Music Information

Guitarists...Are You A Victim and A Loser?


I was thinking today about THE most dangerous enemy of musical progress?the victim mentality. What do I mean by this?

Often we can let our personal circumstances dictate our progress. For example, someone may let their guitar practice slide because they were really busy at work. This person may start making excuses such as "I didn't have time". This is victim mentality. It is believing that your musical progress is only possible when external circumstances allow it.

What they are really saying to themselves is that their musical dreams and goals are not as important as paying a few lousy bills.They are letting their boss's goals get in the way of their own.

Now?I can't point fingers at anyone. I've been guilty of having a victim mentality plenty of times! Especially when it comes to things like going to the gym :) But I don't have a victim mentality when it comes to guitar practice. There is virtually nothing that I will allow to get in the way of my musical progress.

So?how can you stop yourself from becoming a victim and a loser?

1.Stop making excuses.
I can guarantee that for every excuse you can make there is someone out there who has overcome that obstacle. Don't allow yourself to make excuses. They are the death of your musical dreams.

2. Watch your language.
For example, rather than saying "I couldn't find the time" say "I am acting like a complete and absolute loser and if I continue acting like this I will NEVER achieve my musical goals". Because that statement is pretty painful to say, you'll soon stop making excuses!

3. Think of solutions.
For excuses that you normally make, think of ways of overcoming those obstacles. For example, if you are constantly using your work as a reason why you can't practice, ask yourself questions like?

"How can I get paid more but work less hours?".
"How can I get paid while I sleep?".
"How can I stay home all day and practice?".

If you ask enough questions like this on a daily basis, you will find a solution eventually.

4. Think of your "Why".
These are the reasons why you want to achieve your musical goals. If your why is strong enough, You will NEVER want to stop practicing for any reason.

5. Think of your role models.
Use your role models to motivate and inspire you to keep on practicing. Every time you start to make an excuse, ask yourself "Would__________make this excuse?" For example, one of my favourite guitarists is Steve Vai. I could NEVER imagine making him excuses for not practicing!

To finish off here's a quote that you may want to memorize?

"You can either become a great guitarist, or you can make excuses, but you can't do both".

Craig Bassett (The Guitar Solutions Expert) is a professional guitarist, guitar tutor and author living in Auckland, New Zealand.

For free online guitar lessons go to:
Free Online Guitar Lessons.


MORE RESOURCES:

'08 music sales hit record high
Hollywood Reporter, United States - Jan 4, 2009
Overall music sales set record in 2008, with more than 1.5 billion units sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Nielsen Co.'s annual year-end music ...
Rock Ruled Music In 2008: Biggest Sellers Revealed antiMUSIC.com
Music Sales Reach a Record High, But Not Through Album Sales TheCelebrityCafe.com
Music sales boom, but albums fizzle for '08 USA Today
New York Times - Los Angeles Times
all 521 news articles


Los Angeles Times

Musebin: The future of music reviews?
Los Angeles Times, CA - 1 hour ago
The user-driven site allows for only a sentence or two, paring down music reviews to a Twitter or Facebook status update. Although the launch of such a site ...
Musebin's 140-Character Reviews Go Live, Power Hype Machine Wired News
Hype Machine Zeitgeist: Listen in Full to the 50 Most Blogged ... ReadWriteWeb
all 4 news articles


More schools getting in tune with mariachi
The Associated Press - 13 hours ago
Then the teenager started playing the music of the elder's homeland. Perez, 14, took a mariachi music class at his Fort Worth high school, ...


PR Web (press release)

Miccus Unleashes Digital Music: Launches BluBridge Home Speaker ...
Reuters - 12 hours ago
Bridge Music Wirelessly from an iPod, Macbook or Phone to Existing Home Stereo and Audio/Video Equipment HOLLAND, Mich.--(Business Wire)-- Amidst a growing ...
Tenqa to Exhibit New Line of Bluetooth® Wireless Speakers ... PR Web (press release)
Miccus Debuts BluBridge Wireless Speakers, Transmitters and Receivers TMCnet
all 18 news articles


New York Times

Music Review | Yefim Bronfman
New York Times, United States - 4 hours ago
His chamber music concert with musicians from the New York Philharmonic seemed to owe something to Carnegie Hall’s Perspectives programs, in the sense that ...


The Oregonian - OregonLive.com

Free music gushes out of the Internet, if you know where to look
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, OR - 3 hours ago
by Luciana Lopez, The Oregonian Jake Coyle/AP Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings perform at the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tenn., last June. ...
Free music Web site plays to individual taste The Huntsville Times - al.com
all 4 news articles


Javno.hr

YouTube dispute underscores music labels' weak hand
Video/Imaging DesignLine, New York - 10 hours ago
By Reuters The music industry, faced with declining CD sales, has repeatedly tried to find new income streams only to see its partners thrive with minimal ...
How To Solve The Big Music/YouTube Spat: Copy MySpace All Things D Blogs
Hulu keeps bringing in the fans, even without Sarah Palin Reuters
VIDEO: Beyonce Sweeps Away Competition On YouTube Javno.hr
Bizjournals.com - TG Daily
all 38 news articles


Hollywood's Musicians Institute teaches the endangered art of A & R
Los Angeles Times, CA - 6 hours ago
In the troubled music industry, many labels have cut or eliminated their artists-and-repertoire staff. But instructors at MI are determined to teach the ...


Should software face the flat-rate music future?
CNET News, CA - 9 hours ago
As Ars Technica points out, the music industry as a whole grew in 2008, with online sales accelerating. But this, too, doesn't tell the whole story. ...


BBC News

Prince Plots Three New Albums for 2009: “This Music Is Nasty, But ...
Rolling Stone - 8 hours ago
As for Elixir, Prince said, “We got sick of waiting for Sade to make a new album,” adding, “This music is nasty, but it’s not dirty. ...
Prince x3 In 2009 Pop Culture Zoo
And he's set to release three new albums in 2009… MTV UK
Today in Music News: Prince Is Back; Alice In Chains Is Too; Queen ... Dallas Observer
LiveDaily.com - FMQB
all 99 news articles

Music - Google News

home | site map
© 2006