Get unstuck with a practice mindset shift
Last time I got clowned for trying to explain how I managed to totally switch my mindset so I will not go through that again but I think this is too important. The results are clear: I was stuck for years and now I am progressing more daily then I thought was ever possible. So here's my last go at trying to dumb it down so it can resonate with as many people as possible.
What it takes:
- WAY MORE focus in the early stages - until the mindset sets in and it all becomes a habit
- Set your ego aside and understand that you have to accept that you might need to radically change your technique
- Understanding how it feels like to truly improve even through time that the results aren't instantly validating the effort you're putting in
What's improving mechanically? First think of what's a perfect motion, the smallest, most powerful and precise motion that takes the least energy. That's the ultimate goal we might never reach BUT that is where you want to put most of your focus reaching when practicing, one little W at a time. And I really mean almost all of your focus.
So what's the dumbed down version of the mindset that I wish someone told me?
You do not practice a riff or a pattern. You practice yourself at getting good enough and/or better at playing it. Every notes, riffs and patterns are just a set of motions, a different playing ground for you to get better at.
And getting better at guitar mechanically is really about improving on the efficience of all the possible motions.
All you need to do if you truly want to get better mechanically, is to understand and feel what a more efficient motion is and actively work toward a better version of it constantly and forever. There is a lot of info and details on what to look out for but when it comes to applying a new and more efficient motion without a private teacher, you're left on your own. You will have to explore.
I promise that if you manage to understand and adapt this mindset, you will get better every time you decide to practice with focus and the ceiling will shift to how many different motions and techniques are you willing to put in the time to practice correctly.