Today, I want to share a cool tip that definitely applies to the guitar.

When we run a marathon (Let’s pretend) how do we do it? We usually start off at a slow pace and run towards to the finish line. Since the finish line is far off, it makes little sense to sprint since we’d be out of breath after a mile. We are in for a long haul.

In guitar playing, however, our playing goals such as better fluidity, better dextrerity, a part of a solo that should be mastered or a new recording can be achieved with better results if we pick-up the pace a bit. Think of these things as a sprint. Set the target and go like hell to the finish line.

Because, unlike a marathon, we are closer to great results than we give ourselves credit for.

I think it’s a wise move to approach guitar playing as a sprint and not a marathon. Or, at least as a marathon that is composed of little sprints. Let’s pick up the pace and be in a bigger hurry to get to the results. That means less goofing around when playing and getting to what we need to work on. Establish razor sharp focus, pick up the pace and lock in.

Things we want to achieve often are closer to us than what we sometimes think.
Anything we watch and stay on top of improves.

Lastly, don’t analyze your playing achievements once a year or every few months. Measure them more often! Perhaps even weekly. What have you done with your playing this week? Was it a day of good practice, 3 days of noodling and 3 days off? Again, if we think goals are far way (Marathon mentality) we don’t press enough. Think sprint and measure often.

I have a strong belief that people who perform at high levels measure their progress very often, perhaps daily if not hourly.