Yet only doctors and lawyers get away with “Practising” as a profession 😂 isn’t that what we’re all doing? Plumbers learn and practise every day. Ponciness if you ask me
Nobody has ever thought the phrase "practice makes perfect" will make you perfect. Never, ever. But the phrase "practice will make you slightly better each time" doesn't have the snappy alliteration of "practice make perfect". This slight imprecision doesn't have to be explained to anyone and only a Canadian would think to do so.
I’ve been playing guitar for 25 years and my first 5 years were like I was born to play. Then I plateaued for years. I think natural talent is actually just the aptitude to learn. Beginning was easy but then I had to learn how to learn more and actually practice. Now I enjoy practicing and I’m playing things I never thought I could.
@@CaptainCraigKWMRZ I’m saying I think natural talent is incidental to skills you already have. I’m one of those handyman types, so at first I was good at guitar because I’m good with my hands. But at a certain point being good at guitar becomes something else and I had to learn how to practice and think about music before I could break through and keep progressing.
@@CaptainErn I know what you mean. Learning how to learn is an extremely overlooked skill that can get anyone proficient at just about anything with enough time and willpower.
I began playing guitar when I was around 10 years old, I loved guitar hero and really wanted to play but I sucked at it. I was small, my hands didn't hold the guitar well, and nothing ever sounded like the actual songs. I gave up guitar and sold it in my teen years. Im 23 now, a few years ago I got into Guitar/Clone Hero again and it resparked my interest in guitar. I began watching tonnes of videos about it and I saw one comment that really hit me. It was an older man in his 50s-60s talking about how he recently picked up the guitar, how he thought about how even if he had picked it up in his 20s he'd have 40 years of practice behind him. And even in his late years he's proud of what he has been able to do despite that part of himself that said he could never do it. Immediately after I saw that comment, I went to the guitar store and got my first electric guitar to play, still using the Amp I had when I was a kid, and got some lessons. I've since bought 2 more guitars and 10 year old me would be really proud of what I've been able to learn about the guitar now. It's never too late, it just takes practice and the right teacher, which can even be yourself. With the internet now it's easier than ever to learn the way that works best for you. I hope this inspires someone else to go pick up the instrument they always dreamed of playing. And never forget that word playing, it's not about being perfect, it's about play. Have fun with it, don't put too much pressure on yourself
I've been playing music all my life and am sidling up to 50 years old. I've felt like an intermediate player for decades now, and finally started asking myself... what is it to be a master level... Can you play jazz sure, but that doesn't necessarily sound like "me"... I started focusing on a variety of sounds, and upgrading all my gear to what I feel better represents "my" sound... including building my own preamp, fuzz pedal, envelope etc from the pcb up... I'm trying to a version of an 1176 right now but it's a little too big for my pedalboard, and I'm not so hot on the dimensions. Recently at a memorial gig for a truly beautiful soul who was a patron of our band for years, and having recently lost my own grandmother I went into it with so much gratitude... I felt on fire... we did on the fly groove changes, and key changes... If there were mistakes they were recovered fast... within a beat... the crowd was joyous, and we were all listening to each other. Our commitment to keeping things slightly improvisational and loose enough to create didn't backfire and sound sloppy. I think it might have been my best gig ever. It still makes me weepy. I think was my first master level gig. Playing bass for 32 years... goddamnit... I should be a master by now.?. Relatively were all always learning, but a third degree blackbelt oughta be able to handle most everything, and it'[s not like someone hands you a chefs jacket. You have to claim it to yourself, and humility actually becomes something of a barrier to you liking yourself.
Perhaps , you’re a master when another master anoints you .. I understand your feeling of intermediate , to reach intermediate you plateaued enough to recognise the changes .. the more fluent you are the longer it takes to plateau .. I know of only 1 guitar player in the world who was anointed certified guitar player , Tommy Emanuel . Rather than call yourself master , see how advanced fits your being . ❤️🙏🕊️
I made up a phrase, "Walking the horses mile" which just means that because someone is naturally good at something or having an eadier time with something doesnt mean you cant either, you just need to put more time in. Like how a horse has a bigger stride so its easier for them to reach a mile.
The best advice I ever got, and it was very early in my musical journey was "When ever you get the chance, play with musicians who are better than you." I've been doing that for 60+ years now, and I feel that is what keeps me going.
Going to throw in a bleeding story just because it's fun. In my early 20s I was just starting to play in my first band and we had just been booked for our 2nd show - my 2nd time ever playing live. We were the scheduled opener, playing a 45-55 min set. Since a couple of the people in the band that had a lot more experience than some of the others, they suggested to make everyone feel better to practice the day of the show. I showed up around 11AM or so and we jammed for a couple hours, covering the set through twice over with some stops to hit over a few sticky parts. I was just packing my gear into my car to drive home, catch a nap and then prep for the show when we got a call from the promoter to tell us the main band dropped and we now had to fill 3+ hours of music THAT NIGHT! So we put all the gear back into the house and did the "do you know this song at all" and "we can make that work" for about 5 hours until it was time to pack up, drive to the venue, set up, do sound-check and then play the show. By the end of the night I had blood everywhere, I blew up my fretting hand with almost tearing off a couple of finger nails and my picking hand was all tore up from strumming. Makes for a great story anyway!
When I first took up the guitar in the late 70s, I had a number of teachers tell med I should re-consider learning music as in their opinion I had no talent for it. When a teacher would say or alude to such a thing I would drop them and find a new teacher until I found one that encouraged me to keep at it. Indeed there were plenty of my friends that were talented. But I kept at it. Practice every day for an hour then spend an hour improvising to records. Today, when I sit in on a jam and improvise I go into what I call "the zone". I do not think about what I am playing. The music just flows out of me effortlessly. Today many people tell me what a talent I have for improvising and how beautiful and melodic my playing is and how they wish they could play like that. All I tell them is persistence is the key. At least it was for me. I can tell you that once you are in "the zone" it is better than sex.
I started learning guitar 3 years ago at 36 years old. I dont have musical talent really. I put on the time that I can daily / weekly. I still dont know all my fretboard notes, can do my scales pretty well, can play some riff and learning songs. Im having so much fun and Im very impressed of what I can do now compred to even 6 month ago... Keep it up everyone :D
Just broke my left arm and wrist in a bike/ car crash, Still don't know the outcome, Really sucks, been playing my whole life. Stick with it, praying for you and the best recovery possible
Would you be able to play slide? I burned my hand and was unable to play normally for a while, so I tried it out. Slide guitar is a blast, and a very unique sound.
This applies to every human being on the planet except two each time. By definition, there has to be a best and worst of anything. I’d love to find them 😂 imagine the gulf
True. It's just a matter of finding the people who are better than you and letting them know that you resent them and finding the people who are worse and letting them know that they should feel bad.
@@mrtb7676I disagree .. I’d play my guitar with an absolute beginner & any of the legends . Music isn’t about being better or worse , it’s a conversation .
Sometimes I'm terrible right out the gate, other times it takes a while to get warmed up. Once in a blue moon I play something that makes me feel, damn I can play this thing! And the worst is when I am rippin, but then my gear or my brain or maybe I just lose it, and suck mode ensues. Just never give up and sammy g you rock!
It’s called flow .. it’s when there is only the moment , no yesterday , no to tomorrow .. only the moment your entire being is working in harmony & yes it is the most beautiful thing in our world .. whether it’s sex with your soul mate , hitting a ball over a net or playing music .
Talent can be counter productive. I've known several very talented people who got very good at things in a short period of time. Then they got bored and moved on to the next thing. So I'm kind of grateful for my limited "talent". Hard earned skills are more satisfying than easy wins. And perseverance is, in my opinion, the most important talent. Two of my favourite TH-camrs creating together. Please do more cool stuff. ✌✌
Having ADD and trying to learn by myself is rocky road, but whenever i reach a goal i tought to be too difficult for me however small it might be, that feeling is intoxicating. I know i will never be a professional musician but i dont feel like i have to be. Music is fun as it is to me and thats enough for me.
