Sounding Remotely Musical

My last entry discussed the need for a guitarist to prioritize practice time based on his or her goals. When designing a practice regimen, remember that there are some concepts which are universally fundamental to guitarists, regardless of style or area of interest. With that in mind, the first such area I would like to address is a basic command of dexterity.

As a guitarist progresses through years of practice and study, their priorities will naturally shift in accordance to the demands of their musical pursuits. For the beginning student, the ability to physically execute basic guitar techniques requires the bulk of their attention. Forming calluses on the fingertips, gaining finger independence, and developing accuracy is paramount. Otherwise, it is simply impossible to produce anything sounding remotely musical due to constantly buzzing strings, incorrectly fingered chords, unintentional pregnant pauses, etc. Unfortunately, some guitar teachers do their beginning students a disservice by tackling difficult songs (Stairway to Heaven) or concepts (jazz chords, soloing, theory) before they have even a basic command of the instrument. Of course, it is absolutely tedious for a beginning student to focus only on dexterity exercises, but a teacher can suggest learning songs which cover fundamentals of increasing difficulty. As fundamental techniques are mastered, it takes the student less time to learn new material and concepts. Songs can be learned without having to learn corresponding techniques from scratch. For a while, the amount of time taken to learn new material decreases at an exponential rate. Songs which at one time took a month to learn can now be read in five minutes.

Categories of dexterity which I believe are necessary for a student of any style include (in order of importance) correct left hand finger placement (tips of the fingers!), open chord changing, strumming/rhythm, bar chords, alternate picking, and basic scales. Neglecting any of these areas will result in frustration and embarrassment as an individual progresses and finds that they lack vital fundamentals. If you have made a decision to study guitar with the intent of progressing to the absolute limit of your ability, the categories I mentioned should serve as a checklist of basics. Has your guitar teacher covered all of these areas with you? Are there any areas that you habitually neglect because they aren’t “fun” to practice? They will be even less fun a couple more years from now. It’s a good idea to tackle them sooner rather than later.

My next entry will include some suggestions for incorporating dexterity work into your lessons and personal practice time. Please take the time to leave your own comments, suggestions, and questions.