an unprecedented level of musical diversity coming out of future guitar players. Tomorrow’s aspiring musicians will almost certainly be influenced by 10, 20, or even 30 eclectic musicians from all different genres, instead of 1 or 2 of the big names. Even genre categories could receive quite the facelift and terms like ‘rock star’ or ‘guitar idol’ might fade into the annals of history.

But perhaps not. Humans are, above all else, social animals. We thrive on feeling connected with one another and engaging in emotionally transcendent activities like going to rock concerts. As I said at the beginning of this piece, the ‘guitar idol’ (or ‘rock star’) is perfectly suited to elicit this effect in large groups of people. For as long as we enjoy feeding off of this energy, I suspect there will be a place (and a need) for guitar idols in our uncertain future.

The Double Edged Sword of Guitar Idols Part 1

Every guitarist (myself included) can likely point to one main source of inspiration that captured our ears’ undivided attention during our formative years. This source might have even been the reason why you picked up the guitar in the first place.

Obviously I’m talking about the Guitar Idol (or Guitar God) and every generation has had a few. What is less discussed is both the positive and negative consequences of having a singular icon for an entire generation of aspiring musicians.

The first incarnation of the guitar idol in popular culture was probably Jimi Hendrix. He could be thought of as the archetype that set the standard in which all other guitar idols would be compared. What Hendrix brought to rock music was multi-dimensional: he popularized a new tonal quality to the electric guitar (overdriven distortion), his signature blues/pentatonic lead playing helped usher in the current musical paradigm that all rock guitarists know and love. He also raised the bar on what it meant to have an exciting and unpredictable stage presence that could captivate any audience.

Since Hendrix’s untimely passing, there have been other noteworthy guitar gods who have carved their own path into rock & roll history including Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Steve Vai, and Slash, among others.

It’s hard to imagine how rock or heavy metal music would have evolved without this essential cast of characters. However, it’s important to be objective and to look at both sides of the fence when evaluating the impact these players’ fame and reputation have had on future guitarists as well as their own musical growth.

YOU CAN’T PUT A PRICE TAG ON INSPIRATION

It’s hard to excel at anything in life if a person is underwhelmed by others who have come before them. Hendrix’s legacy set off a domino effect of rockstar culture which would last for the next 30 years. The youtube sensations of today were inspired by the greats of the late 70s and 80s, who were inspired by Hendrix.

So before we dive into the potential drawbacks of ‘guitar idol’ status, we must not forget how many talented musicians were drawn to the guitar over other instruments (somewhere in a parallel universe, Eddie Van Halen might be playing classical piano at Carnegie Hall).

THE PITFALLS OF INSPIRATION

Many people are so awe-struck by their idols that when it’s their time to shine, imitation can be an unfortunate result. You might not even realize it at first, but a ‘cult of personality’ (shout out to Living Colour) is developed and sometimes engineered by the record label. This not only influences your guitar playing but could also alter lifestyle habits as well. How many guitarists started smoking cigarettes just because they saw Keith Richards with one in his mouth at every show?

Particularly on a musical level, if all you learn are Van Halen tapping licks, how do you think you’re going to sound when you write your own music? Even worse, how many other players have also learned all the Van Halen licks just like you?

Arguably, no one’s really immune from this phenomenon of imitation especially at a young age (I know I wasn’t). But if your long term goal is to write your own music, then an attempt to minimize it (or diversify your influences) would be beneficial.

I can remember my own experience with this when I would read magazine articles from the late great Dimebag Darrell. As some of you may know, he would occasionally profess his ignorance towards the topic of music theory. He seemed to be so naturally in tune with the world of music that he just played by ear (claiming he only knew one or two scales).

I was blown away by his comments because I was originally convinced that he was a music theory buff simply by hearing his fluid and effortless mastery of the fretboard. The effects that his comments had on me were both good and bad.

The positive effect was that I no longer saw music theory as a road block to my success. This helped me develop my natural ear for music as well as my rhythm chops by constantly jamming to cover songs or with my brother who plays drums.

The downside was that, for many years (like the first 10 years of my playing), I knew virtually nothing about even the basics of music theory. Sure, I intuitively understood the concepts of tonal center and the musical differences between major and minor chords, but I was completely incapable of articulating these topics to others. I figured, “if Dimebag succeeded without knowing theory, then I probably don’t need it either.”

