Intermediate Guitar Lessons

Some may ask why I only specialize in intermediate to advanced guitar lessons. Although I could and have taught beginning guitar students, I discovered my knowledge and skill set were best for players hitting walls or feeling stuck.

I started self-taught, except for taking drum lessons to learn to read music. After that, I spent much time reading books on music theory, learning songs, and composing and recording songs.

Unfortunately, I hit a lot of walls along the way and felt stuck. IT WAS INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING AT TIMES because I didn't have a mentor (and it was hard finding one living in a small town with limited arts).

I started to become interested in finding ways to avoid this frustration. But, unfortunately, this was before the era of youtube (although YouTube is a valuable resource, it can still lead you to a dead end sometimes).

The Relocation

I eventually moved to NYC in search of more exposure to art and to grow my skills. NYC was a revolution on so many levels. There was no limit to the level of mastery in the arts. Every level of the musician was accessible from beginner to master.

NYC was a place where you could accelerate as fast as you wanted to. I noticed how being around people (and many different players) challenged me and kept me moving forward.

Archives

Through all this, I started observing my past and what led me to be stuck. I didn't want to get stuck again.

Slowly over time, I get stuck less and less. There was so much work and very little time to be stagnant. I had to learn new songs with new combinations of genes. Even if I didn't want to, I was always learning.

This is when I noticed the importance of keeping fresh material in the mix.

Complexity of Blocks

It took me much longer to get past my compositional blocks. That was much more difficult as there was trauma attached to it. I left my hometown emotionally beat up from working with a narcissist for ten years. It was complicated as this person was a family member. It was a very toxic situation that I eventually found a way out of, but not without some damage.

What tore down the wall for me was getting involved in writing for a music library. There is a quick turnaround time period with music libraries. You can't lament anything. You make decisions and move on. You don't self-judge.

This liberated me, as my previous environment was musically destructive. Never finishing anything, and anything that was created was dismembered within a cloud of blame and shame.

With writing for the library, I wasn't judging l too much. Instead, I was thinking, expressing, and moving on. I didn't block myself.

Rebuilding

Because I had started to heal my creative relationship with music, I could also start writing more serious music without the baggage. I learned how to have a healthy relationship with art again.

The experience of finding peace with my creativity opened my eyes to how this works with practice and what stifles some intermediate to advanced guitarists.

I looked at each day as part of a long progression instead of expecting the light switch to turn on and what perfection has occurred.

When I started looking at music this way, I also considered what we as musicians do wrong in our daily practice routines that hinder our progress.

Brain Waves

I started researching how the human brain works and what can hinder learning. I started researching how others have practiced. I read books on memorization and topics such as Flow State. I would journal and study my own experiences and tweak my own study.

I found some surprises in my research. For one, I always thought getting stuck was part of the process. I thought perhaps it was a right of passage. but I was wrong.

The Release

You really don't have to go through periods of burnout. I'm not suggesting you won't ever get frustrated with the instrument. But if you don't have to feel like you're not getting anywhere.

For me, when I was younger, being self-taught had instances of fun because there were no rules. But, without any structure, I painted myself into many corners.

The narcissist in my life liked to promote the idea that lessons will take away your individuality, which is ridiculous.

I eventually found my way to several instructors when I wanted to study orchestration and composition in the classical and atonal realms. Not at any point did I feel I was losing myself.

Each week I felt empowered with information and liberated in that I had a spotter if I got stuck. I could ask questions if something wasn't making sense, and they were great at showing me the path.

But one thing worth mentioning is it's really important to know how to be a good student and how to learn.

This is why I focus on intermediate to advanced guitar players. At this point, guitarists have some knowledge of their instrument. They know how to hold a guitar, and they've made music.

Since intermediate guitarists are acclimated to the instrument, I can dig into some deeper topics. Such as process.

Many of the guitarists who come to me have puzzle pieces that don't fit together. Perhaps they know a little music theory but can seem to apply it.

They're playing songs but can't entirely execute them as cleanly as they like or can't get through a whole song. They have a lot of special questions on a particular genre of music.

Language

Music is language. Speaking Jazz is very different than speaking delta blues. Unfortunately, some teachers approach genres as if they're traveling abroad with a translation book rather than fluently speaking the language.

This is where I come in. I really like connecting with students on specifics. I feel my lessons are different from some others because my lessons are as much about empowering you to learn and grow as they are about showing you information.

I may be teaching you how to play guitar, but I'm also teaching you how to continue learning effectively in the future.

Always a Student

I now realize that even if I didn't know it, I've always been talking down notes in my head about every situation I've been in. Whether playing on a session with a well-known pop star or playing on stage with musical legends... Each time I found myself observing the situation for lessons to be learned.

I've always kept my eyes and ears open. My objective has always been to expand. My research and knowledge lend themselves best to guitar players in the immediate to advanced range.

I also noticed the importance of learning the material you are connected to. You can learn everything you need to know through the music you love. The stronger your connection to the music, the stronger your association with music theory or technique.

Reach out if you're an intermediate guitarist hitting walls or feeling frustrated about your playing and progress.