Natural Ability vs Practice
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- Опубліковано 16 гру 2023
- Which is more important? Do you think your favorite musicians have an innate, natural ability that the rest of us mere mortals simply don't possess, or is it just that they have spent countless hours advancing in tiny increments over a long period of time. I know which one it is for me!
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Thanks for hanging out!
I appreciate your comments about the hard work required (versus talent). It gives me hope and encourages me to trust the process. Thanks.
The eternal battle- Nature vs nurture, natural talent vs hard work.
I appreciate your perspective but I gotta say in my own observations, to get to the top rung and achieve excellence, it really requires both. On the one hand, no one with pure natural talent that picks up an instrument or sings will ever make it without really digging deep and putting in a ton of hard work, sweat, determination, and thousands of hours practicing their craft. On the other hand, we are all given a mix of natural gifts and abilities and they are all a very different mix. Whether we realize it or not, these gifts are a significant piece of who we are and what we tend to excel at. By following our gifts and talents, consciously or unconsciously we have the best chance to achieve excellence in our lives.
As a kid I knew that I had some natural musical gifts. I was attracted to music and could sing and whistle in tune at a young age. Like a mockingbird I had some natural musical ability. As I put in those thousands and thousands of hours developing these gifts I came to see vast differences between people around me with similar training and practice levels in terms of natural ear, ability to hear a complex melody once and repeat it verbatim, spelling out complex chords, perfect pitch etc..
A few examples:
-A gal I know who loves music but simply is unable to sing Do Re Mi or the birthday song in tune. She cannot hear it and she is not alone.
-My grandson who could sing all of the Disney songs in tune, in the original key and correct tempo, A cappella at age 4. Two years ago at age 7 he sang Beethoven's "Ode To Joy" at a recital and brought the house down. He practiced it maybe 10 times in total.
-EVH who during piano lessons at age 8 ignored learning to read music. He fooled his teacher and memorized entire pieces completely by ear after hearing them a few times. He went on to change the guitar world forever.
-Mozart who was composing his first musical score at age 5.
-Rick Beato's son Dylan who demonstrated perfect pitch and could spell out complex chords and intervals at a very young age. (4?)
Yes there are musicians who developed a boatload of musical ability long before they had ever engaged in serious focused practice and it is as dangerous to ignore this as it is to ignore the hard work required to fully develop these gifts and become a highly exceptional musician or any endeavor. It really does require a boatload of both talent AND serious focused practice to become exceptional at music, sports, mathematics, language, visual arts, and many other things.
My own unscientific observation over a lifetime of both music and sports is that "nature vs nurture" is probably around 50/50. You GOTTA bring something very significant to the game and you GOTTA spend thousands hours to fully develop it and truly achieve excellence. Studies on perfect pitch traits among families and identical twins who were separated at birth yet displayed strikingly similar skills and abilities support this view.
Appreciate the genuine gifts you were given and develop them to your greatest ability.
Cheers!
perfect.
After playing for over 50 years it's still good to hear this .
My brother and I were just talking about this subject. We both play in cover bands and people will say I wish I was naturally talented like you. We’re both like, it’s the countless hours of work that goes into it. I completely get what you’re saying.
100% agree. You don’t become great at anything without substantial practice even if you have “natural ability”. Set goals, embrace the practice journey, play the long game, and don’t compare yourself to others and you’ll find consistent success in whatever you want to accomplish.
I have sometimes pondered the question as to why I am not a professional grade player and I think the key here is the focused practice, focusing on improving. I can speak as someone who practiced a lot and got nowhere. I was lazy, I lied to myself that I was doing really well and getting better and better. All of it was rubbish. It wasn’t until I was honest with myself (and that took a long time) that I was able to change my mindset and really make some solid progress. I think it’s easy to blame a lack of talent, for me and I suspect many others, it’s a lack of application and the ability to convince yourself that you are a better player than you really are. I just wish I had realised my own faults earlier.
Great comment. I was the same way for so many years.
