Welcome to a new Monday post with 3 random thoughts on all things guitar, music, and life, including thoughts on making it look easy, Chuck Berry’s duckwalk, and more.
Here we go…
#1 – “Duckwalk”
I got a few good comments on one of my Instagram videos yesterday.
The video is about getting in the “groove” when playing music.
…And being able to switch rhythms while keeping solid timing.
The person who left the comment said, “The real answer to keep tempo is to dance”.
That’s true in many ways.
…But playing guitar is hard enough at first, so the idea of dancing while you play is probably too much.
I mean, how cool was it when Chuck Berry would play his wild rock ‘n’ roll riffs while doing his “duckwalk” across the stage?! (Not easy though!)
…But the underlying thing I think the person was saying was this…
When playing, move your body to the groove.
Tap your foot, nod your head, and feel the music running through you.
The more you can sync your body and the groove, the better it is for your playing.
Plus, you’ll feel more connected to the music and that is always a good thing.
…And if you want to “duckwalk” across your living room while jamming, go for it!
#2 – Making it look easy
I mentioned recently how I’ve been playing around with some camera equipment.
Well, lately I’ve invested a fair bit of dough into some new gear.
Camera, lenses, lights, and all the bits that come with them.
Me and Archie have also swapped some rooms around in my house, so I’ve got a better studio room.
It took a lot of tweaking to get things looking good.
At first, the videos were grainy, then overly bright.
It’s taken hours of tweaking, and testing, and watching videos about different lighting setups.
I can imagine a pro could have walked into the room and gotten everything looking good in just minutes.
…And that’s like watching a skilled guitarist.
When you’re early on in your playing, you’ll see a skilled player who can pick up a guitar at will and make it look easy.
…But they probably spent 1000s of hours tweaking and refining all the little details in their playing.
Technique, timing, coordination, accuracy, tone, and so much more.
That’s a lesson that hit home this week for me in terms of lighting and the video stuff…
…But it’s 100% apt for guitarists too.
Remember, many people make it look easy, but that’s only because they’ve put in the countless hours.
#3 – YouTube
I’ve long since had a love/hate relationship with YouTube.
In some ways, it’s wonderful.
In some ways, it hurts my head.
Just like so much social media, I log in to do one thing, but then the distractions take over…
…And before I know it, I’m watching a video about someone making a surfboard from polystyrene boxes…
Even though I logged in to watch a Jimi Hendrix gig!
How does that even happen?
Since last year though, I’ve been creating short video reels on various social media sites.
…And I’ve been enjoying it.
So I’m making a comeback on YouTube.
From this week onwards, I’ll be posting full-length videos on YouTube which cover many of the things I talk about in my emails.
I’m not sure of the exact schedule as yet but I’m really excited about this.
One of the big issues with YouTube is that there are just too many random lessons which overload students.
So I’ve been thinking, what is the best way to make sure I don’t add to that noise?
Well, one thing I’ll be doing is releasing videos that tie in with the big picture of my teaching methods.
So, basically, I’ll release videos that work hand in hand with my books, courses, and DTAA membership.
To me, that’s important because I want these YouTube videos to complement my teaching – and not battle it.
Anyway, the first video I’ll be releasing will be a video on having endless fun with one of my favourite fingerpicking patterns.
It’s a pattern I teach in my Fingerstyle 101 video course.
The video will be like a nice supplementary extra to the course.
You won’t need the course to enjoy the new video, but it will certainly be very beneficial.
Anyway, I‘ll let you know when that video is out on YouTube.
In the meantime, if you want the Fingerstyle 101 video course, until Wednesday it is on sale and you can check it out below…
Find out more about the Fingerstyle 101 Video Course
Have a great week!
Dan Thorpe
Guitar Domination
P.S. This post was originally taken from Dan Thorpe’s private email list. To get blog posts like this sent to you which are full of great tips to make fingerpicking, strumming, and learning guitar more enjoyable (especially if you are over 40) join Dan’s list. It’s 100% free, HERE.
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