You Could Be Great

[Pumpitza]

I think I end up beating myself up more than anyone else does...

[CarlosMacMartin]

This applies to all instruments or activities.

[mukkaukka]

Thanks man!

[CRAIGARRR]

Sound advice. I like how you kept saying learn.. Like this skill is not raw talent.That you have to put in the hours to be great.Granted some might have been born with more talent, but in order to get to a level of greatness, there is sweat involved and the better you want to become , the more effort you must put into it. If you believe you can do something, you can. If you don't think you can do it, you can't. Either way, you're right.

[n2brideau]

Outstanding introspection. Give yourself a pat on the back for this one. Its OK.

I said it was OK :)

[rickyraveon]

Wonderful insights & instruction, Anthony. I also really like supportive comments you give to beginning guitarists on their videos and their playing. Keep the info coming, both the playing and philosophical/mindset vids!

[datluigi]

You saved me from a life of failure. Thank you ^^

[vdjn55]

Words of wisdom! Love your videos, man!

[JonnyEatsPaper]

What you say is 100% true because I've always felt this way in my heart and you've just converted it to words for me. Thank you SO MUCH.

I've got a new-found respect for you.

[jimwgt]

Great video. Your thoughts on ego and happiness apply to a lot more than playing the guitar. The world would be a better place if more people realized this relationship.

[ghbtvtube]

I know people with this problem, but I recognize it also by myself. Especially by people who don't play guitar and tell me how to play. It's bad to have an ego bigger than your ears.

[LazyRockers]

im on my freinds accont, i saw this video and i just thougt, wow this is real man. its not about ego. its self expression. you helped me articulate that man. thats one of the best music lessons and lessons in life man can live by.

[dompascarella]

Sound advice!

[LazyRockers]

you make things as clear as water Anthony!

[pawpaupaw]

Thank You

Greatly Appreciated

[yorkeysa]

This video has come to me at such a perfect time, I can't thank you enough. Thank you so much, Anthony.

[codyn1]

This is very good advice. I appreciate this.

[thejimster1956]

I have learned to embrace constructive criticizem.I appreciate when someone takes the time to help me improve on my guitar playing.very well put.

[jipes]

Great thoughts thanks for sharing this !

[rompo420247]

i have learned a lot from you as a musician. thank you for putting the guitar down and allowing us all to learn something from you as a man with some really great things to say.

[crummler]

GREAT video. SO well said...

[MHeardOnBass]

Hey Anthony, long time watcher, first time commenter. I found your video to be quite eye opening. A large block in my playing was my ears vs. my ego. Before watching this video I didn't realize quite what a roadblock I had in my playing. Thanks for telling it like it is. I hope many more players benefit from the strong message in this. Extremely well done, thank you.

[vvvvq9]

Brilliant video.Wise words,indeed...

[gbsnp123]

When you're speaking about sloppiness, do you mean like "look how good I am thing (while being sloppy all the time)" or "Mike Bloomfield's thing (just search Mike Bloomfield - Stop here)"? The other one is playing because they would like to get girls with it, and the other one just because they love it and don't need to be technical to be good. Like Jimmy Page and Mike Bloomfield. I think you don't mean you will have to be technically good to play well. I love all of these just talking videos.

[Strat0Blues]

Is this good?

[Guitarist6146]

Great video. I've been playing for about 3 1/2 years now. I'm getting into writing some of my own music and a lot of people tell me that I'm really good, but I feel like I could be so much better. I'm open to any advice that people have to give me so please check out my channel. I currently have 2 songs that I wrote on there.

[buckster7777]

Wonderfully articulated, humble, brilliant.

This is some great advice, Anthony, thanks.

[KahunaRory123]

Great Words of advice Anthony, making total sense as usual

[beaudiddley]

Brilliant. Spoken like a true philosopher.

[bigsby1969]

wise words from the snack meister

[itofranco]

Great words! While listening, I was thinking about that old story about Eric Clapton, back in the 60's getting into a deep depression when he was introduced to Jimi Hendrix and saw what he could do with a guitar. Evidently Eric’s ego was flying with people writing down on the walls of London “Clapton is God”. He may have thought there was nothing left worth learning, but then he met Jimi… ooops!!!!

