Well said my friend .. I do believe that improvising with your instrument is very very important and can be very very satisfying. Oh yeah we all wanted to be Steve Vai but some of us became carpenters and plumbers and roofers instead it's just life man.. if you put away your expectations and just enjoy the guitar as Johnny said you will find the true Joy of playing .
When I was in my teens, I had classical guitar lessons. I found it pretty boring and quit after a few years. I did not touch a guitar anymore for about 35 years. Until about 3 years ago. To find out there is a huge difference today compared to 35 years ago. And that big difference is called internet. Literally all information is available online, and thanks to knowledgeable guitarists like you, very good advise is available as well. Which also means you don't only get information from your one and only guitar teacher, but you can find all kinds of advise and opinions. In those few years of classical guitar lessons, I among others of course learned how to properly put my thumb at the back of the fretboard and how to put my fingers on the fretboard. And that basic, together with all information that is available online, together with daily noodling, serious exercises, learning sight reading (I have a subscription to Paul Davids Intermediate Course) and learning all kinds of songs in all kinds of genres, brought me to a situation where I think, well, let's see where this is going. And yes, I pick up a guitar every day. And sometimes I just repeat things and try to do it better and on other occasions I really do effective training and sometimes I try to transcribe a solo that I heard and like. But I notice that I am really getting better over time. I am discovering the fretboard, scales, different modes, the CAGED system, and so on. Don't force yourself, accept you have lesser days, and very simply enjoy making music. I have a very nice job, which is also once in while not that funny. And when you are a professional guitarist, for sure you have your days, where you feel less motivated. But in the end, music is very, very, very, very important. Just thinking about what has been created in the last 70 years or so. It's really jaw dropping if you compare that to hundreds of years before let's say from the early 50s and back. The guitar has been part of the development in those last 70 years ... And I am very curious what's more to come.
Each week thousands of people enjoy your playing, even if we are not in the same room together. Your playing is inspiring and really enjoyable. Thank you for sharing.
It’s humbling to know you (a major influence of mine) experience this, too. I practically mirror everything you’ve said here, John. I get myself into such a bind because I really want to be great, but life seems to get in my way, haha! Thanks for a super informative and comforting video. Keep up the great work, friend! 🎸❤️🎸
Thank you for the inspirational words. I have been on a plateau for a few years and recently I discovered I just should stop practicing things I don't like but should enjoy playing the guitar more. This video definitely counts as confirmation of that mindset. Also, know that you're definitely that 1 percent ;)
At this stage I’m only maintaining finger facility. If I get asked to learn songs I use my theory knowledge to short cut, passibly learning 20 songs in 5 hours over a week That’s pretty much my guitar life now, I think we all need to be more realistic, music no longer matters to the masses
I play every day. Any day that I can't, feels like a wasted day. When I was a kid, I tried to play everything I heard, songs, commercials, every form of music. I found there were quite a number of things I wanted to do musically or technically, that I just couldn't do on guitar. I found that extremely frustrating, so I decided to overcome those challenges. It hasn't been easy or fast. But with each solution I find, there is a sense of accomplishment and improvement that I find invaluable and enjoyable. For me, the guitar is a kind of puzzle, and playing it up to my expectations is a challenge. Recently, I cracked several long standing obstacles, and the pleasure of that has been immense, and a big relief. I play guitar for the sheer love of playing it and I enjoy how it helps me realize my musical ideas.
Wise words John! I realized years ago that I would never become a rock star, but never lost interest in music and guitar playing. RUclips has been a blessing because of finding incredibly talented people like you who are willing to share knowledge. I love learning new chords, licks, trying to get a handle on outside playing. I have a pretty good ear and like to figure out mystery chords in tv theme songs (Cheers has a good one!). That said, I don’t play every day partly cuz life is busy, but largely due to some chronic pain from a finger injury. Wish I could play every day! But look forward always to your vids.
As a guitar teacher and long time professional musician I feel that you have to enjoy playing no matter what...if you only focus on technique without application things can get pretty dry and not fun. If you never have focussed practice advancement will be slow or not at all. I try to encourage my students to have balance as well as focus. Fun = motivation. You have some good advice/observations here.
@G "Tomo" (a well known YT guitar personality) has a video with his recommended finger exercises. I"m 60, playing off/on since I was 9...never got good...now I'm decent after a month or so of doing spider drills up/down the neck from time to time and learning a bit of jazz. That simple...
I never put a time on it but try to play everyday I kinda break it up by warmup noodling seems to get me in the mood, bit of theory, triads etc, learn a solo or work on ones I know, play along with songs… play with my gear and learn more about tone, etc… I never seem to get bored, I love the guitar
This is smart. What helps me is to spend time on another instrument, maybe keyboard or mandolin or whatever. When I come back to the guitar with a renewed interest, I feel as though I play better and maybe I’ve learned something new about approaching the guitar.
