The only thing that is constant is change.  Think back for a moment at how much your life has changed in just the past year?   Your relationships, your job, your band, your songs, your living situation, your money situation;  there is a good chance that most if not all of these have taken complete 180’s.

So what can you do so that you are on the right path to guitar and musical enlightenment?

Well one thing that I know has always really affected me, gotten me down, dragged my ass back to the real world of the corporate life and the miscellaneous job is the need for money.

It is simply just hard work to sustain yourself through musical and purely creative endeavors alone.  At least at first.  (There will come a time when things get easy if you let them)  If you don’t have a plan or any actionable goals you are striving to achieve, good luck.

But of course, life happens when you are making plans.   Your goals will be postponed and your activities will be changed due to whatever circumstances you find yourself in.

Most of us will find ourselves being held back by our finances or the need to support our families and pay our bills.  It is OK to have a “real” job and do the best you can in your music life.  It is good to be grounded in reality every once in a while.  In fact, I would say that most musicians are so far off in fantasy land, that they have no chance of making a living being a guitar player or in a band.   They think things magically will happen if they act like Kanye West and disregard their responsibilities in life.  And in most cases, these musicians are the ones who are not even as talented or skilled as the others who take full responsibility for whatever life throws at them.

You just gotta do what you gotta do.   Every situation is different so trust your intuition and just know that you have no idea what is coming next.  Be like water and go with the flow; stay moving forward to what excites and interests you.  Evolve.

Simple Money Tip for Musicians

On a related note,  I read a great article, What’s Coming Next? , from The Simple Dollar , one of my favorite personal finance blogs that I highly recommend to every musician.  The author of the site went from completely and utterly in debt, with various jobs, to full time financial writer.  Pretty amazing stuff, and the content on the site is even better than his story.

In this article, he talks about establishing a big emergency fund, and how you never know what will happen or where you will find yourself, so having as much backup funding as you can will help make things so much easier when times get slow or tough.

I recently just opened a higher-than-the-average-bank-interest-generating savings account with ING Direct in which automatic monthly contributions will be made to build up my backup fund.

I like taking risks.   But I have learned it is a lot tougher taking risks when you are broke.   I set up automatic contributions so that it sort of just seems like you never even had that money to spend in the first place.  You can set up however much you would like to deposit and on what schedule.   I would highly recommend just starting one up and building your emergency fund.  Just start small and later down the line when you want to risk it all and move your band to LA, you will have the peace of mind knowing that you have a few grand already saved up.

I will leave you with an excerpt from the article I read, and hopefully it will resonate with you:

At each of those times above, I thought my future would go on more or less the same way that it was going right then. I was repeatedly wrong.

The best thing you can do with your money and with your skills is prepare for change. Why? Because things will change.

You’ll lose a job. You’ll change careers. You’ll find a partner. You’ll have a child. You’ll move to another state. You’ll find a new passion. You’ll get sick. You’ll get well. People will leave your life. People will enter your life.

Things will change.

It’s this simple fact of life that leads me towards believing that the best personal finance tool that people can have is a big, fat emergency fund.

With a nice, healthy cash reserve in hand, a person can roll through these changes with ease. A job loss doesn’t mean an apocalyptic disaster in your life. A choice to try a new career becomes exciting and fun instead of scary. Falling in love and moving across the country becomes a whirlwind adventure instead of an exercise in tightrope walking. Opportunities spring up and you can take advantage of them instead of having to run away in fear.

Never, ever let debts and a lack of money on hand keep you from jumping on board with your dreams when the chance comes along. You have the power, right now, to get things under control, eliminate that debt, pick up some new skills, and be ready for the inevitable changes that will come your way.

The Simple Dollar– What’s Coming Next?

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” ~ Lao Tzu

Post Shared by Zen Habits.   Something I am personally working on right now.

Consider the above quote from Lao Tzu,: how can it be true?

Is it possible to never hurry, but to get everything done?

It seems contradictory to our modern world, where everything is a rush, where we try to cram as much into every minute of the day as possible, where if we are not busy, we feel unproductive and lazy.