I'm 62 and 4 years into my guitar journey. I thought at the beginning that I would be good after 4 years. I now see how much work it takes and am trying to do more focused practice, not just learn another song. I'll now put my computer down and pick up my guitar! Thanks for the motivation. I just stumbled on to your site thanks to the youtube algorithm. You have a new subscriber.
Practice wins. When you've practiced enough that people start saying you have natural talent then the real work begins. Cheers Justin!
Well said.
How could someone be born knowing how to play guitar? It's a hard instrument to play.
Exactly. Passion drives but practice is critical for us mortals.
All depends on what you mean by “practice”.
perform (an activity) or exercise (a skill) repeatedly or regularly in order to improve or maintain one's proficiency.@@geoffblack9655
Good stuff! Those neural pathways don't wire themselves, those ears don't train themselves.
Appreciate ya Justin.
Thank you for the insightful video. As a beginner southpaw playing right-handed I get so frustrated. It’s so hard to coordinate my right hand . Your words are so helpful!
I find your message liberating. Student guitarists are bombarded by lots of different "systems" and approaches to the instrument and I find it overwhelming. Thanks for emphasizing what's most important...learning to be musical and using one's ears. I've read that Charlie Parker said not to approach practice as a series of drills but to think of it as spending time with your instrument.
I am so glad you addressed this natural ability comment. My wife tells me this all the time because I don't know any music theory, and never had any lessons, but what she doesn't understand is the countless amount of hours I have put into this over the past 35 years.
Natural talent is like overnight success… powerful illusions.
Thanks, Justin. Sometimes I feel like I missed the opportunity to put in the hours, not converting any little talent I had into great playing and writing. But there are still some hours and you’re wisdom is an encouragement
Nice shirt Justin!
It’s a good’n!
Focus, dedication, endurance, etc are talents.
Modes are scaffolding, triads are scaffolding. Chord tones are the safest notes to land on. I do agree you get deeper into the changes with a triad or harmonic approach.
Martin Scorsese is widely acknowledged as one of the all-time great filmmakers. He is 81 years old now and is often asked if he has any regrets. His answer is that he believes he has just begun to really understand filmmaking but is aware that time will not allow him to do his best work. and that's his regret. We may think he's great, but he knows how much better he can be and how learning is a never-ending process.
People always talk about Jimi Hendrix as being born to play guitar. He was a little under 6 feet tall but had these huge hands that allowed him to use his thumb in ways other players couldn't. People point out how the guitar was like an extension of his body; how "natural" his command was. They don't stop to think how being left-handed at the time he started playing was a huge hurdle. Teaching himself he had to reverse what he saw other people doing. He couldn't just pick up someone else guitar and play a riff he saw them play which is one of the ways we learn. He had to work extra hard from the beginning to get over the obstacle being left-handed put in his way. His desire to learn made his work ethic phenomenal. He never put the guitar down or completely away. It was always in his hands or by his side.
Ernie Isley tells a story about Hendrix when he was playing in the Isley Brothers band. At the time Ernie was just a kid and Hendrix was living at the Isley home. He would watch Jimi on a couch all day playing an unplugged guitar. He would take one lick and play it over and over. Then he would play it backwards over and over, then he would break it into pieces and reassemble it in different orders and configurations, again playing them over and over. He would do this for hours until someone would stop him to eat or something. When he died, he was considered to be the best on the planet. Yet he continued to work as he always had, a guitar constantly in his hands. At his death he had just started to move on to the next phase in his musical development. He had his own studio and was looking forward to collaborating with musicians from all kinds of styles of music because he wanted to learn from them. Talent and aptitude are always trumped by desire and work.
1. Steve Morse, an amazing guitar player, used to have roadies drive him around so he could practice in the car. 2. When I was young, two friends were housebound (one from injury, another from moving to a small town where he didn't know anyone and there was nothing to do) improved very quickly because they practiced all the time. 3. I'm a keyboardist with chronic tendonitis, so constant practice is not an option. I compensate by ear training, transcribing, focusing my rare practice sessions on difficult passages, learning theory, and practicing in my head (which strangely makes my hands hurt). Not ideal, but it keeps my musical brain, my most important body part, active and growing. People think I'm talented because I don't practice my instrument, but I work very hard in other ways to be able to do what I do.
bro...this was incredible for me...your thinking on playing and music is exactly the way i see it. The guitar is a wooden box with six wires on it and you will never fully figure it out....how grand is that? You only get out what you put in brother......I wish i knew you in person because we would have lots to talk about and lots of laughs......
