7 Powerful Elements Becoming a Virtuoso

  Students often ask me, “What does it take to become a virtuoso?”.  This week I’ll share 7 elements that will help you on your path to becoming a virtuoso.

DESIRE

  Perhaps first, and foremost, is the desire to actually want reach the level of a virtuoso player.  It is not surprising that many players want to reach that lofty goal, however, many of them are lacking the level of desire needed in order to obtain the results.  A burning desire will be needed to keep you pushing forward, especially when things begin to get tough and distractions start to accumulate.  When I was practicing 12-16 hours a day, it was my desire to excel on my instrument that drove me, even during those periods where I didn’t feel that I was making any progress.

  And while there are many students who say, “I have that desire!”, they are unprepared to put in the amount of time and sacrifice that is necessary in order to reach the higher levels of “mastering” the instrument.  A burning desire will keep you on your path, even when it seems improbable along the way.  In the end, it will be your desire that prods you along toward reaching your goals, seemingly against all odds.

COST

  This is perhaps the hardest one for students to accept.  Most people would be more than happy to pay $X0,000.00+ in order to be a master of their instrument.  However, when talking about cost, I am not talking about a financial cost, though that is often part of it, I am specifically talking about what it is going to cost you as far as your personal life and lifestyle choices.

  I have lost friends who misunderstood my desire to excel on my instrument to not wanting to hang out with them.  I had girlfriends who said that I loved the instrument more than them (true, and the instrument is still here… and they are not!  LOL ),  I don’t have a “normal” life, as compared to those around me.  The cost is far more than many would imagine – which is also why so few are able to obtain it.  In all likelihood, if a study was done on “virtuosos”, one would find that they are obsessive in nature and “march to a different drummer”.

SACRIFICE

  Part of the cost of pursuing the path of virtuosity is sacrifice.  You are going to have to sacrifice a lot of things that others take as the status quo.  That’s not to say that later in life you can’t have some of these things, but while you are working towards your goals, you are going to have to make some serious sacrifices.  For me that meant not being in relationships, buying a house, buying cars, working 9-5 jobs, etc.  You are essentially sacrificing your “life” for your pursuit of the virtuosic dream.  It’s no surprising that most people are unwilling to make this type of sacrifice.

Look at how many famous guitarists had their girlfriends/wives drive them around because they never learned to drive, until maybe later on in life (Eric Clapton and Ritchie Blackmore quickly come to mind).  Or, that they got married later on in their life.  There are many sacrifices along the way that need to be made in order to reach those lofty goals.  Some students start down this path, yet after a while they get discouraged and stop.

DISCIPLINE

  The soulmate of sacrifice is discipline.  Without discipline, none of the other factors will matter.  You have to spend each day seriously working on your craft – even when you don’t feel like it.  This includes days you are sick or when your friends want you to go to the beach with them.   Needless to say, there are certain personality types that are better suited for this pursuit than others.  Working with a daily schedule will help you along the way as you meet the daily demands that you place upon yourself.

FOCUS

  Along with discipline, focus is an essential element on pursuing your goal.  You have to treat each subject of study with a steely focus in order to integrate it into your mindset.  When you are reading music you have to concentrate what is on the paper and not get distracted by other thoughts.  When playing through chord progressions you have to have a clear head in order to match up the “correct” scale to each of the chords.  This can be mentally draining and is something that you have to develop along the way.  Superficial practice is of little use when you are setting high goals for yourself.

PERSERVERANCE

  This is where most people fall off.  I’ve seen some very talented musicians fall short of their potential, all because they stopped when the “going got tough”.  I often times tell people that the reason that I’m “good” is because over all these years, I never stopped practicing.  At age 61 I’m still practicing at least 3 hours a day.  When I was younger there were players who were much better than me, but each of them “dropped out” along the way for various reasons. (frustration, marriage, jobs, family, etc.)  A large part of excelling at your chosen path is the willingness to face a brick wall and keep hammering away until you are able to break through and go to the next level, and continue to do so throughout your pursuit.

IMMERSION

  Serious pursuers are totally immersed in the subject that they are pursuing.  A serious guitarist should be listening to other serious guitarists.  And while I have no problem listening to some music for “fun”, I am more likely to put on something by someone that I can learn something from or be inspired by.  The saying “garbage in = garbage out” is highly relevant here.

  Material such as “Guitar Player” magazine can be very inspiring, as many of those interviewed have already reached the level that you are pursuing and can provide fascinating insights to inspire you to continue in your pursuit.  Your library of reading material should also include books should contain suitable material for you to study and grow.  If you surround yourself with high quality material, it will have an impact on your desire, focus, discipline and everything else.  

Final Thoughts

  The pursuit of becoming a virtuoso musician is a rewarding one for those who have forsaken a “normal life” to do so.  However, as you can see, it is not for everyone.  And while I have focused on music, and guitar in particular, the same advice is suitable for anyone interested in trying to achieve the same level of excellence in their chosen field.

  One of the reasons that I’ve been slow on writing new blog posts is that my New Years resolution this year is to seriously develop my drawing skills.  I have been currently spending 3-4 hours a day drawing, using many of the same elements that I have listed above.  Once you have achieved an understanding on what it takes to excel at one subject, it is “easy” to transfer the methodology onto some other pursuit/goal.

  I would also like to thank all of you who have purchased my book.  I am eternally grateful for your interest and support!  I am so happy to see that so many of you are finding it to be helpful!