“How long until I’m good?”
Plus, why you can’t afford to not record
This week we’re diving into a Black Crowes record that doesn’t get nearly enough love, talking about the one question every beginner asks, and keeping things smart with a simple challenge that will instantly make you a better musician. From greasy riffs and wah-drenched tones to breaking songs into manageable chunks that actually feel good to play, there’s a lot to unpack.
And quick note: paid subscriptions are officially open if you want deeper feedback, priority questions, and direct access to me each month - or if you just want to support what I’m building here at Chasing Sound. Either way, I’m glad you’re here. Let’s jump into this week’s issue!
🔊 Turn This Up
In the links section of this week’s issue, I linked to Eric Haugen doing a deep dive on the Black Crowes’ Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. I wanted to spotlight Lions because it’s a Black Crowes record you don’t see recommended as much. It’s trippier, funkier, and way more guitar focused than people give it credit for. Rich Robinson is basically everywhere on this album, while Audley Freed shows up on only three songs, which gives the whole thing a more direct, riff-first energy. The riffs on “Come On” and “Young Man, Old Man” have this tight, choppy funk feel, and since I’m a huge fan of wah, this record absolutely delivers on that front.
“Lickin’” has that wild stuttered riff created by working the pickup selector like part of the performance, and “Soul Singing” leans into that resonator-inspired metallic shimmer that just feels cool. The Crowes are known for layering a ton of elements, but here Rich really lets the main parts shine, and as a guitar fan, that focus is a joy to hear.
And then there’s the sound of the record itself. This is Don Was capturing a band in a room, with Chris Lord-Alge and others mixing at The Record Plant and Electric Lady. The guitars are ridiculously fun to listen to. They have real production value while still keeping that greasy Crowes character. That balance is why I love the engineering on this album and on so many other records CLA has touched.
If you’re diving in, start with “No Use Lying”, “Greasy Grass River”, “Soul Singing”, “Cosmic Friend” and “Cypress Tree”. No, it’s not Southern Harmony or Shake Your Money Maker, but it’s a blast front to back. And after that, spin the Live at the Greek re-release with Jimmy Page. You know BC was heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin, so that’s also a ton of fun to listen to.
🎛 Question of the Week
This week I wanted to share a question that practically every beginner asks me: “how long will it take for me to get good?” Look, I know it’s an impossible question with no single answer, and every guitarist progresses at their own level. But there are certain things you can do as a teacher and as a student to feel incredible in those first couple of weeks. Do these things right, and guitar won’t just stick. It’ll become part of who you are for years to come, and it might help in other areas of your life too.
I’ve said it a million times before, and I’ll keep saying it...learn guitar through songs. Not everyone progresses at the same pace, so our job is to make things dramatically simpler, simple enough to get that dopamine hit, that surge of “I’m actually doing this!” For what it’s worth, I believe this about any piece of music, whether you’re strumming out a few cowboy chords or tackling something super difficult from Jack Gardiner. With enough time and the right approach, any student can learn any music.
You have to break the song down into manageable chunks, and for beginners especially, you have to make it super simple. Maybe they can’t play full barre chords yet. That’s fine. Most can handle power chords, and even if they can’t, just the root notes will do. Same goes for the pentatonic scale box. Its shape is super simple to understand and remember. Just you playing a chord progression while your student tries a few notes in key? That moment is usually mind-blowing in itself.
Once they’ve been practicing at these easy/manageable levels for a while, that’s when the real fun begins. You start adding more notes to those chords, introducing techniques that make everything sound better, opening up new avenues for them to feel good about what they’re doing. Every guitarist has their own vision of success. For some, it’s unwinding with basic chords after a long day at work. For others, it’s becoming a shred master. Whatever the goal, breaking things down into manageable chunks is what gives them that surge of inspiration to keep reaching for the next level.
🎸 The Smart Guitarist
This week, just record something. It can be a riff, a full song, or even you humming along an idea you thought while you were out on a walk.
It can be into your phone. It can be into your DAW of choice. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you hit record. I think I remember Jimi saying something to the effect of “you can’t afford to not record”, and he’s right!
I’m not sure about you, but the second I know I’m recording, I play differently. My time tightens up, phrasing/note choices becomes more intentional, and I start to hear what’s actually happening instead of what I think is happening. Having that recording is where you make progress.
The Smart Guitarist doesn’t just practice, you listen back and critique yourself.
And if you want a second set of ears, this is exactly why I reopened paid subscriptions. Each month you can send me a short clip of your playing or mix and I’ll give you clear, specific feedback on what to work on next. You also get priority questions in the newsletter and direct email access to me anytime you need help. And even if you’re not a paid sub, drop your comments and I’ll try and reply as soon as I get a chance!
Hit record this week. You’ll be glad you did. I guarantee it’ll make you a better musician in every way.