Great vid, you need to find the joy in it still... interestingly Steve Vai said "I remember thinking that if I didn’t make it as a performer, I’d be very okay with being a music teacher in a high school or something"
The method I've found is a little different. I sit down with a guitar about twice a week and noodle. But here's the kicker: in my free time I read forum posts and watch hours of RUclips demos to find what gear I think sounds best when other people play it in a mastered video with compressed audio quality through my phone speaker. But then I show true dedication to my craft by diligently checking the corners of the internet for deals on used gear so I can sound like I don't know how to play through an increasingly complicated and uselessly high quality rig when I plug in once or twice a week. Does my method "work?" Well, that's hard to say - Does it "make me a better guitarist?" No. But does it "work with my lifestyle?" Also no. Do I "sound like someone who has played guitar off and on for 10 years," or do people "want to listen to me play?" Not that I know of.
My motivation is to always be curious. Learn a melody line from a song, learn how to dial in a specific part and tone from a song, train your ear etc. etc. At the end of the day....Keep it fun and fresh!!
Yeah, drop it in. I just got a Fender Player tele for Christmas and have been working on presets that work well with it. Your JC Clean sounds pretty good with it. Any others of yours that you remember off the top of your head that you think would work well?
Everyone knows that you can directly correlate guitar mastery with hours spent on The Gear Page 🤣 As those hours increase, so do guitar technical abilities.
I actually injured myself playing too much. Played with poor posture posture (leaning forward to look at my fingers). This resulted in thoracic Outlet symptoms by a raised first rib, and a lot of muscle knots and tightness in the upper traps. It's taking months to recover from this. The body isn't made to do the same thing for ten hours a day, apparently. And especially not with poor posture.
Sometimes it's a bad idea for me to play - that's if I still want to have a guitar at the end of the day and not a pile of kindling.. Good points here, well made. Cheers. Are you still enjoying the AC15 HW? I'm loving my C1. I have no idea where this "Vox amps don't like pedals" thing came from - it soaks up everything I throw at it and asks for more.
Well said my friend .. I do believe that improvising with your instrument is very very important and can be very very satisfying. Oh yeah we all wanted to be Steve Vai but some of us became carpenters and plumbers and roofers instead it's just life man.. if you put away your expectations and just enjoy the guitar as Johnny said you will find the true Joy of playing .
When I was in my teens, I had classical guitar lessons. I found it pretty boring and quit after a few years. I did not touch a guitar anymore for about 35 years. Until about 3 years ago. To find out there is a huge difference today compared to 35 years ago. And that big difference is called internet. Literally all information is available online, and thanks to knowledgeable guitarists like you, very good advise is available as well. Which also means you don't only get information from your one and only guitar teacher, but you can find all kinds of advise and opinions. In those few years of classical guitar lessons, I among others of course learned how to properly put my thumb at the back of the fretboard and how to put my fingers on the fretboard. And that basic, together with all information that is available online, together with daily noodling, serious exercises, learning sight reading (I have a subscription to Paul Davids Intermediate Course) and learning all kinds of songs in all kinds of genres, brought me to a situation where I think, well, let's see where this is going. And yes, I pick up a guitar every day. And sometimes I just repeat things and try to do it better and on other occasions I really do effective training and sometimes I try to transcribe a solo that I heard and like. But I notice that I am really getting better over time. I am discovering the fretboard, scales, different modes, the CAGED system, and so on. Don't force yourself, accept you have lesser days, and very simply enjoy making music. I have a very nice job, which is also once in while not that funny. And when you are a professional guitarist, for sure you have your days, where you feel less motivated. But in the end, music is very, very, very, very important. Just thinking about what has been created in the last 70 years or so. It's really jaw dropping if you compare that to hundreds of years before let's say from the early 50s and back. The guitar has been part of the development in those last 70 years ... And I am very curious what's more to come.
Each week thousands of people enjoy your playing, even if we are not in the same room together. Your playing is inspiring and really enjoyable. Thank you for sharing.
Exactly!
Have a good playing! :)
When I am dispirited with my playing, I visit this you tube channel....
Thanks John, the words inspire as much as your playing does.
It’s humbling to know you (a major influence of mine) experience this, too. I practically mirror everything you’ve said here, John. I get myself into such a bind because I really want to be great, but life seems to get in my way, haha! Thanks for a super informative and comforting video.
Keep up the great work, friend!
🎸❤️🎸
Thank you for the inspirational words. I have been on a plateau for a few years and recently I discovered I just should stop practicing things I don't like but should enjoy playing the guitar more. This video definitely counts as confirmation of that mindset. Also, know that you're definitely that 1 percent ;)
Thanks John!
At this stage I’m only maintaining finger facility.
If I get asked to learn songs I use my theory knowledge to short cut, passibly learning 20 songs in 5 hours over a week
That’s pretty much my guitar life now, I think we all need to be more realistic, music no longer matters to the masses
Thanks, Jonathan! Tomorrow will be a different day, but you have inspired me to play today, at least.
Some serious insight, thanks for sharing! Looking forward to trying this patch out too!
Sometimes you’ll want to give up the guitar you will hate it but if you stick with it you will be greatly rewarded. A Quote by Jimi
I play every day. Any day that I can't, feels like a wasted day.
