Transcript included below…

I can’t complain. But sometimes I do.

Philippians chapter 2, verse 14 starts off with the command to “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”

That’s a tall order to try to attempt without the Lord’s guidance and strength.

But if He commands it, that means that with His help, it’s possible.

As a guitar player, there are many things I could complain about, whether the next concept I can’t grasp yet, or the next skill I can’t yet execute.

I could complain about how my guitar feels or sounds, or I could even complain about one of my short or long-term music endeavors and how it isn’t going as well as I’d like.

Give me opportunities to find something to complain about, and I will find them.

But that’s only because my sinful tendencies are to look for them.

What about shifting my mindset to things I’m grateful for when it comes to my guitar journey? What can I be looking for in this season of thanksgiving, but also year-round?

Here are some of my thoughts – and just a heads up – they’re ones that Captain Obvious probably could have pointed out to me. In other words, they’re really pretty straightforward.

1. I have all 10 digits.

With respect to those who don’t, I’m blessed to have full functionality of my fingers and thumbs.

I know that there’s no promise of this, and someone on the receiving end of these words I’m sharing might agree with that statement…from experience.

I occasionally hear stories about people who have had an unfortunate accident where they have lost the capacity to use all their fingers, or even their hands.

It could be a life-changing event that happens in a single moment, or perhaps it could happen over time.

Twice in the past couple of days, I’ve heard about people in my circles who would love to have the full use of their hands, but who are physiologically limited in some way, due to a medical condition.

This doesn’t have to be the end of the story for a guitarist. Sure, it can be much more challenging to play the instrument without all 10 digits.

However, there are two iterations of a customized capo out there that have made it possible to enjoy playing chords with less than four fingers.

They are the Third Hand Capo and the SpiderCapo. These two capos have spinning discs or tumblers that can create up to 63 combinations per fret…and that’s even before embarking on alternate tunings.

They create the illusion of an alternate tuning, but don’t require totally new shapes – just partial ones. Even without a capo like this, there are still single finger partial chords out there.

But these capos provide unique voicings that are reminiscent of alternate tunings.

Speaking of, some of the open tunings I’ve experimented with, like DADGAD, can be leveraged with a lot of open drone strings and fewer fretting fingers, and still facilitate some very beautiful chords.So, for those who are missing one or more fingers, guitar can still be within reach in a new way.

Phil Keaggy is a master musician who has built a career around pivoting from an injury to his guitar picking hand. The job of his now missing medio finger has been replaced by his anular finger, and the anular’s functionality has been replaced by the chico finger.

In layman’s terms, his ring finger and his pinky have become the new middle and ring fingers, respectively.

Who uses the chico / pinky finger a lot anyway, right?

Even with tools like this, some people don’t have the physical strength to apply their fingers to the frets of a guitar.

With this in mind, for those of us who have all our digits, if we’re not sure what to be thankful for, I’d say that gratitude for that basic blessing can be a really good place to start.

2. I can hear out of both of my ears.

It has been said by several musicians I’ve met, that listening is just as important, if not more important, than playing music.To know how to contribute to the sonic signature of an ensemble, we need to listen well.

And to be able to simply enjoy music, we must be able to hear. The loss of hearing in one or both of our ears can change our ability to enjoy music.

I know several people who can only hear out of one ear, and fortunately, they are still able to enjoy music.

But there are people who cannot hear out of either of their ears, despite the fact that they would love to be able to enjoy listening to music. Some were born without their hearing, and some have lost it, either immediately or gradually.

To lose my sense of hearing would make me deeply sad, because of how important music is to me.

In fact, in a game of “Would You Rather,” when asked the question, “Would you rather lose your sense of hearing or your sight?” my obvious response was “My sight.”Right? With my sight gone, I would still be able to hear music, and in some ways might still be able to enjoy playing music. Sure, some of the significant position changes up the neck require a visual connection to the fretboard, but over time, it’s possible to become more and more visually independent from the guitar.

