You're NOT Using the Wrong Strings!
Or, At Least, You May Not Be...But Even If You Are, It Isn't Because
You're Not Using the Strings Someone Else Thinks You Should!Don't Let the Influencers Fool You—The "Right" Strings are the Ones
That Work Best For You
I've seen a number of posts and videos lately from guitar influencers telling people that they're using the wrong this, or doing this or that wrong. Please don't listen to someone that tells you you're using the wrong guitar/strings/cable/pick/exercise/etc. simply because you're not using what they think you should use! In almost every case, when you're talking about how to approach playing guitar (and sometimes other instruments, too), there are almost never universal "right" and "wrong" approaches. Someone may well have told Jimi Hendrix that he was doing it wrong because he had his thumb over the top of the neck (which is a big no-no from a traditional technique point of view), but the musical world is a far better and much richer place today because he did it anyways.
I'm not saying every approach that contradicts the traditional is an automatic win on the level of a legendary player like Hendrix—of course that's not the case. But because so many players have proven that greatness on guitar can be accomplished even if you don't follow the traditional approach or path, all of us current and future players now have greater freedoms regarding how we play and how we approach playing...so we should use them!
I wonder, with these folks that are so frequently trying to micromanage other players, how few of them have themselves had a truly traditional musical upbringing—and yet here so many of them are, insisting that if other players don't have the exact same non-traditional experience that they've had, in the same specific ways that they had theirs, that the other players' experiences will somehow be inferior.
Don’t listen to that malarky! There are some standards, yes, and every player should understand the "why" behind traditional approaches—but they should feel free to approach the instrument in the way(s) that feel most comfortable to them. Yes, most players will need to adjust and/or tweak lots of things from where they feel comfortable before they get to where they want to go...but rather than try to shoehorn yourself into someone else's arbitrary mold because that person thinks it's the only way to go because it worked for them, I have had many students instead find great successes by starting with what they gravitate towards and then modifying that as needed to achieve their playing goals. As I tell my students, there are almost always multiple routes from where a student starts to where they want to go; making it a point to explore as many of those routes as you can will make you a better player, for several reasons.
Of course, it's best to have an experienced teacher guide you as you move forward on that journey, and I'd be happy to help whoever is interested—just reach out to me via phone (you can call or text), email, my website, or through social media, and we'll make a plan. And did I mention that all prospective new students can get a FREE introductory lesson? Book yours today!
Give me a call (or send me a text) at VIP-PLAY-GTR (847-752-9487), or contact me through the website to set up your FREE intro lesson today!
