Here are two more interesting emails I have got lately. I hope you find the emails and my thoughts useful…
Email #1…
In response to my email the other day about “Tino the Terrible” who was basically insulting all beginners (especially those who can’t play a C chord), this was an interesting response I got from Bryan….
“I knew a guy who played rhythm in a college band, and we were talking about how we got into music. His was taught through traditional formal methods. He had a teacher who was trying to teach the basics and he would practice but didn’t improve.
Finally, the teacher told him that she could no longer, in good conscience, continue to take his money for guitar lessons. She also said some people aren’t able to play. So for him, the formal lessons were out, but he didn’t stop trying to learn to play. He just found a method that worked for him.”
Bryan
Interesting email from Bryan that.
On the surface, this looks like the teacher was doing a decent thing.
Not taking the student’s money because their conscience got in the way sounds all well and good and like they are morally decent.
I don’t necessarily think so though.
I mean, how gut-wrenching must it have been for the student to hear those words from someone they trust, that they are essentially “unteachable”.
What the teacher needed to do, in my opinion, was work harder at finding a solution for this student.
It sounds a bit to me like the teacher just gave up on the student, but well done to the student for not giving up and finding his own way.
A few years ago, a chap called Steve was in a similar situation.
His old tutor actually said the word “unteachable” to him, which gutted him.
Another of my students recommend my lessons to him and so he started again.
Steve always had that baggage from the old teacher nagging at him when things didn’t go so well.
Thankfully, he did well though and could play some good stuff and would even smile as he played after a while!
This is why I say, choose who you learn from carefully, a real teacher doesn’t give up on students and should never take the easy way out.
Anyway, onto Email #2
This was a comment left inside my Fingerstyle 101 VIDEO course the other day…
“I’m very impressed so far with the content you are sharing. I have bought and subscribed to multiple guitar training sites, and you already shared some things that others failed to mention. Not that they probably didn’t know those things, but they didn’t think to mention them.
Focusing on keeping the fingers of your fretting hand spread out, turning the plucking hand more downward and creating some space from lifting the wrist out. I’m already feeling a difference in fluidity and relaxation as I play.
Great stuff, looking forward to the coming lessons.”
Tobin
That comment was created around 24 hours after Tobin had enrolled in the course.
So, good work, Tobin. He shows the power of not only seeking out resources that will help him but also using them, and getting stuck into them immediately.
I also think Tobin hits the nail on the head when he says, “Not that they probably didn’t know those things, but they didn’t think to mention them.”
Yep.
Too many teachers gloss over things, and my theory is that a lot of teachers just want to get to the fun stuff where they can show off their tricks and impressive stuff.
Some teachers just aren’t aware of the importance of the basics at all though.
This means the essentials like hand position, getting a nice tone, accurate picking, using a light touch, etc., all get glossed over or totally ignored.
So if like Tobin you’ve tried some lessons and resources in the past but they haven’t worked for you, you might want to give the Fingerstyle 101 video course a try.
Of course, if you get it, you will need to log in, use the lessons, and apply what you learn.
Do that and like Tobin, you might find it makes a difference in less than one day for you too.
Find out more about the Fingerstyle 101 Video Course
Have a great Thursday!
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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