First, recognize that people don’t offer constructive advice to make you feel bad. They do so in the hopes that you’ll benefit from it. So there’s no need to feel defensive. Second, ask the person offering the feedback to give you specifics. It’s one thing for a friend to say, “Your guitar playing needs a little polish.” It’s much more helpful if your friend points out that your chords sound muddy, you’re playing too fast, and you’re strumming too hard. Third, take action on the advice. For example, practice forming clear-sounding chords, playing more slowly, and strumming more softly. The
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