You have no idea how comforting it is to watch guitarists who have played for a decade or more, struggle. It makes my own struggles less soul crushing. Thank you for sharing.

Even Eric Clapton described John Mayer as being a master guitarist...which is astronomically high praise.

She said I learned to play guitar in my style by failing learning his. It's funny because John Mayer says quote "you develop your own style when you fail to steal someone else's."

John Mayer's biggest playing secret: He is a massive human, and his hand can stretch down the entire neck.

The cool thing is, once you "master" a John Mayer song/rhythm it makes it easier to learn his other songs. Right now I'm struggling to play "Who did you think I was?" and sing at the same time, for some reason it's alot easier if I move my body and make "john mayer" faces while doing it.

Interesting that John said a very similar thing, his failure to sound like his heroes is what makes him sound like him

"It's the notes in between that are f**king with me!" - Kirk Hammett.

Your humility is really refreshing. I mean you are evidently a very accomplished musician and yet you choose to share your vulnerability and challenges with the sometimes less-than-understanding public. That gives me great inspiration to persevere. Thank you.

aah John Mayer song? calling: Paul Davids ....

The true struggle that no one sees behind the scenes... God is it frustrating learning something unfamiliar to the fingers but oh so rewarding when you finally get it!

He’s ergonomic with his playing *stretches pinky to infinity*

I’ve been playing this song incorrectly for about 15 years. You inspired me to learn it properly. Thank you! TIP for people with tiny hands like mine: use a capo to nail the riff further up the fret board (I put it on capo 4). Once you nail it there, move the capo lower and lower til you can play it without one 🙌🏻

"I developed my style from failing at playing like John Mayer" I love that and can definitely relate! Seems like we chose the wrong artist to like because almost all his songs are this intricate lol

Well, every John Mayer's song is tricky to learn.

now THIS is some quality content. I love the realism behind this, we all struggle like hell learning some songs and this just reminds me how we are all human with different learning curves.

I wish i could call Paul Davids to help me whenever i need it xD

Persistence is the one thing failure can’t cope with. Cheers and be lucky.

"I mean it's not neon" Damn true.

One fun thing is that this tricky C chord was easy for me to play when I first learned this song, but that's only because I'm brazilian and samba and bossa-nova artists put this kinda of stuff all over their songs, so I had that on my fingers and my ears long ago. What amazes me is how John, in a song from his early days and being originally a blues player, had adapted stuff like that into his playing. I can point many subtle bossa-nova and jazz influences on his first record and that's one of the things that I love about him, he's not where he is now because of luck or anything like that. He obviously studied the crap out of the guitar, as seriously as any of those praised players who are taken more seriously in the musician's circle even though it's just because they can't make tunes that stand out without relying on extensive (and often boring) showing off of guitar skills.

Mary's face when she nailed that tricky part takes me back to all the breakthrough's I've made in my own playing over the years. It's such a great feeling when you get to grips with something you previously considered beyond your ability. Well done Mary Spender.

I've loved Paul Davids forever. His is the master!!!!

I’m really struggling with Smoke On The Water.

What I love about this video, is seeing Mary, who I consider an excellent guitarist, struggling in just the same way that I do, albeit at a much lower level, while working her way through a song which is outside of her comfort zone. It is all too easy to fool oneself that the musicians that we admire have been endowed with a "special gift" - I am sure individual talent does come into play. But, what this video shows is, that often, it is just a matter of grinding it out; nothing beats practice and putting in the hours. So, the next time I feel myself getting frustrated whilst trying to figure out a couple of bars of a song, I'll reflect on this video and press on.

Amazing video. Seeing an artist of your caliber being so open about their frustrations learning a song is nothing short of refreshing. It’s just so human, whereas most artists seem to be busy trying to build up mythologies about themselves and how amazing they are. It’s so much more amazing to just be a real person, as you are. Ultimately that kind of personal integrity and humility makes its way into your art, yielding more genuine expressiveness.

the most musician like video ive ever scene . I love the realism of this haha thankyou for making me feel normal haha. you've done killer job as well btw!