Tom Bukovac echos playing to chords over the changes with focus on developing a melody. He's done allright with that approach.
Hi Justin, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your show and today was particularly rewarding.
As always you provide honest, complete and heartfelt advice and information with care and humility.
Thank you. It is sincerely appreciated.
I would also like to highlight the thoughtfulness, care and consideration you provide to those comments that are ill-informed and, at best, poorly made.
Your positive and generous response is a wonderful quality and should hopefully provide inspiration and a helpful way forward to those particular individuals.
To state what should be clearly obvious to most people, Music is a joy. And whatever genre you select, the musicians within it have spent a lifetime of dedication, practice and commitment.
There is a wealth of quality music coming out of Nashville (and elsewhere!) currently and if the heart, passion and emotion within it is not immediately apparent to some commenters, their questioning of the use of the Nashville numbering system, modes, current styles etc reveals they're clearly missing the essential point - it's about creating GREAT MUSiC!.🙂
Best wishes, Ky
I enjoy you showing off the mug while also wearing the Five Watt World shirt!
Thank you so much for what you say about the effect of talent and hard work. I think this is so 150% true.
I mean, believing things like “You either have it or you don’t” is such a great excuse not to even try! For much too long I believed in that and I'm so grateful that I found out about the opposite early enough.
I'm not sure but maybe the most important part of what we call talent is just that one can enjoy the process of learning because you just believe in that you are going to master the thing you are working on.
I've never heard modern country described so succinctly. I had always been at a loss for how to talk about it. Especially considering how much I love 'outlaw', as you said, country
Your comment about taking small steps through continued practice is really encouraging to me. You just dont hear many people at your level talking about this. Can't wait for your course!
Once again, I totally agree with your philosophy. People talk about the “10,000 Hour Rule” (what it takes to become an “expert” in anything). So, if that rule holds any weight then, with guitar, somewhere in those 10K hours the guitarist was learning and developing “modes” whether they were taught the theory or not. I say, like you said, focus on the music. Create something that is compelling. If that means you’re using “modes” … well, great! If not, and it is compelling, well then … great! I feel it’s always best to focus on the song. Is the part I played make the song better or worse? I dunno. I really appreciate you Justin, as well as this community you are gathering. Great conversations in the comments. I’m glad to be among them. Happy Holidays Justin and JO Community. 🙏
Being able to play what you can hear in your head, without limitations is the goal. Assuming you have anything in your head? 😉
Developing that voice, learning to listen to that voice is the biggest hurdle. Practicing patterns will yield happy accidents, but it will not reveal the musical soul by itself.
That said, it’s been very helpful to study harmony and have some shapes that will generally help one guess correctly where that next note is. Some way of mapping out the fingerboard. It’s also helpful to have practice certain sequences (lines), for when the shit is coming fast and furious!
The thing with modes that I think helped me when I was younger was sort of simplifying stuff…like it I saw a progression that was say an A major to B major I would just say the song was in E, because the only time you see two major chords a full step apart is between a 4 and 5 chord, so I would lazily play an A Lydian (or B Mixo) mode over it, which is just an E Ionian scale. But when you start REALLY playing music, you have to outline those two triads individually instead of just playing a scale. Really the only thing I use modes for is to sort of describe how something might sound to myself now, like Lydian would be dreamy, Mixolydian sort of middle easternish? I don’t know, but I fully agree with Justin on this, it’s really not something that’s just used much in practical applications
Awesome video, Justin. Focused practice, as you say, is the key. As for modes vs. etc. I have to say that studying triads and chords works better for me than modes. I visualize better the fretboard thinking chords. With modes I feel that I focus more on the shapes; with chord tones I feel that what I play is more musical...
