“Play a new thing every day. Learning one new passing chord or a note combination will get you moving towards something that will serve you later on. Someday, a song will come along that all of those things will relate to.”—Ry Cooder
Ry Cooder is as diverse as anyone in music. He is known for not limiting himself to one particular genre, yet still having his own unique sound. Throughout the years he has played with musicians around the world in various styles: Hawaiian, Cuban, Tex-Mex, Blues, Jazz, Latin, Eclectic Rock, Folk, and the list goes on.
My personal favorite is his Buena Vista Social Club album.
There’s nothing wrong with re-playing the same songs and licks that make up your guitar personality, but by only focusing on what you are already good or even great at, you limit yourself in reaching your full guitar potential.
Here’s how to avoid that trap and apply what Ry is talking about…
Remember your beginning days as a guitar player when you would discover something new or finally learn your favorite player’s ending solo lick? Man, how excited did you feel! I can remember my early days, replaying all the Jimi Hendrix songs until I had every solo down.
It’s easy to stay in our comfort zone. A good friend Ron Zabrocki once said something along these lines:
“If you are playing something and you sound like a beginner again, it probably is a good thing! It means your are learning and expanding as a player.”
I couldn’t agree more. Many people reach plateaus and ruts simply because their mindset is off.
They know they are good even great players, yet they want to get even better. Who doesn’t?
They try learning new songs, ideas, techniques, but when they find themselves sounding sloppy and like beginners again, they become frustrated, resorting to the guitar concepts that they already have a firm grasp on.
Many guitar players just don’t like hearing themselves make mistakes and sound like novices.
But hey, the best way to learn is from correcting your mistakes and taking risks!
Think about the ways in which you would like to improve your guitar playing, and make a commitment to learn at least one new thing a day. It could be a passing chord, note combination, exotic scale, whole-tone lick, that new song your friend played for you. Whatever excites you.
Vividly imagine yourself 6 months from now, having mastered the areas that you want to improve in. How do you feel? How do you look? How does your playing sound? Use this image as a motivator before you add that new technique into your practice.
Enough talk, get out there and pick up your guitar!
And remember, if you sound like a beginner again, it isn’t a bad thing!
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article next Monday that delves even more into this quote, examining the different ways learning occurs and how you can use them to your advantage.
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5 responses so far ↓
1 Brian Lowe // Mar 11, 2008 at 11:58 am
I can’t agree more, but not only play a new thing everyday, play something outside of your comfort zone. I study everything…jazz, rock, country, funk, bluegrass…it just makes you a more well rounded player. I discussed this with Jeff in my interview…not only that, but learn other instruments. Not that you have to be proficient, but learn enough to know how all these instruments fit into the mix..and last but not least, you can learn something from everyone…so keep your ears open..even if it is how NOT to do something. Keep a sense of humor at ll times.
2 Ray Vautour // Mar 11, 2008 at 7:43 pm
I really like this article; and Ry Cooder is one of my favorite musicians so that helps!
I agree totally with what Mr. Lowe has already stated. I’ll also add that it great to start to listen to musicians other than guitar players all of the time. Robben Ford says he never listen to other guitar players, he listens to horn players. You can pick up great chord voicing from piano players and horn sections. It’s all music, it’s all the same 12 notes
3 jimmy mac // Mar 12, 2008 at 9:15 am
Ry is in a class of his own. Quirky, unpredictable and totally musical.
Its funny i played with a new rhythm section last night and it was that exact issue addressed, comfort zone. Yet this time it didn’t work. The tunes i thought i had prepared we’re questionable but the tunes we “all” felt unprepared for were incredible! I had nothing to draw from with these tunes but experience and the other musicians intuitive responses.
We were in a trio setting and man it was killer as long as no one (a certain guitarist) didn’t try to micro-manage the outcome.
Music and especially improving one’s playing thrives on individual practice but also playing with new musicians ” live” and with total respect to groove.
Developing new ideas requires a certain discipline and technical control with a plan of action. As someone trained classically and having studied in a major music school, having
dealt with its pit-falls of all sounding like Julian Bream or in my case Nathan Milstein , it was pure joy to buy an electric guitar and start learning the “sound” of the instrument.
Using a pick? Wow, I didn’t feel comfortable at all. I hadn’t played electric guitar for years. My old “brain” was hearing me play from my “rock” days as a teen but the fingers weren’t happening. I’m getting off track but the point is we change when we want to and sometimes going outside our “comfort zone” exposes us to possibilities not just limitations. A new teacher, a jam session, being called up on stage without prep all these events will improve us if we remember we’re musicians first, then guitarists. Oh yeah we’re overly sensitive people too. Hey can i record my solo again? No get outta the studio.
peace/shalom
Jimmy
4 Frank Sciandra // Mar 17, 2008 at 11:02 am
I find that I play differently with different rythm sections. All depends on inspiration at the time. Not always great but always fun and always take back something learned from the experience.
5 Frank Sciandra // Mar 17, 2008 at 11:09 am
To become a better musician listen to the other players and try to compliment each other. Work with the groove, music is a living thing, it has to breathe..the simplest lic can be awesome , between drummer and bass, or Guitar and keys. What a natural high!
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