Archive for the ‘Motivation’ Category

Photo by cesar bojorquez
Every year I think about new resolutions. I get excited and want to do better in the next year, always looking for a new challenge.

I also evaluate what I have accomplished, experienced or how much I have grown.

I can look back with awesomeness.

In May my son Vince was born (he is really into guitars already), I spend more time practicing guitar and learned a lot of new stuff, Guitarhabits has grown rapidly and I really love the feedback I got from everybody, I started a new blog about simplicity, reduced and downsized a lot of my stuff, I have become an early riser (I wake up at 5 am) and enjoy teaching guitar as a profession at home.

This year I want to spent less time on the internet, simplify more and worry less about achieving goals.

I want to focus mainly on teaching and practicing guitar, Guitarhabits, meditation, running/walking and spending time with my family. Read the rest of this entry »

Christmas time is a great opportunity for guitar players to show (off) their skills.

Everybody wants to hear a good old fashioned christmas tune during the holiday season.

So to entertain your family and friends or impress your audience you got to prepare, study hard and learn from the best.

Besides that, you might want to listen to some decent christmas music yourself from time to time.

We all know the famous christmas songs we hear everyday on the radio, but guitar players need quality input to improve, to be fueled, to be inspired, to fall in love with and stay ambitious.

Listening to christmas guitar albums makes you understand how melodies and rhythm work in different ways.

It shows you how every guitar player has his own unique way of phrasing.

There is so much to learn from just by listening to records.

Listen to the records and hear how guitar players make use of scales, patterns, triads, arpeggios, intervals in the most creative ways.

Listen to the feel, dynamics, timing, tempo, techniques like hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, tapping, etc.

When you’ve listened close enough to the lead guitar and rhythm guitar parts start listening to the bass guitar, the piano, the drums and other instruments.

Concentrate your ears on one instrument at a time throughout the whole song. You will learn to start listening differently with your musical ear. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Sean Rogers
Inspring quotes can unleash your inner motivation or teach you that one valuable life guitar lesson that you always wanted or needed to hear.

It somehow explains the essence of what the person is trying to bring across.

I love quotes from great blues, rock, jazz and classical guitar players or quotes from wise people like Lao Tzu or Buddha.

It makes me want to learn more and realize what is important and what not.

I hope these quotes contribute to your inner motivation and inspire you to study, practice, create, enjoy and achieve something amazing!

Listen and learn from the greatest:

1 – “I dedicated all the time I had to it. The 10 hour workout was just what I put in the magazine at the time, but for me it was every waking moment.” ~ Steve Vai‎

2 – “A lot of people think that if they learn to read music they are gonna lose their feel or their groove or something. It’s the stupidest thing I have ever heard.” ~ Frank Gambale Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by bjortklingd
I get a lot of questions via Twitter about guitar goals and how to keep motivated, so I thought I’d write a post on guitarist productivity.

In the past I have done some things using discipline in order to accomplish a goal, but it never brought me what I wanted or what I expected. Later I realized why discipline didn’t work out for me.

Discipline is forcing yourself to do something you really don’t want to do in order to achieve a goal you think you do want. Doesn’t that sound strange to you? Well I’ve learned my lessons.

As a chinese proverb says: “The journey is the reward”. What it means is that you have to enjoy what you do all the way or make sure you enjoy it and forget about the destination or success what so ever.

Everything is about the journey, about what you are doing right now. Make sure you love what you do. It’s the number one rule to guitarist productivity and everything else in life.

Let’s get into it: Read the rest of this entry »

Photo by Al-Janabi
A lot of people have difficulties with prioritizing their guitar practice. I did too. When I became a dad (best thing ever) I realized life was going to be busy.

I wanted to improve as often as I could, but often other things tended to come first.

I knew I had to become more efficient with my time would I be able to play guitar like old times and do other great stuff like writing a blog and working out.

Since then I have re-learned how to prioritize. I wouldn’t know how to live without playing guitar on a regularly basis.

Playing guitar gives me so much in return, while other things don’t have lasting value. The more I practice, the more I gain control over the instrument and the more and more and more I am loving it.

It’s funny how you can prioritize other things, that don’t really mean much to you, over the things you love most. We all do it sometimes. Some more than others, but once in a while you need a reminder to set things straight and reset.

Here are some solid tips to prioritize your favorite instrument and start enjoying it as much as you would like to: Read the rest of this entry »

photo by Orin Zebest
It took years for me to find out what guitar really suited my taste. It’s a process that you go through. Your taste changes as you grow.

When I was young I mainly wanted to shred. My world was all about Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dime Bag Darrel and all the other Shred Gods.

Obviously I bought myself a Joe Satriani Ibanez signature guitar and a Frank Gambale Ibanez signature. I also bought an Ovation semi acoustic guitar. Why? I don’t have a clue.

Now I’m older I am more into singer songwriters like Damien Rice, Ray La Montagne, John Mayer, Jack Johnson to name just a few. My acoustic guitar is a Santa Cruz OMPW Model and when I play electric guitar I prefer a stratocaster.

It’s difficult to choose the right guitar, because there are so many. I must say nowadays there is a lot of great value for money, but then again a lot of crap as well.

Before you go out and buy a guitar talk to friends, your teacher and people who are experienced. Take your time to listen and observe before you open your wallet.

To help you out on some key issues here are 12 tips on what guitar you should buy: Read the rest of this entry »