Lately, Archie and I have started going through the Harry Potter films.
…And we are having a blast.
I mean, he did get slightly frightened and ran off upstairs, told me he never wanted to watch it anymore, but then 10 seconds later he was peering round the stairs intently and was once again transfixed by it.
Now, there’s a whole load of witches and wizards in Harry Potter, of course.
It got me thinking, if I was a cool cat like the headmaster, Dumbledore, and had a magic wand…
What magic guitar-playing skill would I give to all my students?
I took a few moments to think about this.
I thought about the essential skills of giving them the instant magical ability to…
Immediately reduce tension, play with super smooth basic technique, get faster chord changes, or have better sounding-strumming, etc, etc.
All of the above is great and absolutely essential, of course…
But if I could make one and only one skill happen for you, it would be very simple.
I’d give you the skill of having fun every time you play the instrument.
Yes, that might not sound that “out there” or deep, but Fun (with a capital F) is essential.
It’s the bedrock of being able to play guitar today when you’re motivated…
Or tomorrow when you’re tired from work/life…
And especially next month when things are tough and it feels like life is getting in the way.
I mean, if you know that every time you pick up the guitar, you will have fun and have a few moments of pleasure at the very least…
Your motivation to practise will likely stay pretty darn high.
So will your desire to work on the nitty-gritty technical stuff.
And it’s the nitty-gritty technical stuff that improves us and allows us to have even more fun.
So it’s a positive cycle:
Fun = Enjoyment
Enjoyment = More desire to practise
More desire to practise = Improvement
Improvement = More fun
For that reason, I’d say every single one of you should make it your absolute mission to do something fun on the guitar every day.
The biggest shame of guitar playing for most is as dangerous as a curse from Harry Potter’s nemesis, who is, of course, Lord Voldemort.
And it’s this lack of ability to have fun.
Fun can mean a lot of things.
For instance, it can be by playing one stunning but simple piece of music, or a little riff your other half recognises, fixing a troubling area of a song (breakthrough moments are exciting as well as fun), or jamming the blues, etc.
Think of it this way…
You’re a beginner guitarist which is kind of like being a witch or wizard on day 1 at Hogwarts…
You have a wand in your hand (i.e. your guitar), and you can have an absolute boatload of crazy fun.
…But most people have no idea how to do this.
Well, if that’s the case, it’s time to enjoy yourself and get casting some exciting guitar-playing spells.
And if you want more fun in your playing, then check out my new course.
It’s super inexpensive, you can track your progress, go at your own pace, and use it over and over again.
Not only is it fun, but you will absolutely improve lots of key technical areas in your playing too.
I created this course recently and tested it out a little with a select few students, but now it’s out for release.
You can find out more about it below.
Find out more about the 7-Day Transformation course
Be warned though, if you have some of my other products, there is some overlap between this and those products. That’s because this 7-day course features some of the key essentials and some of the most important lessons I’ve ever taught.
Saying that, the “4-minute workouts” will be brand-new to you, and having a refresher on the basics, fundamentals, and key lessons is always important.
Dan Thorpe
Guitar Domination
P.S. Until the sale finishes next week, if you get this course, you will also get two bonuses that alone are pretty exciting. These are:
#1 – The “Pro Secrets” Mini Course (featuring 21 tips from the legends of guitar such as Clapton, Hendrix, Chet Atkins, Mark Knopfler, Jimmy Page, Tommy Emmanuel, and more).
#2 – Fretboard Fireworks (A collection of my most important lessons on exploring, “unlocking”, and running up and down the fretboard in multiple fun ways).
Let’s say expelliarmus to bad guitar playing!
Okay, enough of me nerding out about Harry Potter, enjoy the course if you get it!
P.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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