How to Grow a Pair of Hairy Guitar Playing Cajones

Become super confident by doing and practicing the following principles. Doing so will free you from the low self esteem prison.

You really want to have a big pair of guitar playing cajones?

Do these things:

1) Practice your ass off

I mean seriously practice your ass off. If you do, you will see that confidence comes oozing out your pores. Get your shit together, get clear on what you want to accomplish and go to town.

2) Power Poses

Bodybuilders use this for competition. They hold their hands up high and flex, stand tall and let you see what they’ve worked so hard at. These guys are supremely confident. You can become supremely confident by posing like they do, only you are going to pose like your favorite guitar player. You know, when Zakk Wylde goes out on stage, or when Scott Ian strums a power chord, or when Yngwie Malmsteen shreds a lick, melts your face and then lets the pick run down his leg and shoots it into the crowd? I know, corny but confident. Start looking at these guys and walk like they do. Get up every morning, take a deep breath and play your guitar like the pros do. Dont play it in an unconfident, “I’m never gonna get any better” mentality. Keep your head up, your guitar loud and your mind sharp.

3) Lose the Fear Based Mentality

A fear based mentality is one where you are afraid to execute your own ideas. You’re afraid that your licks won’t sound like the next guy or even your favorite player. Forget all that nonsense. Guess what? They had to go through the phase you’re going through right now too. Keep it moving, and you will sound better and better as you go. Its the same for everyone.

4) Stop giving a Fuck about what people think of you

This debilitates people in all walks of life including guitar playing. People may not like your music, they may not like your licks, your ideas. Who cares. Really. Be yourself, believe in your music and make people respect you. How do you stop giving a fuck? Simply keep working your ass off practicing, writing riffs, licks, solos, melodies, ideas and songs. In other words just worry about what you want to do and be so busy working at it that you dont have time to think about what others think of you.

5) Do pushups and pullups

This will help you gain a proper stance. You will stand up straighter, feel better, and improve your overall physique. Aim for a few a day if you’ve never done this. If you’re a gym rat, then you know what I’m talking about. Working out gives you confidence. It also gets the blood to your heart flowing smoothly. It causes you to take deeper breaths than you would normally. Instead of sucking down a cigarette, start pulling yourself up on a bar wherever you see one, You’ll feel better than you ever did after a cigarette, without all the nicotine.

6) Read out loud for improved social confidence

Reading out loud gets your mouth, and your mind… moving. Practice reading whatever it is. Get out a guitar playing mag or a visit a blog such as this one or www.guitarworld.com and simply read out loud. You’d be surprised to find that your confidence levels improve socially.

Why do this?

Next time your band mate shoots down your idea, you might have some rhetoric to come back at him with, “hold up, maybe you didn’t hear it right,” then turn up your amp and make sure he (or she) gets it. Sometimes it takes a couple times for others to hear the idea and what we we’re trying to convey. Other times, band mates are just plain egotistical so you have to bring them down a bit. By reading out loud you’ll be ready to give them a mouthful.

7) Stop seeking validation and permission

You don’t need any permission from anyone. You don’t need any validation from anyone.

You need to do your thing and keep it moving.

Nuff’said.

On to the next point…

8) Don’t ask ” do you like it?”

Never ask someone if they like your music. Ask YOU if YOU like it. Instead of asking someone else for validation (cus thats exactly what you’re doing) look for that “fuck yes!” feeling and let people tell YOU… that your good, but first you have to believe it yourself… by doing no.1

9) Stop playing everyone elses licks …come up with your own.

I hear licks and licks over an over and over again. Why dont you star working on some melody so that you can incorporate with those licks? Ever seen that Alex Skolnick video on how he starts solos? He gives you a simple melody and then lets her rip and always melts your face off. Check out any Testament solo he’s ever done. You’ll see what I’m talking about.

10) Once youve got your oversized pair of cajones… simply Let em’ hang

Let em’ hang like those pickup trucks with those pair of brass balls you see in the back under the bed when you’re at a red light. Or picture a horse’s balls, and how they hang down low. Thats what Im talking about.

So from now on follow these principles and you’ll have bigger balls than the guy next to you. A nice big pair of hairy, guitar playing cajones is your goal.

If you took any advice from this post let it be this: If you want to get anywhere with your guitar playing, practice your ass off!

Now let those hairy guitar playing cajones of yours hang low, and go play some damn guitar with your new mindset and vitality.