Spring is here, at least it is in the northern hemisphere, but you wouldn’t think it was spring right now in the UK.
Instead, we have rain, rain, and more rain, and Archie’s first under-10s cricket match was called off today.
…But as it is Spring, let’s talk about having a “spring clean” on the guitar.
#1 – Your practice room
This morning I spent some time tidying, sorting, and cleaning my studio/practice room.
It’s important because if you’re like me, no doubt when you step foot into your practice room, you want it to be an inspiring environment.
Tripping up over cables, treading on books, and accidentally booting my footstool across the room like a missile (as I did yesterday) is not fun.
I’m a big believer in making the space we practise in super inspiring.
I’ve had students send me photos over the years of their practice spaces.
A few have had the walls adorned with canvas images of the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, and more.
…But as some people practise in rooms used for other purposes too, they prefer a completely clear space.
Either way, it’s nice to have a room that works for you.
…But did you know having a plant in a room is proven to increase creativity?
Well, I’m not exactly Alan Titchmarsh (a famous UK gardener), but I like to have plants in various rooms in my house and have just put one in my studio.
After all, what musician doesn’t want more creativity?!
…Not just creativity for writing music but creative thinking for solving issues on the guitar.
Here’s another way to have a spring clean…
#2 – Organise your list of goals
Do you have a written list of goals?
Not everyone does, but getting your goals down on paper can be like a spring clean for the mind.
Most of us have multiple things we want to achieve over the next few months/years.
Getting them down on paper (I love having a notebook) is powerful.
It will clear your mind a little and help with any randomness.
…And if you do have a notebook already but it’s as disorganised and as crazy as a Led Zeppelin after-show party back in the day, then reorganising your goals and aims can help.
I say that because, if you are the type of student who makes notes, then over time, the notebook can get cluttered.
And every now and then, it’s worth tweaking them.
Think of it like an aeroplane.
The pilot knows the destination he/she wants to reach but has to constantly tweak and “course correct” on the way.
On the guitar, you may have to do the same with your goals.
Is this easy?
Well, it’s not massively hard.
Does it take effort and thinking?
Of course.
…But twenty minutes today, putting both of the above ideas into action, can save you a lot of “aggro” (as in aggravation) as folks ‘round here say.
Talking of spring cleaning, one thing I’ve been wanting to do for a while was tidy up the “my content” section of my website where my courses are hosted.
I’ve now tweaked it so the main courses are on one page, and the eBooks and bonus content are on secondary pages.
This makes the main page less cluttered. If you’ve ever bought any products directly from me, you’ll see this when you log in and access the “my content” part of my website.
By the way, as a kid, my dream job when I grew up was to be an airline pilot.
It would have been fun, but I must say, I’d have hated having to be away from Archie (and my guitars for too long). Plus, I’m not sure me jamming Pink Floyd’s “Learning to Fly” on my guitar in the cockpit would have gone down too well – haha.
Anyway, if you want more help achieving your goals on the guitar and you’ve ever felt stuck with the basics, then you might like to check this out…
Guitar Domination Super eBook Bundle
Have a great day!
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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