Damn, today when I was trying to learn one of my favorite Andy Timmons’ songs, Groove or Die, I have to say, I got pretty discouraged at my playing ability.

I was frustrated that I wasn’t hearing the notes and able to play them as easily as I thought that I should be able to. In my mind, I can play some pretty sweet licks.

I almost gave up, but the I remembered a nice little trick that I learned from The Guitarist’s Guide to Composing and Improvising. You can find it here: Recommended Readings.

When you feel like you are not making progress on a certain song or just your playing in general, flip your guitar upside down and play it with your opposite hands. Try playing your favorite song like this.

Chances are it’s gonna sound like shit. But remember the first time you picked up guitar. You probably sounded pretty bad and it most likely felt pretty akward.

Now flip your guitar back to your normal playing position. You sure have come a long, long way from that first time you picked up the guitar.

Just remember, playing guitar takes dedication and hard work to get down those virtuoso solos and riffs. They all spent 8-12 hours a day working on their chops. Just be persistent. You will get it soon enough if you want it.

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