I found a YouTube with Steve Vai giving advice on "How to be Successful" ( in music) from the Guitar Center Sessions series.
Broad in scope, there are some really good pieces of advice- some you may have heard, and some I thought were really novel and a real different perspective.

Like Butthead used to say- "he used the word Stick"-heh,heh,heh (6:15) hence the tie in!

If it gives you one piece of advice that you use and become a millionaire, please don't forget us and donate to Stickist.com as a Patron!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atGBKuCJ-Jc[/youtube]

always looking out for you, always looking out..... ( from Monsters Inc)
Dave Brosky

I remember that video and fully agree that Steve's advice are essential. The visualisation method works in other areas as well,

What do you think he means by "visualize yourself playing the piece"?

Brett

Knowing the piece, knowing what expression you want to give its different parts and then being able to think through the performance in your mind.

IMHO this is the way every music student should start, because when you can visualize the process, and hear it in your mind "as it should be", it becomes much easier to acquire the basic coordination and muscle memory needed to bring it out in the physical world. If starting the other way, by learning where to put fingers or how to interpret notes in a score to where fingers should be put down... well, then there is a risk that you learn "music" as a physical performance rather than an emotional expression.

Ok, I guess. To me it is much more audiation and MUCH less visualization. Music is aural. You should know the music by listening, singing, listening and thinking music (which is called audiation).

Well, we're all different. For me a synaesthetic approach has always taken music "to the next level" (but I don't think that is what Steve Vai meant by "visualizing yourself performing the piece").

That's a great video isn't it..!

I take his point about visualization as seeing yourself successfully playing the music you want to play, and being in total control of your own musical destiny. When I was a teenager, I used to "foresee" a future where I would be recording my own albums, and basically doing exactly what I do now. As Vai says, you have to look at the "big picture". It's a statement that says more about important things in life, rather than learning specific parts on a guitar.

Having said that, many great musicians do use visualization as a legitimate form of practice. One famous pianist (whose name escapes me!) was said to practice less than an hour/day on the instrument, and apparently went through all of his fingerings and technical exercises using a visualization process.

My favourite quote from the video is "I ignore my weaknesses and focus on my strengths". Couldn't agree more.

Cheers,
Andy

This type of self-belief is very powerful. When you think of the brain as a muscle that needs to be developed, this methodology can be used to build a platform of success from which to springboard from - like Per mentioned, to the next level of potential.

Humans are emotional entities - driven by base desires. Building positive experiences gathers more potential energy for this desire. As we analyze, practice and perform, it becomes easier to realize this in the form of kinetic energy - pulling the reigns off the superego!!!! This is why I emphasize playing out! It's a great way to build confidence and fast track your practice time into performance time.

Here is a nice bit on Positivity and Creativity:
http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/creativity/creativity

After finally seeing the video, I really appreciate what Steve Vai is saying.

I have read a couple of books about the "zen" of practicing. I found those books to be in complete alignment with what Vai was saying.

1) Outline your goals - "I want to play this song"
2) "See" yourself achieving those goals - "To play this song I need to follow this chord progression and play these melody notes...."
3) Learn the notes, phrases, articulations to achieve the goal - "My fingers need to go here and here and here...."

I see Brett's concern, that music is about hearing and not seeing. Yes, I agree 100%. But being able to create the music is about feeling/visualizing how to make the music with our bodies - for instance, to make this[i] sound on the Stick, I need to do [i]this and this with my fingers here and here. While the end result is all about audiation, you need to tell your body to do certain things in order to create the sound. I think this is where Vai (and the books I have read) are coming from. Some refer to it as visualization, others use the term (which I prefer) internalization. You need to be able to internalize what you are doing with the instrument...without having the instrument in your hands, you need to "know" it.

I have to say that my fight right now, my personal struggle is the time piece. The books that I have read say that finding a consistent time and place is an important part of practicing. I'll admit, I practice the muscle memory stuff in front of the TV - I run scales and chords - but the real practice, the learning songs practice , the "internalization" stuff needs focus and attention. It is this piece where I struggle to get the consistent time.

Check out these books. They gave me insight into what I should be doing, regardless of whether I was actually doing it....

http://www.amazon.com/Free-Play-Improvisation-Life-Art/dp/0874776317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364005542&sr=8-1&keywords=free+play

http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Wrong-Note-Learning-Softcover/dp/1574671456/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364005596&sr=1-1&keywords=The+perfect+wrong+note

http://www.amazon.com/Effortless-Mastery-Liberating-Master-Musician/dp/156224003X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364006297&sr=1-1&keywords=Effortless+mastery