In fact, often we compete by trying to show how busy we are. I have a thousand projects to do! Oh yeah? I have 10,000! The winner is the person who has the most insane schedule, who rushes from one thing to the next with the energy of a hummingbird, because obviously that means he’s the most successful and important.

Right?

Maybe not. Maybe we’re playing the wrong game — we’ve been conditioned to believe that busier is better, but actually the speed of doing is not as important as what we focus on doing.

Maybe we’re going at the wrong speed. Maybe if we are constantly rushing, we will miss out on life itself. Let’s let go of the obsession with speed, and instead slow down, stop rushing, and enjoy life.

And still get everything done.

Let’s look at how.

A Change of Mindset
The most important step is a realization that life is better when you move at a slower, more relaxed pace, instead of hurrying and rushing and trying to cram too much into every day. Instead, get the most out of every moment.

Is a book better if you speed read it, or if you take your time and get lost in it?

Is a song better if you skim through it, or if you take the time to really listen?

Is food better if you cram it down your throat, or if you savor every bite and really appreciate the flavor?

Is your work better if you’re trying to do 10 things at once, or if you really pour yourself into one important task?

Is your time spent with a friend or loved one better if you have a rushed meeting interrupted by your emails and text messages, or if you can relax and really focus on the person?

Life as a whole is better if you go slowly, and take the time to savor it, appreciate every moment. That’s the simplest reason to slow down.

And so, you’ll need to change your mindset (if you’ve been stuck in a rushed mindset until now). To do this, make the simple admission that life is better when savored, that work is better with focus. Then make the commitment to give that a try, to take some of the steps below.

But I Can’t Change!
There will be some among you who will admit that it would be nice to slow down, but you just can’t do it … your job won’t allow it, or you’ll lose income if you don’t do as many projects, or living in the city makes it too difficult to go slowly. It’s a nice ideal if you’re living on a tropical island, or out in the country, or if you have a job that allows control of your schedule … but it’s not realistic for your life.

I say bullshit.

Take responsibility for your life. If your job forces you to rush, take control of it. Make changes in what you do, in how you work. Work with your boss to make changes if necessary. And if really necessary, you can eventually change jobs. You are responsible for your life.

Tips for a Slower-Paced Life
I can’t give you a step-by-step guide to moving slower, but here are some things to consider and perhaps adopt, if they work for your life. Some things might require you to change some major things, but they can be done over time.

