Plenty to say

So there are a few things going on.

I'll be starting regular lessons next Monday. I'm a little worried, as I hope that the chord voicings I learn with my teacher don't collide too badly with my work on the Leavitt book. I don't think it will.

I've committed to going to a blues or jazz jam at least once a month. This is going to be hard for me, since I'm really not any good yet.

And... well, that's all for right now.

Done at last

With the first half of the Leavitt book. Wow, it really turns into one MF the further you go.

I'll spend the rest of the month reviewing the first half and enjoying it, and then move on to the second half of part 1 next month, hopefully finishing by Christmas. February is more likely, though.

I'll also start taking lessons on a regular basis starting next month.

Wow. That's a lot of learning. That's worth spending money on. The guitars themselves, not so much. Why spend money on an expensive guitar if you can't play? And why spend money on a brand name? Just get a guitar that plays well. And I have several of those already.

Got a teacher

Studying alone has been good, but not enough.

I have a teacher now. I'll be working with him for a while at least, getting my chord shapes under control. While I can do the simplest of voicings, I have trouble with anything that's really cool.

I expect that to change.

7 Deadly Mindsets that Hold You Back from Learning Effectively

Lifehack has a great article on 7 Deadly Mindsets that hold you back from learning effectively. These can easily be reworked into 7 mental roadblocks to improving your guitar playing.

1) I'm too old to learn
This is pretty straightforward, though it should also include too young to learn.

2) I know everything
While it isn't normal for us to think as guitarists that we're the absolute best, it is fairly common for us to say that we don't need to study any more theory, learn how to read, learn more scales, learn more chord voicings.

3) I'm not smart enough
This ties into the above statement about knowing enough theory, but it can also be extended to the physical aspect of playing-- "I'm not fast enough, and can't move my fingers that fast". This isn't true at all, all that is needed is more applied practice to improve hand strength (in most cases).

4) There are many people who are better than me
Well, duh.

5) This is not for me
Keeping motivated is tough, and I don't have a solution yet. I keep myself motivated by sheer force.

6) Not focus
Whoo boy. Gear craze goes here, as does skipping between different methods without reason.

7) I can learn it another day
You need to practice every day to keep on track. Don't put your guitar in a case, or it will stay in there much longer than you ever imagined.

Have I been keeping the faith?

Hell yeah.

I've been putting in 1-2 hours each day with my guitar. The very least that I do is scale exercises, mostly I work out of the Leavitt book. I've re-started the Leavitt book; I obtained the DVD edition, and it's so much more complete with the DVD that I felt it would be good to go back to the beginning.

In addition, I'm also revising everything else about my playing; my left hand technique (aiming for a more correct embechoure), my right hand technique (minimizing motions, changing pick holding, changing pick type).

One interesting observation from the Jazz Guitar mailing list: there's too much time in the woodshed, not enough playing of gigs. I'm not ready to gig right now, but even if I were, I'd be lucky to play once or twice a week, and not for good money. I'm going to have to figure out my own solution to this. The problem is that with too few gigs, music becomes more and more academic.

This is the same reason that we end up obsessing about gear, and which pick to use, and how pure the signal chain is, and all that nonsense. If you're actually playing, there's no time for that garbage. You grab your guitar and go. It's when you're woodshedding, or especially if you're avoiding woodshedding, that you spend that time.

Lately I haven't even been plugging my archtop in for practice sessions; I'm trying so hard to focus on my playing and my playing alone, that I could really give a damn about tone and all that nonsense. Even intonation isn't that that big a concern. A concern, yes, but not life-shattering. I'm spending way too much time on the stuff that doesn't matter, and way too little time with the instrument in my hands.

But I'm fixing that problem, slowly.

the problem with equipment

See, here's the deal. I don't work as a professional musician. My day job does give me some leisure-esque time to think about my playing, however.

Since I don't have a guitar with me at work, though, I spend that time foolishly looking at eBay and considering "what amp do I need", or "what should be my next guitar", rather than thinking about practicing, and theory, and becoming a better player. The guitars I have right now could easily serve me for the next 3-5 years of practice, if I'd just leave well enough alone and focus on learning. Instead, I'm constantly thinking about what I should spend money on.

Money can't buy you love, though, and it can't buy you tone or technique. Only time will provide those things. If I handed my current guitars to any good player, they'd have them making wonderful music, even though I only see the limitations that those guitars provide. Yes, even with my brand new ones.

It's the frustration of not being able to really work on my guitar during the day that's seeping through.

possible teacher

There's a new music store opening up near my office. I'm pretty excited, for two reasons. First, they focus on used gear instead of new. This may help me find some of the stuff I've been wanting for a while.

More importantly, though, they'll have lesson studios. That means I might actually find someone that I can take lessons from! This would make a huge difference in my playing, I know.