When I was a kid, I tried to play everything I heard, songs, commercials, every form of music. I found there were quite a number of things I wanted to do musically or technically, that I just couldn't do on guitar. I found that extremely frustrating, so I decided to overcome those challenges. It hasn't been easy or fast. But with each solution I find, there is a sense of accomplishment and improvement that I find invaluable and enjoyable.
For me, the guitar is a kind of puzzle, and playing it up to my expectations is a challenge. Recently, I cracked several long standing obstacles, and the pleasure of that has been immense, and a big relief.
I play guitar for the sheer love of playing it and I enjoy how it helps me realize my musical ideas.
Wise words John! I realized years ago that I would never become a rock star, but never lost interest in music and guitar playing. RUclips has been a blessing because of finding incredibly talented people like you who are willing to share knowledge. I love learning new chords, licks, trying to get a handle on outside playing. I have a pretty good ear and like to figure out mystery chords in tv theme songs (Cheers has a good one!). That said, I don’t play every day partly cuz life is busy, but largely due to some chronic pain from a finger injury. Wish I could play every day! But look forward always to your vids.
As a guitar teacher and long time professional musician I feel that you have to enjoy playing no matter what...if you only focus on technique without application things can get pretty dry and not fun. If you never have focussed practice advancement will be slow or not at all. I try to encourage my students to have balance as well as focus. Fun = motivation. You have some good advice/observations here.
Spider type drills got me out of a 10 year rut!!!!! They work. And learn some jazz and jazz chords.
@G "Tomo" (a well known YT guitar personality) has a video with his recommended finger exercises. I"m 60, playing off/on since I was 9...never got good...now I'm decent after a month or so of doing spider drills up/down the neck from time to time and learning a bit of jazz. That simple...
I never put a time on it but try to play everyday I kinda break it up by warmup noodling seems to get me in the mood, bit of theory, triads etc, learn a solo or work on ones I know, play along with songs… play with my gear and learn more about tone, etc… I never seem to get bored, I love the guitar
I agree. I try to play everyday and end any practice session playing a song I know how to play and love so I always feel like I made progress.
Majestic!
This is smart. What helps me is to spend time on another instrument, maybe keyboard or mandolin or whatever. When I come back to the guitar with a renewed interest, I feel as though I play better and maybe I’ve learned something new about approaching the guitar.
These videos are really inspiring and humble… really enjoying the channel, thanks John!
Great video, and timely as I've found I've been more time looking at my guitar than playing lately.
Great vid, you need to find the joy in it still... interestingly Steve Vai said "I remember thinking that if I didn’t make it as a performer, I’d be very okay with being a music teacher in a high school or something"
Great advice John. That's all super helpful
The method I've found is a little different. I sit down with a guitar about twice a week and noodle. But here's the kicker: in my free time I read forum posts and watch hours of RUclips demos to find what gear I think sounds best when other people play it in a mastered video with compressed audio quality through my phone speaker. But then I show true dedication to my craft by diligently checking the corners of the internet for deals on used gear so I can sound like I don't know how to play through an increasingly complicated and uselessly high quality rig when I plug in once or twice a week. Does my method "work?" Well, that's hard to say - Does it "make me a better guitarist?" No. But does it "work with my lifestyle?" Also no. Do I "sound like someone who has played guitar off and on for 10 years," or do people "want to listen to me play?" Not that I know of.
Are you my twin?
Ha! Cheers to you and all of the above 😂
My motivation is to always be curious. Learn a melody line from a song, learn how to dial in a specific part and tone from a song, train your ear etc. etc. At the end of the day....Keep it fun and fresh!!
Great video, love your playing
Yeah, drop it in. I just got a Fender Player tele for Christmas and have been working on presets that work well with it. Your JC Clean sounds pretty good with it. Any others of yours that you remember off the top of your head that you think would work well?
Love that guitar 🎸 , thank for inspiring this old man 👍😎
Everyone knows that you can directly correlate guitar mastery with hours spent on The Gear Page 🤣 As those hours increase, so do guitar technical abilities.
Facts are facts, and these are the facts
@@johnnathancordy you should do a video about what forum in The Gear Page helps more; Amps and Cabs, Guitars in General, the Emporium. Hah.
I actually injured myself playing too much. Played with poor posture posture (leaning forward to look at my fingers). This resulted in thoracic Outlet symptoms by a raised first rib, and a lot of muscle knots and tightness in the upper traps. It's taking months to recover from this. The body isn't made to do the same thing for ten hours a day, apparently. And especially not with poor posture.
Sometimes it's a bad idea for me to play - that's if I still want to have a guitar at the end of the day and not a pile of kindling..
Good points here, well made. Cheers.
Are you still enjoying the AC15 HW? I'm loving my C1. I have no idea where this "Vox amps don't like pedals" thing came from - it soaks up everything I throw at it and asks for more.
That ‘Ring’ finger looks good on you mate. More sexier than ever! 😂 Cheers
What’s that guitar? A custom shop?
That’s one John built himself
How many hours do you practice everyday nowadays?