Hi all, going forward I'll use this space to talk about upcoming changes to the site and possibly go into detail on some theory/technique stuff I've been playing around with. For now, here's a write up I did a couple years ago to explain the process of practice, as I best understand it. I hope you find it useful!

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The Power of Practice

    Practice is the means by which all great achievements are made possible. When you see someone performing on a level you can't imagine ever reaching, whether that's in the realm of business, sports, artistry, or almost anything else, their secret is always the same: That person practiced.

    Not only is practice the best way to improve at a task, it is quite simply the only way. It's not about how many lessons you have with me, or how much time you spend listening to music, or thinking about guitar, or watching other people play guitar. What matters most is whether you are, in fact, practicing your instrument.

The Purpose of Lessons

"Wait, lessons don't matter?"

    If I thought lessons weren't useful, I wouldn't be teaching. I think lessons can speed your progress along far faster than anyone can achieve alone. But my lessons are built on an understanding: that you're practicing on your own time. Without that, the lessons are far less effective, as we spend the majority of the time going over what we've already discussed previously.

    It doesn't bother me in any way, I'm happy to go over concepts as many times as are needed to fully understand them, and everyone learns at their own pace and with their own set of challenges. But you're hardly getting as much value as you could be out of our lessons if 30 minutes a week, with me, is the only time you sit down with your guitar.

    The primary purpose of lessons then, is not to give you time to practice, but to help you understand what to practice. That is, at it's core, the most helpful thing I can do for you. I aim to offer you value in many other ways than that, but it's a good rule of thumb to keep in mind.

The Meaning of Practice

"So, then, what should I be practicing?"

    It's relatively straightforward. Here are three great approaches, though hardly the only way to go about it:

1. Find what you don't understand, and study until you understand it.

2. Focus on the tasks that you find difficult or frustrating, and perform them until they are simple.

3. Return to the tasks that you find simple. Examine your method for flaws, and look for ways to push it further. Can you tighten your execution? If nothing else, it can always be faster.

    I like to call this the "Challenger Mindset". You've probably heard the expression: "You can do anything you set your mind to." I love this expression. Many people hear it and take the meaning to be simply: "You can do anything." That's a pleasant thought, but the reality is more complicated.

You can do anything you set your mind to.

    What does that mean? That means challenging the task with full mental focus, and determination. It doesn't mean trying it one time. Or ten times. Or 1000 times. It means trying it until you do it.

    I promise you, if you approach practice with this mentality, you will be astonished with what you are capable of. But... it isn't easy.

The Human Factor 

    Okay, that was a lot of "best-case-scenario" talk. But of course, we're all human. For most of us, there are always going to be days where you don't feel like practicing. I know I still have those days.

On those days, keep in mind that practice is often:

The process of overcoming resistance.

    We don't just battle with barre chords and 16th notes. We also battle our own mind every time we aim to practice. You've felt it, right? Maybe you see your guitar, think about picking it up... and then you feel it: resistance. Something in your body or mind tells you not to bother. It's too hard, you're too tired, you don't have time, the guitar is out of tune, etc., etc., on and on and on.

    It's for this reason that I consider even picking up the guitar a victory. Every time you do that, you take back just a little control from your unconscious self - you make a choice to do what's best for you, for what you really want in life. Not for what's easiest in the moment. Maybe at first, you only want to practice for 5 minutes. That's fine. But make it a good 5 minutes. What's most important is to build the habit, once you have that, the momentum carries you through the tougher times.

    Please understand, I'm not an exceptionally motivated person. But I truly wanted to be a guitar player, and reminding myself of that meant I kept finding myself doing what I had to do in order to make that dream a reality. There's no way around it:

If you want to be a guitar player, you have to play the guitar.

    Along the way, please be patient with yourself. Be a friend, and a coach to yourself. We are all going to make mistakes, that's part of the process, and if you are ever truly lost, I am always here to help you. But every time you pick up the guitar, play one chord, hit one note, remember: That's victory, that's progress, that's practice.