Practice - The Arch Nemesis Of Playing

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

That's right, practice.

Practice is the arch nemesis of playing.

For every bit of fun playing an instrument is, there are countless hours of practice required to get us to the point where we can really enjoy it.

After all, there is only so much fun in twanging away on the strings, endlessly fiddling about like attempting to discover the intricate workings of a bra clasp in the dark, before you become sidetracked by something or hand it off to someone else to show you how it's done.

Once you figure it out though, when you finally churn out Stranglehold for the first time, there is a feeling unlike anything you may have encountered up until then. Kind of like what happens after that same bra clasp let's go for the first time.

You take it in for a split second, at least.

Now, I should say, I am writing completely from a heterosexual white male guitar player point of view. I can only imagine it is the same for other people, with other instruments, and the learning curve therein. The first time you drum along with your favourite song, play the keyboard line, bass line, whatever it is, I bet it feels fucking great!

Either that, or guitar is just awesome!

If this was a Facebook post I would put a winking smiley face here.

Seriously though, if the first time you can play your favourite music on whatever instrument you are playing you don't get a fantastic feeling from it, try a different instrument, or, ask your parents if you are a robot, or something.

As far as the bra comparison goes, I stand by that. It doesn't matter what your kick is, if you like girls and have ever tried to unfasten that damned thing, in the dark, around her, while trying to look cool and have never played guitar before, then that is exactly what playing guitar for the first time is like.

You have no idea what you are doing.

You know it's going to be great, if you can ever figure it out.

You will get frustrated until someone helps you.

AND

Once you know how you will get better with practice.

Which is where we started this all in the first place; discussing the need for practicing.

There was a meme on social media recently that said that the person learned how to do it in 30 minutes over the course of years and the customer was paying for the years, not the minutes. So too, with guitar.

These days it's way easier than when I was growing up. You can hit up YouTube for some free how to videos or play Rocksmith on a video game console, but when I was coming up there weren't a lot of guitar shredders in my area so guitar lessons comprised of an old Christian fella showing you Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Happy Birthday and so on.

Basic and boring, but nothing without practice.

The problem is, like when anything is difficult, it is tough to knuckle down and get after it. I mean after all, there's all that work to be done figuring out those damn bras.

Distraction is paramount and surfaces in the most mundane places if you aren't careful.

After all, let's face it, are you really, actually, into watching Dr. Phil right now?

I’d probably put another one of those winking smileys here…

Rest assured though, if you turn the TV off (unless you're watching a YouTube video on practice practices, in which case disregard), pick up that guitar and keep cranking out that Twinkle, Twinkle Birthday crap, that sooner or later, you will get better at it and it will suck less. Both the song and your enjoyment level of it.

Not unlike the bra clasp.

Plus, the more you practice your guitar the better your chances of trying your luck on a few of them clasps, if you know what I’m saying… (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

So maybe the motivation to practice vs bra clasp comparison isn't so far off after all. I mean, if ever there was a better motivation to practice guitar than breasts I haven't heard it. Yeah, I know, I learned to play guitar in the end which is awesome and brings me great joy, but really breasts were a bit of a motivator.

I am a bit of a socially awkward guy with no features that would ever put me in a competition for most handsome man, so a bit of talent and a whole pile of practice would go a long way in helping me overcome those obstacles later on.

So next time you don't want to practice just imagine all those breasts… oh wait, now that seems more Iike a distraction in that context; and distractions prevent practice, which prevents you from getting better at your craft, which is the real reward.

Catch 22

Which goes only to further prove just how hard it is to buckle down and get to work in the first place.

Hell, you're probably not practicing now so you can read this instead. So, first off, thank you for reading!

Now though… you really should go practice.

Just you, your guitar and one hell of a bra clasp to decipher.

#playguitar #betterwithpractice #guitar #shutupandplay #guitarvsbraclasp #seasonsintheabyss