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Hey, guys, it's Marc back here for jazz guitar lessons. And in this short mini podcast, mini capsule, as we would say in French, I want to address trusting your process. Welcome to Jazz Guitar Lessons, where we help guitarists learn jazz faster, express themselves more fluently, and have fun along the way. My name is Marc, and if you're looking to learn jazz, form better practice habits, and especially if you enjoy French accents, make sure to subscribe.
This is a biggie. It's a very significant thing for me personally, because you may relate to this, or you may be at the opposite end of the spectrum. When I have a plan and work on it, I will begin to doubt myself, especially if I don't see the results that are expected. I don't see the fruit of my labor immediately.
Say I have a practice plan and go back in time. Maybe I'm 23 years old, full of hope, wide-eyed, as you say. I'm learning standards, learning the language, getting better at my instrument, and playing with better musicians. I'm getting an education, going to jams, seeing concerts. My kind of cognition leads me to doubt. I have immense faith in a process, run it for a week or two, or three, and when things don’t pan out the way I think they should in the timing I think they should, I start to obsess and doubt, reviewing the plan.
This podcast is almost like a note to self. Remember, Marc: if you've crafted a plan in an intelligent way, stick to it. If it doesn’t pan out, sometimes it's too early to change the plan. The best thing to do is to run the same plan for 30, 60, 90 days, then reassess and make tweaks rather than a complete turnaround. My older self would tell my younger self to reorient just a few degrees rather than a full 180, because what you've been doing already works. Recognizing that, recognizing the plan, is key.
If there’s no plan, sit down and make one. Or, if I fell off the wagon, get back on the plan and execute it. In my years of teaching, I've noticed two types of people. One type would be like me: they figure out the plan, set up the routine, and know what to do, but then start doubting it and obsessively reassessing. The opposite would be people who either don’t have a plan or have one and follow it more blindly without reassessment. Neither extreme is ideal. There's a balance in the middle.
For those who are on the opposite end of the spectrum, I’d suggest developing a habit of self-assessment and review. It could mean having audio and video recordings of yourself at specific points, keeping a practice log, or sitting down with yourself as a coach. This helps tremendously, especially if you haven't done it.
One of my students, Alan, recently experienced a dip in practice time due to life reasons—career, family, health issues. What I admire about Alan is that he looked back at recordings of his past self, noting, "This is what I sounded like, and these are the exercises and time investment I was putting in." He knew exactly what to do to return to that level. So, the takeaway here is that trust in the process is crucial. Developing as a player, whether guitarist, sax player, or even an engineer or Olympic athlete, takes time. The day-to-day is less relevant than we think. What really matters is the compound effect of multiple days, months, and years of investment.
I often overanalyze and place too much importance on one day’s practice. If conditions aren’t perfect, I might skip practice. But each day is just a drop in the ocean of practice. Over five years, consistency matters more than any individual day. Some days will be 95% capacity, others 40%, but that matters less than consistently showing up.
Trusting in the process is essential. For those wanting to elevate their jazz guitar skills, reach out to us. We’ve helped thousands of guitarists achieve their jazz goals, so check the link in the description or visit jazzguitarlessons.net to get started today.
I also have a 40-page document on jazzguitarlessons.net called “Process,” which details how to tackle standards and progress. If you follow a process, it’s easy to revisit and see what’s missing. Recognizing what works and sticking with it is powerful.
From personal experience, sticking to the same plan, even after a few weeks of challenges, leads to results. Those two weeks will dissolve into your ocean of practice sessions. I hope this was motivating. Let me know if you have questions, and please like and subscribe. If you’re listening on a podcast platform, rate us five stars and leave comments—it really helps us know what content performs well and what you’d like to hear about. See you next time. Take care.
