Practice. Everyday

“Before you buy more gear, instead use the money on lessons” I’m paraphrasing what I heard that a while ago one 5 watt world, which is a wonderful YouTube channel by jazz guitarist Keith Williams, about getting the most music out of the least amount of gear. On the side, I would love to build a guitar someday, so his videos where he gets super specific about how famous guitars were made over the years are really fun.

It seems backwards - if you want to have less gear, one guitar and one really great five watt amp that records like none other, why get obsessed with looking at all these other ones? Well, it helps you make a decision. How do you want to express yourself. How can these tools help you, and how have they helped other artists, express themselves.

In woodworking, I think about this so much- unlike guitar playing, making a piece of furniture, let alone a guitar, takes a lot more tools. But simplicity in their volume, keeping to quality and familiarity in practice, and getting real instruction, are the things I think are most important to growth as an artist in wood.

I’ve not posted a lot about building my shop over the last couple months partly because I don’t want to be seen as endorsing this or that tool; especially when they are new to me anyway. It’s always exciting the first day, the better question is where are you in a year, especially with complicated machines assembled overseas, whether it’s from Austria or Taiwan.

But what I can say is practice. I can tell I’m a bit out of practice, like I am now on my bass. So I’m going through a few motions. Sawing straight to a line. Sharpening slowly. Chiseling well. Finding online classes where I can, since I can’t do the real thing again quite yet.