The Daily Riff: 365 Meditations on the Guitar

Inspired by Ryan Holiday's book, 'The Daily Stoic', "The Daily Riff: 365 Meditations on the Guitar" is a humble, insightful, and educational exercise in dissecting quotes by famous people regarding singing and their feelings about it, applying it to real-life experience. Designed to read and reflect on one page at a time for an entire year, feel free to sit back and relax while improving your quality of life. This is the first 10 days of Chapter 1 titled, "First Position".

January 1st

"Practice is a word I don’t use. I used to play. If you play guitar, you get better.”

– Tommy Tedesco

Practice sounds too much like a job, too much like a chore, too much like work. I don't know about you, but that sounds like something I don't want the guitar to ever become. Playing it sounds much more inviting, much more fun, more much enjoyable. After all, that is what you're doing on the instrument anyway. You're playing the strings, not practicing them. The reframing of this simple act is so profound.

January 2nd

“Bass is for people who can’t play guitar.”

– Eddie Van Halen

Although I believe Eddie to be kidding when he says this, there is always a little seriousness to every joke. In my humble opinion, bass is not for people who can't play guitar. It's for anyone who wants to explore a unique instrument and add their own flair to the music being written, performed, or recorded. I can say from personal experience that it is a different animal than the average acoustic or electric guitar. The strings are thicker. The frets are wider. You use your fingers most of the time on the instrument rather than using a pick. And, since you are included in the main rhythm section of the band alongside the drummer, it is your responsibility to make and keep the band as tight as possible. Not so easy in the final analysis, right?

January 3rd

“A good player can make any guitar sound good.”

– Michael Bloomfield

I wholeheartedly agree! The same can be said for any other creative-minded technician. A good mechanic can make any car work and sound good. A good plumber can get any pipe into good working order again. A good electrician can replace outlets, put in new circuit breakers, and 'make the lights go on' in any situation.

And, a good player can make any guitar sound good. It all comes down to the right approach mixed with God-given talent and hard work dedicated to perfecting a craft.

January 4th

“If we replaced guns with guitars, then the world would be a concert.” – Thomas Ian Nicholas

Wow. Let that sentence really sink in for a minute…

This is so true and profound. The world would not only be a concert by doing this, but in harmony, both literally and metaphorically. It would mean peace and love rather than war and hate. It would mean creating and appreciating beauty while promoting life, rather than stifling it, tearing it down, or completely killing it, promoting death and destruction. If we could only do something so amazing and life-changing as replacing guns with guitars. Imagine what else could be done to make the world a better place for generations to come. Just imagine the possibilities...

January 5th

“You couldn’t like someone who liked the guitar.” – Stephen King

You're right, Stephen. I can't just like someone who likes the guitar. I love them! Biased as I may be because I am a guitarist, there is something cool, grounding, and honest about someone who not only likes the guitar, but plays it as well.

Now, you can look at this quote in another way, too, which is what Mr. King might have meant when he spoke those words. That way is that it was either an unwritten, unspoken rule to not like someone who likes guitar. This could be due to where he is from, the environment he was in at a certain point in his life, or how he was raised. I'm not sure why this would be the case, because most, if not all cultures, embrace music and the arts as a part of their culture. In some cultures, it is the forefront, defining 'thing' about them.

January 6th

“My only expenses are probably guitar strings and records.” – Chris Isaak

Nothing wrong with that at all. This just tells me that Chris lives and breathes music all day every day. He must play his guitar often and very hard in order to be purchasing guitar strings on the regular. It has to be what he thinks about first thing in the morning when he wakes up, throughout the day, and before he goes to bed at night. Could this be the reason why he's made a great career for himself, and seems to be an artist that is here to stay for the long run? Possibly. Seems pretty obvious to me. Too obvious to ignore.

January 7th

"Playing guitar is a never-finished journey.” – John Fogerty

You've got that right, John. The same thing can be said about other things in life, and just life in general. As human beings looking to become better versions of ourselves every day, we should, and owe it to ourselves, to continue learning. Even if it's just one thing new we learn each day, the idea is to never stop learning. Always be a student of whatever area you are interested in or passionate about, and always be a student of life. In doing so, it is an act of humility as well as acknowledging the fact that we don't know it all. We are not supposed to know everything at all times. And, this is OK. This shouldn't kill our spirits, but rather inspire us into action. And, as long as we are taking action, we are in forward motion towards a goal or a mission. All good things in my opinion.

January 8th

“Shut up and play your guitar.” – Frank Zappa

Writing in a gentle, welcoming manner might not be Frank Zappa's strong suit, but he sure does say what most people are thinking in a direct, concise way. No beating around the bush here. Simple and to the point. And, what's so great about this quote is that he's spot on. There are few people I've met who want to hear a singer/artist/band's political views and personal opinions on matters (unless it's a positive, uplifting, or funny story) at a live concert. What are people at a concert there to do? Enjoy the music of their favorite singer/artist/band in real-time. They're not there to be preached to about some ideology. They're not there to hear the performer(s) talk for 5-10 minutes in between each song about God knows what.

Not only that, but just 'shut up and play the guitar' speaks to the musicians as well. If a guitarist is talking through a musical selection, especially a solo, it takes them away from being fully present in the moment with the music and the melody. It could make them more prone to mess up since their attention is diverted from the actual task at hand--playing. Let us all remember this each and every day when it comes to the 'thing' we are passionate about. More often than not, if we just shut up and do the thing we are called to do, good things happen. Results occur. Deadlines are hit. Fun is to be had.

January 9th

“I want every girl in the world to pick up a guitar and start screaming.” – Courtney Love

I like the sentiment behind Courtney's statement here. It's all about empowering people. There is something about picking up a guitar and really going for it. It's freeing. It's therapeutic. It's powerful. For me, it's a positive, constructive creative outlet, an expression of one's inner feelings and emotions, if you will. So, what are you waiting for? Go for it!

January 10th

“Guitarists always start in the bedroom.” – Martine Murray

I'm not sure if Martine is being literal when saying, 'always start in the bedroom'. I'm sure some start in the garage as teens and young adults start their own bands. For me, it's more of a metaphor of starting in a safe, comfortable, humble place. This is where most passions, dreams, desires are born, and where the love and dedication to whatever is calling you to action starts. From there, the proverbial sky's the limit!