1. Do less. Cut back on your projects, on your task list, on how much you try to do each day. Focus not on quantity but quality. Pick 2-3 important things — or even just one important thing — and work on those first. Save smaller, routine tasks for later in the day, but give yourself time to focus. Read more.
2. Have fewer meetings. Meetings are usually a big waste of time. And they eat into your day, forcing you to squeeze the things you really need to do into small windows, and making you rush. Try to have blocks of time with no interruptions, so you don’t have to rush from one meeting to another.
3. Practice disconnecting. Have times when you turn off your devices and your email notifications and whatnot. Time with no phone calls, when you’re just creating, or when you’re just spending time with someone, or just reading a book, or just taking a walk, or just eating mindfully. You can even disconnect for (gasp!) an entire day, and you won’t be hurt. I promise.
4. Give yourself time to get ready and get there. If you’re constantly rushing to appointments or other places you have to be, it’s because you don’t allot enough time in your schedule for preparing and for traveling. Pad your schedule to allow time for this stuff. If you think it only takes you 10 minutes to get ready for work or a date, perhaps give yourself 30-45 minutes so you don’t have to shave in a rush or put on makeup in the car. If you think you can get there in 10 minutes, perhaps give yourself 2-3 times that amount so you can go at a leisurely pace and maybe even get there early.
5. Practice being comfortable with sitting, doing nothing. One thing I’ve noticed is that when people have to wait, they become impatient or uncomfortable. They want their mobile device or at least a magazine, because standing and waiting is either a waste of time or something they’re not used to doing without feeling self-conscious. Instead, try just sitting there, looking around, soaking in your surroundings. Try standing in line and just watching and listening to people around you. It takes practice, but after awhile, you’ll do it with a smile.
6. Realize that if it doesn’t get done, that’s OK. There’s always tomorrow. And yes, I know that’s a frustrating attitude for some of you who don’t like laziness or procrastination or living without firm deadlines, but it’s also reality. The world likely won’t end if you don’t get that task done today. Your boss might get mad, but the company won’t collapse and the life will inevitably go on. And the things that need to get done will.
7. Start to eliminate the unnecessary. When you do the important things with focus, without rush, there will be things that get pushed back, that don’t get done. And you need to ask yourself: how necessary are these things? What would happen if I stopped doing them? How can I eliminate them, delegate them, automate them?
8. Practice mindfulness. Simply learn to live in the present, rather than thinking so much about the future or the past. When you eat, fully appreciate your food. When you’re with someone, be with them fully. When you’re walking, appreciate your surroundings, no matter where you are. Read this for more, and also try The Mindfulist.
9. Slowly eliminate commitments. We’re overcommitted, which is why we’re rushing around so much. I don’t just mean with work — projects and meetings and the like. Parents have tons of things to do with and for their kids, and we overcommit our kids as well. Many of us have busy social lives, or civic commitments, or are coaching or playing on sports teams. We have classes and groups and hobbies. But in trying to cram so much into our lives, we’re actually deteriorating the quality of those lives. Slowly eliminate commitments — pick 4-5 essential ones, and realize that the rest, while nice or important, just don’t fit right now. Politely inform people, over time, that you don’t have time to stick to those commitments.

Try these things out. Life is better when unrushed. And given the fleeting nature of this life, why waste even a moment by rushing through it?

Remember the quote above: if nature can get everything done without rushing, so can you.
—

If you liked this guide, please bookmark it on Delicious or share on Twitter. Thanks, my friends.

GuitarPlayerZen.com/studioguitar

And if that is not enough motivation to go out and get this, and turn your guitar career around, just remember professional guitar players get these on a regular basis:

It's True

I bet she is a wicked finger picker

Their length, as well as their shape, can change your sound more than you can imagine.  I’m talking about both left and right hand nails.
As for the left hand nails, it will change your position around the neck.With long nails, you will play in a “flat-handed” way, nice for double barré chords.
If you choose to have short nails, you will shred way more easily and have a more “round-handed” position.
It’s up to you.
Now, right hand: if you choose to have them short, use a pick.  If you choose to have them long, use your nails as a pick, both up and down.

A quite spectacular flamenco technique is the “rasgueado”, when you strum down and open your hand on the strings, using the flat part of your nails as an individual pick.
Well, enough said… Time to use your nails.  No matter the style you play!

In my many years of teaching and interacting with other guitarists I have seen the following scenario happen in various ways more than a few times:

An aspiring lead guitarist (who we’ll call Joe) starts out learning to play by devouring everything he can find on the Internet and in books related to lead guitar soloing. Joe is motivated and excited and is progressing at a good pace. He studies scales, patterns, modes, theory, and learns a lot of licks and solos from his favorite players. His friends and family are impressed at how fast Joe has progressed and now Joe wants to start his own band and begin recording his own music. Joe’s technique is solid. His vocabulary of licks and knowledge of scales is better than average. He joins a band as the lead guitarist and is thrilled to have come so far in his playing and is ready to get his new band together and start performing on stage. But as the band starts rehearsing Joe is having problems coming up with cool solos for the bands songs. Everything he plays sounds like patterns and exercises and old cliché’s. All the practicing Joe has done does not seem to be translating into him being able to create killer solos. Joe is frustrated and embarrassed! So what does he do? He decides he needs to practice more and learn more stuff—then he’ll be able to come up with better solos. But even after trying all of that it’s still not happening. What is Joe doing wrong and why is he having so much trouble? The problem lies in the fact that Joe is unable to apply what he already knows to an actual musical situation. In short, he has practiced all of the right material; he just hasn’t practiced applying the material.

