I don’t expect anyone to sit through all of this, but the chapters are there so you can come back when you need something. Let’s all grow together. Share anything I didn’t include, in the comments. Maybe in a year or two, we can do an updated version.
Oh I did. Your philosophical/tips (ie non gear review) videos are among the best on youtube I wouldn't miss a second of them. Not that your gear reviews are bad, they're quite good but I'm not big on parker and modern guitars ;)
I watch pretty much every RU-vid video on 2x, so sitting through this is no problem at all! Plus, the content was such that at no point did I want to skip anything.
Only 20m in, so maybe you address this later, but one of the things that really helped me was eliminating that 1-10m setup time; what I call friction, before you start actually playing. I made sure that when I sat down there was a guitar, set up and ready to go within arms reach. Not on a stand where I had to get up, or hanging on the wall. But right there so I could reach out and be playing within 30s. Nothing drains your enthusiasm for practice more than hunting for a pick, or a lead, trying to find a patch, or backing track or whatever. It takes a bit of discipline, especially if you have a neat freak partner or parent but it’s so worth it.
this was a gamechanger for me; previously i barely played even though my guitar was only like 7-8 meters away, but moving the guitar and its stand to literally right next to my chair im mostly at for work at home boosted my time to almost 1+ hours daily
Your SRV example at 60 minutes is amazing. I had the exact same experience, and many people did. When we listen to SRV, we are in awe in front of that lightning fast yet super accurate glassy/edge of break up blues playing. However, when we try it ourselves especially with no backing tracks or without the context of a band, it falls very very short. It's not just that SRV is hard to emulate, it's that for some reason most people who try to play like him end up sounding like crap myself included. Fast forward to BB King: I'm not saying it's easier to play like BB or that he's a less ''complex''player, but trying to emulate this fatter, slower and soulful clean sound is just a lot more accessible and a lot more satisfying for many amateurs.
To be 100% honest, I didn't even think of your example, but now I'm going to steal it. For me, the second I started nailing SRV licks, I could hear them better, and then I realized, "oh, there are SO MANY guitar players who just copy this." Then I decided I couldn't be another copy. But your point is even better. And it is 100% true. Playing like SRV solo, without the right tone, without the context of a song or a band, it does just sound kind of bleh. And it's super hard to get to even the bleh. A BB King lick, you can play it with tons of gain, you can play it crystal clear, you can play it in any context and it just sounds sweet. Also, when you copy BB King it doesn't immediately sound like a BB King copy. And it doesn't take nearly as long to get it as you mentioned. BTW, if you got to the 60 min mark I assume you may be enjoying it, don't forget to pick up the ebook ;).
Thank you for this. I just started my guitar journey at 32 years old last year, and the amount of anxiety around making time to practice and frustration at slow improvement for me has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to work through. I'm still nowhere near what I would consider "on-track," but I'm getting closer. This video helped a lot.
Even when I am gigging regularly....it is likely I am stll paying my bills from my day job. My gigging money, just goes to buy gear and keep the HOBBY going.
1:29:00 this might sound kind of silly but when you talked about your overall skill improving even if there are aspects that you aren't working on directly reminds me a lot of a scene in the anime Hunter x Hunter where one of the protagonists' teachers tells them that while they should focus on their type of "Nen" (the name of the magic system) they should compliment it with other types that are mostly compatible with their own and that will drastically increase their learning rate.
I’ve shown this video to all of my friends and colleagues who are musicians. Such an incredibly valuable message and lecture to all musicians. Thanks, Dr. Fludd!
I’m half way through. This is an awesome video. Lots of insights. I also appreciate the raw honesty about your past with being disenchanted with guitar. Keep on, keepin on!
very helpful and spot on. thank you. BTW, I just ordered a Strandberg Boden NX6. can't wait to get it. I'm hoping I do like the SUHR pickups, as I usually replace stock pickups with the Duncan JB set.
@@andrefludd I was thinking, you mentioned Playfulness as one of the prime P's. I can't think of anyone better than Guthrie Govan to illustrate being playful while playing.