I feel you. When you listen to John it sometimes seems "easy" to play but when you try you realise that this dude has a lot going on on his guitar. 🔥

imagine doing this pre-internet mid-2000s that would just be impossible. thank you and worthy vid to walk us through

You're SO SPECIAL to put that out there and show others we ALL have struggles learning certain songs. So GLAD I found you.

favorite john mayer song, i remember my dad every time i listen to it. he was a huge john mayer fan and passed away 2 years ago.

Lovely! That's a cool way to teach something and and a beautiful way to share music. Thanks Mary Spender!

You appreciate the music so much more when you see the effort that goes into creating it. Thanks for sharing

This is so inspiring... thanks for sharing this journey of yours, Mary!

Thank you for figuring this out! That riff has always been a mystery to me.

I see that PRS Silver Sky you got chillin back there.

This video popped up on my feed, I watched and instantly subscribed. I have been struggling to learn guitar on and off for a bunch of years. It’s extremely helpful to know that someone who is a legit musician also struggles with how to learn certain bits and techniques. Can’t wait to check out the rest of your channel and other work!

You are delightful...even more so because you have so much talent and are willing to share your struggles rather than just the polished stuff. Subscribed.

The world is a better place because of Paul Davids. I actually learned Neon (at least the intro/verse) thanks to his video.

Love to see how the struggle is real in everybody. love your accent

I love how approachable you are and open to your failures/shortcomings as a musician - it's super refreshing! We all fail and it's great to focus on how truly hard it is to be a good player :-).

I REALLY enjoyed watching you try to play this song. You really demonstrate the struggle and the accomplishment perfectly well. Made me smile. You're awesome Mary

OH. MY. GOD. Your vocal timbre in that range. AHHH!!

She's smart, appealing, candid and gifted. A lot to like here!

That emotion in your face!! I know exactly the feeling wow, I don't feel like I suck as much.

Great job, you had a fantastic teacher to guide you!

2:19 is me every time I play something a little more difficult than I'm used too and 2 weeks after I can play it I think to myself: "how did I ever find this difficult."

Great job! Why Georgia VERY underrated song....well played

You are fun to watch. I can relate. Nice work, Mary.

So many songs that I have listened to, but never really "heard" until you sang them. Thank you for opening my eyes.

I’ve been trying to piece together John’s Lenny intro to Man On the Side from Any Given Thursday. Still giving me a run for my money

Your voice is so beatiful especially when singing

I was very happy to see that you nailed it in the end. Congrats on your win ! It is a good feeling when you finally get right, even for somebody watching, (I felt like I was cheering you on). This song may have to wait a little longer before I add it to my wish list.

such a great, honest and useful video! Love it!

From my years of failing on 2 instruments: flute starting when I was 12 and bass when I was about 21 years old, and years of good players and singers, and, last but not least, discovering the way the brain learns, many of my problems with playing well was 1.) finding a tempo that produced almost NO mistakes and 2.) practicing the difficult parts in "Chunks". A chunk may be only a few notes or a few beats of music. It is the mastering of these very small sections to perfection, or as close to perfection as possible, and then stringing them together one at a time until the entire section can be played at one consistent tempo, will actually cut down the amount of time in learning difficult sections of a tune. In recent years, I have found that having a quote or two from those musos I admire helps me stay focused on the conceptual side of learning the physical skills necessary for improvement in my own practicing. The following statement by Wayne Shorter, famous for his work with Miles Davis and Weather Report, is one I reference when I am forced to confront the issue of quality results and practicing slowly: "The long road is the short road". It speaks directly to practicing a passage too quickly, thus producing mistakes which cause you to have to go back and play the same passage again, only to recreate a flawed version similar to the previous one, resulting in yet another pass, and so on and so on. The fact that you have identified problems in your playing and are willing to relate some of your struggles to cyberspace is very brave and is to be commended. Many players struggle with what approach is to be taken when learning such passages. My apologizes for offering such unsolicited advice. That said, research these 2 concepts: tempo and "chunking". Good luck.

This was really entertaining. Well done for being so honest and candid. (Don't worry, we won't believe you if you say you've got it down.)

