It is not about being great. It is about the love and joy of the creative process. Taking what you get, the healing, the gift of art, putting yourself out exposed
“Isn’t is beautiful that we can play music” I think that all of the time. I’ll never be as good as I set out to be, but I love that I have this ability, and my kids all play as well. I love that I was able to give them that gift and that they will always have it
Imo the best practice is learning new songs. 1) The reward. The feel good factor. You are instantly rewarded with a new song in your set/arsenal ✅ 2) Improvement. You will find that most songs will have something different that you will learn and gain the knowledge of along the way. You will find every now and then you will come up against something you don’t know how to do but learning that discipline in the song will help you for the future. ✅ 3) Motivation. I think most people find it hard to get motivated to practice specific disciplines or various theories etc. But within a song it’s so much easier to tackle. And I have found the improvement you make along the way helps massively with this motivation. ✅
I agree but with the caution that it's important to learn at least some songs well...and learn different versions of the same tune is another aspect of learning songs
I had never seen you before. I was looking for some assistance in inspiring a new student of mine who has special needs but, in doing so... You have inspired me. Thank you.
This was interesting and appreciated. I was curious about what you said about time. And I definitely resonated with your recommendation about listening to music. I have been trying to go see more live music. They say that listening to music especially seeing live music is a way to practice. The same parts of your brain that fire while practicing are activated while listening to music tyvm
if you're not dedicating 4-5 hours on something every day you're never going to become great. is what it is, natural talent will take some far but most of us will be at best "decently okay" after decades of playing because we have real lives and guitar is just a hobby.
The old 10,000 hours rule. After that many hours practice or playing anything you reach expertise. If you don’t do that it’s really very difficult to be a great player. My boy became a college baseball pitcher and I looked back at his time with lessons and practice over 11 years and it was about 10k hours! He wasn’t good enough to go D1 only D2 and gave it up. Got some tuition payed for anyway…
My tip after a year.5, is to not try to copy songs by a guitarist who has 20 years of experience! 😂 Learn how to sit in on the track instead of copying because then all the pressure will be taken off of you! Use the song as a backing track and what ever you can contribute, will be rewarding most of the time because the guitarist in the track will make you sound better! You will make small improvements as you start to hear certain things and then you will hear other songs in the same track lol strange but true. You will then learn small fragments at a time... Guitar is amazing but a life long journey so dont expect to be hendrix in a year or so 😂 Have fun and keep checking songs out and even in slow motion to see what someone is doing... What will happen is that you will learn how to play guitar, not like one band or player! 😉 Rock on bros!
Thanks for watching, I'm glad you enjoy the videos! This strat is really at this point a partscaster, theres two videos on my channel all about it but essentially the Strat is as follows, a Squier affinity body from a guitar that I've owned since 2010 that I refinished with dollar store paint and a top coat of rub on poly, an aftermarket wilkinson preloaded pickguard with three alnico V humbuckers with the ability to split each pickup individually and use a button to get various combos of pickups and lastly the neck is a fender mexican custom shop roasted maple neck/board!
And the more comfortable you can get with that idea, the more fun the process can become! I don't remember who actually said this quote but I've always loved "One must picture Sisyphus happy."
Too many of us get caught up chasing gear. Once you get a good guitar, amp...that's really all you need. Losing time chasing gear is a waste. Pick up the guitar, have a plan, practice and play if you're going to get any better.
Chasing gear can be a fun hobby but you're totally correct/ A lot of times I see people in the mentality of "once I get X amp and X guitar with X pedals I will be able to get to work!" when in reality they just need to put in the work and it'll happen. Where there's a will, there's a way and it's almost NEVER that the gear is the problem. Whenever I'm home on the west coast I play gigs on a $100 walmart strat because I like how fat it's neck it and I never feel like I'm being hindered by the cheap guitar!
Glad it found some resonance with you! The great jazz guitarist Jim Hall once said "The instrument keeps me humble. Sometimes I pick it up and it seems to say, "No, you can't play today." I keep at it anyway, though." and I think that's a great way of putting it!