And losing one’s sight is a sure way to accelerate that visual independence.

As a matter of fact, I will occasionally temporarily wear a blindfold on my eyes to discover how well I can rely on the tactile approach to playing, while leaning heavily on my ears to guide me.

It’s a good exercise. I highly recommend trying it. If you don’t have a blindfold or bandanna handy, just lower the lights. But of course, be sure to remember how to get back to the lights switch, so you don’t trip in the dark.

So as a guitarist, I can be grateful that both of my ears can hear.

3. I can enjoy playing and sharing music.

It’s easy to take this for granted, but as a guitarist, I can enjoy picking up my guitar, playing songs that I know or am learning, and then sharing those songs with others.

I can share songs by collaborating with other like-minded musicians who want to work with me to make something more together.

I can share songs with a listening audience, whether in a living room or a grandstand, or anything in between. I can even record songs with my guitar in the studio, or more simply, on my phone, so as to be able to transcend miles and years.

The ability to enjoy playing music and sharing it is something that cannot be overstated. How many guitarists used to be able to play, and can play no longer?

They’re out there. Some played too hard and developed Repetitive Strain Injury or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

I’ve worked hard to discipline my hands with stretches and strength-building exercises, all of which I teach inside GuitarSuccess4U, because an ounce of prevention is worth what? A pound of cure.

Some guitarists have developed arthritis.

It’s a sobering fact that one day, every guitarist will play his or her final notes on the guitar. When that will be, we don’t know.

It could be today. It could be eighty years from now.

I know that my earthly hands won’t last forever, and that one day I will not be able to play my guitar. But today, I can.

And for that, I am grateful.

Every day is a gift, and the ability to play and share music is a gift.

What this Gratitude Does

As a guitarist, I’m all about embarking on musical challenges that help me grow. Some of those challenges are within my reach, and result in what I’d call “quick wins.”Other challenges, though, take months or years, and I find myself slogging through some really technical guitar work that will hopefully lead to artistry and proficiency.

But that takes time.

And in our culture, some people (ok, sometimes I) want faster results. And when I don’t get those results, I come to a fork in the road.

I can complain and be annoyed, or…I can be grateful.

Which do you think leads to higher morale, better focus, and a more effective process?

I think you know. Gratitude. It helps me play better, it gives me more focus, and it allows me to stick with it for longer.We all need breaks. We all need the opportunity to regroup.

But gratitude gives me a better practicing posture.

I’d also say that when it comes to performing, some of the people I share my music with absolutely love it.

Some. Not all.

There will always be a small percentage of people in the audience who will either look like they don’t love what I’m doing, or they’ll offer me their divided attention because, for example, they’d rather look at their phone while I’m pouring my heart out.

Who knows what people are going through? But what do you think I aim to do under these circumstances?I try to give thanks. I try to focus on why the Lord has me there, sharing that music. He may have someone in that audience who is brokenhearted and really needs to be encouraged.

Bringing a message of encouragement through music for that one person may be the main reason the Lord has me there.Or, maybe I’m just supposed to play for Him, to be content in who He is to me, and who I am to Him.

There may be hundreds of people at one of my performances, but in God’s economy, those numbers may not line up with my expectations. Is that ok? Gratitude makes it so.

He may have something totally different planned for how He wants to use me and my music in that place.

So, with open, grateful hands, I give thanks.

I give thanks for the opportunity to share my music with anyone. Because really, no one has to listen to me play, right?

In our home, we have a little framed quote on our counter that says “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” Did you catch that?

Maybe it’s enough to simply play my guitar and enjoy that.

That’s some good perspective, isn’t it?

I’d also say that it’s much more attainable to experience serious fun if we are grateful.

Further Thoughts on Gratitude

Gratitude is not a seasonal thing. It can be, but the best practice as a follower of Christ is to be grateful as often as possible.

Rehearsing the Lord’s faithfulness is such a great way to give us encouragement, to strengthen our hearts. Christ was an excellent example of this. Even before he fed the 5,000, with just five loaves and two fish, Jesus had a posture of gratitude. According to the New International Version of Matthew 14, verse 19, Jesus gave thanks.