2:30 Igor Stravinsky wrote about how he embraced limits and obstacles as part of the creative process; even using self imposed obstacles to encourage creative problem solving. He wrote:“My freedom will be so much the greater and more meaningful the more narrowly I limit my field of action and the more I surround myself with obstacles. Whatever diminishes constraint diminishes strength. The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one’s self of the chains that shackle the spirit.”
My photography taught me when I frame a view in my camera I focus that view .. I limit what I show the viewer . I realised I could apply that to my life .. when I’m playing or practicing , I’m focusing my view , sometimes to the feel of my little finger as it hovers above a string .
I feel that I need to make a disclaimer first. Speed is not everything, but if that's what you want to do there are ways to accomplish it. Advanced players know this already, but for an intermediate level player, technical practice is not just about playing something over and over a zillion times. That will work....eventually, but it's more about finding problem areas and breaking them down into small enough increments that you can adjust your mechanics into something that works for you. Sometimes that means cutting things up into 2 or 3 note sections and repeating them until you find something that works. When that small segment finally works then add another note or two to it. Keep adding notes a little at a time until the whole phrase happens. Pick depth, pick angle, hand and arm positions, etc, need to change in order to execute things along the way from slow to fast. Sometimes it takes just working on the movements of each hand individually and then combining them. If something you are doing doesn't work, find another way to do it until it does. It often takes reconfiguring the technique many times as you play something faster and faster. Just because a particular way of executing something works at one speed doesn't mean those same mechanics will work at a faster one. Don't get stuck at a certain speed because of believing the hand movements you discovered when playing something slower should work at all speeds because it doesn't. Break it down into small sections again an adjust your movements in order to play it faster. It's not uncommon to have to do this many times as whatever you are working on gets up to speed. It's not easy and takes a huge time commitment to achieve. I'm 66 and have been playing like a possessed person since I was 10 and I still do those things when I practice technique. However, technique is not the only thing I practice. It needs to sound musical and THAT takes study in itself.
I've been playing for almost 10 years, but I barely improve and I know why: I don't put much effort into practice. And the reason for that is it makes playing feel like work and makes me feel very anxious. So I've given up and only play the same couple simple tunes whenever I feel like it. For me it's a hobby, after all, and for some reason I stop feeling motivated to improve further once I've reached the level I enjoy playing at.
It takes a passion to push past beginner .. people will tear into you like a knife through butter , but theirs a thought that someday very far away if I keep going , keep reaching , keep bending my mind into places that feel uncomfortable , proficiency awaits .. I think this is the difference between natural musical ability and a desire to be proficient . It’s hard until it’s not .
Been dancing bachata for a bit over 2 years now. I have a feel for when to push and pull, to feel the music etc etc, been told multiple times that I'm the best in my group from all sort of sides. I could say that I am talented at dancing at least to a certain degree since I barely train (two hours a week) and have always staid on top of other classmates. Last year (about a year and a half of dancing in), took a 6 or so month break where I only went to partys and which ended about 3-4 months ago. Right after coming back to class, I was objectively worse than when I was dancing 6 months in. Sure, it took me maybe a month to regain about 90% of it, but I am still trying to get all that feel and suave from last summer, can't seem to get in the zone like I used to. All the while, people who previously struggled and are still struggling with new stuff progressed that some are even better than me now. Point should explain itself. Talent makes things easier, but it's far from a deciding factor. Also, any and all skill is a use it or lose it, hell everything about humans works that way. Don't look for too long at something far? BOOM you are near sighted. Don't speak out loud for too long? Boom, diction gone. Don't play an instrument for too long? That's gone too
My reality is I have a day job, and busy family life, I play for my own love of music and the satisfaction of making it. Started at 30, been playing 30, and if I play another 30 I’ll never touch a Jerry Garcia or any of you guys making it on the YT, but I’m only trying to get better than me, not somebody else. Love guitar and grateful to you guys making this content. Some of the best commentary ever for you guys, thanks.
one thing I notice is that when people practice, they do stuff that's comfortable and familiar rather than trying new things that seem out of reach. the more you try to learn stuff that you think is beyond your skill limit, the better you will become and the more adaptable of a musician you will be. Variety is the spice of life and will aid you immensely on your journey to improving at a skill.
Being comfortable and being proficient are 2 different things .. I can pick an e string or I can pick it so clean it’s beautiful .. practice will always mean moving to the B string , but it’s important to practice that E to a beautiful perfection .
Before guitar, I was an artist. In grade school, I was famous for my sketches. In high school, everyone else surpassed me. I was stuck in my own little thing and never learned anything else to improve my craft. It was a good life lesson for me, especially as a musician.
The discussion at the end of learning a skill by doing it and not spending the time to “sit down and practice” really speaks to my situation with recording. I learned how to record by just making demos in GarageBand, and I’m no Rick Rubin, but I can ma something that sounds coherent. No one taught me how to mix or record, I figured it out on my own
Absolutely , do it to the point you’re not trying , you just do .. I was always told I couldn’t , till I put in 10 000 hours and proved to myself I could .
I bled on my left hand once!!! Was after covid restrictions started to die down, barely played at all during lockdown, finally got back with my band to play again and my fingers just weren't prepared for the amount of playing i did!!
Latley Ive been jamming out to some Pink Floyd tracks to improve my jamming/phrasing. I dont alwya have the results, but I've noticed that gradually I've improved my feel. There really is no wrong way to practice. I would say listen to a lot of music and pick up licks and incorporate them into your playing. Try lots of things and you'll find something that works...✌️❤️
We all feel like that from time to time...... my personal laughing at myself comes when you pick up a guitar at the music store---- all of a sudden nothing comes in mind to play......
Yes I see myself more like an artist as a guitarist, this lends me to writing songs but not senseless practice. Practice comes naturally if I have an idea, I use this as an technique/ theory session
Not really, I've done martial arts (Another skill people can devote -most of- their whole life to getting better at) for close to 15 years, and even in that you see talent. People who've never done another martial art, who've never been in a fight, and in their first class they have this natural co-ordination that others just don't. But a common trend I've seen, and my sensei's have seen is, often times talent walks away. It wasn't hard enough, it wasn't engaging enough. That very scenario happened when I had a cousin reach out to learn at my dojo, he was a natural at it with no prior training. But he gave up because "It wasn't that hard, I probably know what I'm doing". He could have been much better, but it was wasted talent - if you will. Furthermore, sometimes you aren't built optimally for something and with that comes challenges. Like that Kingfish fella, he's got fingers like a Doctor's Sausage, he'd probably have a much harder time playing fast (I don't know I haven't listened to him). On the flip side, the way you are built will have its advantages too; like that same guy may have never struggled with a barre chord, because of his big fat fingers. Both of these are going to impact how easy something is for you, which could be seen a part of 'Talent'. But what I reckon you did get right is it's pretty weak to give up before seeing your potential, just because someone else had an easier time at something than you did.
@@TB_in_the_coffee YES ok this is the expansion I didn’t include but yes. It’s what a lot of people use to try and not bother to see their own potential and just throw up their hands and go “oh whatever”
My friend is a natural at everything, he can play anything on a guitar, is great at all sports, can draw anything with aplomb, yet he's never pursued these skills any further in life because everything comes naturally and easy to him. On top of everything he's a lovely guy who everybody likes because he's so easy-going; I'd like to hate him for having so much talent but he's such a charismatic and generous person it's impossible: A rare breed.