Another tip I'd add is, when you are playing those songs you're comfortable and familiar with, strive to perfect them at an atomic level. Jackson Crawford said about linguistics "I feel like often expertise is distinguished not so much by knowing lots of things in the margins as by knowing core facts well" And I've found that applies swimmingly to music. You could well dedicate a week's worth of practice to sweep-picking, but you can also dedicate a week to perfecting the swing and feel of a simple chord progression.
Indeed, sometimes I think it even gets harder. But the joy is never ending, and that's all that matters. 30 years of playing, and hoping for 60 more, why not? 😅
I got an acoustic guitar last Christmas, been practicing daily since then and I still can't do a single barre chord, have no rhythm and can't strum for shit. At the point where I'm questioning myself if I should even bother anymore.
Sorry to hear that it's been such a struggle for you! I would definitely recommend that you stick to it. In my experience no one is "unmusical" or "not fit for the guitar". If you've been trying to learn solely from the internet, it may be worth taking a one on one lesson or two with a teacher either in person or online so that they can make very specific technique recommendations for you to improve. Wishing you the best of luck with everything!
Been playing for about 10 years my rhythm sucks as well as my strumming lol! Don't let it stop you I love noodling and playing in general I'm just now trying to put in proper practice to attempt to become a better rhythm and strummer. Some of us have to work harder for what may come easier for others. If you enjoy guitar and want to play don't give up just chip away at it.
@@michaelkrimmel686 Yeah I'm gonna keep at it, just think I'm at a disadvantage because I started so late, I'm 39 years old. Wish I started when I was a kid or young teen.
The whole guitar isn't factory issue. I have two videos on my channel detailing this guitar and its mods but the short history is this guitar is: - A 2010 squier affinity body that I have owned since 2010 that has been refinished with dollar store acrylic paint and a rub on poly satin finish - A wilkinson preloaded pickguard with alnico V humbuckers that are all able to be coil split individually with a button that allows outer neck and bridge coils to be played together or all three on full blast - A fender mexican custom shop roasted maple neck Again I go into more detail in two other videos if you want more nitty gritty on my mods!
Theres studies that have been done that show that even thinking about working out can increase muscle mass, so if youre someone who cant practice physically, practice in your mind. Stocking shelves? think about how youre fretting that chord thats hard, think about playing that lick you learned over and over, you will still build muscle and memory for it. Combine that with practice and you will soar.
Can you cite any of these studies, please? I can see how technical skills can be passively improved through mental recall and reinforcement but building muscle mass seems a bit implausible.
I haven't seen the studies on actually building muscle mass (frankly I'm skeptical too) but I do remember reading a study where one group of people practiced basketball free throws physically and one group practiced mentally and there were similar improvements. So even if the above comment (particularly regarding muscle mass) was a bit of a stretch, the basic premise has been shown to be effective.
@@dracoslays3542 also asking for citations is fine but this is literally all i had to type to even access these studies "Study where muscle mass grew by thinking about working out" so while i dont mind doing some work for you this information is extremely easy to find for yourself.
My advice would be learn a few songs you like and go off the beaten path you don't need music theory or shapes or perfect anything just experiment after a few years you end up with riffs no ones ever heard before To many people try to learn somebody Elses music or a theory that keeps you in a box when music is actually abstract, there's no right or wrong way.
I personally quite disagree with this take of theory keeping you in a box. More knowledge just means more options at your disposal to create. I have never once felt hindered by studying music and learning more about whats possible and what is going on. When writing it's important to follow what the music feels like it needs but with a knowledge of theory and how music works you can fulfill what your ears are hearing faster.
@@mattfranceschini I get what your saying and i partially agree its definitely useful to know what might sound good when moving from a main riff to a verse or verse to a chorus, bridge etc. butt its not a must. For you personally it might be easier to improvise from theory but I see a lot of people just get stuck playing the same few scales up and down and they just haven't learned how to improvise. I learned how to improvise through playing by feel with a tiny bit of theory lol so to each their own really.