But now that I’m quite comfortable with theory, I think it helped me grow beyond the creative box that I later found myself. I now have so many more options when it comes to creating and composing my own music. And there’s also the obvious benefit of communicating this information to others when I’m teaching (which is something I’ve come to enjoy).

However, this anecdote was not a sneaky attempt at promoting music theory. The opposite might have been the case; I could have been a diehard fan of John Petrucci and, while reading his interviews, decided I wanted to go to school for music. But what if I had the personality of a Dimebag Darrell? The potential drudgery of studying music in college might have tainted my passion.

So there clearly seems to be a few advantages and disadvantages to this paradigm.

There are a few more consequences of having guitar idols which I’d like to discuss in the next installment of this article. Notably, the effect this ‘cult of personality’ has on the musicians themselves, and we’ll also explore the future viability of guitar idols in the new internet landscape. To be continued…

 

 

Choosing your Battles on the Guitar PART 2

In part 1 of this article, we identified some options that can maximize the amount of quality information you receive when learning the guitar. It’s common knowledge that some websites and youtube videos disseminate inaccurate tips and techniques. Avoiding potential bad habits can be accomplished in a few different ways.

To quickly review from the last article;

1.) Always check multiple websites and youtube videos to make sure the information being communicated is consistent.

2.) Pick up a few books or DVDs that are professionally produced.

3.) Join an internet forum to ask other musicians about confusing or challenging topics (or ask some of your friends who play guitar).

4.) Seek out private lessons at a reputable music store, a well respected local musician in your area, or online via video chats such as Skype.

The options above should put you on the right path towards proper technique and a solid understanding of music theory. For the moment, let’s take guitar lessons out of the equation and see if we can identify some key points in helping a typical beginner or intermediate player who is taking a DIY approach. These players are mostly teaching themselves with the help of the aforementioned resources available.

With the wide availability of information, you’d think it would be a relatively simple process. But, as was mentioned in Part 1, the common (and often difficult) denominator is self discipline. Here is a list of the most important things to keep in mind when teaching yourself.

CRAWL BEFORE YOU WALK (OR RUN)

We all know what inspires and motivates some young people to play the guitar is seeing an accomplished musician rip up some impressive tapping lick, or sweep pick their way through a minor arpeggio. For many, those flashy techniques act as a gateway drug. However, even the best shredders had to learn open chords and basic alternate picking at some point. It might not seem exciting, but having a good handle on the fundamentals is never a bad idea.

BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION IN RHYTHM

It cannot be overstated how important rhythm is for every musician. In my experience, a surprising number of players are unable to successfully jam with other guitarists and drummers due to weaknesses in their rhythm. The most likely culprit is a lack of effective practice. Practicing the guitar every day is definitely a good thing, but HOW are you practicing? Are you just sitting in your room perfecting chords and scales, or playing fragments of your favorite songs? The best way to improve your rhythm is to learn entire songs and play along with the actual recordings. They don’t have to be challenging songs, but this type of practice will quickly reveal any gaps you might have in your rhythm. Other ways you can improve your timing are by playing to a metronome or jamming with a drummer.

INSTANT GRATIFICATION vs. DELAYED GRATIFICATION

The most important thing you need when learning an instrument is patience. Some concepts and techniques will come quickly, others will take a little longer. It’s not uncommon for certain techniques to take many months (sometimes, even longer) to fully master. That is why it’s crucial to separate short term and long term goals.

Organizing a practice schedule can be beneficial in managing your ambitions. Learning power chords is an example of a short term goal. Sweep picking is more long term. Does that mean you shouldn’t start practicing sweep picking right away? Not necessarily. If that’s a goal of yours, then start practicing basic arpeggio shapes and get used to the right hand picking motion which is often uncomfortable at first. Practice it very slowly everyday, and constantly reinforce that muscle memory. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will your guitar chops.

In many ways, this struggle between instant and delayed gratification is the biggest challenge you might face while learning an instrument. We live in an ‘instant gratification culture’ to a certain degree. If noticeable results aren’t produced immediately then most people will abandon the whole endeavor. However, a successful goal that took months or years to accomplish will taste much sweeter.

SELF DISCIPLINE

Coming full circle, self discipline is your most vital asset in combating the occasional urge to give up on your ambitions. If you practice correctly and consistently, you will achieve whatever musical objectives you may have. Ironically, your largest obstacle might be a mental one. But this can be easily overcome by a healthy dose of patience and the right attitude. As long as your goals are balanced and expectations are measured wisely, you will constantly improve. So, what are you waiting for?

