My fingers keep repeating themselves 😠
It can be extremely frustrating when all you want to do is jam away - yet your fingers keep repeating those same old licks. Seems like they are magnetically drawn to the same position and bends! And whenever you try to push yourself towards a new place on the guitar - you kill the flow you had going. Are you doomed to play the same thing over and over?You're in good company
We are not exaggerating when we say every guitarist goes through what you are currently experiencing. Making the transition from knowing nothing → learning something → make stuff up on the fly, is a major challenge.What if you got it all wrong?
If you are trying to invent new licks as you play, and expect it to sound good - failure is the expected outcome. But - what if you did not try to reinvent the wheel each time, and instead tried to...- just change a note here and there
- slightly change the timing
- play the same lick but in a different position
- same notes but in the relative minor key
- same lick but transposed diatonically
- same lick but with aggressive picking
- use double stops instead
- play an octave lower
- same lick but in a different mode
Chances are - nobody would notice you are playing the same lick anymore. And you have only made slight alterations to make it sound totally different.
Ask yourself
Do you think the pros invent totally new licks on the fly, or do they use the tricks mentioned here? And more importantly: does it even matter if you can't hear the difference anyway?Your time to shine
I am not trying to teach you how to solve your issue here - after all that's why I have my Jam School series. But I am trying to shake your thinking up. There are small changes you can make to your practice routine today, that will dramatically improve your ability to come up with variations on the fly. This means that if you do master a couple of licks already, you can utilise what you have already learned - to make it seem like you are able to come up with new material on the fly.Which is a home run, if you ask me 😎🎸
Here is a tip
The students that learn fastest, use the REC functionality to post on the REC board. A minimum of three instructors will then grade your performance and provide you with constructive feedback. So if you are serious about learning fast, give yourself a deadline to submit your take for REC grading. I can promise you this will give you the sense of direction you need, and motivation to practice! (REC requires you to sign up for GMC)Go the extra mile
If you are extremely serious about your progress, we can make it happen together. You need:- more specific advice
- more personal advice
- explain your particular issues
- lessons that match your level better
- content that matches your musical preferences
You get all of this, and so much more, when you sign up for GMC, as this will not unly unlock all lesson content, but also open up to support from a personal mentor.
Alternatively, you can sign up to our interactive email course. It will hone in on your particular needs by constantly presenting you with new learning material while asking for your feedback. We offer this service free of charge, and you can sign up here:
we'll start sending you free content right away
