Around The Neck

I have to say that re-committing my time to playing has become challenging in just the first few days. Yesterday I had to squeeze every thirty minute time slot out of my day. I, unfortunately, had some down time during teaching yesterday and decided to not waste the time and put in the hours I need to get back to par. My hands are feeling quite good and I am amazed at how much I have not lost due to the time gap between now and the last time I prepared for performances.

I have found that having a baby boy, a business, and a lovely wife to fill my time has presented challenges. I many times want to be with my boy rather than just pick up the guitar. Here are few things that I keep in mind:

1. I know my goal. I can see where I need to be in 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days. This forces me to always ask, “How am I doing and what do I need to do today to meet those goals?”
2. I know my plan. I have a plan written out. I know what pieces I want to have finished and polished by a certain date. I have measures and tempos to meet by certain times. If I don’t meet them, then that’s o.k. But I will still be closer to my goals.
3. I am preparing to perform. My goals are all focused on presenting new videos online. Therefore, I am, in essence, working towards a performance. There is no more driving factor than having to perform for others. In this case, I am not in front of them in time, but rather a recorded time.

Like I mentioned before, I may not reach these goals in the time specified. Even so, I will have made it one step closer to their accomplishment. As for you, make some goals, make a plan, and try to reach them on a daily basis. It is the only sure way of somewhat predicting success.

Every student that enters my studio has some idea of where they are trying to go in their guitar playing. However, many of them have a very vague idea. Many will state, “I just want to be able to play better” or “I want to play more confidently.” Though these are goals, they are very vague.

You have to make it a liitle bit more concrete than that if you want to really achieve something. You need to write it out or put it down on paper. “What to write?” you say. Put down what pieces you want to play the most, what speed you want to play your scales, or when you’d like to give your first public performance. No matter if you think they are too hard or you will never be able to achieve them, write down your goals.

You have to have something to shoot for. Whether you are a rocker or a classical nut, you know the pieces and players that inspire you to play. You need to look at this list on a daily or weekly basis. It will help you to remain focused on why you are doing what you are doing. Let’s face it, sometimes practice seems like torture. We want to get straight to the playing part. Well, having a list of where you want to eventually end up will help you maintain a focus throughout the daily work we call practice.