"We need to learn how to say positive things about ourselves..." Man, you nailed a lot of good points in this video, but this is an important one! Yes! I tell my students all the time to do this! Do not focus on the things you cannot do! Focus on the things you are good at, and work on those techniques even more. I cannot sweep pick. Every year, I try to learn it. I just cant. But there are other things that I CAN do, and those are what I focus on! I also tell my students another similar thing, when trying to be CREATIVE and write guitar parts. If you are having a "bad guitar day" and becoming frustrated with your playing or practice? WALK AWAY. Do not try to force yourself to play when you cannot. Some days are worse than others. After 30 years, I still have those days. I pick up the guitar and hate everything I play. I play the same tired licks. Same tired chords. It is not my day! I walk away for a little while. There is nothing wrong with that. Come back later, and try again. Calm down, and do not get get discouraged. You cannot force an idea out when trying to write your own songs and licks. But I think this can be applied to practice as well, like you said. Some days are going to be bad, push through it. Or take a deep breath, and come back to it later. But not every day will be hearts and unicorns when it comes to art! Guitar is an art, but it is also a skill. Just like in the gym. Some days I absolutely KILL it, and have a great workout. Some days I do not have the motivation, but I STILL go. I might not lift as heavy, or maybe only do cardio that day. Bad days happen no matter what. Stay positive, and don't let those bad days "get to you". Don't let it get in your head that you are "bad". You are not bad, just because you had a bad day. No one is perfect. When I toured, I had good nights and bad nights. It happens. But do NOT get discouraged. Guitar is a lifetime friend of mine. I play almost every day. Most of those days are good, some are great...some are BAD. But I am committed to the guitar, like a relationship with a lover. You take the good with the bad. But you stay motivated, and you make it "work". Just like a relationship. I "love" music. I "love" anything that features a guitar. Like a relationship, guitar is a commitment and you will get what you give. If you ignore your partner, or you are constantly unmotivated, that partner will leave you. It takes dedication. You can be a hobby guitarist, and that's fine. Not everyone wants to play at a professional level. Guitar is not everyone's "focus" even if they DO play guitar. Maybe you want a "casual" relationship as a guitarist. That is absolutely fine, and I am glad that you enjoy the guitar! But I am a "lifetime" guitarist, I am married to it. I teach it, but I still take lessons. I am a "forever" student. Great stuff, Andre.
Thanks for your comment :). I agree with everything (obviously). I don’t know what I am anymore. Am I a bedroom guitarist? A professional? A teacher? Who knows. Like you, I always take lessons as well. Over the last 2-3 years I’m just about enjoying the journey.
@@andrefludd "Professional" is a state of mind, Andre. People like us that play every day, and are constantly learning new things? We are pros. Now, this is the question to ask yourself: Are you a MUSICIAN? Because yes, you are definitely a guitarist. I am too, and so are the other people that watch you. But a musician? That is a different thing. A musician does not focus on one genre, or one style. They focus on the instrument, as a whole. Do I like playing metal on my 7 string guitars? All the time! Do I also play blues and R&B? Yes, all the time! I also play EVH and hair metal. I play MUSIC, and that separates you from just being another "guitarist". Musicians also LISTEN to everything. Yes, I like Oceans Ate Alaska, like you do. I also like Alicia Keys, Tori Amos, BB King, Billie Holiday, Jeff Buckley, Slayer, Metallica, Lady Gaga, Sonic Youth...because there is something to learn from all of that. Musicians learn from pop music just as much as Dream Theater. I think you are a MUSICIAN. First. You are a guitar player second. If for some reason you think you are not, then it is definitely something to aspire to be! You are also a teacher, yes. Whether you do what you are doing, or you do things 1 on 1 like I do. Spreading knowledge comes naturally to you. Just some things I observe, and think about you! "bedroom guitarist" sells you a tad bit short!
One of the biggest, and most important epiphanies I had with regards to practice came from my warm up routine. I have a half dozen songs, or bits of songs that I go through when I pick up the guitar to practice or play. I have tendonitis in my left arm so I use this time to slowly get my fingers moving and get the blood moving, paired with light stretching. After doing the same warm up routine for months and months I realized just how GOOD I had gotten at playing those songs. I am able to play them fluently and with ease and really enjoy listening to myself play them! So that's it! That's what practice is - relaxed repetition without worrying about going faster or "getting" something. Slowly playing pieces with no stress or pressure and letting the process take over and work it's magic! Of course this is what guitar teachers tell you over and over again, it's the most basic premise of practice but it took me years before I really got it!