 

 

 

 

Choosing Your Battles on the Guitar PART 1

A new year is upon us, and with it comes the familiar and arguably cliche theme of new beginnings. People treat the month of January as an opportunity to re-ignite their motivations in a host of different ways. Whether it be to eat healthier, exercise more, or start learning an instrument (hint, hint), there is perhaps never a better time than now to start anew.

So I’d like to talk about a subject that I think deserves a lot of attention from both beginners and experienced players alike during this time of year – choosing your battles and measuring expectations wisely.

What do I mean by this?

We live in a very exciting time where information is ubiquitous and the steady stream of knowledge never seems to slow down. In general, this is a great thing. But there are always two sides to every coin. Most people (myself included) run the risk of becoming completely overwhelmed by all of the different websites and youtube videos that are out there on any given topic of interest. Particularly for a beginner guitarist, this could stop you dead in your tracks.

Instead of comfortably drinking from a water fountain, it could seem as if you’re unsuccessfully drinking from a fire hose. How can we get back to the manageable analogy of the water fountain in which we control when and when not to take a drink? There are many answers to that question, but the common dominator for all possible scenarios is self discipline.

Along with controlling the volume of information, we must also make sure we’re receiving reliable information. So let’s look at a few of the ways in which this can be accomplished.

THE MORE SOURCES, THE BETTER

The internet is indispensably useful, but all it takes is one bad website or youtube video with incomplete or inaccurate facts to set you on a path which leads to bad habits and poor techniques. My advice is to always check out multiple sources when learning something new. By visiting several websites and watching multiple youtube videos on the same topic, you can significantly lessen your chances of absorbing faulty information.

GUITAR SPECIFIC OR GENERAL MUSIC BOOKS

If a particular subject or technique is still not clarified, then it might be a good idea to buy a professionally published book either for guitar playing or general music concepts. The obvious advantage here is that the authors often times have many years of musical experience and, in some cases, have received formal education at a college level. Another advantage is that the publisher has a reputation to uphold and generally likes making money off of book sales. Both of which can be jeopardized if their product contains erroneous material. If you decide to explore this option and you’re an intermediate or advanced player, I’d recommend checking out Creative Guitar (books 1 and 2) by the super talented and knowledgable Guthrie Govan.

JOIN AN INTERNET FORUM

This can be a good substitute for those who don’t have many musically inclined friends and would like to receive some advice from other musicians. However, this option definitely falls under the ‘more sources, the better’ category concerning the information you hear from your fellow forumers. Always be skeptical of an overly opinionated individual and search other websites to confirm what you’ve read at a particular forum.

GUITAR LESSONS

There are those who say that in this day and age guitar lessons are becoming obsolete. Think about it, why do you need a guitar teacher when every conceivable playing style can be easily found on the internet fully explained, with video, for free? Well, precisely for the reasons we’ve been talking about. The role of guitar teacher has somewhat shifted from a gatekeeper of knowledge to that of a mentor, personal trainer, or a coach. Obviously the quality and personality of the teacher needs to be compatible with your learning style, but a good teacher can really help you turn that fire hose back into a water fountain.

INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

Similar to books, any DVD or internet videos which have been released by a professional company or distributor likely has reliable information for the same reasons. It all depends on how you like to learn. Some people prefer reading, others prefer learning visually. Generally, theory based concepts might be better suited for books and physical techniques for videos.

So that’s a pretty solid list of options that can help insure you’re receiving high quality information. Again, this applies to beginners or experienced players alike. In Part 2 of this article, we’ll focus more specifically on how to control the volume of information, especially if you’re approaching this from a DIY mentality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Musical Purity is Overrated

In July, I wrote a column called “Finding Inspiration in Unlikely Places” for Guitar World Online. 

In it, I encouraged every musician to step outside of their comfort zones and listen to different styles of music.

The main motivation for that article came after I saw a Dave Matthews Band concert. I had never been a fan but was impressed by the musicianship and the fluidity in which the band moved from song to song and jam session to jam session.

The experience of that concert helped to re-charge my batteries and made me think differently about how I approach music. Specifically, I began to pay less attention to the superficial importance of genres.

Musical categorization can be a useful way to cull through the seemingly endless supply of solo artists and bands that are out there in our current paradigm. However, one crucial drawback to categories is that they can create a sense of musical tribalism.

