Mindset lessons
Each of my YouTube lessons, written up so you can read it, skim it or come back to it while you practise. Every post has the video and links to the free tools that go with it.
November 2026
5:30October 2026
14:31How to Make Guitar Practice as Addictive as Social Media
Borrow the tricks apps and slot machines use to keep you hooked: remove friction, near misses, no cue to stop, streaks, cliffhangers and more, applied to guitar practice.
8:15The 30-Day Guitar Practice Challenge (and Why It's Not Just "Practise More")
A 30-day guitar challenge: an hour a day, or double your usual practice. Why it works, what to practise, what to do on days away, and the rule for missed days.
3:54Watched Loads of Guitar Lessons and Still Stuck? The Problem Might Be Application
If you keep finishing guitar lessons with no idea what to do next, the lessons may not be the problem. Here's why applying an idea far more widely is what makes it click.
8:53How to Teach Yourself Guitar: Change One Variable at a Time
A simple way to fix your own playing: change one variable, measure it, keep or bin it. How to split your practice, find things to test, and a list of ideas to try.
5:11Stop Waiting Until You're Ready to Learn That Song
Putting off a song or writing music until you've learnt other skills first kills motivation and feeds procrastination. Here's why, and how to start in small bites.
10:25Stuck on a Guitar Plateau? You're Actually at a Crossroads
Why you can't know what will fix your guitar plateau until you've done it, and how undistracted practice time plus about 20% experimentation gets you moving again.
12:13Why You Should Be Sceptical of Online Guitar Teachers (And How to Learn Independently)
Why online guitar lessons that promise a missing piece deserve some scepticism, and five practical ways to test new ideas and take charge of your own progress.
September 2026
7:29How to Make Real Progress With Only 15 Minutes of Guitar Practice
Fifteen minutes is enough to get better at guitar if you spend it on a tiny piece of music. Here's what to practise for scales, riffs, chord changes and improv.
4:19Why Learning a New Song Feels So Frustrating (and How to Fix It)
If a riff you should be able to play keeps tripping you up, you probably haven't learned it yet. Here's a simple test, and how to split memorising from speed.
7:27Complexity Is an Option, Not a Goal: Rethinking Creativity on Guitar
A reframe for improvising and writing on guitar: who you're playing for, whether you're impressed or actually enjoying it, and a simple listen-back test.
5:02Economy vs Alternate Picking: Which Should You Choose?
The pros and cons of economy and alternate picking, why the choice matters less than you think, and the one thing that does matter whichever you pick: pick angle.
11:03How to Fit Guitar Practice Into a Busy Life
Mindset and practical tips for making guitar part of a busy life: drop all-or-nothing thinking, the 60 second rule, splitting practice and play, and cutting friction.
5:06Explore the Extremes: A Practice Principle That Works at Every Level
Instead of aiming straight for the perfect version, push a technique to both ends. How exploring extremes helps barre chords, pick attack, vibrato and riff writing.
4:13How to Approach Online Guitar Lessons Without Getting Lost in Quick Fixes
Online guitar advice is a mix of great and bad. Here's how I'd treat any lesson or "one trick" tip: as an experiment, given a proper go, backed by focused hours.
6:36What Playing in Front of Tony Iommi Taught Me About Confidence
I froze playing in front of Tony Iommi. Here's what went wrong, the one question I now ask myself on stage and in practice, and how it applies to your playing.
August 2026
7:44Why Getting Better at Guitar Won't Make You Happy, and What Will
Hitting your next guitar goal won't make you happy for long. Why that happens (the hedonic treadmill), and why playing more, not chasing goals, is the answer.
6:41Can't Play a Whole Song Start to Finish? You Might Not Need To
Struggling to play a whole song start to finish? Here's why most players don't, why it's fine to learn just the parts you love, and when learning the full song does matter.
7:33How I Got Into Music School After a Few Months of Focused Guitar Practice
How I got my playing up to music school standard in a few months: stop chasing perfect technique, simplify to a few exercises and build strength and coordination.
April 2026
16:00Nothing matches that yet. Try another word, or ask me and it might be the next lesson.
Want feedback on your own playing?
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