If you are passionate enough about something, practice will get you to be good at almost anything you put your mind too.
“If you weren’t thinking you wouldn’t have thought that” quote from the sandlot when Benny is teaching smalls how to catch- great advice for music to lol
That tone a t the beginning was awesome. The playing was as well. Thanks.
Hi Justin and all the Ostrander-Landers out there. I have really come to value your videos this year, thanks for all the work that goes in.
Your views here MUST be correct. Otherwise none of us would ever improve and we'd all give up. I have little natural ability other than a life- long love of music. But REALLY practicing in last few years I can ferl I have improved and watching your ideas has helped that, too.
People, never give up. It takes time and a bit of structured devotion, but so does everything we want to succeed in.
Mery Christmas Justin
To me, the most interesting guitar players to work with are the ones that even after years of playing with them, they show up and play something a little different each night on the same songs. That comes with experience, because you usually wont see them practice much.
I find that what I play is because I’ve practiced it before or it’s so close I can hear internally where to turn. It’ll cost you to get good. Find someone who knows and is willing to teach you! Great video, Justin!
Dang...I got to keep practicing? My plan to learn guitar from watching UA-cam videos and osmosis comes crashing down...😅 great video Justin
Great stuff man! I like your style and advice! Happy holidays!
I so needed to hear this. Thank you!
Hey Justin just wanted to say I was watching CMT Crossroads with Bret Michaels and Chris Janson and noticed you were on stage. HOLY SHIT MAN THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!!! I’ve been a Bret Michaels / Chris Janson fan for YEARS. SO AWESOME YOU WERE JAMMING WITH THEM BROTHER. ONE HELL OF A SHOW!!!!!
Great follow up to the modes discussion, and so happy to see the love for @5wattworld !
Needed to hear this. Thank you Justin!
I think the basis of having a naturally good ear, good feel and vibrato makes everything so much better. Without those components you can practice till the cows come home and your growth will be limited. So it’s probably a delicate balance of natural ability and practice with a healthy dose of self awareness of where to set your goals. Great video and subject Justin!
My ear was horrible until I practiced it. Rewinding tapes of songs I made off the radio over and over and over again until a part I was trying to learn sounded exact. Developing your ear is crucial.
Great point Justin! Just put the hard work in- the one seemingly apparent common thread amongst you and your Nashville brothers- Tommy, Jedd, Guthrie to name a few, is the no nonsense work ethic and dogged persistence to excel in your craft. Thanks for all the great content and response to my comment!
Naturally good ear like perfect pitch? Few are born with it and few of those play music.
So practice has to be put into archiving relative pitch from everyone else.
As for feel, vibrato etc., no one is born with a natural talent for it, nor is there a formula for bad or good, the hard part is to develop it to stand out from the masses, if the goal is to have an unique style.
Regardless, what ever one want’s to be a session player, guitar hero or earn a dime, a lot of effort and practice has to be put into both playing as performing.
@@JoeBaermann true, the God given perfect pitch or Mote ear is rare. But having a naturally good ear and musical inclination and passion will definitely move you closer to your goals when paired with practice.
no shit!! ive spent two decades developing my ear!! so can hear .. without need for theory.. theory is helpful! but hearing is everything!!
It's a continuum, in which those with very little natural talent and who never practice achieve the least progress, while those with a great deal of talent and who practice a lot achieve the most progress. I've known musicians with only modest natural talent, whose well-rehearsed bands have played hundreds of gigs and earned tons of money at weddings etc., with their customers experiencing great entertainment. They've definitely practiced a lot to achieve that. Regarding _modes,_ I prefer to see them as "one major scale played against a different chord", but I don't think of modes when playing solos: I think in terms of chord shapes, and generally play notes from those shapes, and from appropriate scales.
This debate kept me from playing for 30 years. I was convinced that great players were just born that way. Now that I have picked it back up, and because of the internet, I have found that a lot of the classics were not all that hard to play after all. It just took months of practice and getting to know the fretboard.