[petercurlymop]

good words :-)

[CTuxford]

This is exactly where I'm at. After hating my playing, and abandoning it for 4 years (8 years on electric) I've come back after some amazing events in my life. Long story. I've been work on the most intermediate stuff to do with physical technique over the last 3 weeks and seen a serious shift in my playing. I've come from the "I'm absolutely shameful" angle and asked some serious pro players where I'm really at. I'm gutted that they told me that I'm actually quite accomplished. 8 years lost!

[migthegreek]

It's interesting to watch a guitar video that explores these mental aspects of how and why people play.

I played for 6 or 7 years a lot, but haven't played at all in about 3 years now.

[MikeNvS]

Thanks alot for the advice man. What blues albums would you recommend for someone who is beginner-intermediate who wants to learn by ear?

Better yet it would be cool if you made a compilation disc of licks and songs for ear training, because I would like to support your work.

[migthegreek]

@MikeNvS I would suggest some BB King. Slow, steady and easy to follow by ear.

[ciclosonico]

Bravo Anthony, very good observation!

[pleximanic]

I know that i am a great musican,STILL i hate my own playing!

[joshyboy152]

It's out of sync because the hz setting for the audio. that puts the sound syncing out.

[PhilipvKlaassen]

Well said!

[Cbluesrocker]

I wish one of my friends would watch this video. He does the opposite of everything you just said. I do some of that stuff too sometimes, but he always does. Everytime I talk about a guitar player his first question is "Are they better than us?" He also hates to be told what he's doing wrong.

[dbrew2u]

You are dead on Brother ! Thanks for both the Inspiration & the excellent Advice.

[mistasoreel]

Amen! And thank you Mr. A

[ignoreboco]

Thanks Anthony. Now i'm gonna go play. Your a huge motivation for me. you rock.

[TBIRD100450]

You are so right. Thanks!

[karmadave]

Anthony. Thanks for the words of wisdom. You should write a book...

[notwaiting]

First time I've heard anyone address these points on playing guitar.

You could apply these points to almost anything else also, nonetheless, very worth watching!

Thank you!!

[tcinpa37]

Excellent words of wisdom, Anthony. I've learned a lot from your lessons, probably more "philosophically" just because of your natural knack for wrapping concepts and approach ideas together; those lessons actually lead to more exploration and advancement/new licks for me than mere "here's a phrase note-for-note" videos. Thanks so much. You're a smart dude.

If I could offer you a genuine critique, try not pulling your fingers so far off the board in leads. Wasted motion=less speed/fluency.

[TobyEllisSongwriter]

audio is fixed, we heard it all! awesome, cheers Mr. Stevie Snacks :D

[TheBlackCrayon77]

I can dig it. More cats need to focus on the mental rather than the obsession of trying to become rock gods. Not everyone was built to become amazing, this is why not all guitar players have steady work, amazing bands, etc, etc.... I play for one reason and one reason only. It is the reason that started me playing and it holds true and strong till this day. I LOVE IT MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF. It was music that drew me in and hooked me my the gills. Thank you music.

[joeyguitarlo]

Yes, I blame youtube also.  I upload a video with perfect sync and for some reason the timing is just off. I tried deleting and uploading again, no luck.

[hiddenpunk291]

good vid man!

PS: would recommend people read 'The Inner Game of Music', covers similar things to this

[wawalb]

Excellent thoughts and advice. Many thanks.

[itzed]

This man speaks the truth.

[dreamquarter]

Most of the time your worst enemy is your ego

[dreamquarter]

@dreamquarter John Frusciante said that once...

[rockerdude29]

what about paul gilbert? haha. he has no where to improve lol.the man is good at everything.

[lagatuda]

@rockerdude29 That would be even funnier if it were true!

[timm63]

practice!!! I tell my son this all the time and I live it, I have a guitar in my hand if I am sitting still, will I be great? no but more practice makes playing more enjoyable. Great video!

[zachymusic]

I dont usually comment on videos, but this was really inspiring, as a wannabe professional musician.

