Studying Music, Musicians Mindset For Success (Teacher/Student Reflections)

ByDaniel Weiss

Intro

I’ve been teaching for a long while and I’ve been noticing something about myself as a teacher. Reflecting back and forth, I had to talk about it. So, you know, when I was a student, I really remember getting on the nerves of some of my teachers, so I totally relate, right? But I really want to kind of address today what is the reason some people improve faster than others? You know, is it only talent? Can we say that it’s only talent? I don’t think so. I think there is something that is the strongest power that moves everything in its will—its will power.

The Power of Will

If you really want to achieve the next level of guitar playing, you can do that. But you really need to ask yourself how much do you want it and what’s driving you. I mean, in music, there’s always the mechanics, the arpeggios, the chords, the triads, how everything connects together with the beautiful power of voice leading. But you know, we really, as students, we really need to ask ourselves why am I doing what I’m doing and how bad do I want to improve. And that’s exactly what, you know, I teach a lot of people. A lot of people, and I see it time and time again. The reason people excel is the passion they have behind it. That’s why you can see someone who is like 16 years old playing beautifully jazz, which is an advanced style, right? He really loves jazz, he really wants to do it. That is the answer. So he will sit down and figure out the chords, the arpeggios, and everything needed.

Now, I didn’t really know if I want to make this video at first because I was like, this can be maybe annoying to some people because you’re basically addressing their ego. When you know you’re making them question themselves, which is not a really convenient place to put someone in. I mean, we all have obligations and we all have our life story and our reasons for doing stuff. So I just had to put this out there. I don’t even know why.

I can share my story that, for me, when I started playing guitar, it was like, you know, oh my god, like this is exactly what I want to do. And I want to lock myself in the room and figure out anything I can have a guitar. I can definitely tell you that when I went through the process of learning how to read and theory when I was like 15, it was kind of hard for me to move myself into that. But eventually, because I loved music so much and I had some great teachers that showed me the beauty of, you know, how beautiful a subject can be, so I broke through those limited beliefs and I’m so thankful that I had this drive.

The Passion Behind It

But you know, there’s a saying that you can walk a horse to the pond, but you can’t force it to drink. So kind of like the same with students. If you really, you know, if you have a student and you’re teaching him, or if you are a student and you’re learning from your teacher, please know that that teacher can be the best teacher on earth. But unless you are super passionate about knowing the mechanics of music, how to manipulate them and make them work for you, so you, I mean, what is the reason behind doing it anyway, right? Well, the reason is because you want to come up with beautiful music. I mean, you’re not like just learning voicings and triads and scales and arpeggios and voice leading and all that great stuff.

Why You Should Learn Guitar

Which, by the way, you can check out on my website. You’re not just learning all these great stuff for the mechanics of music for the sake of it. I mean, think about it. Everything from Bach, Mozart, Coltrane, any amazing fusion jazz, whatever artist you love, bossa nova and pop and rock, it all derives from the mechanics of music. Some genres are more demanding and you really need to go deep into all kinds of textures and colors to have complete control over this genre and some less. Some you don’t need as much information, that’s fine. But the mechanics have been there as long as music has been there. So you might as well open your ears, trust people who were there before you, and just immerse yourself in the knowledge so you can create your own beautiful improvisations, solos, compositions, and all that great stuff.

Conclusion

And with that said, I totally invite you to check out my website for doing that. I have been constructing 15 modules that show you step by step how to control the mechanics of harmony and melody on the fretboard, always showing you creative applications so you can find your own voice, no matter what genre or style you like to play. Anyway, I had to address this. I have so much more to say about this, but I would love to hear from you on that topic. What do you think about this whole subject of learning? And do you think, um, you know, maybe you think that teachers need to focus more on the motivation part or more on the mechanics part of, you know, or maybe the motivation is something that needs to come from the student naturally and the teacher just needs to focus on the mechanics part? I’m kind of curious about that. Anyway, if you have any comments at all about this subject, let me know and please give this video a thumbs up, and I’ll see you in the next video.

[Music]

As someone who has been teaching for a long time, I’ve come to realize something important about myself as a teacher. And it all comes down to one thing: passion.
When I was a student, I remember getting on the nerves of some of my teachers.
But now that I’m on the other side of the equation, I see things differently.
I realize that the students who improve the fastest aren’t always the most talented.
Instead, they’re the ones with the most passion.

Passion is the strongest force that can move you towards your goals.
It’s what drives you to push through the difficult times, to practice when you’d rather be doing something else, and to keep striving for excellence even when it seems impossible.

As a teacher, I’ve seen this firsthand. I’ve worked with so many people who were able to excel simply because they had a deep love for their craft. I’ve seen 16-year-olds playing jazz at an advanced level simply because they were so passionate about the music.

But passion isn’t always easy to come by. Sometimes, we need a little help to find it.
That’s where teachers come in. We can show you the mechanics of music, the arpeggios, the chords, and everything else you need to know. But we can’t give you passion. That has to come from within.

If you’re struggling to find your passion for music (or anything else, for that matter),
I encourage you to keep searching. Think about why you’re doing what you’re doing.
What is driving you? What do you want to achieve? And most importantly, how bad do you want it?

I know it’s not always easy to find your passion.
I struggled with it myself when I was first learning how to play guitar.
But eventually, I realized that I loved music so much that I was willing to do whatever it took to get better.

So if you’re feeling stuck, keep pushing.
Keep practicing, keep learning, and keep searching for that spark of passion.

And remember, you’re not alone.
We’ve all been there.
But with enough dedication and hard work, anything is possible.

If you’re interested in learning more about the mechanics of music and how to apply them to your playing, I invite you to check out my website. I’ve put together a complete series that will guide you step-by-step towards mastering the fretboard and finding your own unique voice.
click here to check it out

Thanks for listening, and keep on playing!
Best,
Daniel

Daniel Weiss