A short while ago I sent out an email talking about how powerful simple music can be.
…And why it’s far better to play simple things well rather than complex things badly.
Well, in that email I made a joke about a certain Mr Ed Sheeran.
I said I just don’t get why he’s so popular and although he seems like a nice fella…
I jokingly said I’d rather hear Donald Duck quacking the tune to “Amazing Grace” than listen to Ed Sheeran’s songs.
It got a couple of interesting responses…
One response was from a subscriber who actually sent me a link of someone doing a Donald Duck impression while singing “Amazing Grace”.
I was laughing out loud at this and the fact that someone actually managed to find this.
That’s a crazy coincidence (it’s on YouTube).
…But another email was a tad more passive-aggressive and said this:
“Well, while I am not a fan of Ed Sheeran, I would still prefer to play my songs in front of 100,000 people than being interesting. Was it really necessary to compare him to Daffy Duck to make your point?”
Well, blow my shirt off for having an opinion and making a joke.
I must say, for starters, it was Donald Duck who I mentioned – not Daffy Duck.
Please get your ducks correct (I’m kidding here).
The point is, though, some people don’t like opinions or any sort of personality. (If so, this guy will hate my upcoming podcast).
Yet one of the most exciting things about music is that our opinions are unique to us.
No two people have the exact same music taste.
We all love certain artists with a passion.
And we all have those artists whose music we find as irritating and unpleasant as nails being scratched down a chalkboard.
In a world where things such as art, TV, cinema, and opinions and thoughts are becoming more and more bland and uniform…
I find the place music has in our lives is super exciting and allows us to be true individuals.
I love those endless debates I’ve had over the years with various friends about certain artists.
Sometimes there will be a band I really didn’t like, but after chatting with a friend, they’d play me a tune by the band and I’d think, “Wow, I like this one”.
Then before I know it, I’ve got the album, I bought gig tickets, and got the t-shirt.
…And on the guitar, I find you have a unique opportunity to let your personality shine even more.
You can be the wild and passionate strummer who only needs a few chords to make killer jams.
You can be the fingerpicker who can create beautiful music from just a handful of notes.
You can be the fingerstyle melody player, the rock lead guitarist, the blues jammer, or anything else.
Of course, you don’t just have to choose one of the above.
You can take bits and pieces of any style, throw them into the cauldron and see what comes out.
After all, you’re one of a kind and you can show this through your guitar playing.
Expressing yourself via your guitar gets easier the better you get at playing.
So never stop trying to improve and never be afraid to share who you are through your guitar playing.
I hope you found that helpful.
If you want specific lessons to help your playing so you can be the best guitarist you can be, you might want to check this out.
Guitar Domination Super eBook Bundle
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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