This morning I was at the gym and finally I could lift the heavier weights with bench press! I could really feel it! Have been using your Approach. "It might not be perfect in the beginning, but if the mind gets a taste of what the the next level feels like, it will develop it if you really believe you can do it!
I do watch other guitar teachers here on youtube and you’re absolutely one of the best motivators out there Ben..why I still watch all your uploads,,thanks 😊
Lol,love the brutal honesty here,I've only just found you and after this mad pandemic my band just ended (long story) so my playing abruptly stopped along with my enthusiasm. Today I picked up my guitar and A.My calluses have disappeared and oh yes I cant half feel it! B.My memory of solos (note for note) has large gaps now C.Im a player that has stubbonly learned by ear and didn't even learn any theory or scales until about 4 years ago and even then only got to a few pentatonic positions (luckily it served me well as things began to become logical and solos of songs began to make sense and allowed me to actually improvise rather than stick to notes that I knew through sheer memory and repetitive playing). I was at a point where things were becoming very apparent that I had SO many holes and bad habits in my playing that I searched for teachers like yourself for any help I could find because at 44 RUclips wasn't around and being dyslexic aswell didn't really make books a great option either so these channels are a Godsend! I've watched loads of your videos today and the speed picking ones and string crossing ones Really do work! I guess what I'm saying is that your 100% correct about focus! Being into Tony Mcalpine and symphony X (that's my goal that music)it's probably a good idea to knuckle down to it! Thanks for your exercises and words of wisdom. I find it hard to take in certain things guitar wise with theory and techniques but you have helped and encouraged me. Just thought ide say cheers. Keep up the good work guys. Good advise and proper funny film clip.pmsl.greetings from Stoke.
I think this is without doubt the most vital part of practice. A sequence of movements won't set in your muscle memory if you don't *play it like you mean it*.
Interesting video. I find a good way of "forcing" a bit of intent into my playing is to consciously change where I put the emphasis when doing scale runs. Like, ONE, two, three, ONE, two, three. Then do a similar run ONE, two, three, four. Then alternating groups. Three then two or something. It's a good way of making yourself play with real intent rather than just mindlessly running through scales. Playing in front of the TV is handy mind... for one thing. I often don't get much time to play until late in the evening (kids etc) when my brain is cooked. So just noodling (with limited intent) fairly fast is a good way of just keeping my hand strength up so that when I'm really playing I have the endurance to do what I want/need without getting tired.
I would Love to see you both on screen. She's so well spoken and sounds like a charismatic woman. Thank you so much for today's Tunnel•Vision technique reminder Ben. I agree with all of it. Drum tracks today, so I'll nail this concept in, as I bike to the studio. Active not Passive. Have a Wonderful night.
On having the balls to do something... while my guitar playing is more than good enough for what I need. Releasing music is something that I struggle with. When I was younger (in my 20s) I always had an idea about the albums I wanted to complete - I've taken the time to learn the recording process well and get record music that I genuinely believe is of sufficient quality for a professional release. However, I'm 42 now - I feel like releasing albums of metal and punk rock at my age is just, well, a bit twattish. I really can't be arsed with going through whole promotional aspect of it - social media, ringing radio stations, giving out cards/memory sticks at shows and I'll never find a ground of musicians that can be arsed to learn and play this shit... In reality my like is probably way to busy to be rehearsing 3 nights a week anyway. Its just a bit fucking naff for a 42 year old bloke to be promoting himself as a new metal or punk act. Also, I really don't want people I know to be discussing my music or asking me about it. It would just irritate the fuck out of me. I'm saying all I want to say with the songs themselves. All that being said, I'm not going to stop writing and recording music, 'cos its the creative process that I really enjoy anyway. I've never really liked playing live (to people that don't give a shit) in bands where the other members come to rehearsal to learn the songs as opposed to rehearse.
It's not "woo-woo"! The athlete analogy is highly apposite; from visualisation through to high-intensity interval training, there's a significant amount of sports science that can be applied in other physical contexts such as guitar technique. It's completely orthogonal to artistic musicality but equally important. Usain Bolt didn't win Olympic gold with world records by repeatedly walking the 100m while watching the Simpsons on an iPhone 🙂👍
Ever since I seen your video the other day I asked myself what is that thing I have tried to do but eventually let it go? It is the cascading descending 5s that Eric Johnson uses during his pentatonic runs so I decided to go get it. I forced myself to focus on this only and within an hour I felt something change in my left hand. I still suck at it but my ring finger feels more aware if that makes any sense. Thanks
Tao of Badass Guitar courses.benhigginsofficial.com/the-tao-of-badass-guitar
After years of struggling with guitar I can say that Ben Higgins is without doubt the best thing that happened to my playing.
Wow that's amazing to hear, thank you ⚔️🛡️
This morning I was at the gym and finally I could lift the heavier weights with bench press! I could really feel it! Have been using your Approach. "It might not be perfect in the beginning, but if the mind gets a taste of what the the next level feels like, it will develop it if you really believe you can do it!
