Paul Davids – Learn Practice Play

You might think it’s…

• how many hours you practice each week
• the size and shape of your hands
• how much you spend on your guitar and gear
• or how many “learn guitar” books you’ve read.

However, it’s actually none of these. Instead:

The key difference between a skilled, confident guitarist
and the eternal newbie comes down to…

And the truth is…

Let me know if this sounds familiar:

You started trying to learn guitar with all the motivation in the world.

You knew who you wanted to play like, what songs you were going to learn, and maybe even had plans for recording your own music.

You bought your first guitar and dove in… learning basic notes, a few simple chords, and trying to figure out how to push down on the strings so they don’t buzz.

Very quickly, you realized just how hard it is to move your hands across the fretboard and make the guitar sound the way you want it to.

But you kept on trying. Just the thrill of feeling like a guitar player was enough to keep you going.

Coasting on a wave of excitement, you’d practice every day, blocking out an hour or two to watch videos, search out chord charts, and maybe even try to play along with your favorite songs.

You figured at that rate, it’d only be a few months before things would start to click and you’d really “get” the guitar and be able to translate the music in your mind to the sound you were aiming for…

To the point where it felt like a natural extension of your mind, and the music you create would become a perfect expression of how you felt inside.

Months into your journey, your repertoire has barely expanded.

Your hands still feel uncomfortable reaching for an F chord (or any other barre chord for that matter).

And your knowledge of music theory – you know, the stuff that allows you to understand the “why” behind the music and create your own licks and progressions – might as well be nonexistent.

Little by little, your commitment to practice guitar with total devotion has become a “maaaaybe a couple times a week, if I can find the time” type of commitment.

And when you do carve out the odd hour to sit down and play, it only serves to remind you that you’re no further along than you were 3 months ago.

Most likely it started the very moment you picked up the guitar.

Because chances are, you began without a solid roadmap for what to practice and when to practice it.

And as a beginner, practicing the wrong way can be worse than not practicing at all.

Guitar can be a source of pleasure, an always-available outlet for expression that fills you with deep joy and satisfaction… and with the right approach you can experience that too.

You can make steady, consistent improvement every time you sit down to practice, to the point where you can hear and feel the changes and experience that blissful flow state where everything just works.

And it’s possible to acquire the skills, confidence, and musical know-how to share your talents with others – whether that means starting a SoundCloud channel, playing live for friends and family, or even starting a band.

In a moment, I’m going to show you how you can experience all these things.

But before we dive in, I first want to talk about…

I saw these same issues over and over with my students… and if you believe them, they’re going to keep you from achieving the success you desire.

There’s one excuse I’ve heard more than any other for why beginners think they are not cut out to play guitar. It comes in many different variations: my hands are too small, my fingers are too fat, my index finger is a little crooked, my thumb isn’t flexible, I can’t spread my fingers.

And to be honest, I can fully understand where this belief comes from.

When you’re first learning guitar it can be frustrating. Your fingers feel slow and clumsy on the fretboard, and playing even the most simple chords can be difficult… not to mention more advanced barre chords or progressions!

So a lot of students think it’s the shape and form of their hands that prevent them from becoming great at the guitar…

They believe nature declared them unfit to play guitar… and no matter how much you stretch or exercise, you’ll be doomed to a lifetime of mediocre playing because of the shape and form of your hands.

And while I can understand it and I still sometimes feel like this myself…

We have to ask… what about Django Reinhardt?

No matter the size and shape of your hands, you CAN become great at playing guitar.

He’s considered one of the greatest guitarists of all time… and he could only use two fingers and his thumb on his fretting hand!

He reached amazing heights on the guitar and plays stuff others can only dream about!

All this is to say, the size of your hands should in no way hold you back from being great at guitar.

Instead, if you’re struggling with chords and fretting, it’s not the shape or size of your hands, but instead, it’s all about the strength and dexterity of your fingers.

And over time, each individual finger will get stronger and gain increased range of motion, allowing you to fret over much wider distances. Which means you’re guaranteed to get better at it as long as you keep practicing.

Practice is absolutely essential to master the guitar. There’s no way around it… if you want to get good, you have to put in the time.

But how much time is actually required?

Listen, if you’re practicing for an hour, two hours, three hours every single day – and you’re practicing the right things in the right order – you’re going to progress by leaps and bounds.

But outside of a small minority of professionals and college students majoring in music, that kind of schedule isn’t realistic.

Life gets in the way. Work, school, and maintaining a healthy social life all compete for your time.

And after more than a decade of teaching private guitar lessons, I’ve come to realize consistency of practice trumps total hours of practice, every single time.

Across the board, the students who practiced a little bit every day made faster, more consistent progress than students who “loaded up” and practiced several hours at a time, once or twice a week.

The trend was so clear, I was able to advise busy students to structure their practice time around what I like to call the “Minimum Viable Practice Session.”

