Getting good...

What is good?

Learning is a continuous process so you can’t put a real value to it. There are some pointers however. To be ‘good’ means to have little or no competition form other players. To be good is simply to be ‘better’ than everyone else. Once you’re better than everyone else, then it’s up to you to continue to motivate yourself.

[If this all sounds a little unwholesome (“but it should all be about the music!”), I apologise, but if you approach your instrument like an athlete, ultimate achievement comes only with this single-minded approach. However, this isn’t an excuse to be nasty, as being nasty will get you NOWHERE in the music industry, despite popular opinion.]

Moving onwards, being ‘better’ than everyone else can be a daunting task in itself.

Firstly ask, “Can it be done?”

i.e. “Can I really know the names of the notes in any chord in any key at the drop of a hat?” Well, yes. The human’s ability to learn a language is a testimony to the brain’s ability in terms of memory.

Secondly ask, “Is it worth doing?”

You want to be better than everyone else, right? Well it’s going to take something drastic to do this. So YES, it must be worth it if that’s what you really want.