In Luke 22, Jesus was in the upper room with his disciples, spending time with them for the last supper he would partake of before he was to be crucified.

Even under those circumstances, what did he do before he served his disciples from the cup, and again before he broke the bread and gave it to them? He gave thanks. Twice.

If gratitude is good enough for the Son of God, I would do well to follow his example.

Another passage from Philippians – chapter 4, verses 6 and 7 reminds us, even in a season of struggle, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”I need that verse. I need it very close to me, because my tendency is to worry, and to not be grateful.

And I need to look at that verse with fresh eyes, because it is in danger of becoming so familiar that I don’t really take it to heart. I need to give thanks even as I present my requests to God.

But do you know what?

We can be grateful in all seasons, even the hard ones. What happens when something we treasure is taken away? Will we, like Job, still praise the name of the Lord? That’s a true test of our gratitude.

It takes a spiritually mature response to say, “This is not what I would have wanted, but if the Lord wills it, I will still find something about it to be grateful for.”

Can we still praise God when things are not going the way we want them to? When we’re struggling in times of need or illness?

Worshiping and thanking the Lord in those seasons is a sweet kind of praise that pleases Him, perhaps even more than the praise that comes in seasons of prosperity and health.

Here’s a visual picture for you.

Imagine if I was driving along, and I tried to press the accelerator (the gas pedal) in my car, while simultaneously applying the brake.

That’s not effective. If the accelerator is gratitude, and the brake is complaining, they really cannot occupy the same space.

Following this logic, I can’t complain and be grateful at the same time…at least not about the same thing.

And even if I’m grateful about one thing and simultaneously taking time to complain about something else, I’m not giving the full measure of attention to either posture.

It’s so much better to relinquish the tendency to complain, and to embrace gratitude.

Who likes to be around a complainer? Usually, other complainers. Misery loves company, right?

Who likes to be around a grateful person? Almost everybody…perhaps not a complainer, because, well, they can’t be as miserable as they want to be.

But if I’m given a choice, I like to spend time with grateful people. They help me to be even more grateful.

So, in this season of thanksgiving, and always, let’s be grateful for however many fingers we have, however well we can hear, and however much we’re able to enjoy playing and sharing music.

We have no guarantee of tomorrow (really, we have no guarantee of our next breath.)Our health and the functionality of our bodies, while it is present, is something to be tremendously grateful for. When I see my guitar abilities through that lens, I’m humbled and I claim a fresh perspective.

The people we can share our music with won’t always be here with us on earth either.

There are people I’ve cared deeply about, with whom I’ve shared my music in collaboration, and people I’ve served by singing and playing for them, who are now at home with the Lord.

Now is the time. It’s the time to give thanks, to sing and play songs about how grateful we are, to worship the Lord through it all, and to let gratitude permeate every note we play.

Hopefully, today’s discussion yielded some insights into tools that are out there, like the Third Hand Capo and the SpiderCapo.

Maybe it inspired you to tune your guitar creatively.

Maybe it gave you some practical guitar strategies, like wearing a blindfold or lowering the lights temporarily while you practice.

Maybe it provided some thoughts on how to take better care of your hands.

But most of all, I’m hoping that this episode provided some good perspective, through helpful reminders of how blessed we all are, and how grateful we can be.

What are you grateful for, especially with regard to your musical journey? I’d love to know.

Feel free to leave a comment below. And please consider sharing these thoughts with others by telling them about this episode.

Lastly, if you’re looking for a grateful group of like-minded Christian guitarists, I encourage you to look into joining GuitarSuccess4U. This is a community I lead, as I pour my knowledge and heart into their guitar journeys.

And for that I’m deeply grateful.

Do you know what else I’m grateful for, right now? Your willingness to take time to receive and reflect upon these words I’ve put together. I’m so glad you chose to listen today. Thank you. I’ll see you next time.

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