Here’s my latest guitar lesson video. It’s the second in my series called “Cool Ways to Play Boring Chords”. I hope you guys find this useful.

I know that this might make me sound like a jerk, but I have mixed feelings when I see other musicians and bands succeed. I am comfortable saying that, mainly because I know that I’m not alone on the subject.

I have recently seen a lot of local bands and artists doing kickstarter campaigns to raise funds for the recording of an album, a special release of some kind, or what have you. For those of you who don’t know, Kickstarter is a website that lets artists ask fans to donate money in return for various kinds of rewards once the fundraiser goal is met. One particular band from my area needed upwards of $20,000 to fund the recording of their new album, and they not only met their goal, they surpassed it by far. On their fundraiser page they had a snazzy, well-produced promo video telling viewers about the project, the goals, and all that info.

Now, I am thrilled that they as an unsigned band were able to pull it all off. They have worked really hard over the years to get their name out there, and as a result, they had the ability to make it happen.

This is where I typically get discouraged. I fall into a self-pity party asking the question: Why isn’t that me?

That’s a dangerous place to be, because it means that I’m stuck thinking that where I am currently isn’t good enough instead of being inspired to keep pressing forward. The truth is, is that success in my musical life is up to me, and it won’t necessarily look the same as the success of another artist. Just because so-and-so is capable of doing a nation-wide tour and I’m not doesn’t mean that what I’m doing from my home studio is any less valid. Just because another artist is gaining recognition doesn’t mean that what I’m doing won’t be recognized.

Instead of feeling like a failure, I need to be happy for my friends and fellow artists and perhaps gleam some little wisdom on how and what they did to get where they are.

Decide what success means to you, and stick to it. Set attainable goals, and then make more when those goals are reached. Be realistic with yourself, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

-Nate