Entry #4. Take A Leap
"The master has failed more times than the beginner has tried..."
- Stephen McCranie
Imagine you are taking a new trail on a hike you've been on hundreds of times before. You feel terrified because of what could be ahead or how dangerous the new trail may be. As you walk, you discover a calm path with lots of flowers and a scenic overlook. So, why were you so anxious before? If all it took was a little curiosity and a few steps, why was it so terrifying before? Trying a new hobby is exactly like this feeling of exploring the unknown coupled with insecurity. I know that is exactly how I felt when I first tried to play guitar as a child. Though, the challenge is definitely always worth the reward in time.
A lot of times, people see someone playing guitar and they believe that it is some miracle that they can play such a beautiful rhythm. However, once you learn guitar you begin to understand that only jazz chord hand shapes are the real miracles. When I first started, and I am sure this goes for everyone, I struggled to even hold a string down. After a few tips from YouTubers and a week or so of practice, my finger strength began to build enough to hold the string down to make a resonant sound. The funny thing is, even today that finger strength is practiced and those same tips I learned from the beginning are continuously reinforced. The truth is that steps that beginners may see as "simple" or "just a building block" are the steps that masters have practiced over and over, even for years. This is because you are not a chef if you cook one time.
When I first started I felt discouraged but with lots of practice and finger callouses, your skill will improve. Nothing you practice will ever amount to a waste of time so long as you keep it in your life. At one point in time, some our greatest musicians today didn't even know how to play their instrument. One great example of that is Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Before his career began with the band, he played trumpet. Through self-guidance and some help from friends and other musicians, Flea learned to play bass shortly before joining the award-winning band. Today, he is considered one of the greatest bassists of all time. All it took for him was a leap of faith and a little bit of curiosity about the instrument.
Though we cannot all be Flea or any other famous musician, we can all practice and hone our skills. Don't allow fear to hold you back from the skills you want to pick up and learn. You may be your greatest enemy if you do so. Humans have the amazing gift of learning from mistakes and if you ask any professional athlete, musician, actor, et cetera... they will tell you that it wasn't a one shot road. Nothing comes easy, curiosity and perseverance may be our greatest ability.
I really like the comparison you made between trying a new hobby and taking a new trail because it makes the idea feel very real. The part about the basics being what even experienced players keep practicing stood out to me because people usually think once you’re good at something you stop focusing on that stuff. Overall i think your post does a really good job showing how getting past that initial fear can actually lead to something thats worth it.
ReplyDeleteI connected with your blog post deeply Aiden, as I am a guitarist as well. I actually play drums and bass as well and it's not like I suddenly became proficient at those instruments; it took many learning experiences and attempts to get to where I am now with my musicianship, as you mentioned. It took a leap of faith, a bit of curiosity, and perseverance, as you said, to even begin learning the drums and bass from only learning the guitar.
ReplyDeleteEngaging entry, Aiden. When I started reading this and saw the image of Flea, I thought you were going to tie in your "taking a chance" focus with his newest musical endeavor -- a solo jazz album that releases this week. Nonetheless, good job in this entry -- keep it up!
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