Rock, pop, metal, alternative, blues, jazz and hip-hop have die-hard fans who firmly believe the best aspects of their favorite genre lie in its purest form. Mixing these styles together can be thought of as blasphemous by some, an attempt to dilute their purity.

But is this really the case?

British author Matt Ridley is somewhat famous for writing and publicly speaking about the benefits of human collaboration. He posits that when ideas “have sex” with each other that technological and cultural progress occurs at a much faster rate than if those same ideas were separated in perpetual isolation.

Ridley contends that the increasingly elaborate combinations of ideas humans concoct is the driving force behind our preeminent status at the top of the food chain. He also acknowledges that the internet has helped make possible a new and unprecedented era of creative “cross-fertilization” we’ve never seen before.

When we apply this mentality to the context of music, the possibilities are endless. Kids growing up today have access to a vast and eclectic music catalog, all at their fingertips. This has the potential to slowly chip away at the concept of rigid categories.

Young people no longer have to rely solely on their parents’, siblings’ or friends’ personal music collection. They can discover and listen to artists as diverse as Django Reinhardt, Pantera or Beethoven. All on their own. These young people will then start learning instruments, form bands and begin creating new and exciting styles that will be hard to categorize. In many ways, this is already happening.

For example, in today’s landscape, the genre of metal no longer represents what it did 15 or 20 years ago. It has branched out into so many diverse sub-categories, which might alarm some purists. But this is helping metal (whatever that title now means) stay at the cutting edge of musical innovation.

I recently went to see a band called Ever Forthright at a small club in New Jersey. To some passive listeners, they could seem to be your run-of-the-mill, eight-string guitar chugging metal band. But after thoroughly listening to their debut album (Ever Forthright) or watching their live performance, you will instantly regret that rush to judgement.

They infuse some of the heaviest aspects of metal; guttural vocals, demonic guitar riffs and machine-gun-precise drumming with the instrumental textures of jazz-based piano (among other synth sounds) and saxophone. On top of all this, the vocalist effortlessly transitions from low growls to melodic and well-harmonized singing arrangements. Oh yeah, and he’s also the guy playing the saxophone!

Now, you could argue that this style of progressive/experimental metal will have a hard time breaking into the mainstream of the metal world. However, I think the trend for avid music listeners is moving into this direction (groups like Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Between The Buried And Me and Tesseract come to mind). The breaking down of barriers will lead to the gradual acceptance by many of mixing what used to be considered incompatible styles. All of these things will persist as the cross-fertilization of human creativity continues, thanks in large part to the internet.

The internet was once considered the death knell of the industry and was feared by some musical heavyweights. In hindsight, this fear predominantly stemmed from an economic concern.

But now we’re seeing the positive effects the internet is having on the expansion of all creative endeavors. Genres and categories will still have their place in the artistic realms of literature, film and music.

But the tribalistic tendencies of the die-hard fans might begin to fade away with time. Listeners will likely be less judgmental and more accepting of all types of music in the future. And bands such as Ever Forthright and others like them are helping to make this a reality.

 

 

 

 

 

“Letting Go” of Perfectionist Tendencies

I remember my first time playing in front of a crowd like it was yesterday.  I was sixteen years old and had recently started a cover band with my brother on drums and a few neighborhood friends.  We all caught the ‘metal’ bug and wanted nothing else but to play Metallica and Pantera covers all day long.  The other guitarist in the band told us of an opportunity to play a show at his high school.  After some nervous contemplation, we all decided to jump onboard with the idea.

In hindsight, we played a decent show considering we were inexperienced and still learning our way around our instruments.  But, to this day, there’s still one memory that I have from that show which sticks out like a sore thumb; I made a mistake during my guitar solo!  I’m sure you all know that feeling.  It was actually the only original song that we had written and decided to play at the show.  It was my moment to shine, and I screwed up.  Or maybe not…

A few days later when I watched the video of the show, something interesting occurred to me;  I didn’t notice the mistake!  In my mind, the blunder was so obvious that I logically assumed it would be obvious to everyone else.  But I had to re-watch the video a couple of times to actually notice the error I had made.  The irony is, the only thing in the video that appears obvious is when I shake my head in frustration after the mistake allegedly happened.