I spent a year, practicing every day, trying to get a particular flamenco guitar technique. At the end of the year, I still couldn't do it. I nearly quit guitar but instead I decided that there was a joy/work ratio that if I couldn't get something with a certain amount of work, I wasn't going to sacrifice my joy banging my head against the wall. I would play the pieces that gave me joy to play. There was one guy more talented than you. You are more talented than many. I'm more talented than some. Play the best you can. Practice a little every day and don't listen to those who look down their nose at you and smugly assume that you aren't as good because "you didn't put in the work" Don't allow anyone to take away your joy in music, play what gives you joy.
I've been playing since I was 14 and still can't sweep arpeggios or stuff of that nature, just now able to manage some complex solos , and time to time I get discouraged seeing these youngsters shred some Buckethead solo like it's butter , but in the end I'm so grateful I can improvise , riff really cool chunky drop d bangers , play just about any song from my favorite bands tool , nin , mastodon , the cure etc as long as it's not Joe satarani level I'm alright and I'm so thankful, never been in a band but still love to learn and jam , just keep going , spiral out and it may just go where no one's been spiral out keep going!
Had the same problems, found out that I needed to practice differently. Still not Satriani, but just changing the way I practiced made me overcome problems I had for almost 20 years... Keep it up :)
@@johannalvarsson9299 same , TH-cam is really the biggest contribution to stepping up my game so much free information and tips and tricks , keep it up 👍
The same thing happen to me when I was busking I was so filled with adrenaline that i didn't realize that the skin of my index and thumb was hitting the strings.
I’m at a point with my playing , my fingers dance along the fret board . My mind empty’s of all thought , but the ebb & flow of the music . I was never a natural , but the need to play music has always been in me . Playing guitar involves my entire being , it has become as important to me as eating & sleeping .
This is also why the best musicians are not necessarily the best teachers. The ones that had to work at it can relate. When I taught guitar there were students who struggled with stuff I did, and ones who struggled with stuff I learned easily Both made me go over what I did in how to help them, and it helped me as well as the students
I will say the pads of my fingers have bled numerous times. I live in the desert and the winters especially are ridiculously dry. My fingers split from the dryness and occasionally a string will slide right into that cut at a gig. OUCH! The super glue helps for sure.
Talent is real. There has been a trend recently to dismiss the idea of talent. I’ve read of some musicians and artists who actually think of the phrase “you’re so talented” as an insult on the premise that it somehow discounts or devalues the time and work they’ve put into developing their skills. To me, this is bizarre. Talent is the ability to absorb ideas, synthesize them and restate them. The deeper the talent is, the more deeply ideas can be synthesized and the more interestingly they can be restated. Talent is a limiting principle. Time, effort and work are necessary to realize talent’s potential, but no one can progress beyond what his talent allows. Speaking personally, I’m someone who has pretty deep talent in several fields and none whatsoever in others. I was a professional award-winning artist for thirty-five years. I’m a very good writer. I was “gifted,” as they say, in mathematics. I was a champion pistol shooter. In music, though, I have virtually no talent. When I hear a chord, I hear one sound. I don’t have the aural acuity to distinguish each of the tones within the chord. As a result, I have a lot of trouble singing harmony. It’s somewhat analogous, but not exactly, to color blindness. It’s close to tone deafness, but not that extreme, and it’s intrinsic. There’s nothing I can do about it. It is a limiting condition, so, as much as I work at music, and I work a lot, I will never be a good musician. I don’t have the talent. I’ve heard certain artists and musicians say something to the effect of, “Anyone can do it. You just have to do X, Y and Z.” My response to that is why on earth would anyone want to do something that just anyone can do? Excellence in any field is, by definition, uncommon, and it’s not for lack of trying. Athletes who don’t make the Olympic team train just as hard as those who do; they just don’t have that certain physical trait or psychological “je ne sais qua” that the truly elite have. They don’t have the talent. Or, to put it more precisely, their particular talent is insufficient. A saying I like is “Talent does what it can. Genius does what it must.” A few people are geniuses. Many people are talented. Some people are untalented. Any way you slice it, talent is real.
I've always looked at talent as someone's skill ceiling. 1000 people could practice the same amount of time, and same intensity, but there will be plateaus that increasingly smaller numbers will make it to because of their talent.
It depends on how you define 'talent'. The dictionary does call it a "natural innate ability" and "innate" means - present in an individual from birth and often considered "God-given". Very much NOT from time and practice.I think this is how most people define 'talent' and do take it as a slight to the hard work & effort it required. Personally, from the perspective of a musician, I think talent is overrated. Anyone can do it - if they are willing to completely dedicate themselves to it - all day, every day.
My biggest problem is that I try out all possible guitar styles up to the point when I am thinking „yeah I could master this one if I worked on it“ and then I go to the next style.
I think passion is where the magic is because it inherently makes you less likely to give up on practicing ever increasingly hard stuff. IT makes you either numb to it, or even makes you crave difficult stuff.
Talent is like a blade. Some have bigger ones, some smaller ones. Everyone still has to grind it to make it sharp. Some hone it so much that they cut themselves with it.
Being technically talented doesn't mean you're technically good especially in music it's how your soul expresses the notes of the scale. The best songs aren't the most technical but they have the best feel and expression.
My biggest issue is finger pressure. Especially if I'm playing chords. Trying to stay more conscious of it. I push way too hard lol. So I took three of my guitars, strung each with a different gauge of strings(8-10's) and I switch between those three hoping to help with my pressure problems.
I've played until I bled, but I was playing slap and pluck on bass for nearly an hour long jam. There were a few slow spots in there, but most of it was pretty upbeat iirc. I got blood blisters on my pointer, middle, and thumb on my right hand, and one of my finger's blisters busted open and got my pick guard all bloody. It was glorious. I was drunk and on mushrooms; I think we all were. Should have recorded it, but try setting that sh!t up while in that condition lol
Hard work pays off but imperfection still occurs due to numerous factors in a live situation especially. I've had my fingernail separate and bleed during bends as well. Super glue works wonders for that.
I was In the Music major program in collage, the fact is you must be exposed to pitch recognition and sight reading parralell to the development of you aural audiation and word reading skills, every single student that didn't come equipped to pass Aural Skills II (the abillity to transpose by ear and sight sing with only 1 ping of a reference C) fell away in that class. Every single student that made it thru described to me "not really remembering how they did only that Mom taught the as a child" I could shred scales and tech circles around several of them all day, yet would have to drill a piece adnauziem to get something where they could pick it up on the spot like quoting a phrase they had just hurd vie instrument or on paper. I have met hundreds of musicians but never one that picked up that lvl of musicianship post maturity. Love for anyone to name me one, I have searched for decades to no avail.
My music teacher always said "practice makes permanent." If you practice things improperly you build up these habits that can slow you down dramatically because you're unable to get out of the bad habits slowing you down
My family tree doesn't have a single musical branch on its narrow trunk. That being said, a friend showed me 2 chords (d & g) when i was 17 or 18 & i went from there.
This applies to all creative fields and GenAI is basically people thinking they can "create" something without putting in the work. Putting in the work is where the spark that resonates comes from and why GenAI output always feels so hollow (at best)
To the talent issue, I'm a professional artist and have heard "you have a god given talent" my entire life and I'm just thinking that the over forty years of practice, study, determination, and learning from mistake after mistake might have something to do with it.