You are wonderful. Paul is wonderful. It made me very happy to see two people I admire so much working together. Rest assured that your humility in the face of obstacles is helping many other musicians keep going and plenty of people are developing their sound by failing to imitate you. Thanks for sharing this and all of your other content.

Love this video. Someday I’ll make another attempt at that riff…

When you played that G with your middle finger instead of your thumb I knew you were gonna have a hard time lol

I always improvised that tricky part saying "eh, close enough."

it's been said but it bears repeating. When we get to see someone like you go through the learning process it's a realization that it's what we ALL go through. Thanks for sharing this.

Amazing! I gave up learning this one years ago but this vid inspires me to give it another shot, thank you for sharing ur progress as well as failures, it’s awesome to see how much you’ve improved it

He said himself that you develop a style when you fail to sound exactly like the one you wanna sound like, so that's perfect

I was smiling throughout. Been playing 50 years and it is the same for me. But, you will have stuff you invent that require the same effort from others : )

That was awesome. hahaha I Felt your joy when you got it on that last take!!

What I Love is your honesty. You give great insight to developing the ability to achieve an interpretation of an arrangement. I think all musicians struggle at times to play someone's version & then reinterpret to our own style. Thank for sharing this process. It sounded great as you arrived at a version that worked for you.👍

John Mayer should TOTALLY feature you in a song. Sounds incredible.

So, you didn’t cover the song note for note, but what I hear, I like. Your voice and sense of timing without having exact recreation is very nice. Maybe that’s you coming through there. I would pay to sit down and hear you play.

Thanks for sharing this! And congrats, you worked hard and reached your goal 👍

Love this Vid Mary because, like you, there were songs I loved by Joni Mitchel & John Martyn that are difficult to replicate because of two main things 1. How adept they are with their instrument of choice 2. The chords & hammer on/off or plucking style is something that is particular to them and really hard to replicate by you me nor anyone else. My level is Hobby musician for 40 years and audience Open Mic in pubs Bars or Beach Resorts on Holiday and watching and listening to others at same venues I was disappointed by how many were choosing to play the same songs over and over at different venues from what seemed a repertoire of only 5-10 songs that was either all they could remember or play well enough but also so many of the same old,s and some of those who were called long stayers and calling themselves professional musicians because entertaining at such venues was how they earned or augmented being able to stay for a whole 6 Month season at some location such as South Goa India and instead of using the superior skill they have or should have to play any number of excellent songs one could cover their sets tended to be popular more well known songs which I thought a shame or shameful even if the logic behind this was it being what they thought an audience would want to hear for guaranteed applause and appeasement and being asked back. Anyway that aside I love being a hobby musician and only play what songs mean something to me be that covers or originals with no regard as to how many or how few may enjoy that song, the reason I am playing it is the reason why I learned to play guitar in the first place and not to be an onstage wurlitzer trying to satisfy what others like, for me that is not what a musician of any standing will resort to but that's not saying I have no time for your average busker that has made a conscious decision to do what ever works best to put money into their pocket if enjoying a hot meal and affording somewhere to sleep with a roof over their heads is dependent on it. Anyway back to you admitting to struggling with this song. This may not work for you but what I discovered is I have my own style, imagination and playing technique and instead of painfully trying to replicate another's to do instead what comes far more naturally and adapt such songs to my level and ability and as that is fairly reasonable in the grand scheme of things, low and behold I found, where I performed such songs, people coming up to me after my set complimenting me on my choice of material, songs that no one else was or had thought to cover, that they had never heard covered before until then and for me personally that is the praise that means something as few are gonna remember someone rendering for the millionth time Hotel California, Three Little Birds, Wish You Were Here etc. So my tip on this song would be to adapt it to your style, how you would and could play it, that could be using some different chords or tuning, what ever works for you that is just more natural. Using this approach I can now belt out Joni Mitchel Off Night Back Street, John Martyns Make No Mistake or Know About Evil, Fleetwood Mac The Chain but also old Prog Rock Acoustic Versions of Groundhogs Split & TCFTB Album which was my era and with Neil Young as my main Inspiration I enjoy playing versions of around 100 or more of his songs both acoustic or electric and the reason why I bought Neil Young bootlegs to learn how electric album versions were played acoustically by Young and I learned so much from that. So sorry this became a bit of a novel, am recovering from Bronchitis and had time to kill cough cough. Love your canny charm and Videos and you take care

