AxeFire @axefireca

Guitar-focused self mastery. axefire.ca Joined February 2010

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Write out a short list of “dream goals” for your guitar playing. Now pick one and give yourself 4 months to achieve it. The only thing actually holding you back from achieving this is how you perceive yourself and your capacity to develop skills.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Feeling uncomfortable regularly is the only way to regularly see breakthroughs in your technique.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

We all sometimes avoid practicing certain things. These are often the things that will make the biggest difference to your progress.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Taking a few minutes before each practice session to set an intention/goal will save you years of stagnation.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

The best practice routine or training program won’t do shit for you if you aren’t excited about what you’re doing. You can’t outsmart lack of passion.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Sometimes, saying “fuck it” and just going for it is the only way forward.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

The thing that helps drive information into long-term memory is novelty. This is true for skill development, too: if you want your practicing to “stick,” make it novel. Find new and exciting ways to practice old material.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

If you are practising regularly and not seeing results, take a look at how you’re structuring your practice time. Instead of practising MORE, try changing the allocation of your time: 70% focus on your weaknesses/new material, and 30% focus on your strengths/old material

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Say you have an hour/week to practice. You’ll get way more out of 4x 15m sessions than you would if you sat down for a full hour on one day and let the rest of the week go by. Consistency is king!

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

When your pick attacks the string, there is a transfer of energy. Either the pick will bend, or the string will move. How hard you hold the pick influences how the string reacts to your attack. Allowing the pick to move less will give you more control over the string.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Taking a day off every now and then will help your progress, not hinder it.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Guitarists looking to make huge progress: it has less to do with your hands then you might think. Consistency in your practising is critical. The biggest progress killers are things that threaten your consistency. Find them and eliminate them.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

If you’re an “ear” player: practice sight-reading and reading rhythms. If you’re a “by the book” player: practice improvising. Regardless of which polarity feels more natural to you, everyone needs both. Work on your weaknesses.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

The way you feel emotionally directly affects how much tension you hold when you play. Therefore, if you want to become a great player, wouldn’t it make sense to work on becoming more emotionally intelligent?

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

There’s a difference between practicing scales and practicing finger movements.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Save time by creating templates in your DAW for different kinds of practice. Have all your plugins and drum loops saved in the templates.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Your thumb placement directly affects how comfortably you can reach notes with your 4th finger.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Instead of trying to break down “walls” in your technique, practice just at the edge of what is comfortable and turn your old “uncomfortable speed” into your new comfort zone, moving your previous uncomfortable speed into new territory.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Set practice goals just at the edge of your ability — within your capabilities but hard enough that you really need to focus to execute. Your goal is to make this “zone” feel more comfortable.

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AxeFire @axefireca

4 years ago

Your practice time is best spent with a single-focus, and a concrete goal. Write your goals ahead of time, so your mind has targets to aim at, making your practicing more effective. Spend time BEFORE your practice sessions writing down ONE concrete goal per exercise.