Finding Your Own Unique Flow

The well-known golfer, Tommy Armour, wrote a small book about learning golf. His opening quote was..."I will teach you how to play and be your best to whatever you choose. Importantly, I will teach you how to believe and how to learn."

This is the essence of my unique LET IT FLOW method that I use to help people learn their Guitar, Singing & Songwriting. There seems to be a common thread amongst teachers, particularly famous teachers of famous talent, that really resonates with how I like to teach music and how I have witnessed how students like to learn.

It starts with a spark!

It starts with being inspired, but most importantly it starts with self-belief. Any new skill, especially something you are not used to like music, makes you step way out of your comfort zone and into a world you thought was only reserved for a select few. Well music is for everyone and everyone has the opportunity to find and unleash their music, 'whatever you choose'.

In this short article, I will share some of my little book. The simplicity of the 'Let It Flow' little book may surprise you. You might think it is full of detailed chord charts, scale patterns to learn. And there are many great music masters who can teach you this in incredible detail, or even many great websites these days where you can watch and learn yourself. Sure, I can teach you these too and we will get to some in our lessons, but it's the 'learning foundations' that I believe you must absorb first.

For once you have cross the bridge on these 'learning foundations' you will unleash such a powerful amount of creative energy that you never believed was possible. You will know when you are on the 'let it flow' journey as it will soon pour out of your and be with you everyday.

This passion will drive you to learn better, learn more and learn quicker. You will want to play so much that the dirty word 'practice' won't even exist!

We will focus on the essentials to master. I want to teach you about mindset and flow, about natural effortless playing, where the guitar (or voice, or piano, or any instrument, or even a song you are writing!) is so connected as a part of you - it just happens!

And you will soon move beyond just 1 instrument, as these principles will drive you to want to play other instruments and eventually you could end up joining all these parts together - the guitar, your voice and your own original song.

In my view, I would prefer you practice (or play!) hitting one note, or strumming one chord to perfection. For example, I have this blues riff that I play and still practice to try and really master, even today after about 10 years when I first struck it. When I think of the great timeless guitarist and singers that all have developed their own little way of sound. This is their sound, this is their formula, this is their passion, this is their way - this is their 'let it flow'!

Think of the blues masters, Buddy Guy and BB King; they spent a lifetime just trying to hit that one perfect note to announce their entrance, they are in the house, so listen up!

Think of U2 The Edge, his classic 3-4 note chordy riffs that ring out across the stadium. The Edge has spent a lifetime mastering his own song and his own 'letting it flow'. Add in Bono's amazing vocals, songs great powerhouse songs and rock solid bass and drums together with a ton of 'let it flow' passion and you have something very magical that can touch like a force field or a spirit to connect the worlds audiences.

Think of guitar greats, Joe Satriani, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Hendrix...there are so many. Even though these guitar great cut through with incredible playing of so many notes, its their unique personal signature feel that they play that makes them unique - the first one note!

And I am only taking about the first part in Guitar - wait til we get into the simple cool Songwriting sounds of JJ Cale, Bob Marley...these guys write the sound of the song before they have even started!

Think of all the great Singers we have known or know today. The way they sing, in their own unique style, each has a unique effortless flow to it

Of course, play other people songs as much as you like - I do all the time as its a great way to stretch yourself and learn new ways. But I encourage you ultimately to start on your own unique musical journey, to start defining your own sound, in your own special way.

I will get your mind straight, get you in the zone, help you find your calm steady state frame of mind. I will teach or show you what I believe are the bare essentials to master - the rest will be up to you!

My focus is mainly with Beginners as I get asked or hear the comment...'I wish I could play guitar, I wish I could sing, I would love to be able to write songs'. So I focus on 3 Things to get you going - to set you off on your path. These 3 things can be the same for different people, or the 3 things can vary depending on what you need to unleash it.

It will magically happen and all connect for you one day. Somethings will happen straight away, some over weeks or months and some even over years. But what an awesome life journey to have - something you can keep playing or practicing at that is only going to get better, more personal, more authentic sound.

But you will have to hold your guitar a lot, practice and play that note or chord fairly regularly if you are going to get anywhere. It will not just appear though it already exists. You have to help unleash it!

We will keep it simple so you get results quickly, especially at the beginning. And once you are off and running, you will reach out and want to absorb more and more. I will tell you, show you, but I can't do it for you. It doesn't matter how good the teacher is, any new skill has be developed on your own! And I actually have a policy that I don't teach people any longer if they don't want to teach themselves. Its just not worth it, not worth the time, as its impossible for someone to progress if there is nothing put in to it by themselves.

Music is one of the most powerful forms of recreating emotion - its multidimensional, all in one - capturing the moments and memories at a point in time. I want it to sink in and touch deep as this is where your own sounds and style will resonate from. Its actually already in you as your thoughts, actions, spirit, heart & soul...but you need to do a few simple things well to let it flow out! Holding your guitar, strumming a chord, humming a note of lyrics you wrote will give you incredible satisfaction.

With Guitar, your effortless flow sound starts in your right strumming hand. Your right hand sets the pace, the tempo, the cadence, the volume, the fierceness, the lightness...the everything! It captures the tone, the feel, the vibe...from you, through the Guitar and out as the music sound you have created. One note, one string, one chord...can be played many different ways for many different songs.

You will hear me talk a lot about the right hand as I believe its so fundamental to an awesome sound. Its like the beat, the rhythm section, the drums...all powering the left hand chord shapes into action. Think about it, you can have a fancy left hand chord shape, but if you can't power it with some awesome right hand strumming or finger-picking then its going nowhere!

But you do need the physical actions to settle in. So holding, touching and playing your guitar as much as you can will speed things up, to arrive at that 'effortless flow'. Master a note, a riff, a few chord progressions and then move on to the next thing. The shape of the chords with your left hand will hurt and feel strange at first, your fingers, your fingertips. But push though it and over time it will feel as natural as giving someone a hand shake!

Start with a nylon string acoustic guitar as its much easier with the softer nylon strings that are more spread out so its easier to get your fingers in the right chord pattern and progression. Even look at a 1/4 or 1/2 size guitar for small people.

Hold it often, find a progression that you can master and just strum that chord progression many different ways - fast, super slow, funky, finger-pick it. Do a few things right!

One of the simplest and most natural chord patterns and progressions to try start on is the open A 2 finger chord. It's easy and more natural on your hands. This chord not only sounds good but its also easy to remember and easy to play even for beginners. Plus it allows you to practice your right hand - your conductor hand, your feel, your pace - you can strum this chord for hours. And its a really nice chord to practice your finger-picking on.

The open A chord with 2 fingers can also be shifted up a string to an E minor (Em) chord which is also a really nice full sounding chord. When you are strumming your A chord quietly, I want you to think of nothing! Really...nothing. Sure before you start think of everything...how you are holding your guitar, your left hand positioning, your right hand rhythm..but when you go into your song really clear your head and think nothing, like a blank white page.

Above all else, I want to get you believing quickly that you can play, sing & write, and give you some of the most solid foundations that will form an everlasting creative journey for life!

A create attitude that is so free and open that you wont want to stop improving.

You will write your songs, your way, in your time, with your style.

And your inner creative attitude will provide you with a rock n roll solid inner belief at your core that when you come to play and perform for others you will be in your own world, in your own little bubble, blocking out all the distractions and expectations...so in the zone you won't want it to end! This is the LET IT FLOW method for you.

Enjoy the journey!

(C) Copyright 2019 OLTAY MUSIC SCHOOL

let if flow - like water flows naturally in its own unique way