It is not about being great. It is about the love and joy of the creative process. Taking what you get, the healing, the gift of art, putting yourself out exposed
“Isn’t is beautiful that we can play music” I think that all of the time. I’ll never be as good as I set out to be, but I love that I have this ability, and my kids all play as well. I love that I was able to give them that gift and that they will always have it
Yes! How wonderful you were able to pass the joy of music on to your children!
So beautiful! What would life be without that music inside us?
I really like, that you said: "playing music" instead of "playing Guitar". I think to realize this is the most important progress.
The guitar is just a vessel for the music!
Imo the best practice is learning new songs.
1) The reward. The feel good factor. You are instantly rewarded with a new song in your set/arsenal ✅
2) Improvement. You will find that most songs will have something different that you will learn and gain the knowledge of along the way. You will find every now and then you will come up against something you don’t know how to do but learning that discipline in the song will help you for the future. ✅
3) Motivation. I think most people find it hard to get motivated to practice specific disciplines or various theories etc. But within a song it’s so much easier to tackle. And I have found the improvement you make along the way helps massively with this motivation. ✅
I totally agree!!! ... I spend more time trying to improve the f***ing alternate picking than enjoying the guitar 🙄😞.
@@danidcrwe’ve all been there mate 👍
This is a great tip as well!
I agree but with the caution that it's important to learn at least some songs well...and learn different versions of the same tune is another aspect of learning songs
I had never seen you before. I was looking for some assistance in inspiring a new student of mine who has special needs but, in doing so... You have inspired me. Thank you.
Ah man, thank you! Truly means a lot!
It takes work. What looks easy is not always so. You are just glad to find ways to make difficult, easier and simpler to get through for some parts.
100%!
Well done. Thank You Matt. I’m a low level guitarist but am a life-long teacher of other things….you have “wisdom” and I appreciate you sharing it!
Thanks for watching and for the kind comment! Wishing you the best in your playing journey!
You are well spoken and I hope your words get out more than the YT algorithm allows.
Thanks for the kind words!
This was interesting and appreciated. I was curious about what you said about time. And I definitely resonated with your recommendation about listening to music. I have been trying to go see more live music. They say that listening to music especially seeing live music is a way to practice. The same parts of your brain that fire while practicing are activated while listening to music tyvm
Seeing music live is a great way to learn new things cause it’s a visual representation of what you’re hearing you’re totally right!
Thank you Matt! was helpful; I have been in this mindset often
So glad it resonated with you!
If nothing else you have an awesome guitar. Love that Strat.
Hahaha thank you!
Thanks for the encouragement, and love to your Nonno! Liked and subscribed! ❤
Thanks for watching and the Nonno love!
I also liked your comment about playing music...
We can do this bros!
Yes!!
Even wizards have bad days. Music is magic!!!
Agreed!
if you're not dedicating 4-5 hours on something every day you're never going to become great. is what it is, natural talent will take some far but most of us will be at best "decently okay" after decades of playing because we have real lives and guitar is just a hobby.
The old 10,000 hours rule. After that many hours practice or playing anything you reach expertise. If you don’t do that it’s really very difficult to be a great player. My boy became a college baseball pitcher and I looked back at his time with lessons and practice over 11 years and it was about 10k hours! He wasn’t good enough to go D1 only D2 and gave it up. Got some tuition payed for anyway…
“Real lives” 🙄
You forgot that practice makes permanent not perfect. It’s not just time, it’s actually quality and time.
It's all about tone.
Yeah that whole comment was dumb. Even the best players don't play 4+ hours a day @@beecee3161
This was helpful. Ty!
So glad you got something out of it! Thanks for watching!
Thank you matt 🎉
Glad you enjoyed the video and found some value in it! Best of luck on your guitar journey!