You guys missed mentioning Tony Iommi when talking about Django. He's a classic example of overcoming a handicap and actually using it to create something new & great (the heaviest dang riffs in existence)
I can't make the music I want to make until I reach a personal milestone of competency. I was overtaken by an unnatural desire to know what it feels like to be able to play guitar. The first week I acquired 2 cheap guitars that would allow me not to miss a single day of practice, even when I went to a remote low resource Island off of Belize for 2 weeks. I have picked up a guitar at least 5 times a day for almost 7 months. One is a tiny headless travel guitar, just a neck really. It lives behind my van seat and goes backpacking with me. The other that helps me practice more is an Enya nova go parlor sized guitar. Cheap and carbon fiber. Play it cooking with steam, walking in the woods in the rain, drop it off the couch with the dog, bang it into doors as I fiddle about while doing things. This guitar saves my wooden ones. I have a long way to go but the NEED to know that feeling of competency, in the fretboard, to play without thought, to play my thoughts, it gets stronger with every glimpse, every success. And I don't care who hears me. I don't do it for anyone. The dog hears me. The lady does too when she doesn't have her noise cancelling headphones in. Doing it for you and wanting it is something I wish I had the first time around when I was 14. All my friends played, had bands. I sang a bit. I quit because it didn't bite and the last thing the world needed was another guitarist. Now it's like an addiction, the strongest fixation I've ever had, every facet, working on them, everything. My most accomplished guitarist friend passed away 2 years ago. I wish I would have had the need then. There's always room for a new guitarist. No kids so I suppose I can fixate on this pursuit.
To compare is to despair. Set your objective, make your plan and put in the work. Charlie Parker was humiliated his first time out. He then went into the woodshed and came out with serious skill. Learning guitar is like any other skill. Like driving or learning to use a computer, you get a lesson, put in the hours, and you get better. Just remember to take some time off to recharge. When I go on vacation or out anywhere, I forget about my guitar. It’ll be there when I get back.
#Rhett Shull Thanks man. I hate practicing, too. I'd much rather learn a new song, or guitar instrumental piece. I hope that in that process I'll discover something I've never done before, perhaps never realized I could do, or something that needed improving.
The trouble with putting the work in is that you hone your skills more than any surgeon would and get paid 1% of what they do. Love the video. I know if I lost a hand I would still try to play with the stump because music means that much to me. I don't know if I ever had anything like talent, I've just always been determined to make interesting and engaging organisations of sound.
Funnily enough, I started bleeding from my middle finger knuckle when trying to learn bleed by meshugga. It was ever so slightly brushing against the strings without me noticing
I’ve come to believe there are those with varying levels of natural talent and then there are those where music is a learned skill. Of course those two streams cross at times as well. But I feel like while I was born with SOME talent, my level of playing has largely been a skill I’ve put a lot of time in.
I don't want to shred. I don't even like to listen to shredders. But, on the other hand I don't want to have any technical limitations that prevent me from playing something that I want to play. So, to that end I keep pushing myself to play faster and more accurate runs, even if they don't really make any musical sense. That way when I am writing a song and I feel like the section needs a few fast licks to really nail what I am trying to say, I can do that without banging my head against the wall or winding up with something that I am not really happy with. My main problem with practicing is that I get bored doing exercises and then wander around noodling. I kinda wish I had more discipline to not do that, but at least I am still improving.
I had my fretting fingers bleeding, when I was starting out playing the electric guitar. I was practicing like 3-4 hours almost every day at that point and probably pressed the strings too hardly. Also the bleeding was in my flesh - you could see it through the skin, tiny pillows of blood in the tips of my middle and ring fingers, but no blood leaving my body, if that makes sense.
I also have the problem where the string goes under my nails when I cut them. Now I just barely cut them shorter so that it doesn't happen. I have to do my nails twice a week
So far from one month in of learning I need to improve everything Tempo Cords Slides Fretboard finger placement And all the other basic understanding pull off hammer on bending etc
So, talent does matter, it depends on what your goals are. Talent doesn't only make you learn faster, it apparently also increase your max skill level. My problem is I am unconvinced I'm ever going to reach the skill level I want and that's why I don't put in the work. And this has been the most pernitious thing in anything I wnt to learn ever.
I've been teaching since 1983. Talent absolutely matters. We all have a unique sets of strengths and limitations. Try to teach a student with no natural rhythm. Try to teach a student who is physically unable because of bone structure to form basic chord shapes. Watch Steve Howe play The Clap on TH-cam. Can you hold down a bar chord and bend or slide notes with your pinky like he does? I cannot and no matter how much I practice, that ability will not be possible for me and MANY other players because of bone structure. Steve Vai says play to your strengths and ignore your weaknesses and I think thats good advice. Be yourself because there's enough sound alike modern shredders out there now as it is.
I hope rick beato sees this. Music is simple and fun. Its not simple so simple that lessons and practice aren't necessary, but simple enough that a few chords and note can make good music
0:451:10 i think you jst did that very thing to yourself... i believe what you meant to say was "i can never be good just LIKE that person" ... but imo you CAN be just as good but in your own way
5:24 Even Gilmour could do some fast playing. There is a part in the Live at Pompeii performance of “Careful with that Axe Eugene” where he is playing quite fast. It's just that for most of the music in Pink Floyd and his solo career, playing fast wasn’t really compatible with the songs.
Krazy glue / super glue (different brand names for cyanoacrylate) is an indispensable item in any first aid kit! I believe that was actually its original use, was in military med kits.
That goes until you meet someone who is both really talented and works really hard. Them your perspective changes on what is to be good at something. I believe that anyone can be really, really, good at something if they put the work. But there are absolute monsters in certain areas and that are outside of what is possible to most people, and if you meet one of those in real life you know it.
Practice makes PROGRESS.
If you learn from your mistakes. Practice without learning makes permanent
He changed the title...😂
Yet only doctors and lawyers get away with “Practising” as a profession 😂 isn’t that what we’re all doing? Plumbers learn and practise every day. Ponciness if you ask me
I really like that take, thx for sharing
Nobody has ever thought the phrase "practice makes perfect" will make you perfect. Never, ever. But the phrase "practice will make you slightly better each time" doesn't have the snappy alliteration of "practice make perfect". This slight imprecision doesn't have to be explained to anyone and only a Canadian would think to do so.
I’ve been playing guitar for 25 years and my first 5 years were like I was born to play. Then I plateaued for years. I think natural talent is actually just the aptitude to learn. Beginning was easy but then I had to learn how to learn more and actually practice. Now I enjoy practicing and I’m playing things I never thought I could.
Uh, what?
@@CaptainCraigKWMRZ I’m saying I think natural talent is incidental to skills you already have. I’m one of those handyman types, so at first I was good at guitar because I’m good with my hands. But at a certain point being good at guitar becomes something else and I had to learn how to practice and think about music before I could break through and keep progressing.
@@CaptainErn I know what you mean. Learning how to learn is an extremely overlooked skill that can get anyone proficient at just about anything with enough time and willpower.
I began playing guitar when I was around 10 years old, I loved guitar hero and really wanted to play but I sucked at it. I was small, my hands didn't hold the guitar well, and nothing ever sounded like the actual songs. I gave up guitar and sold it in my teen years. Im 23 now, a few years ago I got into Guitar/Clone Hero again and it resparked my interest in guitar. I began watching tonnes of videos about it and I saw one comment that really hit me. It was an older man in his 50s-60s talking about how he recently picked up the guitar, how he thought about how even if he had picked it up in his 20s he'd have 40 years of practice behind him. And even in his late years he's proud of what he has been able to do despite that part of himself that said he could never do it. Immediately after I saw that comment, I went to the guitar store and got my first electric guitar to play, still using the Amp I had when I was a kid, and got some lessons. I've since bought 2 more guitars and 10 year old me would be really proud of what I've been able to learn about the guitar now. It's never too late, it just takes practice and the right teacher, which can even be yourself. With the internet now it's easier than ever to learn the way that works best for you. I hope this inspires someone else to go pick up the instrument they always dreamed of playing. And never forget that word playing, it's not about being perfect, it's about play. Have fun with it, don't put too much pressure on yourself
I blame Bryan Adams for the bleeding fingers thing with opening lines of "Summer of '69"
I had a buddy who always started bleeding if we played too long. I think some people are just soft skinned
I mean he bought a guitar from a 5 and 10, what did you think would happen? Those sprouting frets got him. . . . . .
