There is no God - When it's not good to listen to the experts

I hope the subject line caught your attention!

Now, let me explain...

I suffer from a peculiur type of disease called "Indecisive-itis," and it seems like a lot of other guitarists have the same problem.

The symptoms of this ailment? Always trying to seek the best way to do something.

Ah, this doesn't sound like a problem, right? But it is! We go through our careers always doubting that what we're doing right now is the best possible way of doing it. Take practicing, for example. Steve Vai says we should practice ten hours a day. So we might devote ourselves to this, until we read the next article in the magazine...With Eddie Van Halen saying he never practices, he just plays. Ok, so then we just play!

And then there's the new ad on the Internet claiming to boost your chops with this magic tonic, so we try that....and so on, and so fourth.

In short, we drive ourselves crazy by constantly questioning ourselves in a bad way.

Questions are great, and essential for progress. But, it's important to believe in ourselves as well.

I believe that we all have a guitar teacher inside of us. He or she is the best possible teacher we will ever have - if we listen to her. Instructors can serve the wonderful purpose of showing you this inner teacher.

Here's the fine line to walk: Believing in yourself, while learning from everyone.

Which brings me to the subject of my blog..."There is no God." (No, this isn't a statement on the existence or non-existence of the powers that be...) It means - Listen to Mr. Vai, and Mr Hendrix, and listen to yourself.

Walk the line, and balance. Listening to other people to an extreme degree could be just as harmful as not listening at all.

So what do you think?

Rock on!