PRESENCE - Volume 30
Inspiration For Guitarists
This past weekend I played two very different gigs — and both reminded me of the importance of the 3 Essential Skills I rely on every single time I pick up the guitar.
On Friday night, I played with a collective of seven of my musician friends here in Boone, NC. The lineup is never the same twice — sometimes it’s a four-piece, sometimes bigger, and we all swap instruments depending on who shows up. I might be on bass one night, guitar the next. And we never rehearse.
That constant change forces me to adapt in the moment. One night I’m playing big low chords to fill space, another I’m weaving rhythm parts around a keyboardist, and sometimes I’m playing fills while another guitarist handles the groove. The only way to do that seamlessly? The CAGED System. It lets me find the right part anywhere on the neck so I can fit into the mix without stepping on anyone’s toes.
Then came Saturday. That gig was with some seriously high-level players — folks who’ve played with Roger Waters, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations. During the last set, the singer/keyboardist launched into a song I didn’t know at all. He flashed me a “C” with his hand to show the key, and off we went.
Here’s what I did:
I started with light fills using Landmark Pentatonic Shapes in the key of C while I figured out the chords.
I leaned on The Number System to narrow the possibilities: C (1), Dm (2), Em (3), F (4), G (5), Am (6).
Listening carefully, I pieced together the progression: 2–6–1–5.
Once I had that, I locked in with a Nile Rodgers-style funk part and the band took off.
No panic, no guesswork. Just tools I’ve practiced until they’re second nature.
These are the 3 skills I rely on every day as a professional musician. And they’re the same 3 skills that will give you the biggest return on your practice time.
If you aren’t dedicating some of your practice time to these skills, start now. Nothing else will move the needle more.
And if you want a clear roadmap?
I’ve laid out these 3 skills in my Essential Skills Bundle — complete with diagrams, backing tracks, and examples to help you apply them in your own playing.
These are the skills that carried me through two gigs with no rehearsal this weekend. They’ll carry you too.
In case you missed it here is my newest video on the CAGED System for Minor chords-
And here are a couple of videos on the 3 ESSENTIAL SKILLS that might be helpful to you:
See you in the next lesson,
Dustin