Hey, beloved followers.
Today, I'm compelled to share some news, which is a bit tough for me, and discuss our roadmap for the future.
I've recently been diagnosed with a condition known as focal dystonia. It's an uncommon issue, often seen in musicians and athletes, causing certain muscles to malfunction. For me, it's altered my finger patterns, particularly involving the ring finger.
I began to sense discomfort at the start of this year. At first, I attributed it to the long hours spent creating teaching materials, allowing my own practice time to fall by the wayside. In response, I refocused on basic exercises, expecting improvement, but alas, my condition continued to decline.
Our long-term YouTube subscribers may have noticed the abrupt halt in updates to our prime content, the "Blues Legends' Lick Explained Series." It was focal dystonia pulling the strings behind the scenes. Our ongoing John Mayer series was left hanging, as I struggled to execute the upcoming phrase. It wasn't supposed to be a technical challenge for me, and I had initially assumed that a little more tempo work and a few extra days of practice would do the trick. Contrary to expectations, I found myself slipping backward instead of progressing.
The final straw was my struggle with a simple phrase, one that I could play effortlessly as a beginner. This felt inexplicable. Regardless of whether I had laid my guitar aside for a year or two, my abilities shouldn't have faded this much. Even though I was playing every day, I couldn't shake off the sense that my practice over the past three months had been inadequate. But, it was hard to believe that this would lead to such a drastic regression.
Upon hearing about focal dystonia, I couldn't help but resonate with the symptoms and eventually headed to the hospital with a hunch. My suspicions were confirmed. While there's no one-size-fits-all treatment, I was advised not to obsess over it. But being a professional, it's hard not to. My current objective? Exploring ways to navigate through this condition.
Let's talk about what's next.
Even though playing guitar is a challenge now, I can still strum to a certain degree. So, I'll put in my best effort to expand our content, guided by my current abilities.
We've been diligently creating vocabulary videos for our members and aim to continue this endeavor. In the immediate future, our focus will be on materials that stress note selection within simpler phrases.
Regarding the 'Step by Step Blues Guitar' lessons, I propose a brief pause while I observe any improvements in my condition.
Truth be told, our 'Step by Step Blues Guitar' lessons have been on a hiatus for a few months, while I zeroed in on vocabulary videos. There was another hurdle I was dealing with – asthma. Since last year, it's been making it increasingly difficult for me to record lessons. Although I kept trudging along, recording sessions became an uphill task from last autumn or winter. I was looking forward to bouncing back into the recording studio as my asthma was getting better, but then came the diagnosis of focal dystonia. It's disheartening, to say the least.
Yet, even with this challenge, there's still plenty I can do with my guitar-strumming fingers. This has led me to the creation of a new course, currently named "Applied Music Theory For Blues Guitarists."
Expect this to be a slide-format instructional video, akin to our vocabulary videos, but sans guitar demonstration. This will be an endeavor to lay out the music theory essential for mastering Blues Guitar in a tangible, systematic way.
This new course, coupled with our existing 'Step by Step Blues Guitar' course and the wealth of content in the Blues Guitar Lab Library, aims to provide an efficient path for your blues guitar learning journey.
Here’s good news for you guys! The "Applied Music Theory For Blues Guitarists" will be available for free as a part of the Blues Guitar Lab courses. A simple registration will grant you access. It will initially be pre-released within the Blues Guitar Lab membership. So, why wait? Sign up now (it's free) and you'll be notified as soon as the course is complete.
Join the Blues Guitar Lab Membership today: https://bluesguitarlab.teachable.com
When it comes to our presence on social media platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, I plan to not only reshare and reorganize the wealth of content we've already created, but to continue providing you with valuable insights, tips, and answers to your burning questions. Particularly, our collection of 'lick videos' is abundant, and I encourage you to delve into this treasure trove on our YouTube channel.
At present, monetization on YouTube is not an option for me. So, if you find my content valuable and wish to support my work, I would be incredibly grateful if you could subscribe to the paid content of the Blues Guitar Lab Membership or contribute via platforms such as Patreon or Buy Me a Coffee.
Join as a member:
https://bluesguitarlab.teachable.com
Donate monthly(Patreon):
https://www.patreon.com/satoshinakamotosguitarlab
Make a one-time donation(Buy Me a Coffee):
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SNakamotoGLab
Regardless of the challenges that my physical limitations present, my commitment to providing value to all of you remains unshaken. I will continue to adapt and innovate in the face of adversity.
On a side note, in anticipation of possible future exacerbation of my symptoms, I've decided to embrace a new avenue: the slide guitar. My current condition doesn't inhibit my ability to play the slide guitar, as long as my arm has mobility. Given its strong alignment with blues guitar, I'm thrilled to embark on this new journey. Once I've gained proficiency in slide guitar, I eagerly look forward to sharing these fresh techniques with you all.
I'm also giving serious thought to sharing my own journey of mastering the slide guitar. I firmly believe that shared learning experiences are immensely enriching. Over at the Blues Guitar Lab Community (https://bluesguitarlab.teachable.com/p/blues-guitar-lab-community), blues guitar enthusiasts like us strive to share our practice goals, progress, and knowledge. The community is open to independent registration as well as being part of the membership package.
Despite the wealth of Blues Guitar Lab content that you're all engaging with, our community space is yet to reach its full potential. I am determined to breathe life into this platform and catalyze its growth.
Although my fingers may be impaired, my passion for the blues guitar remains undimmed! Let's keep the spirit of the Blues alive, together!
Join us on our journey at the Blues Guitar Lab: https://bluesguitarlab.teachable.com
Stay tuned and stay bluesy,
Satoshi Nakamoto
Comments
Post a Comment