I really enjoy your content, Justin. It feeds me. I get what the 'offensive' commenter was saying, and I can relate. However, it sounds like he may have misjudged you a bit, because no one can really presume to know how it feels under someone else's fingers. You make it look easy and natural because of experience, but that says nothing about the painful mistakes it took to get there. There are some who catch on much earlier than those of us who have to work a little harder. But I kind of bristle inside at the old cliche' about natural talent that says, "you either have it or you don't." My younger self worked hard to disprove it and now I have some chops to enjoy what I play. It's great to surprise myself with nice playing and still not as fun when I don't. So using scales, CAGED positions, modes, chord tones, and tasteful sensibility are all very useful. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter which of those approaches I choose because the fact is, that it got me there. I don't think I have much natural talent and I had to work hard to seem like I do. I just haven't given up in 53 years is all.
Your approach is helpful to me like no other's.
Love your thought process! Super inspiring.
Thank you for explaining the need for hard work!!! It is apparent that you have a great work ethic, and it has paid off!!! Much appreciated.
Man that Novo sounds amazing 😮 Cheers man, I love your channel! I think natural talent may get you to a starting point faster but there is still loads of work to do.
I had to displeasure of going to a few country concerts last year of some top, country acts, and I said to my wife, after all these guitar solos throughout the nights, that when people go home, they will never remember the solos because they said nothing they were just look how fast I can play scales, think of the solos that you instantly recognize and you realize Justin is right and I’m gonna get me a coffee mug
Thanks for the support, Dan!
You are 100% correct. I'm left amazed at their technical skills, but feeling like I wasted money because I wanted to hear music.
I guess I have to buy something- you put my wife’s name all over your merch! Your videos inspire me and im excited for whatever comes next.
Great video. Thanks.
dude you are as inspirational as anyone on you tube and im so glad to watch your channel....im so happy to have so many pros guiding my path to be the best I can be
Very encouraging! Thank you
Awesome video, thanks. And comes at the exact right time for me as I'm currently at one of those "frustration" stages where I think "nah, I'm just no good, I'll never get better". You've just given me inspiration to continue practicing.
It was a helpful reminder for me to hear you say “I’m tempering my expectations at this point,” due to your place in life. Many of us, to some degree, are “all or nothing” creatures - bumming out over not meeting our every creative impulse with wild, romanticized abandon, perhaps like we were more able to do at another point along the way. It’s ok, even good, to find a balance that honors all that you value (family, friends, music, etc), given who you are and your capacity and limitations. You are worthy and if you’re aiming up, so is that.
JUST FOUND YOUR CHANNEL...EXCELLENT ADVICE AND WORDS OF WISDOM!!!
Reppin' the 5 WATT World!! Great channel.
Outstanding
Perfectly put. I totally connected with what Justin said in the episode on modes. I only found the channel very recently and I really like Justin’s approach to teaching. Looking forward to future episodes. Great work 👍
Thanks Justin. Brilliant thoughts that I find extremely supportive. Great video!
Great advice not just for music but life in general. Thanks Justin!
We are born with musical intent and ability, learning to talk would be impossible otherwise...music is easy, people are challenging....
Great vid, thanks Justin
You were right on bruv, thanks for starting this channel, and opening up your lived experience, some of these keyboard warrior garage guitarists don’t just want to listen and learn from a different perspective… much love
Thanks!
I'm learning a lot from this perspective of playing chord tones, another tool for the toolbox that I haven't explored fully yet. Looking forward to the course!
Great video! I learn a lot from you and your peers. I especially liked the part about hard work beating talent. I had a very successful career as a pilot. Nothing about that came naturally, it was the result of lots of work and practice. Guitar and music is a hobby for me. I have been putting in a bunch of work and am realizing the breakthroughs and progress. Sometimes I get frustrated yet I keep pushing and when the next breakthrough occurs it is worth it. I think this concept applies to about any pursuit. Keep the content coming!
Your channel is great, mate. Please keep going :D
Much appreciated. Cheers!
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day Justin also happy holiday season also i had a cold this past weekend ❤😊🎸🌲🇨🇦🧡
Thanks. Excellent wisdom, bro. I'm 70 and have been working at guitar for decades but got so much to learn. Learning from you each time. Blessings.
