Today I’m happy to share with you a guest post from Dan Vuksanovich…

I never set out to be a sloppy player. I don’t think anyone ever does. When I first started playing the

guitar I had visions of Randy Rhoads and Eddie Van Halen in my head. I was going to be a jaw-dropping,

pyrotechnic-slinging, immortal, history-making axemaster. Little did I know that I was planting the first

seeds of sloppiness before I ever even picked up the instrument.

Along the way I picked up bad habit after bad habit on my way to sloppytown. Here I confess my guitar

missteps for your educational benefit. Behold the recipe for becoming a sloppy player:

Overreaching – Wanting to be Randy Rhoads right out of the gate caused me to attempt to learn

music that was far too advanced for my skill level at the time. What do you get when you’re an

absolute beginner trying to play the solo from “Crazy Train”? Sloppy playing.

music that was far too advanced for my skill level at the time. What do you get when you’re an absolute beginner trying to play the solo from “Crazy Train”? Sloppy playing. Impatience – The mere act of attempting to play advanced music too soon was not the whole

problem, but the impatience and unwillingness to do anything other than play note-for-note

transcriptions at the recorded tempo was a killer. Advanced pieces of music can be simplified

and slowed down to make them accessible for intermediate or even beginner level players, but I

had no time for this, and I paid for it in the end with an incalculable number of mistakes.

problem, but the impatience and unwillingness to do anything other than play note-for-note transcriptions at the recorded tempo was a killer. Advanced pieces of music can be simplified and slowed down to make them accessible for intermediate or even beginner level players, but I had no time for this, and I paid for it in the end with an incalculable number of mistakes. Frustration – I hated the sloppy player I had become, but frustration was the worst possible

response. Once frustrated, I would grit my teeth, tense up, and… you guessed it… become even

sloppier.

response. Once frustrated, I would grit my teeth, tense up, and… you guessed it… become even sloppier. Rationalization – Not wanting to admit that I had some problems that I needed to fix let to

rationalization. I came up with a ridiculous number of reasons why being sloppy was OK. My

fingers were too thin. My pinky was too short. I had started playing the guitar too late in life. It

was all BS, but I believed every word of it.

Somehow I made it through college and the conservatory and ultimately earned my Master of Music

degree, but it felt hollow. I was nowhere near the player that I wanted to be, and it tore me up inside. I

eventually quit for a number of years because playing the guitar was pure misery.

In my 30s I cleared my head, vowed to start over and figure out where I’d gone wrong. Based on my

experience, here are some ingredients for becoming a solid player:

Humility – It’s not listed up there with the recipe for being a sloppy player, but arrogance

definitely played some part as well. It was beyond humbling for me to admit that I had spent

so much time doing things wrong and had probably cost myself a chance at being a successful

professional musician in the process. The admission, however, allowed me to start fresh and

approach the instrument differently than I had in the past.

definitely played some part as well. It was beyond humbling for me to admit that I had spent so much time doing things wrong and had probably cost myself a chance at being a successful professional musician in the process. The admission, however, allowed me to start fresh and approach the instrument differently than I had in the past. Taking Ownership – There’s a lot of information (and misinformation) out there about how to

play and how to get better. It’s surprisingly easy to drown in a sea of conflicting information. In

the end I simply had to decide for myself, based on common sense and logical thought, what

made sense and what didn’t, and adjust accordingly as I went along. Sometimes the answers

aren’t found in your teacher’s studio or on YouTube. Sometimes the answers are inside you and

you just need to ask yourself what they are.

play and how to get better. It’s surprisingly easy to drown in a sea of conflicting information. In the end I simply had to decide for myself, based on common sense and logical thought, what made sense and what didn’t, and adjust accordingly as I went along. Sometimes the answers aren’t found in your teacher’s studio or on YouTube. Sometimes the answers are inside you and you just need to ask yourself what they are. Enjoying the Process of Learning – In stark contrast to my experiences with the guitar earlier in

life, I now focus on the learning process rather than just the desired outcomes. Sure, one day I’d

still love to be as good as my guitar idols, but if I never get there, it’s OK. It may seem completely

counterintuitive, but the mere act of allowing yourself to fail will make it more likely that you

will succeed. Enjoying the learning process instead of beating myself up for not being Eddie Van

Halen yet has turned my time with the guitar into a completely enjoyable, almost meditative

experience. I’m getting better at an almost alarming rate, especially for someone who’s almost

40.

These days, at the age of 37, I’m still cleaning up all the messes I made of my playing, and I’m having an

absolute blast doing it. The feeling of accomplishment, of overcoming something that has plagued me

for the better part of my life, is unexplainably wonderful.

About the author: Dan Vuksanovich received his Master of Music degree in classical guitar performance

from the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University in 1999. He currently teaches and blogs

about how to get better at guitar via his website, www.whyisuckatguitar.com.