My tip after a year.5, is to not try to copy songs by a guitarist who has 20 years of experience! 😂
Learn how to sit in on the track instead of copying because then all the pressure will be taken off of you!
Use the song as a backing track and what ever you can contribute, will be rewarding most of the time because the guitarist in the track will make you sound better!
You will make small improvements as you start to hear certain things and then you will hear other songs in the same track lol strange but true.
You will then learn small fragments at a time...
Guitar is amazing but a life long journey so dont expect to be hendrix in a year or so 😂
Have fun and keep checking songs out and even in slow motion to see what someone is doing...
What will happen is that you will learn how to play guitar, not like one band or player! 😉
Rock on bros!
Hi Matt. Thanks for your channel. BTW.....what kind of strat are you holding?🎸🤔
Thanks for watching, I'm glad you enjoy the videos! This strat is really at this point a partscaster, theres two videos on my channel all about it but essentially the Strat is as follows, a Squier affinity body from a guitar that I've owned since 2010 that I refinished with dollar store paint and a top coat of rub on poly, an aftermarket wilkinson preloaded pickguard with three alnico V humbuckers with the ability to split each pickup individually and use a button to get various combos of pickups and lastly the neck is a fender mexican custom shop roasted maple neck/board!
It really, at times, feels like drinking the ocean thru a straw
And the more comfortable you can get with that idea, the more fun the process can become! I don't remember who actually said this quote but I've always loved "One must picture Sisyphus happy."
Too many of us get caught up chasing gear. Once you get a good guitar, amp...that's really all you need. Losing time chasing gear is a waste. Pick up the guitar, have a plan, practice and play if you're going to get any better.
Chasing gear can be a fun hobby but you're totally correct/ A lot of times I see people in the mentality of "once I get X amp and X guitar with X pedals I will be able to get to work!" when in reality they just need to put in the work and it'll happen. Where there's a will, there's a way and it's almost NEVER that the gear is the problem.
Whenever I'm home on the west coast I play gigs on a $100 walmart strat because I like how fat it's neck it and I never feel like I'm being hindered by the cheap guitar!
Yeah, I fell in that hole. It took a while to get out too.
Boy was this timely. I'm a decent player but some days (like today) I can't do ANYTHING. So frustrating.
Glad it found some resonance with you! The great jazz guitarist Jim Hall once said "The instrument keeps me humble. Sometimes I pick it up and it seems to say, "No, you can't play today." I keep at it anyway, though." and I think that's a great way of putting it!
If you can play 4 chords you are in the top 1% of players from a global population perspective
Another tip I'd add is, when you are playing those songs you're comfortable and familiar with, strive to perfect them at an atomic level.
Jackson Crawford said about linguistics
"I feel like often expertise is distinguished not so much by knowing lots of things in the margins as by knowing core facts well"
And I've found that applies swimmingly to music. You could well dedicate a week's worth of practice to sweep-picking, but you can also dedicate a week to perfecting the swing and feel of a simple chord progression.
Completely and whole heartedly agree!
As the 17th century samurai, artist, poet Miyamoto Musashi wrote "It may be difficult at first but everything is difficult at first".
Yes!
Wise words
Thanks Adam!
After 52 years it never gets easy. Lol, oh well!
I'm reminded of the quote "One must imagine Sisyphus happy". Certainly applies to music!
Indeed, sometimes I think it even gets harder. But the joy is never ending, and that's all that matters. 30 years of playing, and hoping for 60 more, why not? 😅
i have never felt like giving up, i love every aspect of guitar, i relate to nothing you are saying
I got an acoustic guitar last Christmas, been practicing daily since then and I still can't do a single barre chord, have no rhythm and can't strum for shit.
At the point where I'm questioning myself if I should even bother anymore.
Sorry to hear that it's been such a struggle for you! I would definitely recommend that you stick to it. In my experience no one is "unmusical" or "not fit for the guitar". If you've been trying to learn solely from the internet, it may be worth taking a one on one lesson or two with a teacher either in person or online so that they can make very specific technique recommendations for you to improve. Wishing you the best of luck with everything!