I started enjoying practicing when I saw the Brett Papa video that explained timing and practicing with a backing track, first with a single cord just having fun with it then improvising in a key man I sounded better then I thought I was LOL! Great video by the way Justin always like your down to earth discussions.
Happy Holidays Justin, I always look forward to learning new licks from you ;) Thankful for rewind and slo-mo features
Thanks a ton!
So true!
I started to play the guitar when I was 13 and I was addicted to it. I couldn’t stop. I played for 7 hours every day. My goal was to write songs. That was more important to me than anything. But it meant that I heard melodies in my head that I couldn’t play yet. And so I just kept playing until I could play it flawlessly.
And I learned fast! Being young helps.
But when I learned enough to do most of what I wanted at ease, I’d still learn, but by no means as fast as it used to be when I was still a teenager. I didn’t learn this fast anymore for the sole reason that I didn’t put in the hours I needed to grow as a guitarist.
And I’ve always hated myself for it, because I know I could’ve been much better, but I just didn’t play enough. And when I played I was basically just keeping up with what I could already do.
Every once in a while I learned something cool that inspired me to play more and the steps I made within these weeks of practicing intensely were amazing.
It’s like any form of art, any type of sports, craftsmanship in any field…, if you want to be good at it, you need to put in the hours. If you want to be among the best, you need to put in even more hours and use these hours wisely!!! 😊
Thank You so much, Agree to 100% 👍
Great talk on how to approach practising and the mindset that's involved with it (long term and short term).
What you said about wiring the brain by practising has a lot of scientific research backing that up.
Looking forward to your courses. :)
Thanks Justin. A video full of insights. I’ve dabbled in music, playing keyboard and then guitar, attempting to compose, etc. From the first time I tapped the keys on an old out of tune upright piano I was always drawn to making music. However, I never had the drive or the confidence to believe I could actually be good at, that I lacked the natural talent or something. Eventually I was lucky enough to get to know some ‘real’ musicians who encouraged me, so I began to play more and attempted to write songs, but still I saw them as having some innate abilities I lacked. Only in recent years have I allowed myself to spend more time learning and practicing guitar, and for whatever reason I’ve kept at it (people like yourself offering so much on UA-cam has certainly been a big part of it) and much to my surprise I’ve made good progress. I will admit I don’t follow strict practice routines but I do spend a lot of time playing and, most importantly I think, I pay attention to how I’m playing, and I do push myself to work on things I find difficult. There is so much to learn and I know I’ll never learn or master everything but getting a little better over time is enough. Above all, I’m enjoying the journey.
Muscle memory is only developed through practice. It took me along time to realize that was the key to play what you hear in your head or on the radio, You need to develop patterns to practice and over a wide range, the more muscle memory you develop the easy guitar get and the more natural you sound playing. it all comes down to practice. The more you practice the easy it gets. Some people may have a little better work ethics but we all have to go through he same process.
Great stuff as always. For Christmas all I want is to see how you get around the fretboard.
Words of wisdom !!!
I enjoyed the video, thank you.
I have been playing for 50 years now and I have never played someone else's music. Oh, I tried. I even went to Berklee for a semester. Just kept falling asleep. Worse than math class. Probably because I was also a cook working 60 hours a week in a restaurant. But when I had free time, I could play, free form jam forever. I established a band, all improvise, based off Pythagoras' Rolling the bones. We did many, many tapes, hoping to meet a working band that we could drop our "song ideas " on them and could develop songs with them. We never ran out of fresh ideas, but, admittedly, jams are not songs for public consumption. Mostly only musicians like that kind of music.
Great call and response to the tube.
Re: "...learn things that get you where you wanna go." DING DING DING!
Guys like Justin, Uncle Larry, Ben Eller, Andy Wood and MANY others are a resource I would've killed for many moons ago.