🔗 This Week’s Guitar Links
How a Tonal Center Fixes 99% of Guitar Confusion! - I liked this video from Guthrie Trapp, where he focuses on starting with what you want your homebase to be when you pick up the guitar. He does it showcasing E maj, min and 7th chords and the leads he puts on top of them. The examples he provides are fantastic, but what I found most helpful is to be mindful of your playing and avoid straying too far from the main tonal center initially. You can always incorporate other notes later, but it’s crucial to have a solid understanding of your goal from the very beginning.
Uncle Ben’s SHRED REHAB Workout is Here! - Ben Eller recently returned from a Shiprocked cruise, where he played with some incredible musicians. Now that he’s back on land, he wanted to “rehab” his guitar skills and get them back to top form after a break. This video is perfect for anyone looking to get back into shape on guitar. It includes a variety of exercises, such as hand sync exercises, Ben’s classic speed burst exercises, and many more. Incorporate some of these exercises into your own practice routine to hone your guitar skills.
5 Bluegrass Guitar Albums Every Picker Should Hear (Trey Hensley Picks!) - I’ve been getting into a ton of bluegrass music over the past few years, but I don’t know the genre as well as something like rock, blues or jazz. I was checking out this video from Trey Hensley (who recently filmed a course with Marty Schwartz), where he talks about 5 essential bluegrass albums that everyone looking to get into this genre should check out. There are names I already have seen time and time again like Tony Rice, and others I haven’t checked out yet. If you already love this music, what are some other albums I should check out?
Learn The Fretboard - Memorise Every Note Name with Song Examples! - If you know my teaching style, you know that I despise boring ways of learning guitar. I always think you should use music you’re excited about to learn different concepts. In this video, Andy Guitar shows you how to learn the fretboard with different song examples. I think these types of videos are great starting points, and then you can slot in your own favorite songs to train your ear. And if you want even more knowledge in the same vein as the Andy Guitar video, check out this video from John Cordy, where he talks about how to practice scales until you know them cold. There is some great advice in both videos, and I think you should check them out!
How Opeth Writes PERFECT Prog - Listen…Bradley Hall starts this video over the backdrop of a can of beans. What more could you want? All jokes aside though, Hall always puts out awesome videos, and his latest spotlights the prog-masters Opeth. I’ve always loved Opeth’s albums, and have seen them live a few different times - they do not dissapoint! If you want to know why Opeth sounds the way they do, check out Hall’s look at their scale usage, usage of time signatures, how they construct their melodies, and more.
Fractal Amp Modelling...in a Plugin! - If you’ve been reading this newsletter for any amount of time, you’d know I’m a huge Fractal guy. I’ve used both their AX8 and currently their FM3 units. They’ve finally taken some of their most popular Fender amp models and turned them into plugins with the ICONS - Fullerton collection. This video is Leon Todd demoing some of the amps, and this one is on the Fractal channel with Cooper Carter doing a demo. I’m excited that we’re seeing brands like Fractal, Neural DSP and others compete against each other in the hardware and software space. That healthy competition is only a good thing for us as players, where we get the benefit of tones, how to use this gear and more. If you use a modeler or plugin for amps/fx..what are you using?
Why The Black Crowes 2nd Album SLAYS SO HARD - I’ve loved the Black Crowes’ music for as long as I can remember. Match my love for their music alongside a video from Eric Haugen, and that’s a winning recipe every time. Haugen talks about the Crowes’ 2nd album, The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion - breaking down everything from Marc Ford’s playing, to the gear used on the album, and most importantly some of the amazing licks and techniques that were used on this album. If you dig this type of video, check out the rest of Haugen’s channel, and make sure to check out his courses on TrueFire as well.
Don’t Build Your Pedalboard Until You Do This - This video is definitely a “measure twice, cut once” kind of thing. Mason from Vertex Effects walks you through all the important things to consider when you’re putting together your pedal board. Think about keeping your contacts clean (Deoxit is a lifesaver!), and don’t be caught off guard by an old 9V, especially when you’re on stage. If you’re getting your pedalboard ready or just want to give it a little update, this video is a great place to start.
One simple trick to unlock DIMINISHED chords (for non-jazz musicians) - I’ll be the first to admit that I put off learning diminished chords long after I learned major and minor versions. Luckily we live in a day and age where we have a wealth of content, so you don’t have to wait to learn these interesting chords. Have a look at Justin Ostrander’s new video, where he explains how to play diminished triads, why their shape is so easy to recognize, and how you’re essentially learning four different chord types when you’re just learning a fully diminished chord.
The biggest thing I've learned in twenty years of teaching is that for most beginner's teaching chords immediately is not usually the best way to go. I have other specific pieces I teach that get them sounding musical and using the whole neck right away. After a few weeks of that then it's onto chords and learning one of there favorite songs. I do agree though not only do you have to be learning songs, but playing along with the songs as soon as possible. Slow them down on Youtube. Thanks Brian!