MY 1% RULE FOR LEARNING GUITAR

Life is hard! Right? We are always trying to take on more than we can handle. I think that is just human nature. We all strive to do more, but the reality is we only have so much bandwidth. Taking on too much always ends in burnout mode. My rule of thumb is to try and get better at something 1% at a time. This really makes sense on our journey as a musician. We have to not only learn how to play an instrument, but all of the music theory and how it connects to the bigger picture.

The way to accelerate your learning is a less is more approach. For example, when you try and learn a new scale, learn it inside and out in one position. Don’t try to learn all the different positions in your daily practice. Break it down into small segments and then connect that newly acquired knowledge over a longer period of time.

Just for illustrative purposes, look at the pictures below. The first picture is from a book I study often. If I tried to take on all of this information in 1 or 2 sessions, my brain would explode! I do not have the bandwidth for all of this information in 1 or two practice sessions.

What I decided to do was pull one position from the book and I created my own chart. That chart is below and let me explain how I broke it down. The red notes are the roots and the turquoise notes are the major thirds. They are target notes that I want to be extra aware of. Again, I’m just trying to get 1% better here and build out my knowledge and how to apply it over a longer period of time.

I also linked a video I made that clearly illustrates how I put this into action in a musical context. I never want to learn information without applying it in a musical situation. That is how you truly cement the information into your playing skill set. Check out the video and see how you can apply the information. I would follow all of this up by learning the scale in another position and linking that to my approach.

I MISS BEING IN A FULL ROCK BAND

I’ve been playing in a duo group with my buddy Max. He plays electric and I play acoustic and it sounds amazing. We have been building out a setlist of 60’s through the early 2000’s songs. I love the simplicity of the duo, but I have been missing the energy of a full band for quite awhile.

This doesn’t mean I don’t love playing in a duo, but rather I yearn for both of those beautiful sonic worlds. Playing with Max reminds me a lot about myself when I was his age. He lives, eats, and breathes music and it shows in his killer skill set as a player. He is in multiple groups and is always dedicated to whatever comes up. I threw out the idea of possibly starting a full band and of course he was all for it.

A couple of my friends are a husband (Fritz) and wife (Bernadette) rhythm section. Fritz on drums and Bernadette on bass. Of course I had to bring up the fact that Max and I were looking. Luckily for us, they were all for the idea.

Score! We recently had our 1st practice and rocked 3 songs including: Cherub Rock by The Smashing Pumpkins, Creep by Radiohead, and Take on Me by a-ha. Believe it or not, Take on Me sans synthesizers sounds amazing. A great song is a great song no matter how you cover it.

The jam went amazing and I cannot wait to see where we will take it. I had to scramble in order to get my electric rig together and I think I have settled on the one. This is going to include a Revv D-20 head running into a Mojo Tone Custom 112 cab. I ordered the cab and it is on it’s way. I plan on using the Revv as a pedal platform amp and it is an amazing piece of gear for this format.

I will keep you updated with lots of fun band stories as they unfold. For now, below are pics of my rig minus the speaker cab which is currently on a Fed Ex truck somewhere in the USA.

ONLY YOU CAN STOP YOU!

This is the tag line that I use in at the end of my Youtube videos and it is the truth! Remember that music is a journey and you need to embrace that. Have empathy for yourself and try not to get discouraged. Focus on all of the little positive steps you are making to become a better player. You have your own unique voice and that is what makes you special as a musician.

Try and remember that 1% rule I mentioned and I promise you are going to grow by leaps and bounds in all areas of your life. My number one rule will always be have fun. That will help you fall in love with the journey and you are in this for life.

Onward and upward and I will see you in Issue #3. Thanks for reading, my friend.