My tale is thus: I somehow made it thru the UTK jazz program. (Sight reading is still more "decoding" than "reading") Mind you, while that was going on I was playing in punk & country clubs or top 40 bands. Was in a local band that had the great fortune to make thru to SXSW and tour regionally... By LUCK I wound up becoming a TV/Film composer guy. I was able to do that for over 20 years.
THUS... I'm. STILL. Learning. STILL studying. Still practicing. Still writing.
At this stage the point of the exercise to me is to get as good as you can while your brain and body allow you.
Speaking of Metheny... I had delusions of going to GIT or Berklee from Knoxville. The reason I went to UTK is mostly because the head of the department was a Tenor Saxophonist named Jerry Coker. He had arrived there via Miami at Coral Gables where he had students like Metheny, Jaco, Will Lee (whose Dad was the department head at the time) Steve Morse, Bruce Hornsby yada yada...When I found THAT out I changed my course.
I grilled Jerry at one point about what sorts of things he "taught" Pat. His response still floors me to this day. He said: "The 'thing' was fully formed when he got to me. Anytime I would teach him a scale, such as the 'diminished' scale, his response would be: ' Oh! Is that what it's called?' "
Mind you Pat had an older brother who was a badazz horn player (Look up Mike Metheny. His record with Pat on it is probably on here). Pat also played some sort of brass as a kid. Thus, he probably developed sight reading chops early.
As the Late Great Malcolm X spake: "By any means necessary". LEARN. Find out who your favorite folks studied with. My guy Jerry and his brother Jack, who was a pianist on par with Herbie or Bill Evans, grew up in Indianapolis. As youngsters they were pals with Monk, Buddy and Wes Montgomery. Jerry tried to encourage me by telling me Wes didn't start playing the guitar till he was almost 20. Years later I found he started playing the ukulele around 5 or 6. That explained a lot!
BUT, where I'm heading is: I also discovered within the past five years I learned that Wes and Paul Chambers, among MANY others studied with Barry Harris. HIS approach is what I stumbled upon at the beginning of the pandemic and it's TRULY changed the way I play and THINK now. I wish I'd come across that method 40 years ago.
Remember this too, because in a way it's what all the guys I mentioned at the front of this are trying to do in their quest:
As you're reaching up with one arm, your other one is supposed to be pulling someone else up.
Great stuff Justin. Sorry to be so long winded. Really enjoy your dispatches.
Excellent Justin, it’s about putting in the reps.
This is so spot on! That’s what I always say about people who want to be “professional musicians.” You CAN NOT fail if you don’t stop! There’s no magic. Honestly it comforts me to think the way Justin described. On one hand, it gives me the answer (I know exactly what it takes to get to those heights - time), and on the other hand, I’m okay with the fact that I don’t practice 20 hours a day, and I know that’s what my favorites did to get to where they are 😂😂
I agree about the focused practice thing. I’ve been teaching guitar since the late ‘80’s (and gigging as well) and I often try to teach my students how to practice properly. You’ll never grow unless you’re challenged. Time on task is important as is passion.
Great insights here. Thanks
This is a very subjective topic. I actually agreed with what you were saying. It actually made a lot of sense to me. The way it is taught is very mind locking for beginner and intermediate players. It is very hard for us to get out of the box once we are taught that way and everything we play tends to sound like a scale and not very pleasing musically. The truth is you don’t have to follow the rules to make interesting music and you can play some wrong things that will sound right. Trust your ears and continue to experiment.
The good players like Justin and Bukovac started early that's what makes people really good after many years of practice.
Yes, that is a BIG part of it, too. Really big. (I’m the guy who wrote the comment that Justin is rebutting in this vid).
He thinks I was insinuating that it was “effortless” for him to become a top player. But I never that. Matter of fact, I said “natural talent combined with hard work is what makes a top player”.
Starting young is the key. If you have some natural talent and start young, and put in the hours, you are sure to develop into an elite player.
@zenlandzipline I don't think it's natural talent. I think it's the will to learn and practice and also if a parent can teach you the language at an early age.
as a guitar teacher, i teach students of all ages … and talent is definitely a factor, some people just have a much harder time getting their hands to do things pertaining to strumming and fretting, where it comes somewhat natural to others.
i do believe with A LOT of time and hard work , you can achieve a super high level…. but i don’t think the average person can practice their way to being Guthrie Govan.
