Thank you for posting this!! I can relate. For years, my goal was to learn enough songs to create a setlist and play in a coffee shop. Didn't happen. That goal was a little overwhelming for me trying to learn 10+ songs. In 2019, I had created a music channel. When the pandemic happened, my goal was to learn one song, upload it to KZfaq. That's when I knew I had achieved learning one song and could move on to learning the next song to upload. That goal was much more manageable. Now I have a bunch of songs I know for setlist. If I ever have the time, I'll play them at a coffee shop. Makes me realize sometimes you have to adapt your goals so they are more manageable. Now on to 2024 goals using some of your ideas!

Heath an awesome guidance for setting up 2024!

thanks - im really gong to try to take this on board. like all the very best ideas - it seems obvious once it has been pointed out. very helpful

Recording myself hurts but I will start doing it again and will keep doing it to try and get better. Great info. Thanks.

Great lesson. You've really laid it out there. It's exactly what everyone needs to hear, but dreads hearing. Guess I'll have to record something tonight.

Thanks my man happy Christmas to you and your family I’ve got a lot out of your videos thanks from Ireland 🇮🇪.. a good breakdown tutorial of babys coming home would be great .. thanks for everything take care .. Brian Ireland 🇮🇪🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

Great... this helps .. I didn't know you folks had a camera in my "home studio" watching "how I play" and study .. thanks.. Also getting side tracked... whew.. sometimes I get mental deer in the headlights stupefied .. thinking "I have so much to do where do I start" ... which is a huge mind blocker.

I'm a 40+ lefty, who (finally) picked up guitar since covid/lockdowns. Was a singer for years in a late 90's teen (grungy/nu-metally) band, but was never inspired to pick up that 'one dusty left handed Strat knock off' in the back of every store :) I am a teacher tho (kungfu is my game), and from one teacher to another: Your lessons are really good and inspiring. Tho I'm a rock and metal dude (in general) since my teens, I've been leaning heavily towards blues and western since trying to learn guitar (the RDR2 soundtrack might have had quite the influence). So your lessons on Black Keys renditions or old Junior Kimbrough/R.L. Burnside tracks are right up my alley :) Loved the Justin Johnson vid too! Thanks for all the content, have a great xmas!

Have a good fruitful day! You hear the music well and subtly! It's funny to say that my nephew wants to go on a tour of America. How he learned a few chords on his guitar. I think you're serious about the guitar.I am subscribed to your channel! Thanks! I'm already a grandfather, but I'm interested!

Really good tipps!!! thank you Heath!!

I used to never practice with a metronome but now i cant practice without it - good vid wise advice

Thanks for another great lesson!! If there are any doubters, I can definitely confirm that recording yourself is super helpful, especially for electric. I have been recording loops with a DL4 and it's really helped me listen to and work on the details like palm muting. I would also add, that it's really important to play your songs by yourself instead of playing along with the songs. Having the music in the background covers up a lot of your mistakes, and you may not realize how bad you sound.

This could be your best session ever, along with your warning that making the same mistakes over and over trains the brain to always make them.

What kind of KZfaq teacher are you? Obviously you haven't grasped the fact you are supposed to put out tabs for Christmas songs, and cover the same 10 songs this year, that were covered last year, and the year before, and....You get the idea. No, you would rather teach something that I am working on for 2024. Dude this was awesome! I hope you got past the sarcasm in the beginning and made it this far. I journal my practice & I am working on my 2024 plans & goals. This is the type of stuff I love to see. Thanks so much for this video, amazing session brother! Happy Holidays!

Great advice. I tried using a Thumb pick and just couldn't get the feel with it. Pick feels so foreign compared the using the thumb

I am not semi- retired or retired and like gentleman you speak of I have been playing for a long time, mostly classical and finger picking style but one day about 4 months ago I decided I'm going to go all in and also transition to electric. Since then Im up at 5, play 2-3 hrs before work and then about 2 hrs after work. My goal is basically guitar fluency. Play anything I want of other peoples music, but more importantly to create my own. I can write a beautiful ambient piece one day and a super heavy metal piece the next. I think of Robert Johnson sometimes and the myth that he was only able to reach his heights by making a deal w the Devil. That myth has since been applied in our culture to anyone who goes from bad to extraordinary in a short amount of time. But I think I also heard that he went to juke joints and was not good and couldnt hold an audience so he just became determined so he shut himself up for about 2 yrs and practiced day and night and when he emerged he had surpassed the best of his day so people assumed it was dark forces. I think he just worked his ass off, which anyone can do if they are really serious, but most don't.

I bought an Ibanez RGRTB621 is that a good starter guitar??

Excellent information. If you're not use to 3 hours of practice, personally I can say all you will get is sore fingers and hands at the least. Or a bad case of lateral epicondylitis, tendons or guitar elbow. I wanted to try to make up for missed time and was doing 2 hour practice sessions and I had tendonitis for over a year. My advice is don't do it.