How to add that magic feel

Many guitarists get the impression some things just can't be taught, almost like an unwritten rule saying "you can practice your a$$ off but it won't matter anyway". It is hard to assess where this misconception comes from.

Some like to compare learning guitar to athletic performance - where the size of your legs etc actually plays an important role. Others point towards prodigies - young guitarists with extraordinary skills - and mean the young age must prove they 'were born with it'.

The common denominator, in both of these examples, is poor analysis. Because with guitar playing, we have numerous examples of guitarists either lacking, on not using, all their fingers - yet achieving unparalleled level of feel.

In the case of guitar prodigies, as much as they are impressive - they are almost exclusively "copycats". Meaning they have devoted their frenetic practice schedule to copying someone else's style on a granular level.

So in other words, none of these examples prove in any shape or form that feeling can't be taught, or learned.

But we already knew that, because we have been teaching for a long time 😎

Feeling means grasping the micro

When you break down a strong musical performance, you tend to find sophisticated usage of micro- bending, timing, dynamics, tonality and various ornaments. These micro techniques are not only used frequently, but also deliberately. Meaning you have to identify those subtle nunaces, and you need to practice using them at the right time - to achieve feely playing. Sounds kinda difficult, right?

The secret sauce

So how do we teach playing with feeling? Well, turns out that instead of busting our ears & brains with in-depth analysis, we could just...play! That's right, there is an easier way.

A musical performance which sounds downright bad - usually has fundamental problems with pitch, timing or tone.

A performance which sounds boring, but not bad, has all the basic components we expect from a professional musician. However it lacks a unique combination of micro ingredients giving it character. Therefore, it arguably also lacks feeling.

So let's do it

We're trying to say that if you play things you love, while paying attention to details - you will inevitably work your way towards feeling. However, if you work with material you have not chosen by yourself - chances are you will not pay attention to details. Therefore you will end up lacking control of all the subtle stuff that make up for a 'feely' style.

See where we are getting? Now is the time to start using our search engine to find a lesson you truly love 🤗

Gimme some examples

I love dissecting slower solos, as they tend to make great use of micro technqiues. Here are some great examples of that:
Finally, the micro technique course will give you a tremendous advantage in identifying and acquiring the subtle techniques needed for feely playing.

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:
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:
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