You might not know this, but then again… you just might. I am a bit of a fan of Australian Football—fanatic, even. That sounds about right.
One of the icons of the game, John Kennedy Snr., delivered a speech during the 1975 grand final that has become legendary. The core message of his speech was: “Do something. Do. Don’t think. Don’t hope. Do.”
As I was thinking about what to write this week, procrastinating as usual, Kennedy’s words came to my rescue.
Applying Kennedy’s Message to Guitar Playing
But how could his message help you, the guitar player?
In my time teaching, running clinics, and talking with other guitar players, I’ve found that Kennedy’s message rings true.
Don’t Think, Do
Overthinking plagues many players and students. I’ve seen people spend more time setting up practice schedules than they do on actual practice. There’s a term for this: planned procrastination. An elaborate spreadsheet detailing your practice sessions won’t make you a better player. Doing the practice will.
Don’t Hope, Do
If you hope something will happen but don’t follow through with action, then all you have is hope. You’ve achieved nothing. At clinics and guitar events, you often hear people talk about wanting to be better players. Unfortunately, they don’t follow through and do what they need to do to make it happen. Hope and wishful thinking won’t get you there—action will.
What Should You Do?
Well, for a start, doing something is better than doing nothing. It can be as simple as learning a new song. Do something that will help you move forward—become, in some way, a better player today than you were yesterday.
Keeping it simple, I work from three basics: I review what I’ve done to consolidate, I work on something new, and I look to apply what I’ve learned. Currently, I’m focusing on ear training, working on chords and rhythm guitar, and practicing improvisation. And I always aim to learn a new tune.
Keep It Simple and Stay Focused
Kennedy’s teams were renowned for their toughness, earning the nickname ‘Kennedy’s Commandos.’ They were well-drilled. But even the best sometimes take their eyes off the ball, overcomplicate things, or make tasks harder than they need to be.
So… Do something. Do. Don’t think. Don’t hope. Do.
