Why is it that some people seem to be so oblivious to the truth? Do they really just not get it?
How is it that thousands of horribly untalented people will wait hours upon hours in line to audition for shows like American Idol, when they really have no chance of making it past the first round?
ie-American Idol Syndrome (Thinking your are the shit, when in fact your are just shit):
Perhaps it is more correct to say that they just blatantly refuse to take responsibility for their own outcomes. Refusing to accept an unwanted truth is the easy road. Living in a fantasy world where you are a rock star is easy. It doesn’t require any work. All you need to do is daydream and fill yourself up with false ideas and beliefs.
It is easy to blame your nerves, the weather, your Dad, your dog or anything else for that matter. So what is one to do? You want answers?
You Want the Truth? You Can’t Handle the Truth!
The hardest thing to do, and the starting point to never ending improvement, is to be completely honest with yourself. Can you handle the truth?
It is easier said than done, but if you can embrace your own limitations and realities, you are giving yourself the first step towards truly becoming a better musician. It is no coincidence that the first step in Alcoholics Anonymous is to admit that you are an alcoholic.
You often will see that the best guitarists around are the pickiest people on earth. They are so hard on themselves that most of the time, they really actually dislike their performances. Eric Johnson is one example who is extremely hard on himself. To us, everything he does sounds golden. But he is not satisfied with being stagnant. His drive and honesty about what kind of player he wants to be, and where he is at in the current moment are what sets him apart from others.
Don’t be the over confident guitar player who thinks he has nothing to learn. There is never a finish line. There is never an end point to self-improvement. By being 100% honest with yourself, you are able to turn your weaknesses into strengths. You can take your strengths to even higher levels of greatness.
Don’t be the guy telling looking in the mirror every morning saying how great you are. Be the guy that says, “Man, I really suck!”
When you start from identifying areas that you need to work on, and then actually putting in the work to get better, you will find yourself reaching new levels on a regular basis. Challenge yourself to set specific goals. If you suck at country music, book yourself a country gig in a few months. You better believe you will get to busting your ass so that you don’t sound like an idiot up on stage.
Be hard on yourself. Real hard.
Don’t give up.
You’ll get there. But the first step is being honest with yourself.
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” - Confucius
Speaking of Truth, check out our friend Laurie’s great guitar blog, Truth in Shredding. Recently they had an awesome Shred This contest that really generated a lot of talented contestants. Entering in the next one would be a great challenge for you to embark on. Just a thought!
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7 responses so far ↓
1 Guitar Teachers // Sep 22, 2009 at 5:51 am
While I agree with your advice, I feel like a lot of the American Idol-syndrome people actually do have something wrong with them. I feel bad for them to a point where judging them seems like kicking them while they are down. Anyway, it’s true that you’ll never stop learning. You could live for 500 years and you’d still find ways to advance your playing.
2 jimmy mac // Sep 24, 2009 at 11:37 am
That was a great performance . It was just too long
-lol
-jimmy
3 sarge1875 // Sep 25, 2009 at 12:55 pm
“When you start from identifying areas that you need to work on, and then actually putting in the work to get better, you will find yourself reaching new levels on a regular basis”….That’s the best advice I’ve heard in a long time.
4 Gaijun1 // Sep 25, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I Agree With Your Advise On How To Be More Aware Of your Progress To Improve For Better Performance
Results Are only Seen Through hard work And Dedacation
5 Anton Emery // Oct 5, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Great blog, and i agree, you must always challenge yourself and strive to improve your weak points. But i think there is a flip side to the coin, there are some musicians i know that could benefit from being more confident and sure of their musical abilities. They are the ones always saying “I’m sorry” or downplaying their own playing. Ultimately i think there needs to be balance of quiet confidence and the drive to always improve oneself.
Anton
6 Jeff // Oct 5, 2009 at 8:15 pm
That is a very good point Anton. Definitely a balance of humility and confidence is the best way to approach anything. Knowing that there is always room for improvement , while at the same time knowing that you are a talented individual makes for the best musicians.
7 Kyle // Oct 10, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Excellent advice, to never be satisfied with your level of skill allows you to constantly exceed your own expectations
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