Hopefully you can see that it’s not enough to just develop your technique and learn a bunch of licks. Whether you want to form a band or create your own CD or even just play for your own enjoyment, investing time into finding ways to implement what you have learned is the key to your success. So, how can you begin applying the licks, scales and techniques you have been working so hard on and start creating cooler solos with better phrasing now? Here are 5 action steps you can take immediately:

1. Get 3-5 backing tracks in a style of music you like. Make sure that at least one track is in the key of A minor. Try and get tracks with different tempos and keys. These tracks should include at least drums and rhythm guitars and should be at least a couple minutes long.

2. Gather 5 of your favorite licks. These licks should be fairly short, 8-15 notes or so. Make sure you can play the licks cleanly and have them memorized.

3. Transpose all the licks into the key of A minor. For example, if you have a lick in the key of E minor try moving it up 5 frets or back 7 frets.

4. Now, beginning with your A minor backing track, play your first lick over the track. How did it sound? Did it fit? Now try playing your remaining 4 licks over the same track. How do they sound? Chances are you are going to have to change something about the original lick to make it “work” over the track. You may have to adjust the way you phrase the lick. For example, the rhythm of the lick may not sync up with the track in which case you’ll need to adjust it so it sounds more natural and fluid. Also, there might be some notes in the lick that don’t sound good over the track. If this is the case you’ll most likely need to change a note or two. Many things will most likely need to be adjusted. Everything from the rhythm of the lick to the width of your vibrato and bends, to the actual notes and speed of the lick.

5. Once you have adjusted all 5 licks so that they work over the A minor track begin playing them over the remaining 4 backing tracks. Now you are going to have to transpose the licks again to whatever key you happen to be playing over. Typical keys for rock and metal are A minor, B minor, C# minor, D minor, E minor and F# minor. Getting familiar with these keys is very important. Go through the exact same process with each lick over each track, adjusting as needed.

This entire process is what is called applied practice. Going through these 5 steps may be slow and difficult at first but the results over time will amaze you. If you practice this way consistently you will eventually get to the point where you can play any lick you know in just about any key or tempo that you want. In our hypothetical example above these are the phrasing and soloing skills that Joe needed. Learning more licks or improving his technique by practicing more was not the answer to creating killer solos for his bands music. And it’s not the answer for you either. Technique is important and broadening your vocabulary is important but they are useless unless you can apply them to real music. Start improving your lead guitar phrasing and soloing today by going through these 5 steps and watch your skills skyrocket.

To get more help with creating great guitar solos and improving your phrasing skills check out these free guitar solo tips.

Nick Layton is a Washington state based guitarist, instructor, recording artist, author and touring clinician. For more information Nick can be reached at nick@nicklayton.com

Thought you guys would really dig the list and you definitely should all subscribe to AudioTuts, especially if you are in to or learning music production.  It’s an invaluable free resource with a copious amount of quality articles ranging from vocal recording techniques, to creating synth instruments, to what mics sound best for your guitar.

With home recording setups being used more and more by professional guitarists these days, it is vital that you are using part of your music improvement time learning and sharpening your production skills, especially if you wish to make guitar your career.  In fact Chris Tondre, who is a guitar professional and Berklee grad who has played professionally in LA and now Austin, talks about why learning home recording techniques ans production was one of his best career moves he has ever made in our Studio Guitar Secrets: Make Guitar Your Career audio interview series featuring 6 top professionals from around the country, and about 7 hours of priceless audio.  If you haven’t signed up for our free 7 Habits of Successful Studio Guitar Players report in the top right hand corner, it is a great start to learning what it actually takes to become a pro guitarist.

Anyways, enough blabbering, Here is there list of sites to check out:

47 Sites Every Recording Musician Should Visit

Let me know which ones you like best in the comments, and how they have helped or will help you become a better musician and guitar player!

There’s No Speed Limit (The Lesson That Changed My Life.)