Is there really a 'secret' to getting better?

If you never see results from practicing, what's really going on? Is there some kind of "secret" that "the pros" swear by that helps them get ahead? Let's discuss, and I'll show you something in my own playing I"d like to improve.

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[donyacos]

Hey there Justin! So grateful you’re doing this channel! This episode in particular brought me to an epiphany… and can definitely relate to your working out analogy… you have to add more “resistance” to your practice to progress. I spend far to much time practicing what I’m already good at and not “adding any weight to the bar”. Thanks from Franklin, TN! Love ya man!

[UncleDanBand]

I am 59 years old. I have been a guitar player my whole life. I started a fitness journey almost 4 years ago. I have got pretty jacked especially for my age. Totally natural just lots of protein and hard work. It also had a huge impact on my vocal and guitar skills. Honestly everything in life is better when you are pain free and fit.

[FastCarsLoudGuitars]

This is such a good video. I have managed for years to avoid doing the boring, rote, unsexy practicing on the guitar that I now wish I had put in years and years ago. I hated my playing so much so that I put the guitar down for 12 years. I only picked it back up when Covid came along and changed every aspect of my life.


I am a marathoner and embrace the suck on the physical side to the tune of about 25-30 miles a week. Working from home now, I sometimes run more miles than I drive in a week. It's time that I apply that attitude and discipline to my guitar playing. Playing guitar is pretty much the only thing I look forward to doing everyday. Since I picked the guitar back up I have been a lot better about practicing (the couple of things I have gotten sort of good at). I feel fortunate to have guys like you, Brett Papa, Guthrie Trapp and Tom Bukovac making videos to put on YouTube to tell me how goddamn important chords are and how little importance modes and scales really are to the average guitarist. I recently signed up for Brett's annual subscription and have been blown away by the awesome teaching and access to the minds of today's top session players. I just got your course and have been really enjoying it so far. I really like your linear approach to the fretboard. Thanks for taking the time to record and distribute it! I've been stuck in a playing rut for a while and this is definitely helping me be more expressive and moving closer to being able to play the way I want to and say what I am trying to say with my playing.

[ED-jlik]

The concept of “choosing to suffer” is right on money! Everything great that I have ever done in my life has always started with making that decision.

[TexasJackdaw]

So glad to hear that you’re busy with work. And that you are developing this channel. I love your content! Rock on, brother 🙏

[danrourke]

After 50 years of just being a fun Strummer, I decided to actually learn music, and my first rock was ear, training and learning intervals, and after almost giving up, thinking, I can never really hear the intervals spontaneously all of a sudden one day my rock moved a couple inches, And then you just get inspired to keep pushing the rock

[MajorUpgrade]

Dude you are so right. My problem is that I can TALK about progress for a long time before actually MAKING any. Thank you for being vulnerable about this stuff, and inspiring me to not just work on my guitar chops, but also to move/eat right/work out/get up off of the freaking couch/go outside, etc...! Very inspiring and helpful! Keep up the great content!

[fiddlefolk]

You're a favorite of mine Justin! You're a great player and a great guy... You're a humble person and secure enough to show us that we are all just trying to better as a person and as a player! Thank you!

[BillonBass]

I spent my early career doing sessions in LA during the 80s until I simply got burned out on it. I was classically trained then on to Berklee. For me getting better was always about being pragmatic and consistently pushing myself to learn something new every day. I’m 64 now and still doing it. I remember coming to Nashville back in the early 80s to do a session at the old Columbia Studio A. It was fun. But I understand from friends there it’s changed a lot and become very cutthroat. That’s the way LA was and why a lot of guys left the town and the business back in the day.

[wagonet]

Im in my 40s. The working out piece of this video really spoke to me. My knees and back hurt too. Motion is lotion. I like that.

[kitgroovemachine]

Thanks for your tips ! When I retired I took up jazz piano to spark my originals with more chord opps. I found good teachers help a lot staying motivated. Now back to the guitar, learning never ends !

[bg]

Celebrate those few inches every time the rock moves. I get motivation from the small successes. Makes me want to work for that "next inch"! Looking forward to your course. I'm sure I've skipped some important fundamentals

[briancriswell]

Great insight! I’m not a guitar player but a bassist. I find your videos interesting and glean bits of valuable information on your channel. Love your playing as well! Keep up the good work!

[sonnysilversmith]

Thank you for the encouragement, at 57 I’m totally practicing almost every day to playing fast on guitar and studying the whole neck, like you and many others I want to play fast,
i always wanted to play fast for many years but it may seem late now, but what the hell im going to do it, now playing a 12 gauge set on my strat,
no pain no gain!

[wdbuchner]

This is sooo good...thank you Justin!!!

[Guitaristforelife]

I've always been a strong rhythm player in all bands I have been in. Even while living In Nashville. Now I'm doing solo gigs on cruise ships so that has pushed we to become a better lead player using a looper. My rock is practicing with intention. Practicing with a tonal center and playing changes instead of just blowing through a pentatonic minor scale through the changes which can sound good to.. The rock is moving a bit and that is exciting for me and I have fallen in love with playing again..

[edtaylor]

Absolutely Justin. As George Leonard said in his book Mastery, " You have to learn to love the plateaus...".

[DamonBates]

Well said. At 63 I used to race bicycles and have been a cyclist since I was 20. I have tried to apply that discipling to my playing not that I have more time to play...and yes...weeks of no progress and then suddenly boom, I can do it. Oh and I too have tons of lesson / info in my hard drive but execution is a different story...LOL. FWIW, you and and Uncle Larry (who I became aware of through you) are my favorite guitar channels. Thanks for all you do.

[edbernardmusic]

Playing guitar and fiddle for 40 plus years has made my right shoulder sit higher than my left. It sneaks up on you until it becomes chronic. I bought some cheap resistance bands a few years ago and do back exercises regularly, and what a huge difference it makes. I almost never have back problems now. I've lifted on and off for decades but I'm currently on a consistent three year run and it's literally transformational. Staying in your best possible shape makes everything in your life better.

[pabloyaya]

You’ve changed my playing and are a huge inspiration. Thanks for all the great wisdom and fun.