David Russell on Preserving Enthusiasm

[guitarzcool]

Enjoyed that very much. I teach and love the guitar, many students can't get away from my studio once I get started. Hearing you play inspires me and m,akes me smile at the talent and technique on show.. Brilliant,

I attended an old guitar teachers funeral, Ron Moore in Glasgow and it was said that even in his 80's his enthusiasm was such that 'you couldn't get out once you were in his place for a lesson.'

Good to hear someone of your musical stature take time to offer guidance.

Scotland UK

[derrotas]

MAESTRO de Maestros

[MSclassicalguitarduo]

Sometimes to my morning warming up I add one powerful thing: I watch a short YT video like this one. Thanx David!

Sorry to speak off topic now, but let me paraphrase your "Remember, why you started..." It helps me a lot as well: "Remember, why you married her!"

[itzlucia]

que gran maestro!!!

[dizzyvonclutch]

Your video is not in sync with your audio.

[LutenistDeMari]

What if you don't wake up till the afternoon?

[newislandguitar]

great advice and very true!..why play if your not having fun...really keeps the "feel" and "emotion" in the music-I hear too many ""dead" players sometimes....."yaaaawn..."  ;)

[tiger1vkulmala]

strange mixture of Spanish and Scottish accent, very good guitarist!

[karinfeug]

merci David pour ces conseils de sage, ils sont tellement vrais et il faut les écouter sans modération quand la motivation baisse un peu car celui qui a la chance de jouer de la guitare a de l'or dans ses doigts,c'est un instrument merveilleux,,,

[gipcarp]

I´m having hell trying to get the tremolo right on this "recuerdos.." the right hand free-strokes as i´ve heard must be played with the hole finger,but it´s so easy to get the rythm with just the top of the fingers.I practise therefore more (for me) easy pieces like "mazurka" and so on,just for the fun and the magic feeling of getting poetry,and music with my hands.

[wrongbuzz]

his heart seems as pure as his music!

[PierreBruno]

Who are the 8 put a thumb down ?...

[MusicbyBenjamin]

Wow! Everyone who Is Isn't Enthusiastic about Practicing Classical Guitar, WATCH THIS VIDEO! I recommend It.

[mimbster1972]

Very good advice, I think they're quite meaningful.

[weskoki]

Whats with the russian accent?

[bobbygoesbig]

@weskoki Scottish.

[BenoBelduma]

Estimado maestro!.

Quiero decir que ya su forma de tocar es una enseñanza para mi, mas que clases magistrales..,

Es un deliete para quienes apreciamos la tecnica y la expresión musical

y las nuevas concepciones de lamúsica..

B. Belduma

[Dreamdek]

mio mito!

[Kikokix2007]

He's right.. The reason why it is called "Playing an instrument" because you should have fun doing it...

[lZay007]

Maravillosos consejos maestro Rusell, Gracias.

[TheJester1962]

Wise words from the master himself ... what's always struck and inspired me is the way Maestro Russell literally woos his instrument of choice into loving the audience, which has "loved him back" for many decades. The ultimate serenade!

[bicguitar]

What David is saying is so important! I often see players that are technically sound,but seem to be missing the spark of enthusiasm. In fact, there have been many times where I have lost enthusiasm myself, especially when tackling v difficult repertoire.

I would like to offer a few techniques that I use to keep myself motivated:

-Remember why you started playing your Instrument.

-Listen to some of you favorite artists.

-Play the piece you are learning in your mind, with no mistakes of course!

[santiman44]

i do the same thing!! haha how funny =P

[cihad2003]

@bicguitar

youre tackling what?

V?

[MrLenono]

Elegance et intelligence, c est cela david russell...

[veeshead]

Very motivating. I am not a Classical player. These ideas will work for any type of music. Dan

[Mkamalid]

when i loose my interest it takes me about a precious week to get it back, where i play for 1 hour and just loose it, but now adays I'm keeping my self busy with scales, warm up excercises, i bought Fernando sor's 24 excerices op 35, the beauty in these is that they r simple, and provide u with 24 pieces of repetoir u can play anytime of day for almost any set of audience. That helped me a lot to be able to focus on harder pieces..hope this helps anyone who is wandering :)

[kowalsky111]

more important is that he is a great man, not just a great musician, and that's what many people say that have met him. and you also see that on he video, he gives you so much courage yust with these 5 minutes. now go practice kowalsky ;-)

[xxsamhalnxx]

david russell is legendary

easily one of my favorite guitarists

[freddymonk]

tha sound....forget the guitar and make music!!!!!

[Truthisnonexistant]

The man...

[Phyle9]

David, maestro

I am one of your biggest fans and i wanna thank you for these wise words!

I'll go play some very simpel basic pieces NOW!

:D

thx

[chopin65]

True. Saged advice for all people about creativity.

[atw42]

haha he says "touch wood"  good points

[opidacul]

beautiful... a true maestro

[pablolias]

Glissato can u tell me the name of the song that is playing here been searching for it with no luck thanks Paul, Liverpool

[spyd3rman360]

Recuerdos de la Alhambra.

[pablolias]

thanks spyd3rman360 eventually found it but cheers anyway m8

[FENDIN10]

Very good and simple advice,one thing that did it for me though was getting sober,it's a revelation.

[nisguy]

Do you mean playing the guitar helped you stop drinking? If so, congratulations!

[zxydf]

xD haha!

[cookingnotes]

What an Incredible man and guitarist who from his Soul brings forth this wonderful music to our ears .

[yglofmi]

He is a true artist. His phrasing is superb. It's the kind of phrasing that only the great ones have. And he is very sweet too. I met him in São Paulo, Brazil, a few years ago.

