I want to piggy-back on last week’s post, “Get UP?”.

There have been a lot of times that I have compared myself to someone else. Have even been discouraged by the playing of an awesome guitar player.

This is NOT right!

You should never be discouraged by someone else’s ability. EVER!

Encouraged and inspired is all you should ever feel when comparing yourself to anyone.

In fact, you should never compare yourself to someone else -PERIOD. 

Judge yourself against yourself. That is what Champions do.

Strive to get just a little better each and everyday from the person/player you were the day before – because you have no limits!!

It doesn’t serve you to compare yourself to someone else because everyone brings something different to the party. 

I can’t tell you how many times I have been at a gig and thought I absolutely sucked and blew it, only to have a ton of people come up to me and tell me how talented I am and what a natural player I am!

Then there are times when I felt like I nailed it - big time! Just to have someone come up to me and say so and so is better, “it was ok”, blah, blah, blah.

I personally laugh everytime someone tells me I am natural – yeah right!

Little do they know the amount of hours I spent teaching myself guitar, scouring over albums/tapes/cd’s, searching through books just to figure out chords and riffs – HOURS!

Natural? No. Dedicated? YES! 

Ask any player, and if they are honest, they will tell you the same – it takes practice and time. Some people call it noodling, some call it jamming, some call it what it is…practice. Doesn’t have to be formal, just has to include you picking up the instrument and playing – guess what? That is practicing. And to be good, you have to do it. 

The only thing that separates you from the Steve Vai’s, Eddie Van Halen’s, Stevie Ray Vaughn”s, Jeff Beck’s, and on and on and on is they put more into the guitar than you have. And if you are on their level, then you know what you have had to put into it to get there. Heck, Steve Vai used to play 12 hours a day to warm up!!  If you want to be at that level, then you better open up your schedule and put some time in like he did. 

But most important is to not get discouraged if you can’t. It is ok!

Compare yourself to who you are today by who you were tomorrow and enjoy the progress. If you slip back, then GET UP and do what you need to do to get to the level YOU want to get to.   

If you need help getting UP as fast as you can get my Rapid Playing Method for Guitar: Solo and I will help you OR get someone else’s program – there are plenty of ways for you to get where you need to go. No excuses!!

Bottom Line: Enjoy the Journey! Have Fun! and Appreciate what a great player had to go through to get there.

You can do it too. I know you can, heck I did!

With a little time, the right program, and a positive attitude:

YOU CAN DO IT TOO!!

Related posts:

1. Is it Greener?