Very wise words, and applies to more than just guitar, and more than one generation. Bravo, Anthony, bravo.

[mystro810]

I dont think there is ever a ceiling in guitar playing. People become satisfied for whatever reason with their ability. Jimi Hendrix would have continued to advance as a guitar player had he not died. There is nobody that truly masters the guitar. There is always something else out there. Look at 2 great players like Eddie Van Halen and Jerry Douglas, 2 extraordinary players that cant replicate what the other one does. If you feel you peaked in one genre/style of guitar take another playing path

[tofel65]

Thank you Steve. you' ve saved a lot of time . Now I am going to put up my guitars for sale on E BAY

[myke7621]

I find my journey I have with the guitar to be really amazing. I usually feel like I'm getting nowhere but if I reflect to where I was 10 weeks, 10 months, 10 years ago, it's amazing how all the little improvements add up. I think it is important to have small goals of what you want to learn in a short time frame (ie. this week) so your limited practice time is focused and not just playing over the same things you can already do well. Nice topic Anthony.

[DrewAnti1960]

i think you should try to learn every day ,thats me,i try to learn something new every day,with ears ,and with tab,and with music,and lots of time,and iv been playing for over 35 years ,and i suck,LOL,but i still do it,cause i love it.

I hear ya man

50 years old and still goin

[kurtcarbain]

This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way. I would obsess over being the best guitar player ever and it brought me alot of grief, but when i let go of that goal and stopped comparing myself to others and started playing just for the enjoyment of playing and learning and being challenged by learning new things, guitar playing becomes much enjoyable.

[kurtcarbain]

And when you sit down and do something simply for the pure enjoyment of doing it, and not necessarily to fulfill some egomaniacle goal, then you will often progress and see amazing results that you had never dreamed of because they come about out of the love for the activity and not out of the egotistacle ideas.

[kurtcarbain]

Its always great to learn something and then challenge yourself even more by trying to learn something new. If you learn something and you got it down, you become board with doing that. So its good if you move on to something your completely horrible at (like me and 8 finger tapping and sweep picking LOL) and try your hardest to master it. Not to satisfy your ego, but out of the sheer enjoyment of the challenge.

[armth26]

@kurtcarbain Same here, man, same here. In my case, I lost the will to practice because suddenly there were all these kids who were better than me - at that time I really thought it was a matter of talent and not of hard work. But when I started playing again just because I wanted to, and I really enjoyed just making music, everything, including my chops, followed.

[kurtcarbain]

i really like his vid. Your right its about continous improvement. You will never get to the point where you learn everything on the guitar because their is always something new to learn and do. I love picking up my guitar and completely sucking at something, because that gives me the opportunity to display my will and self determination to learn a certain technique and become good at it and have a sense of pride in the fact that I sought down and played for hours on in until I got it.

[kurtcarbain]

To all the guitar players out their. Your pride in your playing shouldn't be in your ability alone, but also in the hardwork that you put in to obtain a certain level of ability. Its not about playing to be the best in the world, its about playing to be the best that you can possibly be.

[yatah]

I think the "validation" part is more related to somebody's personality and/or psychological state than guitar. People with insecurities will always look out for people to tell them what they wanna hear.

Coming from the master himself: "find yourself first

and then your talent

work hard in your mind

so you can come alive"

A great video nonetheless. :)

[maliceheart18]

wow, goood video! i have an ego problem and im VERYY concerned to eliminating it. thank you so much

[rootboyslim]

you are a great player, but you do play sloppy sometimes, having said that I wish I could play half as good as you. Also sloppy isn't always bad, just look at the grateful dead.I was sad when you didn't make it to the Guitar Center King of the Blues competition, I thought the equipment and sound you were getting really hurt you. Anyway, please keep on making videos, and thanks for all the great instruction.

[ebmx66]

Great lesson Anthony! I suggest you read a book called "The Talent Code" or just take a look at something called "Deliberate Practice".... it is a very interesting read and basically outlines that there is no proof that natural talent or a limit to capability exists

[johnnnybruce]

Thanks Anthony, a very inspiring lesson!

[NotJustMusic]

eye opener!