[inodoro7]

I know a better way to regain enthusiasm. just read the segovia autobiography or any guitarist auto biography. I've read the segovia autobiography five times and every time i read it i practice as i have never practiced before.

[tonato17]

What's the name of the book you are reading? i am looking for something like that to read...

[inodoro7]

it's called "Andres Segovia: An Autobiography of the Years 1893-1920". published by Macmillan Pub Co. ISBN 0714526363

[cartwheelgalaxy]

I have started in the mornings for the last 8 years and it makes all the difference. It makes getting 3 to 4 hours in a breeze.

[SingHouse]

i don't hear any scot in his accent

[chirpybee]

I do - it is a real mix of scot and spaniard. Funny to hear!

[CarlosMacMartin]

He was born in Scotland,lived in Menorca,then

he went to London to study music.Later,he went

to Spain and stayed there.Where he lives now,

I'm not sure.I'd have to ask around.

[HUGHVSM]

The accent is Scottish, with a very slight Spanish inflection in one or two places. I gather he was born in Glasgow, but left there when very young - in that case, the accent will have been taken from his parents. There is no such thing as "a Glasgow accent" - a number of accents are spoken in the city, from quite posh to demotic - David Russel's can be heard in a number of places in Scotland.

[thomasmidas]

or a scottish accent:)

[thomasmidas]

grew up in spain maybe, but that aint no spanish accent, its glaswegian 100%, they sound foreign yes, but it is an english accent

[jargenlink]

also i would like to add another recipe for motivation.just sit down and listen to the great classical guitarists and enjoy them it will make you pick up the guitar and play.

[BlueJazzyClassic]

Great advice master. God blessing you. Having fun start with guitar in the morning start with easy right and left hand etudes. Thanks^^

[Ritsardo]

Yes, play Harry Sacksiony.

[Aarashguitar]

He is right, its the greatest advice one can say.

[donquinn1]

David, thank you for the advice. You are indeed a wonderful and inspiring asset to the world of music. A true hero for people to look up to!

[sonanteros]

Always remember why you started playing the guitar and stay confident. We were born limitless. Just keep trying to get better every single day that passes...through little things.

[Jitpring]

"We were born limitless," says sonanteros.

Oprahist nonsense. For instance, if we were born limitless, we wouldn't require practice, for the need for practice is a limitation. If we were born limitless, we wouldn't be subject to breakdown. Etc. etc. etc.

[Jitpring]

In short, if there's anything humans are not, it's limitless. One must cut through all of today's silliness to see this, of course, but so it is. This is not pessimism, but realism.

[Alasdairo]

yes people lets never lose that sense of fun.

[bariswheel]

What a true, wise gentleman. I am looking forward to seeing you perform at the Herbst Theatre again.

[DiEfOrDeAtHaNdbLaCk]

very wise i will remember this

[PaulSaywood]

Thank you for the wise words David, I shall remember then in difficult times.

[chu71]

davidiño!!! ole tú!!

[mokhtararsham]

good

[chu71]

good? david s god

[BakedWalnut]

Have more ENTHUSIASM man!!!

But yes, I certainly agree.

[elijahquest]

thanks for sending this!

[samswank]

I've seen a lot of great guitar recitals, but I saw David a couple of years ago and was really amazed. He truly transcended technique. It was all about the music.

[JesseGuitar07]

so nice !

[guitmartiman]

Words wisely spoken! Thank you!

[Cloudsorrow256]

youre my idol Mr Russell

[mandala41]

If Segovia had been more modest and shared with us his thoughts about playing, like David does, the guitar world would be much richer

[clubsandwedge]

Indeed, but think, if Segovia had not been so passionate about the guitar...so enthusiastic and suck a disciplinarian, we would not have such great players like the ones here today, such as Russell, Williams, Bream, and of course Yamashita, whom I cannot say was influenced by Segovia or not.

[mikegroocockguitar]

What he says is so true,not to lose touch with that exiting feeling of looking foward to practice and perfecting what you play,ive rediscovered that feeling after realising whats important in life ,and making music is such a fulfilling feeling for me,david russell is a very insperational player,thanks Mr Russell.

[loadermen]

translate to spanish please! lollll

[tahirs]

I copied the sentences of

diprizioarte who describe what I want to say.

YOUR WORDS ARE BEAUTIFUL

I THINK THE SAME THINGS TOO

many people have to learn this simply thing:

before THE JOY, the FEEL and FUN of MUSIC

...after the styles, the tecnics, the schools...

thank you David

[diprizioarte]

YOUR WORDS ARE BEAUTIFUL

I THINK THE SAME THINGS TOO

many people have to learn this simply thing:

before THE JOY, the FEEL and FUN of MUSIC

...after the styles, the tecnics, the schools...

thank you David

[stevecr223]

wow! this is the first time I heard him speaking english! I can certainly hear is Scottish accent but I assume Spanish is his first language right?

[JacarandaMusic]

David is Scottish: English is his first language.

[boracchio]

actually he grew up in Spain and he's got a very obvious spanish accent

[xYEAHxKYLEx]

thank you every ones says he scottish what its obviously spanish

[Respectthewilderness]

please, post more of these videos.

[chopinalpiano]

Muy inspirador.

[BrunoMadeiraBM]

Thanks for this video!

But... How did you get this video? I've tried to enter D'Addario website but my youtube-video-downloader didn't get it. Could you tell me, please?

[RicardoS18]

A really master

[pollepoulsen]

So true... Last week I refound my enthusiasm by playing background music at a wedding dinner... Because I played through 4-5 hours of the most melodic pieces from my earliest attempts to my present concert pieces... So much fun to rediscover some of the great music I have playd over the years...

[TonyMorris]

Great advice, invaluable wisdom.