@@mattfranceschini Thank you, yeah I've been trying to learn solely via UA-cam.
@@PhilipRichard1013 Thank you, I needed this, I will keep trying.
Been playing for about 10 years my rhythm sucks as well as my strumming lol! Don't let it stop you I love noodling and playing in general I'm just now trying to put in proper practice to attempt to become a better rhythm and strummer. Some of us have to work harder for what may come easier for others. If you enjoy guitar and want to play don't give up just chip away at it.
@@michaelkrimmel686 Yeah I'm gonna keep at it, just think I'm at a disadvantage because I started so late, I'm 39 years old. Wish I started when I was a kid or young teen.
2 humbuckers and a hot rail,that pickguard is not factory issue, explain.
The whole guitar isn't factory issue. I have two videos on my channel detailing this guitar and its mods but the short history is this guitar is:
- A 2010 squier affinity body that I have owned since 2010 that has been refinished with dollar store acrylic paint and a rub on poly satin finish
- A wilkinson preloaded pickguard with alnico V humbuckers that are all able to be coil split individually with a button that allows outer neck and bridge coils to be played together or all three on full blast
- A fender mexican custom shop roasted maple neck
Again I go into more detail in two other videos if you want more nitty gritty on my mods!
@@mattfranceschini I'm on that video, though the explanation was crystal clear, she's a hot rod,very lovely.
I've never really gotten along with the stock fender configurations but that's the beauty of that company. Everything is modular and changeable!
Theres studies that have been done that show that even thinking about working out can increase muscle mass, so if youre someone who cant practice physically, practice in your mind. Stocking shelves? think about how youre fretting that chord thats hard, think about playing that lick you learned over and over, you will still build muscle and memory for it. Combine that with practice and you will soar.
Can you cite any of these studies, please? I can see how technical skills can be passively improved through mental recall and reinforcement but building muscle mass seems a bit implausible.
I certainly used to do this back when I had day jobs!
I haven't seen the studies on actually building muscle mass (frankly I'm skeptical too) but I do remember reading a study where one group of people practiced basketball free throws physically and one group practiced mentally and there were similar improvements. So even if the above comment (particularly regarding muscle mass) was a bit of a stretch, the basic premise has been shown to be effective.
@@dracoslays3542 also asking for citations is fine but this is literally all i had to type to even access these studies "Study where muscle mass grew by thinking about working out" so while i dont mind doing some work for you this information is extremely easy to find for yourself.
@@mattfranceschini your going to need to accept the comment i made with links in it. otherwise it will not show to you guys.
Knowing what you want=knowing what you are willing to give up for it.
And finding a way to enjoy the process/work!
If I didn't love it with a passion I would have been crazy to live the life I chose.
My advice would be learn a few songs you like and go off the beaten path you don't need music theory or shapes or perfect anything just experiment after a few years you end up with riffs no ones ever heard before To many people try to learn somebody Elses music or a theory that keeps you in a box when music is actually abstract, there's no right or wrong way.
I personally quite disagree with this take of theory keeping you in a box. More knowledge just means more options at your disposal to create. I have never once felt hindered by studying music and learning more about whats possible and what is going on. When writing it's important to follow what the music feels like it needs but with a knowledge of theory and how music works you can fulfill what your ears are hearing faster.
@@mattfranceschini I get what your saying and i partially agree its definitely useful to know what might sound good when moving from a main riff to a verse or verse to a chorus, bridge etc. butt its not a must. For you personally it might be easier to improvise from theory but I see a lot of people just get stuck playing the same few scales up and down and they just haven't learned how to improvise. I learned how to improvise through playing by feel with a tiny bit of theory lol so to each their own really.
The songs are our teachers
-Tommy Emmanuel
Yes!
Snowflakes. Blood running from your fingers has to cover the fretboard. No pain - no gain. Guitar isn't for the weak.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