I’ve written a fair amount of blog posts on different topics relating to guitar lessons and guitar playing. So have a whole lot of other folks. I stopped doing it for a while because I felt like there was nothing I could offer that wasn’t being offered somewhere else. I mean, there’s so much lesson content out there that it boggles the mind. How many ways can you teach someone to play? I know my methods work because, unlike a lot of new jack online teachers, I’ve taught live in person for more years than I care to remember and I’ve seen the success my students have had, both personal and professional. The market seems to mostly want the same 100 classic rock songs taught over and over again and, once again, anyone can do that.
All of this makes me think deeply about what I can offer students, what I can impart to them that will help each of them carry forward in their own way and become better guitar players. After much deliberation, I have distilled my advice down to two words, words that I really wish someone had given me in my early years of musical learning. Here they are: BE FEARLESS.
Be fearless. That’s what you have to do, be, think, and live. I failed miserably at this in my youth and only truly got it much later.
‘Be Fearless’ means take on all comers in your quest to play the guitar. Don’t be afraid to try new songs and styles, don’t be afraid to play and sing, play in public, with new musical partners, don’t be afraid of any of it. I’ve seen so many students derailed by fear and anxiety over different aspects of the musical life that it’s almost tragic. What are they all afraid of? Ultimately, they are all afraid of playing the wrong note at the wrong time. Guess what? IT’S GONNA HAPPEN! There’s little you can do about it. We all drop clams and live to tell the tale. Once you realize that music really lives in the moment and that no one is going to throw rotten tomatoes at you for a misplaced wank or two, you start to loosen up and let your shoulders drop, and it’s only then that you can really start to get better. You realize this stuff by going out and taking your lumps on the bandstand or in the rehearsal room. You go out and bomb tragically, horribly, and miserably and you live to jam another day. You realize that your guitar playing, your band, and your desire to play can all survive even the most pitiful of performances and can get back up there another time and do it all again and better.
That’s what I have to offer. Pretty simple really, but it’s an idea that changed my life, so I’m pretty sure it can do the same for you. Of course, I can teach all kinds of other, more technical things and do every day, but this is always my underlying message. Get up there. Try. Put yourself out there and into it. Take risks and reap rewards. If you live in fear, hedge your bets, or shrink from the spotlight in any way, you miss out on the best parts of being a musician. You want a resolution for the new year? Resolve to be a fearless player in all that you do. Don’t think, just go for it. Your rewards will be huge and meaningful. Here ends the lesson. You can thank me later. Happy New Year!!