I've been playing music all my life and am sidling up to 50 years old. I've felt like an intermediate player for decades now, and finally started asking myself... what is it to be a master level... Can you play jazz sure, but that doesn't necessarily sound like "me"... I started focusing on a variety of sounds, and upgrading all my gear to what I feel better represents "my" sound... including building my own preamp, fuzz pedal, envelope etc from the pcb up... I'm trying to a version of an 1176 right now but it's a little too big for my pedalboard, and I'm not so hot on the dimensions. Recently at a memorial gig for a truly beautiful soul who was a patron of our band for years, and having recently lost my own grandmother I went into it with so much gratitude... I felt on fire... we did on the fly groove changes, and key changes... If there were mistakes they were recovered fast... within a beat... the crowd was joyous, and we were all listening to each other. Our commitment to keeping things slightly improvisational and loose enough to create didn't backfire and sound sloppy. I think it might have been my best gig ever. It still makes me weepy. I think was my first master level gig. Playing bass for 32 years... goddamnit... I should be a master by now.?. Relatively were all always learning, but a third degree blackbelt oughta be able to handle most everything, and it'[s not like someone hands you a chefs jacket. You have to claim it to yourself, and humility actually becomes something of a barrier to you liking yourself.
Perhaps , you’re a master when another master anoints you .. I understand your feeling of intermediate , to reach intermediate you plateaued enough to recognise the changes .. the more fluent you are the longer it takes to plateau .. I know of only 1 guitar player in the world who was anointed certified guitar player , Tommy Emanuel . Rather than call yourself master , see how advanced fits your being . ❤️🙏🕊️
I made up a phrase, "Walking the horses mile" which just means that because someone is naturally good at something or having an eadier time with something doesnt mean you cant either, you just need to put more time in.
Like how a horse has a bigger stride so its easier for them to reach a mile.
The best advice I ever got, and it was very early in my musical journey was "When ever you get the chance, play with musicians who are better than you." I've been doing that for 60+ years now, and I feel that is what keeps me going.
Going to throw in a bleeding story just because it's fun. In my early 20s I was just starting to play in my first band and we had just been booked for our 2nd show - my 2nd time ever playing live. We were the scheduled opener, playing a 45-55 min set. Since a couple of the people in the band that had a lot more experience than some of the others, they suggested to make everyone feel better to practice the day of the show. I showed up around 11AM or so and we jammed for a couple hours, covering the set through twice over with some stops to hit over a few sticky parts. I was just packing my gear into my car to drive home, catch a nap and then prep for the show when we got a call from the promoter to tell us the main band dropped and we now had to fill 3+ hours of music THAT NIGHT! So we put all the gear back into the house and did the "do you know this song at all" and "we can make that work" for about 5 hours until it was time to pack up, drive to the venue, set up, do sound-check and then play the show. By the end of the night I had blood everywhere, I blew up my fretting hand with almost tearing off a couple of finger nails and my picking hand was all tore up from strumming. Makes for a great story anyway!
When I first took up the guitar in the late 70s, I had a number of teachers tell med I should re-consider learning music as in their opinion I had no talent for it. When a teacher would say or alude to such a thing I would drop them and find a new teacher until I found one that encouraged me to keep at it. Indeed there were plenty of my friends that were talented. But I kept at it. Practice every day for an hour then spend an hour improvising to records. Today, when I sit in on a jam and improvise I go into what I call "the zone". I do not think about what I am playing. The music just flows out of me effortlessly. Today many people tell me what a talent I have for improvising and how beautiful and melodic my playing is and how they wish they could play like that. All I tell them is persistence is the key. At least it was for me. I can tell you that once you are in "the zone" it is better than sex.
I started learning guitar 3 years ago at 36 years old. I dont have musical talent really. I put on the time that I can daily / weekly. I still dont know all my fretboard notes, can do my scales pretty well, can play some riff and learning songs. Im having so much fun and Im very impressed of what I can do now compred to even 6 month ago...
Keep it up everyone :D
you’re amazing, keep going!
And THAT spirit, is the most important factor to become great.
So agree about embracing limitations...I damaged my left hand in a bike crash & am now struggling with adapting...trying not to give up...😬
Just broke my left arm and wrist in a bike/ car crash, Still don't know the outcome, Really sucks, been playing my whole life. Stick with it, praying for you and the best recovery possible
@carlcino man you too...there's a way...look at Django! My Dad introduced me to his music & only years later I realised about his left hand.
Would you be able to play slide? I burned my hand and was unable to play normally for a while, so I tried it out. Slide guitar is a blast, and a very unique sound.
Theres one guy on instagram with a pick taped to his nub where a hand would be. Hes pretty good, but his palm muting needs work
@@Ottophil I saw that, if that doesn't encourage you, nothing will
No matter how good you are theres always someone better and no matter how bad theres always someone worse.
This applies to every human being on the planet except two each time. By definition, there has to be a best and worst of anything. I’d love to find them 😂 imagine the gulf
True. It's just a matter of finding the people who are better than you and letting them know that you resent them and finding the people who are worse and letting them know that they should feel bad.
@@mrtb7676I disagree .. I’d play my guitar with an absolute beginner & any of the legends . Music isn’t about being better or worse , it’s a conversation .
@@ionageman There are people that are indeed good at conversations and others that have a hard time getting their thoughts across.
@@TedBarton91: Those two guitar players are Jimi Hendrix and me.
I *love* the look on Sammy's face when Rhett is talking about the fast playing and shredding section (huge respect to both of course)
Sometimes I'm terrible right out the gate, other times it takes a while to get warmed up.
Once in a blue moon I play something that makes me feel, damn I can play this thing!
And the worst is when I am rippin, but then my gear or my brain or maybe I just lose it, and suck mode ensues.
Just never give up and sammy g you rock!
It’s called flow .. it’s when there is only the moment , no yesterday , no to tomorrow .. only the moment your entire being is working in harmony & yes it is the most beautiful thing in our world .. whether it’s sex with your soul mate , hitting a ball over a net or playing music .
Talent can be counter productive.
I've known several very talented people
who got very good at things in a short period of time.
Then they got bored and moved on to the next thing.
So I'm kind of grateful for my limited "talent".
Hard earned skills are more satisfying than easy wins.
And perseverance is, in my opinion, the most important talent.
Two of my favourite TH-camrs creating together.
Please do more cool stuff.
✌✌
0:07 I blame Maybelline for the whole _“maybe they’re born with it, maybe it’s practicing”_ thing. 😂
Having ADD and trying to learn by myself is rocky road, but whenever i reach a goal i tought to be too difficult for me however small it might be, that feeling is intoxicating. I know i will never be a professional musician but i dont feel like i have to be. Music is fun as it is to me and thats enough for me.
my inattentive adhd actually worked out great for me somehow played for hours every day for the last 2 years
2:30
Igor Stravinsky wrote about how he embraced limits and obstacles as part of the creative process; even using self imposed obstacles to encourage creative problem solving.
He wrote:“My freedom will be so much the greater and more meaningful the more narrowly I limit my field of action and the more I surround myself with obstacles. Whatever diminishes constraint diminishes strength. The more constraints one imposes, the more one frees one’s self of the chains that shackle the spirit.”
My photography taught me when I frame a view in my camera I focus that view .. I limit what I show the viewer . I realised I could apply that to my life .. when I’m playing or practicing , I’m focusing my view , sometimes to the feel of my little finger as it hovers above a string .
I feel that I need to make a disclaimer first. Speed is not everything, but if that's what you want to do there are ways to accomplish it.