Dude that's incredible - well done!
Tao was a great free book. Thanks for that!
Glad you dig it Scott!
I do watch other guitar teachers here on youtube and you’re absolutely one of the best motivators out there Ben..why I still watch all your uploads,,thanks 😊
Thanks duder!
Lol,love the brutal honesty here,I've only just found you and after this mad pandemic my band just ended (long story) so my playing abruptly stopped along with my enthusiasm.
Today I picked up my guitar and
A.My calluses have disappeared and oh yes I cant half feel it!
B.My memory of solos (note for note) has large gaps now
C.Im a player that has stubbonly learned by ear and didn't even learn any theory or scales until about 4 years ago and even then only got to a few pentatonic positions (luckily it served me well as things began to become logical and solos of songs began to make sense and allowed me to actually improvise rather than stick to notes that I knew through sheer memory and repetitive playing).
I was at a point where things were becoming very apparent that I had SO many holes and bad habits in my playing that I searched for teachers like yourself for any help I could find because at 44 RUclips wasn't around and being dyslexic aswell didn't really make books a great option either so these channels are a Godsend!
I've watched loads of your videos today and the speed picking ones and string crossing ones Really do work!
I guess what I'm saying is that your 100% correct about focus!
Being into Tony Mcalpine and symphony X (that's my goal that music)it's probably a good idea to knuckle down to it!
Thanks for your exercises and words of wisdom. I find it hard to take in certain things guitar wise with theory and techniques but you have helped and encouraged me.
Just thought ide say cheers.
Keep up the good work guys.
Good advise and proper funny film clip.pmsl.greetings from Stoke.
Welcome to the channel, glad you found me 👍👍
Great video!
I think this is without doubt the most vital part of practice. A sequence of movements won't set in your muscle memory if you don't *play it like you mean it*.
Really enjoying these Sunday Higgy Sunday episodes! ⚔️🛡
Thank you, Lord Higgy! I needed to hear that!
Not a guitar video, but a lesson in life! Amazing content 🙏
Thank you
Interesting video. I find a good way of "forcing" a bit of intent into my playing is to consciously change where I put the emphasis when doing scale runs. Like, ONE, two, three, ONE, two, three.
Then do a similar run ONE, two, three, four.
Then alternating groups. Three then two or something.
It's a good way of making yourself play with real intent rather than just mindlessly running through scales.
Playing in front of the TV is handy mind... for one thing. I often don't get much time to play until late in the evening (kids etc) when my brain is cooked. So just noodling (with limited intent) fairly fast is a good way of just keeping my hand strength up so that when I'm really playing I have the endurance to do what I want/need without getting tired.
I would Love to see you both on screen. She's so well spoken and sounds like a charismatic woman.
Thank you so much for today's Tunnel•Vision technique reminder Ben. I agree with all of it. Drum tracks today, so I'll nail this concept in, as I bike to the studio. Active not Passive. Have a Wonderful night.
Ha ha! Agreed... what about Zed-Zed-Top!
On having the balls to do something... while my guitar playing is more than good enough for what I need. Releasing music is something that I struggle with. When I was younger (in my 20s) I always had an idea about the albums I wanted to complete - I've taken the time to learn the recording process well and get record music that I genuinely believe is of sufficient quality for a professional release.
However, I'm 42 now - I feel like releasing albums of metal and punk rock at my age is just, well, a bit twattish. I really can't be arsed with going through whole promotional aspect of it - social media, ringing radio stations, giving out cards/memory sticks at shows and I'll never find a ground of musicians that can be arsed to learn and play this shit... In reality my like is probably way to busy to be rehearsing 3 nights a week anyway. Its just a bit fucking naff for a 42 year old bloke to be promoting himself as a new metal or punk act.
Also, I really don't want people I know to be discussing my music or asking me about it. It would just irritate the fuck out of me. I'm saying all I want to say with the songs themselves.
All that being said, I'm not going to stop writing and recording music, 'cos its the creative process that I really enjoy anyway. I've never really liked playing live (to people that don't give a shit) in bands where the other members come to rehearsal to learn the songs as opposed to rehearse.
It's not "woo-woo"! The athlete analogy is highly apposite; from visualisation through to high-intensity interval training, there's a significant amount of sports science that can be applied in other physical contexts such as guitar technique. It's completely orthogonal to artistic musicality but equally important.
Usain Bolt didn't win Olympic gold with world records by repeatedly walking the 100m while watching the Simpsons on an iPhone 🙂👍
Ever since I seen your video the other day I asked myself what is that thing I have tried to do but eventually let it go? It is the cascading descending 5s that Eric Johnson uses during his pentatonic runs so I decided to go get it. I forced myself to focus on this only and within an hour I felt something change in my left hand. I still suck at it but my ring finger feels more aware if that makes any sense. Thanks
That's good - keep going at it!