And in a moment, I’m going to show you how to put this idea to work for you, so you can make consistent progress even in the midst of a busy schedule.

One of the most common mistakes people make is they believe they can learn the guitar simply by following the advice to “just play songs.” They assume all you need to do to learn guitar is play a song and then try again and again until it finally clicks.

At this point, you already know that consistent practice is the key to becoming a great guitarist.

And by using the training system I’m about to share, you’ll also:

Have the ability to make rapid, consistent, predictable progress in as little as 15 minutes per day

Understand the theory behind the songs you’re playing so you’re free to unleash your inner musician and rock your own riffs and progressions

Actually look forward to practicing because you’ll be having fun and enjoying the satisfaction of seeing your hard work pay off

You can experience all these things, whether you’re a total beginner or coming back to guitar after a few years…

… but they DO depend on using a specific, step-by-step “practice roadmap” to get you there.

One that uses only proven, effective teaching methods and never feels boring, outdated, or overly-theoretical.

One that’s been my secret weapon for helping my in-person students make consistent progress in both technical skill and musical knowledge week after week.

And…

One you’ll excitedly point back to a couple months from now when you’re absolutely nailing songs, riffs, and progressions you thought were WAY beyond your ability.

I first picked up the guitar when I was 12 years old. I was a kid with a red Squier and dreams of playing like Green Day, Metallica, and a local band called “de Heideroosjes.”

These days, I really enjoy teaching guitar and helping other people experience the same creative joy that’s brought me so much pleasure over the years.

It’s why I started my personal channel on YouTube, which has grown into a pretty popular guitar channel with more than two million subscribers from all over the world!

On the channel I share all things that interest me, based on what I’ve learned from over two decades of playing, songwriting and producing.

I also got my music degree with a minor in teaching the guitar from Rotterdam Conservatory.

For 11 years, I taught private lessons to hundreds of students of all different skill levels in private, 1-on-1 sessions.

And what I’ve learned over that decade of teaching guitar is that in order to make consistent progress, you must have a well-crafted roadmap for both learning and practicing.

So with many months of work, I put together a program that is exactly that.

I’m incredibly excited to introduce you to…

A system for learning guitar that gives you a clear, progressive, step-by-step roadmap for exactly what you need to practice and when…

Guaranteeing you’ll practice guitar more consistently, with more focus, and most importantly, with far more enjoyment than you have ever experienced before.

Learn, Practice, Play is based on the 4-Step Practice Framework I’ve developed over 11 years of teaching in-person guitar lessons…

A system that makes learning guitar faster, easier, and incredibly FUN.

1. The right lesson at the right time
2. With a clear outcome in mind
3. Then apply it immediately, in a musical context
4. And do it consistently until it sticks

With the 4-Step system working in your favor, you’ll make consistent and rewarding progress as you move through the course.

In just a matter of weeks, you’ll develop a solid foundation in the core fundamentals of guitar, including:

• Fretting, Strumming, and Fingerpicking
• Melody and Key
• Chords and Scales
• Timing
• Improvisation, Riffs, Licks, Soloing, and more

With Learn, Practice, Play you’ll be playing the guitar from the very start… not just learning about it, but using it, playing it, and getting comfortable with it.

What’s more, when you join Learn, Practice, Play you get access to:

In Learn, Practice, Play, nobody plays alone! When you join, you’ll get to hang out with hundreds of your fellow guitarists inside the private Facebook community and exchange feedback, encouragement, and tips and tactics to improve your musical skills.

• Connect with your fellow guitar enthusiasts, share your progress, and post videos of your latest musical creations.
• Get instant feedback on your technique from others in the community, so you can improve even faster.
• Make friends with people just like you… enthusiastic students of guitar, dead-set on becoming as great as they can be.

Share tips and progress with your fellow guitarists.

To make sure your guitar looks and sounds its best, it’s important to care for your instrument properly.

In this training, I teach you my top tips for guitar maintenance that every guitarist should know. When you use the techniques I share, your guitar will reward you with many years of faithful service.

Keep your guitar happy, healthy and shiny!

If you wanted to learn everything inside Learn, Practice, Play as a private, 1-on-1 student, the price tag would easily surpass $1,000…

And I’ve seen music school courses that charge $1,500 or more for online programs with similar material.

But I want to make Learn, Practice, Play more affordable.

When you join join Learn, Practice, Play you will get lifetime access to all course materials and bonuses.

• The 7 core modules with 55 in-depth video lessons
• Lesson PDFs with tabs and standard notation
• Downloadable backing tracks
• Bonus #1: Membership in the official Learn, Practice, Play Facebook Group
• Bonus #2: The Practice Fundamentals Video Pack
• Bonus #3: The Guide to Guitar Care
• Plus extras like advanced exercises with videos for experienced students, chord charts, a music glossary, and a printable practice schedule