Advanced players know this already, but for an intermediate level player, technical practice is not just about playing something over and over a zillion times. That will work....eventually, but it's more about finding problem areas and breaking them down into small enough increments that you can adjust your mechanics into something that works for you. Sometimes that means cutting things up into 2 or 3 note sections and repeating them until you find something that works. When that small segment finally works then add another note or two to it. Keep adding notes a little at a time until the whole phrase happens.
Pick depth, pick angle, hand and arm positions, etc, need to change in order to execute things along the way from slow to fast.
Sometimes it takes just working on the movements of each hand individually and then combining them. If something you are doing doesn't work, find another way to do it until it does. It often takes reconfiguring the technique many times as you play something faster and faster. Just because a particular way of executing something works at one speed doesn't mean those same mechanics will work at a faster one. Don't get stuck at a certain speed because of believing the hand movements you discovered when playing something slower should work at all speeds because it doesn't. Break it down into small sections again an adjust your movements in order to play it faster.
It's not uncommon to have to do this many times as whatever you are working on gets up to speed. It's not easy and takes a huge time commitment to achieve. I'm 66 and have been playing like a possessed person since I was 10 and I still do those things when I practice technique. However, technique is not the only thing I practice. It needs to sound musical and THAT takes study in itself.
I've been playing for almost 10 years, but I barely improve and I know why: I don't put much effort into practice. And the reason for that is it makes playing feel like work and makes me feel very anxious. So I've given up and only play the same couple simple tunes whenever I feel like it.
For me it's a hobby, after all, and for some reason I stop feeling motivated to improve further once I've reached the level I enjoy playing at.
It takes a passion to push past beginner .. people will tear into you like a knife through butter , but theirs a thought that someday very far away if I keep going , keep reaching , keep bending my mind into places that feel uncomfortable , proficiency awaits .. I think this is the difference between natural musical ability and a desire to be proficient . It’s hard until it’s not .
Been dancing bachata for a bit over 2 years now. I have a feel for when to push and pull, to feel the music etc etc, been told multiple times that I'm the best in my group from all sort of sides. I could say that I am talented at dancing at least to a certain degree since I barely train (two hours a week) and have always staid on top of other classmates.
Last year (about a year and a half of dancing in), took a 6 or so month break where I only went to partys and which ended about 3-4 months ago. Right after coming back to class, I was objectively worse than when I was dancing 6 months in. Sure, it took me maybe a month to regain about 90% of it, but I am still trying to get all that feel and suave from last summer, can't seem to get in the zone like I used to. All the while, people who previously struggled and are still struggling with new stuff progressed that some are even better than me now.
Point should explain itself. Talent makes things easier, but it's far from a deciding factor. Also, any and all skill is a use it or lose it, hell everything about humans works that way. Don't look for too long at something far? BOOM you are near sighted. Don't speak out loud for too long? Boom, diction gone. Don't play an instrument for too long? That's gone too
The more proficient you are the less you need to think , the more in tune you become .
Love this collaborative content with Rhett. Your creative styles work well together. Good cop/bad cop.
My reality is I have a day job, and busy family life, I play for my own love of music and the satisfaction of making it.
Started at 30, been playing 30, and if I play another 30 I’ll never touch a Jerry Garcia or any of you guys making it on the YT, but I’m only trying to get better than me, not somebody else. Love guitar and grateful to you guys making this content. Some of the best commentary ever for you guys, thanks.
one thing I notice is that when people practice, they do stuff that's comfortable and familiar rather than trying new things that seem out of reach. the more you try to learn stuff that you think is beyond your skill limit, the better you will become and the more adaptable of a musician you will be. Variety is the spice of life and will aid you immensely on your journey to improving at a skill.
Being comfortable and being proficient are 2 different things .. I can pick an e string or I can pick it so clean it’s beautiful .. practice will always mean moving to the B string , but it’s important to practice that E to a beautiful perfection .
Before guitar, I was an artist. In grade school, I was famous for my sketches. In high school, everyone else surpassed me. I was stuck in my own little thing and never learned anything else to improve my craft. It was a good life lesson for me, especially as a musician.
The discussion at the end of learning a skill by doing it and not spending the time to “sit down and practice” really speaks to my situation with recording. I learned how to record by just making demos in GarageBand, and I’m no Rick Rubin, but I can ma something that sounds coherent. No one taught me how to mix or record, I figured it out on my own
Doing something you can't quite do until you can do it well is the key.
Absolutely , do it to the point you’re not trying , you just do .. I was always told I couldn’t , till I put in 10 000 hours and proved to myself I could .
for me just composing and then practicing my compositions is how i practice. keeping it fun keeps me playing and getting better.
I'm enjoying your chats with Rhett
I really like these videos with you and Rhett. Keep going.
Great video. I think it was Dave Weckl who said: "The more work I put in, the more people tell me how talented I must be."
The expression I always heard about talent is "hard work beats talent, unless talent works hard." This always made sense to me.
i had a teacher say: "practice makes permanent" and it STUCK w me
I’ve enjoyed the videos the two of you have done together. Very honest!
I bled on my left hand once!!! Was after covid restrictions started to die down, barely played at all during lockdown, finally got back with my band to play again and my fingers just weren't prepared for the amount of playing i did!!
Latley Ive been jamming out to some Pink Floyd tracks to improve my jamming/phrasing. I dont alwya have the results, but I've noticed that gradually I've improved my feel.
There really is no wrong way to practice. I would say listen to a lot of music and pick up licks and incorporate them into your playing.
Try lots of things and you'll find something that works...✌️❤️
Marcus King also has tiny hands and that dude is a monster.
We all feel like that from time to time...... my personal laughing at myself comes when you pick up a guitar at the music store---- all of a sudden nothing comes in mind to play......
Yes I see myself more like an artist as a guitarist, this lends me to writing songs but not senseless practice. Practice comes naturally if I have an idea, I use this as an technique/ theory session
I think talent is a defeatist concept.
Like if you say someone has talent, you’re just giving yourself an excuse to not try and be better.
Not really, I've done martial arts (Another skill people can devote -most of- their whole life to getting better at) for close to 15 years, and even in that you see talent. People who've never done another martial art, who've never been in a fight, and in their first class they have this natural co-ordination that others just don't. But a common trend I've seen, and my sensei's have seen is, often times talent walks away. It wasn't hard enough, it wasn't engaging enough. That very scenario happened when I had a cousin reach out to learn at my dojo, he was a natural at it with no prior training. But he gave up because "It wasn't that hard, I probably know what I'm doing". He could have been much better, but it was wasted talent - if you will.
Furthermore, sometimes you aren't built optimally for something and with that comes challenges. Like that Kingfish fella, he's got fingers like a Doctor's Sausage, he'd probably have a much harder time playing fast (I don't know I haven't listened to him). On the flip side, the way you are built will have its advantages too; like that same guy may have never struggled with a barre chord, because of his big fat fingers. Both of these are going to impact how easy something is for you, which could be seen a part of 'Talent'.
But what I reckon you did get right is it's pretty weak to give up before seeing your potential, just because someone else had an easier time at something than you did.
@@TB_in_the_coffee YES ok this is the expansion I didn’t include but yes. It’s what a lot of people use to try and not bother to see their own potential and just throw up their hands and go “oh whatever”
My friend is a natural at everything, he can play anything on a guitar, is great at all sports, can draw anything with aplomb, yet he's never pursued these skills any further in life because everything comes naturally and easy to him. On top of everything he's a lovely guy who everybody likes because he's so easy-going; I'd like to hate him for having so much talent but he's such a charismatic and generous person it's impossible: A rare breed.
Cobain sat in front of the television and played non stop
And still sucked
@@jasperwest2141I was gonna reply just this and I saw you coincidentally beat me to it 😂
@@jasperwest2141 I'd blindly bet my favorite testicle that he wrote waaay better than you though ;) better than me, too.