Thanks so much for this talk! Funny thing, regarding your statement about hairlines, I was just reflecting on my life with a friend this morning, and jokingly stated, "Hey, I still have all my hair--life is good!" So your advice about the relativity of one's place on their guitar journey is cogent. Don't beat yourself up, no negativity. You are probably way ahead of a lot of other folks. And that final statement regarding one's "infinite" guitar path is a beautifully perfect metaphor. The journey never ends. So my new goal? Complete the your rhythm guitar course I just snagged. Looking forward to see where my journey takes me. So have fun, all! And go out and play some guitar! See ya! 🤙🎸🇮🇹
I listened to this in small chunks throughout the weekend, really great stuff. What struck me the most was thinking differently about motivation. I've learned to approach guitar learning as trying to see how many consecutive days I practiced, or whether I hit the target amount I set for myself in a given week. (This used to be much harder when I had a long work commute.) A big issue for me is I am just not a fan of learning music theory in particular. I'm not a composer or a professional, so I have ended up just getting bored and noodling for 30 minutes. What I'm hearing is that 1) I shouldn't feel pressure to study something that I'm not really interested in, and 2) spending any time at all with the instrument is still a win. Edit - just purchased your eBook, thank you for putting that all together, it is definitely going to help as I plan my goals for 2023!
Yes! I need to do a podcast about how and when to learn music theory. It certainly isn't something that should be bogging down your time with the guitar. It's kind of like medicine. You take the dose you need when you need it and then get back to living life.
Wow man! I had to watch this in parts, but I finished it and really appreciate all of the info here. If I wanted to comment on everything, it would probably take you longer to read than the length of this video was. I can only imagine how much time and effort you put into this. It's refreshing to know that I'm not the only one who's gone thru times where you fall out of love with playing. I went four years from 2017 to 2021 without picking up the guitar. A gig I had went bad in a way that killed my spirit I'm sad and ashamed to say. Then a year ago, watching The Beatles' "Get Back" documentary inspired me to pick it up again. When that inspiration came back, it hit me again with a hardcore vengeance. I don't play many Beatles songs nor does the stuff that I play sound like them, but inspiration comes from unexpected places sometimes. Of course, after all of that time I was quite out of practice needless to say. It started coming back encouragingly fast though. The muscle memory hadn't totally forgotten. I was by my standards a 4 or 5 out of 10 at first. One week later I was already at 7.5. It was a few more months to get those last percentages to where I was before. Now I'm better than I was when I stopped and looking to gig and collaborate with people again. Lately the thing I'm working on is playing with my playing hand upright instead of sideways. You inspired me to do that one. It's coming along. I went thru most of the month of November without my guitars because of my move but now they're here and I'm back on track. I really got a lot from this video. So much so that I went to your site and got the e-book. Thanks doc! Cheers Andre!
I appreciate the support and I’m glad to see the left hand position change has been going well. Couple more months and I bet it will be second nature and you’ll unlocked a lot of other things as a result. Do keep me posted.
I relate so much to the 6Ps, especially positivity and playfulness. Once guitar and writing music became more of a job, I started dreading and stalled for years with all the compounding negativity making it even harder to end that rut. I had to go back to having fun with the instrument, and since the ive naturally progressed my abilities while smiling more. Really like your channel. Thanks for uploading this
Thank you for putting this together. I got my first guitar in the late 90s and tried to teach myself to play. I dabbled for a couple years, then took significant time off. From that point forward, I had stints of playing for a year or so followed by a few years off. In September this year, I dug out my guitars again after about a decade of not playing. I got a bunch of new equipment and have been relearning by essentially just jamming by myself every day. I couldn't remember how to play a single riff when I started, but today I feel like I'm better than ever before in certain aspects. I've never taken lessons and never took the time to learn music theory, but this time I've been focusing on learning the notes of the fretboard and understanding how things work from a musical standpoint. I used to exclusively try to learn songs and had no idea how to create my own, but recently I've just played whatever comes out of me, which is a lot more fun (and can be less frustrating). Anyway, your lecture gave me a lot to think about when it comes to organizing a better and more deliberate practice plan. I appreciate it!
