PRESENCE - Volume 29
Inspiration For Guitarists
Ever feel like you’ve been “practicing” for months but not really getting better?
You watch tutorial after tutorial. You learn a new lick here, a chord shape there. But when you sit down to play, it all feels like random pieces that don’t fit together.
Here’s how to cut through the clutter and finally make real progress:
The Core Idea
You don’t need to master everything—slide guitar, shred, jazz harmony, chicken pickin’. Even the pros specialize. Pick your lane and go deep. That’s where real progress happens.
The 3 Essential Skills
These are the tools that unlock the guitar neck and make everything else “click”:
1. The Number System
Know what chords belong to a key so songs, progressions, and solos make sense. (e.g., G–Am–Bm–C–D–Em all come from the key of G.)
2. The Landmark Pentatonic System
Stop memorizing 5 box shapes. With just two landmark shapes and simple extensions, you can solo anywhere on the neck.
3. The Practical CAGED System
Learn 5 simple shapes that connect chords and scales across the fretboard—so you’re not stuck in open position. These shapes will not only help your rhythm guitar playing, visualizing these shapes is the key to “playing changes” while you are soloing.
Learn Songs (The Glue)
Exercises won’t make you musical—songs will.
Every song you learn is a chance to ask:
What key is this in?
Are all the chords in key?
Where are the CAGED shapes?
Where are the 2 landmark pentatonic shapes?
Analyzing songs like this makes everything transferable to any style or tune.
Get a Guide
You can figure this stuff out on your own—but it might be slow, frustrating, and full of wrong turns.
If you’re learning from YouTube, limit yourself to just a couple of channels that match the style you love. Ten different teachers with ten different methods will only scatter your focus.
Even the pros had mentors who kept them on track. The right guide (whether it’s a teacher, a book, a course, or even a friend who is ahead of you in the journey) helps you focus on the things that actually move the needle.
That’s why I share these newsletters and lessons—because I’ve been through that same frustrating trial-and-error process, and I want to help other players shortcut it. Whether or not I’m your guide, find someone who speaks your language and stick with them.
In case you missed them, here are a few videos on the 3 ESSENTIAL SKILLS that might be helpful to you:
See you next week,
Dustin