@guyute6386 kind of like not everyone can slam dunk a ball. There are people that are blessed with attributes. Like a friend of mine was valedictorian, who plays and he is able to retain way better than me. So I see your point.
Enjoyed the conversation Justin! Thanks for sharing about your journey. Please continue to share your story. Would be interested in hearing how you got started! 🙏
Great advice JO
I’m 54, I focused again when covid hit , can’t find a band yet but I love trying to find time amidst lifes demands and seeing my progress from doing an hour of guitar at 5 am, not plugged in to an amp, black coffees and seeing progress but also not being too hard on your progress.
You can wire your brain slowly to how you want it to allow you to do the things you like.
You have to enjoy patience and effort and the fact that the guys like you and Tom an Guthrie and Jason Lachlan? give so much info you could never get anywhere else .
Praise be to the Nashville guitar dudes for they shall inherit the eternal Green room.😊
Literally a cup of JO ☕
Ha, I didn’t realize that!
@@JustinOstrander not aware of your marketing greatness. must be that 'natural talent' again. 🤣
I appreciate the good honest feedback that was an interesting and insightful learning guitar. #cheers to the neverending struggle 🎸 ✌️
I think a finer line is where talented people may not be able to even define the exact techniques or modes they use and we get caught up with putting labels on everything in order to impress others….and snobs expect labels & technical chatter, that’s what impresses them and that’s cool…they have their circles and clicks to exhaust their passion with others of their kind and that’s where they fit best socially.
Some of the most intelligent guitar people may not play as good as others who have no idea what they are technically doing….
This just comes to mind while listening to your video, maybe as a side car topic of interest…
Nice videos! 🎶
Justin, thanks so much for this video! Great advice, as always. You're an inspiration to me and I'm an old fart who ought to play way better than he does for the number of years I've been playing. What you practice is just as important as how much you practice. I agree about thinking and playing melodically/musically as opposed to just thinking in modes. It's good to understand the theory, but just hitting random notes in a particular scale isn't making music.
You are much more wise and mature than I was when I was your age, and you are right to prioritize your family over music. May God richly bless you and yours this Christmas season!
Thanks so much, Gary! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Yeah, I thought I knew what I was doing, thought I had talent above average...went to Nashville in 2000 and saw Johhny Hiland play at Robert's. Humbled really quickly. Got a 1 hour lesson with Johnny and 2 things he taught above all else 1. Hybrid picking 2.Triads. Still can't get a handle on the "CAGED" system. Still nothing beats passion, a willingness to be teachable and humble enough to know you are not the best. Be the best you can be at this moment. You have reinvigorated my love for recording since i've found your channel and I thank you. Looking forward to signing up for the lessons. 51 years old and I learn something new on the guitar and about myself everyday. God Bless
I had a mild panic attack after I moved here and went downtown to check out the honky tonks. I still didn't really know anyone in town. I remember seeing James Mitchell playing at Second Fiddle that night. We talked briefly over a break. Told him I thought he sounded great and that I just moved to town. He immediately asked if his tone sounded ok. He was enjoying his new 4-knob Keeley compressor. I was just thinking, "Who cares about a compressor! How do I learn to play like THAT?!"
James is a good dude and one of my favorite guitar players to work with.
Thanks Justin, appreciate the response to my ramblings. I certainly wasn’t knocking anybody, you session guys are the best of the best and some of the most creative players on the planet. I came up with my own mnemonic to learn the mode names
‘I don’t play licks my amp likes’, which was almost certainly true whilst I was learning how to apply them
Haha!
Nice, Justin. As a 65 year old lifelong pro, both as a performer and educator, I can corroborate your comments about talent vs hard work. As a veteran of thousands of gigs, and having taught tens of thousands of lessons, I have seen this from both sides of the music stand. At this point in my development, I am still just as excited about learning, and feel like I'm starting to get a handle on things! Keep the videos coming!
bad-ass logo, kudos.