This brings me to the main point of this article; how to effectively let go of our mistakes, especially during a performance.  I think it’s safe to say that most musicians are perfectionists by nature, which we all hope will produce rewarding results.  A majority of the time, our hard work does pay off, and we begin to see noticeable improvements during our formative years.  We start to play faster and more accurately with the good old metronome day by day.  However, a small byproduct of this strong work ethic begins to grow inside our psyche which, if unchecked, can spread like a cancer; the tendency to obsess over every last detail.

In my opinion, the line between proficiency and perfection is sometimes blurred to the detriment of the player.  We sometimes are solely focused on improving our miscues from the prior day’s practice that we don’t stop to realize just how far along we’ve come.  When I would play along to songs in my room, I had a habit of replaying a song from the beginning if I screwed up just one section.  Needless to say, there’s no ‘replay’ button when you’re playing live.  Instead, I started getting in the habit of owning my mistakes.  This can be an invaluable step forward to make in your playing.  Unless the mistake is catastrophic (which, if you practice effectively, should be a rare occurrence), should you really let it get to you?  I don’t think so, and sometimes it can be helpful to look at it from a different perspective.

The road to musical perfection is an illusory one paved with good intentions.  But from the cracks in the road which we sometimes call mistakes, can come style and character.  I remember watching a video diary from the late great Dimebag Darrell (off of the DimeVision DVD) where he was describing how uncomfortable he felt when he listened to one of his guitar solos which was the final take on an album.  The look on his face said it all, it was cringeworthy for him to relive this part of the solo (I think it involved one of his ‘squeals’ not living up to his expectations).  But one of his friends always pointed out the same section and told Dime that it was his favorite part of the whole solo.

If you watch enough YouTube videos, I’m sure you can find tons of live footage from famous bands where mistakes are made.  The question is, how often do you see them shaking their head in frustration?  Perception is reality, and if you ‘own’ your occasional slip ups and quirks, then they become non-events and barely noticeable to your audience.  In fact, these imperfections help to reinforce the human aspect of your playing and can make the music sound more honest.

It’s like taking a test in school, if you want to get a good grade, then studying (practicing your instrument) and being prepared for the material is a no brainer.  However, at the end of the day, why get all stressed out because you scored an “A-” instead of an “A” or an “A+”?  Instead of dwelling, take pride in what you have accomplished thus far in your musical journey and try not to forget that, at one point, you were completely unable to play the guitar!  Even the best musicians make mistakes, but it’s how you react and move forward from those setbacks that truly measure your progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Importance of Musical Inflections

Sometimes, we guitar players can get so caught up in executing that blazing 16th note scale run at 180 BPM, that we forget about the true strengths of the instrument itself.  Unlike the piano for example, the guitar offers us the opportunity to manipulate a note in various creative ways.  We can even alter a note to where it’s no longer one of the established twelve tones of western music.  In my opinion, having this kind of versatility is what helped gain the guitar its status as the dominating instrument of the 20th century.

However, some guitar players can get stuck in a mental trap of thinking that fast technique and ‘feel’ are mutually exclusive elements.  Improving your ‘feel’ can involve a lot more listening and reflection than sheer practice, while improving your technical speed is not as overwhelming as one might assume.  It clearly takes devotion and self-discipline, but the task is simplistic enough; practice, practice, practice.  You need to find the energy (and the time) to engage in deliberate and repetitive dexterity exercises on a daily basis.  These dexterity exercises don’t have to be boring chromatics, but they might need to be practiced at a nauseating level of persistence.  This is how, over time, you build that mountain of muscle memory to which things become second nature.

But, the process of practicing the guitar should not always be like a bootcamp.  This is where I feel some players can get caught in that mental trap.  Taking a step away from that intense mentality on occasion can really give you a much needed sense of perspective. If not, then there is always that risk of tunnel vision.  This is when almost every musical idea you might have seems to be stuck within a narrow field of purely mechanical sounding techniques.  The best way to avoid this mindset is to take a look at the periphery; the subtle power of musical inflections.

Musical inflections are simply ways to make your playing sound more exciting and entertaining to the listener.  An unfortunate reality check for many musicians is the realization that not everyone cares about how fast you can play.  If you’re a pitcher, should you always throw your fastball?  Probably not, this will make you predictable to your opponents.  You’ll be much more effective if you’re constantly changing up your pitches.  Similarly, we can get as creative as we want with our expressive options such as bending, vibrato, sliding, hammer-ons, pull-offs, tap harmonics…you get the idea.