Apparently Elvis did that too, but sometimes he played bass.
@@jasperwest2141 he does alright when they list the best solos of all time
05:52 I’d put Eric Johnson in that list too. Smooth as silk, yet can be as speedy as Gonzales
I spent a year, practicing every day, trying to get a particular flamenco guitar technique. At the end of the year, I still couldn't do it. I nearly quit guitar but instead I decided that there was a joy/work ratio that if I couldn't get something with a certain amount of work, I wasn't going to sacrifice my joy banging my head against the wall. I would play the pieces that gave me joy to play. There was one guy more talented than you. You are more talented than many. I'm more talented than some. Play the best you can. Practice a little every day and don't listen to those who look down their nose at you and smugly assume that you aren't as good because "you didn't put in the work" Don't allow anyone to take away your joy in music, play what gives you joy.
I've been playing since I was 14 and still can't sweep arpeggios or stuff of that nature, just now able to manage some complex solos , and time to time I get discouraged seeing these youngsters shred some Buckethead solo like it's butter , but in the end I'm so grateful I can improvise , riff really cool chunky drop d bangers , play just about any song from my favorite bands tool , nin , mastodon , the cure etc as long as it's not Joe satarani level I'm alright and I'm so thankful, never been in a band but still love to learn and jam , just keep going , spiral out and it may just go where no one's been spiral out keep going!
Had the same problems, found out that I needed to practice differently. Still not Satriani, but just changing the way I practiced made me overcome problems I had for almost 20 years... Keep it up :)
@@johannalvarsson9299 same , TH-cam is really the biggest contribution to stepping up my game so much free information and tips and tricks , keep it up 👍
The same thing happen to me when I was busking I was so filled with adrenaline that i didn't realize that the skin of my index and thumb was hitting the strings.
Great artist always has a story to tell
I’m at a point with my playing , my fingers dance along the fret board . My mind empty’s of all thought , but the ebb & flow of the music . I was never a natural , but the need to play music has always been in me . Playing guitar involves my entire being , it has become as important to me as eating & sleeping .
This is also why the best musicians are not necessarily the best teachers.
The ones that had to work at it can relate.
When I taught guitar there were students who struggled with stuff I did, and ones who struggled with stuff I learned easily
Both made me go over what I did in how to help them, and it helped me as well as the students
I will say the pads of my fingers have bled numerous times. I live in the desert and the winters especially are ridiculously dry. My fingers split from the dryness and occasionally a string will slide right into that cut at a gig. OUCH! The super glue helps for sure.
perfect practice makes perfect
4th grade little league coach taught me that saying, has stuck with me even 15 years later.
perfect practice makes perfect
Nobody cares, boba larper
My high school wind symphony teacher told me this almost 20 years ago. And I say it to this day
@@MarcelVincent didn't ask
My junior high coach often used to say, "All the talent in the world is wasted from lack of dedication"
Talent is real. There has been a trend recently to dismiss the idea of talent. I’ve read of some musicians and artists who actually think of the phrase “you’re so talented” as an insult on the premise that it somehow discounts or devalues the time and work they’ve put into developing their skills. To me, this is bizarre.
Talent is the ability to absorb ideas, synthesize them and restate them. The deeper the talent is, the more deeply ideas can be synthesized and the more interestingly they can be restated. Talent is a limiting principle. Time, effort and work are necessary to realize talent’s potential, but no one can progress beyond what his talent allows.
Speaking personally, I’m someone who has pretty deep talent in several fields and none whatsoever in others. I was a professional award-winning artist for thirty-five years. I’m a very good writer. I was “gifted,” as they say, in mathematics. I was a champion pistol shooter. In music, though, I have virtually no talent. When I hear a chord, I hear one sound. I don’t have the aural acuity to distinguish each of the tones within the chord. As a result, I have a lot of trouble singing harmony. It’s somewhat analogous, but not exactly, to color blindness. It’s close to tone deafness, but not that extreme, and it’s intrinsic. There’s nothing I can do about it. It is a limiting condition, so, as much as I work at music, and I work a lot, I will never be a good musician. I don’t have the talent.
I’ve heard certain artists and musicians say something to the effect of, “Anyone can do it. You just have to do X, Y and Z.” My response to that is why on earth would anyone want to do something that just anyone can do? Excellence in any field is, by definition, uncommon, and it’s not for lack of trying. Athletes who don’t make the Olympic team train just as hard as those who do; they just don’t have that certain physical trait or psychological “je ne sais qua” that the truly elite have. They don’t have the talent. Or, to put it more precisely, their particular talent is insufficient.
A saying I like is “Talent does what it can. Genius does what it must.” A few people are geniuses. Many people are talented. Some people are untalented. Any way you slice it, talent is real.
I've always looked at talent as someone's skill ceiling. 1000 people could practice the same amount of time, and same intensity, but there will be plateaus that increasingly smaller numbers will make it to because of their talent.
It depends on how you define 'talent'. The dictionary does call it a "natural innate ability" and "innate" means - present in an individual from birth and often considered "God-given". Very much NOT from time and practice.I think this is how most people define 'talent' and do take it as a slight to the hard work & effort it required.
Personally, from the perspective of a musician, I think talent is overrated. Anyone can do it - if they are willing to completely dedicate themselves to it - all day, every day.
It must be terribly lonely on that ivory tower you built
My biggest problem is that I try out all possible guitar styles up to the point when I am thinking „yeah I could master this one if I worked on it“ and then I go to the next style.
I love to practice and challenge myself
This is great. I’m going to show this to my physics and math students. So many of them think they need to be some sort of genius to learn things.
If you needed a Blues Lawyer to make a snarky comment, I’d have been happy to oblige 😉 5:00
I think passion is where the magic is because it inherently makes you less likely to give up on practicing ever increasingly hard stuff. IT makes you either numb to it, or even makes you crave difficult stuff.
Talent is like a blade.
Some have bigger ones, some smaller ones.
Everyone still has to grind it to make it sharp.
Some hone it so much that they cut themselves with it.
👌🏻
Natural comprehention of music (aka talent) is true. As well as, if you practice wrong it won't make it perfect. Wise practice makes perfect.
Being technically talented doesn't mean you're technically good especially in music it's how your soul expresses the notes of the scale. The best songs aren't the most technical but they have the best feel and expression.
My biggest issue is finger pressure. Especially if I'm playing chords. Trying to stay more conscious of it. I push way too hard lol. So I took three of my guitars, strung each with a different gauge of strings(8-10's) and I switch between those three hoping to help with my pressure problems.
I've played until I bled, but I was playing slap and pluck on bass for nearly an hour long jam. There were a few slow spots in there, but most of it was pretty upbeat iirc. I got blood blisters on my pointer, middle, and thumb on my right hand, and one of my finger's blisters busted open and got my pick guard all bloody. It was glorious. I was drunk and on mushrooms; I think we all were. Should have recorded it, but try setting that sh!t up while in that condition lol
Hard work pays off but imperfection still occurs due to numerous factors in a live situation especially. I've had my fingernail separate and bleed during bends as well. Super glue works wonders for that.
I was In the Music major program in collage, the fact is you must be exposed to pitch recognition and sight reading parralell to the development of you aural audiation and word reading skills, every single student that didn't come equipped to pass Aural Skills II (the abillity to transpose by ear and sight sing with only 1 ping of a reference C) fell away in that class. Every single student that made it thru described to me "not really remembering how they did only that Mom taught the as a child" I could shred scales and tech circles around several of them all day, yet would have to drill a piece adnauziem to get something where they could pick it up on the spot like quoting a phrase they had just hurd vie instrument or on paper.
I have met hundreds of musicians but never one that picked up that lvl of musicianship post maturity.