As fellow musicians (who are way more untalented than you are) we'd like to say that it's kind of easing to see someone struggling to learn an instrument, or a song in particular and finally making that one little progression that takes you further in your whole journey. There's no one, who can ever take that feeling from you! And as you progress there will be situations like this every now and then, but it just means that you develop your skills and yourself! Keep going the rocky road! :)

HEEE, you found the best person to teach you. Paul is an amazing teacher. Greettings. XDDDD

I admire your perseverance, Mary. And love your voice by the way. Keep it up.

Thanks for sharing this! It's really encouraging. And you've got really nice vocals, too!

7:20 Paul says "Ooh, yeah, 'mooi' "- and the Dutch word "mooi" means pretty or beautiful.

I'm on my way to learn classical gas from tommy emmanuel, just a tiny bit every week or so because it's definetly challenging to say the least, meanwhile I'm learning some other fingerstyle songs just to get better at the whole thing while also learning one of the hardest pieces of the genre I don't know if you did it or not but while learning a song or a specific part of a song it's soooo helpful to see how who wrote it plays it live, judging by the fact you didn't use your thumb over the neck, you didn't watch John Mayer playing the song live or you didn't catch it.

I felt that look of relief and accomplishment after you got it in my soul. I do almost the exact same thing when i finally get a decently clean play through of a part.

Thanks Mary. So inspiring to see this. Just knowing your hand cramps up too makes me feel less alone!

Easier forJM. He wrote it. The rest of us don't have "his" muscle memory so for us it is often a big learning curve. Never been one for covers but yeah it definitely pushes you out of your comfort zone and in the end that makes for a better, more rounded guitar player. Nice one Mary, sounded great to me :)

Nice guit ma'am. John mayer songs all drive me crazy because the guy is simply that good. Now imagine that this popped out of his head one day as a result of his life's tribulations.

As someone learning to play, this might be the most inspirational video I've ever seen you post

Thank you!! This video helped me VERY VERY MUCH NGL!

That's not lucky in the least. That's practice. Nice work.

moonlight sonata was one I finally mastered (on piano) but the one that's haunted me since I was about 10 was The Peanuts theme. I cant get my hands to play the 2 rhythms they are asking for. I'm a pianist and a drummer so you would think this wouldn't be a problem. The other ironic part is the the harder hand (right) is the one I'm fine with. It's the bass line that gets me.

Love your passion. Keep working at your craft.

Thanks for sharing your journey; the valleys and peaks

8:25 "That's lucky" - no it's not! You literally put the time and effort in; that's hard work!

Hi, my name is Paul Davids and this is my beard What an awesome vid Mary

really great, im a soloist and keyboard player, you made me pick the guitar back up again and at minimum start playing some chords again.

This video not only introduced me to this song it convinced me to learn it and its quickly become one of my favourite songs ever so thank you for that Mary!

Life is like playing guitar in that you have to keep on persevering in order to succeed.

The one i'm tackeling at the moment is the intro to Crazy On You by Heart, it's very different from my usual finger style which makes it a hell of a lot harder.

Nicely done, I like the performance and the reality. You have a lot of firepower in your voice which pushes your performance up hugely. Your guitar playing is both interesting and more importantly a great support for your warm, marvelous voice.

That was cool to watch Mary, nice!

I'm struggling with these at the moment. Here comes the sun. Nothing else matters. And a couple of Cat Stevens songs.

I read it as why 'Georgia' by John Mayer is a hard song 😂😂

Just started playing guitar about 2 months ago and really enjoyed this, thanks so much for sharing this.

That PRS Silver Sky in the background is so beautiful!

“He’s ergonomic with his playing” not with for those of us with normal thumbs

I'm struggling with Plini electric sunrise 😂 screw 13/8

I love this group of musicians/teachers/both/etc on the tewb of yew. All so talented and so free with help and teaching. "And the world is now a better place..."