GUITAR INSTINCTS

As a child I was always very interested in music and played the piano from a young age, even in pre-school. But after taking piano lessons later as a pre-teen I decided it wasn't my cup of tea. It was as though my mother was paying for me to go through a mild form of torture every Tuesday at the music shop. I didn't want to deal with any more of that slow-progressing torture, and so I said to hell with the whole thing.

It took a friend of mine with an impressive ability to play guitar and even more impressive voice to recapture my musical interest in high school. The first time I heard him play, I was determined to master the guitar and everything about it. I wanted to unlock the secret to that mesmorizing sound and become the creator of it. Almost immediately I knew that I was not about to take any more instrument lessons, since the previous lessons I had taken were so incredibly boring.

The guitar was a new opportunity to express my musical creativity and passion that had existed inside me for so long--on my own. I set out very anxious to teach myself--without the aid of an actual teacher--and several years later I am now an accomplished, self-taught guitarist. I've been teaching now for over four years, as well. It wasn't always an easy road, though. There were plenty of speed bumps, curves, stop signs, road blocks, and construction zones that were to be navigated along the way.

I didn't always have the understandings or tools I needed to immediately get around those hangups. There were many very frustrating moments and days where it seemed like I would never be able to play at the level I dreamed of. "Why can't I play that lick as fast as the guy on the record? How does he control his ring finger at such a high speed..?" were common questions I'd ask myself. And at the end of the day, I began to find the answers to those questions.

Soon I was acquiring all of the understandings and tools necessary for my constant improvement, and the more time I put into practicing, the more I got out of it. I did everything--I browsed the net and learned tablature so I could make sense of free online lessons; I bought books about technique, chords, and scales; I practiced and played with friends of all different levels, taking as much as I could from those who were better than me; and I even watched DVDs of famous, talented guitarists like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai to study their playing mechanisms. For the first six months or so, I was obsessed with the guitar and practiced hours on end every day after school (there were many days that I played for six to eight hours, like a full time job, in this period). My fingertips hurt and my hand muscles ached, but I was getting better; actually I was getting a lot better.

In fact, I would be willing to bet that anyone who immersed him or herself in the learning process as I did, taking the same steps, would also end up quite accomplished. If your heart is truly set on doing it yourself, as mine was, then just do this:

1. Print out the above paragraph (starting "Soon I was...")
2. Copy me and do all the things I did
3. Register yourself as a student on this site*
4. Login to access the online lessons to do on your own time**
5. Enjoy the fruits of success!

Now I will admit that you can skip steps 3 and 4 if you absolutely must; after all, I did it and turned out okay. But the online student resources coming soon will be world of categorized lesson material at the tip of your fingers. This will be very useful to the independent student who can then go online, look up whatever section they need at the moment--say sweep picking through arpeggios or doing a string bend--review the information they need, and then go back to practicing. There is more information on that part of the website here.

This theme of independence is what has influenced my personal teaching philosophy more than anything. I created Guitar Instincts with the idea that we are not giving people fish, but rather teaching them how to fish, all on their own. It is not enough to be shown how to do a hammer-on, string bend, or picking technique. One must understand the reasons why they are doing something that particular way. One must develop a state of mind which is self-sufficient, detecting problems and recognizing solutions independently.

It is this acquisition of proper perspective, mind-frame, attention, and understanding which will lead someone on an ever-increasing path of success. With the proper level of desire and commitment, I believe anyone can achieve this. As a teacher, I certainly guide my students in traditional methods of teaching, showing them things that anyone ought to be shown; but I also help my students explore a new way of thinking, showing them how to take advantage of their cognitive abilities to maximize their return (desirable sounds coming out of the instrument) on their investment (practice time, money).

Now technically, this is not good for business! Producing self-sufficient students who can safely leave my nest at some point might mean a loss of income on my end in the short run. Developing an amazing set of products and services, though, which are all firmly supported by superb customer service... I'm thinking it'll work out just fine in the long run. I'm convinced that by offering an esteemed product, the demand for my irreplacable high-quality service will accelerate exponentially. In other words, it won't matter if I take students in and turn them back around in a short period of time; there will be a postively off-setting number of new excited students ready to be part of the process. In an age where customer service has dwindled to tele-automation and barely-english-speaking representatives, people are upset. I know I'm upset, and a friend and I are actually authoring a separate book about the matter. At Guitar Instincts, you will always be satisfied with the personal consideration you are given.

When I think of the level of customer service Guitar Instincts must aspire to, a man I know named Carl comes to mind. Carl works in the auto-maintenance department of Pacific Nissan, located in San Diego. Throughout several trips to the dealership for routine maintenance on my vehicle, as well as one case of post-accident engine and body repair, Carl has always taken care of me. He's made and returned phone calls when he said he would. He's taken the time to really understand and care about my vehicle issues and related frustrations. When he's gone, all hell breaks loose and you never know what's going on with your car. When he's there, you're overcome by a peace of mind because you know things are going to work out. He's an old-fashioned, high-moraled, competent, good guy you know you can trust and count on. There aren't enough Carls in the world, and we are all tired of sitting on hold. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. What everyone needs in those situations is for Carl to pick up the phone and take care of things for you. I will aspire, along with all other Guitar Instincts employees, to be like Carl in all of our dealings with you.

In conclusion, I wish you the best of luck on your journey to improve yourself--whether on the guitar or just in life in general. I hope you've learned something interesting here and perhaps found some inspiration to do something new with your life. If that something is the guitar, then I'm here for you. I hope to see you soon, and if you have any questions check out the Contact section of this website for our contact information. Goodbye!

Me playing in a talent show at La Universidad de Alcala de Henares in Madrid, Spain. © 2006

Steven Fies
President, Guitar Instincts
Back to Top