The trick is not just to mix these inflections into your lightning fast speed runs, but to take detours altogether.  Instead of going 80 miles an hour on the interstate, take an exit to a scenic road where the speed limit is only 40 MPH.  You might not get to your destination as fast, but I’m willing to bet you’ll enjoy the ride more.

So does this mean you have to totally rethink your approach to guitar playing?  Not at all.  For the sake of full disclosure, I have worked hard over the years for my ability to play fast and, at times, I’m sure I sound too mechanical for some listeners.  But the key is to always strive for that balance.  If you can throw some well placed inflections into your guitar solos, then you might just prick up the ears of an otherwise apathetic listener.  Which, in my mind, is always a victory.

 

It’s never too late to learn an instrument

The summer leading up to my freshman year of high school was an exciting time.  I was going to buy my first guitar! Well actually it was a bass guitar, but it was a start.  The interesting reason why I decided to buy a bass was because, generally, it seemed a bit easier to play (my apologies to all the bassists out there, but I didn’t know much about the instrument).  The six string seemed to demand a much more complicated set of challenges, namely, playing chords and guitar solos!

On top of the intimidation factor, I was also afraid that I might be too old to start learning.  I know that sounds ridiculous, but I can remember going through my childhood and knowing of other kids who played the guitar before I even considered giving it a shot.  One of these kids in particular even performed during our 8th grade graduation ceremony.  Meanwhile, I still hadn’t picked up a guitar yet!  Looking back, I thought people who played (especially at a competent level) practically came out of the womb with a guitar in their hands.

This mentality hindered my progress for the first year I had my bass.  Then, I had an encounter with another local kid who could play the guitar pretty well.  Except this time, instead of being intimidated, I was finally motivated to take on the six string (chords and all).

What made the difference this time?  Well the most important thing this kid did was helped to demystify the guitar.  He pointed me in the right direction, showed me some cool tricks, and not long after that meeting I was playing along side him in a cover band.  I also started taking private lessons and was inspired like never before to play and practice everyday.

I think this is a crucial hurdle to get over if you’re a beginner or even thinking about learning an instrument.  Sometimes it’s in our nature to over-complicate a new skill set.  Unfortunately, the end result is that we psyche ourselves out into thinking that we can’t do it.  But there’s always someone out there who can demystify the instrument, break it down to its most basic parts, and suddenly the undertaking seems more manageable.

Now this is where the topic of age comes into play.  I was about 15 years old when I finally started to practice the six string effectively.  According to my own naive mindset at the time, this was way too old to start playing.  I had already dragged my feet for too long and hit too many dead ends in my playing.  But for some reason I wasn’t thinking about any of those negative thoughts once I was properly motivated.

 What if I did give in to my own negativity?  My life would be far less fulfilling and I would always have a sore spot of regret.  I think the lesson here is to never believe that you’re too old to learn something new.  Once we reach a certain age, people start to think that the ‘here and now’ is static.  We’re stuck in our ways, creatures of habit, paralyzed by routine and schedules.  Don’t let this mentality prevent you from trying new things in life.

Some of the blame can be cast on society as well.  The conventional wisdom is that children can adapt and adjust to new skill sets faster and more readily than adults. But is this really true?  There seems to be mounting evidence that this idea is unsubstantiated by empirical data.  Perhaps it has more to do with what you read or hear about regarding the topic of aging in our culture, whether it’s true or not.  The power of suggestion is a real phenomenon which sometimes can propel us in our endeavors, but in this case, may hold us back.  There are two articles regarding the relationship between aging and learning which I have provided links for at the bottom of this page.  You may be pleasantly surprised by what you read.

The trick is to not get discouraged.  Don’t say to yourself, ‘forget it, you’re too old to start learning now.’ Or ‘I tried learning once before, but I just didn’t have what it takes.’  ‘That guitar’s been collecting dust in my room for years now.’    Sometimes you just need some inspiration to push you into a positive state of mind.  If you have a friend, or someone you work with who plays — ask them where to start.  And make sure you get a few different perspectives if you can.

We all know that everyone learns differently.  Some will encourage you to learn all the fundamentals first (written notation, music theory, etc.), while others will push you to practice popular cover songs and learn the fundamentals as you go along.  The best part is — there’s no right or wrong way.  The only thing that matters is that you actually start to play, you’re having fun, and your guitar stops collecting dust!

If you want to read up on this topic some more, check out these articles.  And let me know your thoughts by commenting below!

CNN – The Aging Brain: Why getting older just might be awesome

CNN – Learning something new – your brain will thank you

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