Love for anyone to name me one, I have searched for decades to no avail.
My music teacher always said "practice makes permanent." If you practice things improperly you build up these habits that can slow you down dramatically because you're unable to get out of the bad habits slowing you down
My family tree doesn't have a single musical branch on its narrow trunk. That being said, a friend showed me 2 chords (d & g) when i was 17 or 18 & i went from there.
This applies to all creative fields and GenAI is basically people thinking they can "create" something without putting in the work. Putting in the work is where the spark that resonates comes from and why GenAI output always feels so hollow (at best)
To the talent issue, I'm a professional artist and have heard "you have a god given talent" my entire life and I'm just thinking that the over forty years of practice, study, determination, and learning from mistake after mistake might have something to do with it.
I’ve often heard this sentiment .. we all had a first moment picking up the guitar .
You guys missed mentioning Tony Iommi when talking about Django. He's a classic example of overcoming a handicap and actually using it to create something new & great (the heaviest dang riffs in existence)
I can't make the music I want to make until I reach a personal milestone of competency. I was overtaken by an unnatural desire to know what it feels like to be able to play guitar. The first week I acquired 2 cheap guitars that would allow me not to miss a single day of practice, even when I went to a remote low resource Island off of Belize for 2 weeks. I have picked up a guitar at least 5 times a day for almost 7 months. One is a tiny headless travel guitar, just a neck really. It lives behind my van seat and goes backpacking with me. The other that helps me practice more is an Enya nova go parlor sized guitar. Cheap and carbon fiber. Play it cooking with steam, walking in the woods in the rain, drop it off the couch with the dog, bang it into doors as I fiddle about while doing things. This guitar saves my wooden ones. I have a long way to go but the NEED to know that feeling of competency, in the fretboard, to play without thought, to play my thoughts, it gets stronger with every glimpse, every success. And I don't care who hears me. I don't do it for anyone. The dog hears me. The lady does too when she doesn't have her noise cancelling headphones in. Doing it for you and wanting it is something I wish I had the first time around when I was 14. All my friends played, had bands. I sang a bit. I quit because it didn't bite and the last thing the world needed was another guitarist. Now it's like an addiction, the strongest fixation I've ever had, every facet, working on them, everything. My most accomplished guitarist friend passed away 2 years ago. I wish I would have had the need then. There's always room for a new guitarist. No kids so I suppose I can fixate on this pursuit.
i saw a youtube comment on a different video that says practise makes progress and ive always thought about it that way ever since
the "the you can't make music until" excuse was the main problem holding back Bill & Ted
John Petrucci So much Feel but also fast as fugg lol.
To compare is to despair. Set your objective, make your plan and put in the work. Charlie Parker was humiliated his first time out.
He then went into the woodshed and came out with serious skill.
Learning guitar is like any other skill. Like driving or learning to use a computer, you get a lesson, put in the hours, and you get better. Just remember to take some time off to recharge. When I go on vacation or out anywhere, I forget about my guitar. It’ll be there when I get back.
#Rhett Shull Thanks man. I hate practicing, too. I'd much rather learn a new song, or guitar instrumental piece. I hope that in that process I'll discover something I've never done before, perhaps never realized I could do, or something that needed improving.
The trouble with putting the work in is that you hone your skills more than any surgeon would and get paid 1% of what they do. Love the video. I know if I lost a hand I would still try to play with the stump because music means that much to me. I don't know if I ever had anything like talent, I've just always been determined to make interesting and engaging organisations of sound.
Funnily enough, I started bleeding from my middle finger knuckle when trying to learn bleed by meshugga. It was ever so slightly brushing against the strings without me noticing
I’ve come to believe there are those with varying levels of natural talent and then there are those where music is a learned skill. Of course those two streams cross at times as well. But I feel like while I was born with SOME talent, my level of playing has largely been a skill I’ve put a lot of time in.
Started at 52. Happy to be able to play and sing ok at 58. It’s the best.
I don't want to shred. I don't even like to listen to shredders. But, on the other hand I don't want to have any technical limitations that prevent me from playing something that I want to play. So, to that end I keep pushing myself to play faster and more accurate runs, even if they don't really make any musical sense. That way when I am writing a song and I feel like the section needs a few fast licks to really nail what I am trying to say, I can do that without banging my head against the wall or winding up with something that I am not really happy with.
My main problem with practicing is that I get bored doing exercises and then wander around noodling. I kinda wish I had more discipline to not do that, but at least I am still improving.
You da man, Sammy G. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.
I had my fretting fingers bleeding, when I was starting out playing the electric guitar. I was practicing like 3-4 hours almost every day at that point and probably pressed the strings too hardly. Also the bleeding was in my flesh - you could see it through the skin, tiny pillows of blood in the tips of my middle and ring fingers, but no blood leaving my body, if that makes sense.
I also have the problem where the string goes under my nails when I cut them. Now I just barely cut them shorter so that it doesn't happen. I have to do my nails twice a week
All I could think about throughout most of this video was Sammy G's tiny baby hands; never noticed it before but now I can't unsee it
So far from one month in of learning I need to improve everything
Tempo
Cords
Slides
Fretboard finger placement
And all the other basic understanding pull off hammer on bending etc
Talent matters... but the Will to stick to applying your talent skill to results you want is more important
So, talent does matter, it depends on what your goals are. Talent doesn't only make you learn faster, it apparently also increase your max skill level.
My problem is I am unconvinced I'm ever going to reach the skill level I want and that's why I don't put in the work. And this has been the most pernitious thing in anything I wnt to learn ever.
Practice makes better, you'll never be perfect and that's okay, just gives you more of a reason to keep getting better!
Bireli Lagrene clip! I don’t think he’s really covered in the TH-cam guitar world, it would be cool if you could.
I've been teaching since 1983. Talent absolutely matters. We all have a unique sets of strengths and limitations. Try to teach a student with no natural rhythm. Try to teach a student who is physically unable because of bone structure to form basic chord shapes. Watch Steve Howe play The Clap on TH-cam. Can you hold down a bar chord and bend or slide notes with your pinky like he does? I cannot and no matter how much I practice, that ability will not be possible for me and MANY other players because of bone structure.
Steve Vai says play to your strengths and ignore your weaknesses and I think thats good advice. Be yourself because there's enough sound alike modern shredders out there now as it is.
So what exactly is talent then? I don`t think "untalented" has the same meaning as "handicapped".
@@johannalvarsson9299 I'd say it is the ability to do stuff easier.
I hope rick beato sees this. Music is simple and fun. Its not simple so simple that lessons and practice aren't necessary, but simple enough that a few chords and note can make good music
Good stuff, you guys! 😎
You know what? Fuck it. The next time I see my boss, I'm telling him this.
It’s not about talent; it’s about sticking with it long enough for the RNG that is the TH-cam algorithm to pick your number.
0:45 1:10 i think you jst did that very thing to yourself... i believe what you meant to say was "i can never be good just LIKE that person" ... but imo you CAN be just as good but in your own way
5:24 Even Gilmour could do some fast playing. There is a part in the Live at Pompeii performance of “Careful with that Axe Eugene” where he is playing quite fast. It's just that for most of the music in Pink Floyd and his solo career, playing fast wasn’t really compatible with the songs.
It's true but oddly enough that never ovcured to me until now and he's one of my top 5 all time.
Krazy glue / super glue (different brand names for cyanoacrylate)
is an indispensable item in any first aid kit!
I believe that was actually its original use, was in military med kits.
That goes until you meet someone who is both really talented and works really hard. Them your perspective changes on what is to be good at something.
I believe that anyone can be really, really, good at something if they put the work. But there are absolute monsters in certain areas and that are outside of what is possible to most people, and if you meet one of those in real life you know it.
Practice makes permanent.