This thread is optional, but it’s usually a very good idea to check in here once you’re done for the day. Consistency is everything in a program like this, and a simple public check-in helps a lot more than most people expect. How to check in Post a comment using this format: Week X - Day X completed Example: Week 1 - Day 3 completed That’s it. No explanations needed. Just mark the work done and move on with your day. Use this thread as your running log for the full 8 weeks.

This is where things start to get really interesting. We’re moving beyond just building the mechanics and getting into patterns and movements that actually start to feel like real playing. Here’s what you’ll be working on this week: • Paul Gilbert style sequences for tighter, cleaner string crossings • “Pentatonic sweeps” using rest strokes to prepare you for sweep picking • 3-1-3 shapes for arpeggios and pentatonics. This opens up a completely new way of moving across the neck • A Richie Kotzen style sequence that builds position shifting and hammer-ons from nowhere Everything is still structured and controlled, but now you’ll start to feel how this connects to real musical applications. If you’re not in yet, this is a great time to jump in. You’re not behind. It doesn’t matter if you start on week 1 or week 4. The improvement comes from doing the work properly. Go to the classroom, start where you are, and get to work.

Jon, in your formative days, how many hours per day did you play? And for how many years?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLXdZ4DSW1M

Earlier today, after finishing my legato routine, I was just noodling around and decided to pick up my old Jackson, which I hadn’t touched in a month or two. It immediately felt strange. The action is insanely low, almost effortless on the fretting hand, but something about the overall feel was off. It actually seemed like the string tension was lower than on my other guitars, even though they all share the same scale length and string gauge. Out of curiosity, I plugged it in and started playing. It was brutal. Everything sounded sloppy, like I’d completely lost control of my picking. Then I switched back to the guitar I’ve been using lately, and suddenly everything felt normal again. My picking was controlled, consistent, and accurate. At that point I started going back and forth between guitars, trying to figure out what was happening. Every single time I returned to the Jackson, my playing regressed. It genuinely sounded like I’d gone back a full year in development. Naturally, I concluded that all my progress was guitar-specific, so I chopped off my fingers and threw out all my gear. Has anyone else experienced something similar? Was this my emg 81 brutally revealing sloppiness that my emg 57 masks? 🤯