Struggling to play what you love? Not satisfied with how you play? Trying to find that next trick to help you finally learn that last skill to finally play like a rock star? Feel discouraged or never satisfied where you are? Tired of playing those same beginner D, A, and F chords. Sound familiar? I was here as I was learning my instrument. I was here playing my instrument and tried everything hoping for some lesson or exercise to unlock this new skill on guitar. I was even going backwards in my playing. I began to not even play the simple things that I had learned. I remember not even being able to play a G chord and locking up in a studio session. I would even go on to suffer an injury in my hand that should have ended my guitar career.
Everyone always tells you just learn this exercise, learn this song, do my lesson, and learn to play like a guitar prodigy. What if I told you, there is not one. As I walked down this road of life, I found that this simply does not exist. I found the answer was not something I could find from without but something rather within.
I found myself not content or grateful in simplicity. I did not enjoy where I was, I was coveting what I did not have, and was not thankful for the gift that I was given. Once I began to ask myself some big life questions I discovered life is meaningless except to fear God and keep His commands. Without this purpose what point is there in life. The Lord began to work on my heart, because instead of searching for other things to build me, I sought from within for the Lord to make me whole.
Every man is created to worship The Lord Jesus Christ, whether one recognizes this or not. The truth is everyone will worship something. So if it is not Jesus, who we were made to worship, it will be something else and this my friends is called idolatry. What do we worship? Is it exercises, our instrument, a new piece of gear, tone, co-hort, seminars, education, music, shows, stuff, money, or a person? What is it?
As a musician, there is endless content on how to shape your tone. Maybe as guitar players if we spent as much time shaping the tone of our hearts and people as we do our gear, the world would be changed for Jesus. As a whole maybe the American church is broken because we spend more time on our tone than we do people and our hearts. These things are not bad in of themselves. However, if it takes the place of tuning our hearts and being the hands and feet of Christ we have a problem.
When I searched within my heart for the answer the Lord met me time and time again. The problem was something deeper and mental. It was a battle within the mind. Our own minds can be our worst enemies. Life is a journey and God calls each and every one of us to draw closer to Him. When I became satisfied on my journey and content that is when everything changed for me. We are all on a journey. If we are not content, we are ungrateful to the Lord. God has given each of us gifts. 🎁 yes, each of us have a special gift to God. No guitarists strikes the strings in the same way. It is like a fingerprint. You have a unique gift from God like no one else. Take confidence in that and be encouraged. When I became content and grateful for the gift God had given me, then He could use me. This changed my life.
God sent people to help me, encourage me and push me deeper. Not just as a player but in my relationship to God. People will tell you that you need this gear, this tone, guitar, amp, pedal, lesson, exercise, cohort or something. However the truth is we do not need more stuff. We need more of Jesus. We need to learn to worship with purpose. When we dial in the tone of our heart more than our guitar tone, this is when stuff happens. Remember, whatever we accomplish in life is meaningless except to fear God and keep His commands.
My life has had many stages. I’m sure you can relate. It has had up and downs. In these seasons when I humbled my self and submitted to the Lord things happen. When I focus on the purpose things happen. How many humble, content, satisfied, joyful, peaceful musicians do you know off? One can gain the whole world and loose their soul yet with God and worshipping with purpose everything is meaningless.
In simplicity, gratefulness, thankfulness, and dial in my heart with God and working on my personal relationship with Jesus the Lord fixed not just my playing but so much more. I found that my playing returned, my tone got even better, new skills where being learned, I could play a solo, songs I was trying to learn, my injury healed, and I could play my G chord again.
The simple things in life are always better. When I learned to be thankful life got more fun and when it did not I was still thankful for the season I was in and the little blessing God sent my way in the midst of the hardship. The simple things in life are so much better. God called me to work a farm. I enjoy the animals. God called me to go overseas in missions. I play less guitar than I ever have and I play better than ever before. The simple things in life are the best. In fact, the simple things in guitar are the secret to playing anything. T
hat G chord is amazing and can open up your guitar neck cause it can keep sliding up and play more chords. Three chords that changed my worship are the D, A, and F chord. Why these three? Did you know these simple chords can open your neck. You can solo all over the neck too. Most music is played only using these chords. While right. Here is a chord chart below showing you just how amazing these shapes are.
These 3 chords changed my worship because they are the foundation to every chord. When you play a D, A , or F chord, all of the other notes are right there to play any chord you want. It just takes some minor adjustments. You can also solo with using these chords as a guide.
The key is to put one of these 3 chords into action. Get your hand on the guitar and try to play another chord with moving your fingers a little as possible. When you play a solo. Tried holding onto the chord as a guide and only move your fingers only when you play other notes for the solo. Better yet, try playing the chord shape and using your other fingers to play the solo. Only pull a finger, not fingers, of the chord when you have to play a note that does not allow you to leave the chord shape.
Download a free chord chart below and experiment with these chords. You can play another chord entire song without really moving your hand.
If you want to learn more and worship with purpose I would love to teach and disciple you on how to grow as a player and in your relationship with Jesus to worship with purpose.
Remember, there is no quick fix. One cannot just buy a pedal, guitar, amp, gear, do a lesson, or a co-hort. It comes with hard work. Most people love the idea to just buy a pedal or a piece of gear to become a better musician. However, the truth is, nothing good comes easy. Anything good takes hard work. relationships takes work does it not? Just ask Jesus with us. 😅
In whatever your hands find to do remember, everything in life is meanings except to fear God and keeps His commands. So in everything we do let us do it to the glory of God, honor Him and worship with purpose. Go make Him known and be a living sacrifice ok and acceptable to His sight. Remember, worship is a lifestyle.
