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.

A Serious Endeavor

When an individual has invested time in developing skill on a musical instrument, they eventually come to a point where they need to evaluate what their goals are in regard to their musical pursuits. Specifically, are they playing the instrument for fun, or are they interested in a serious undertaking? This of course determines how much time they spend practicing, what they play, and the level of scrutiny and diligence they apply to their endeavor.

Generally, someone makes this decision following several years of experience during which they have developed their skill to a reasonable level. Whether they have professional aspirations or simply want to pursue a high level of skill for their own fulfillment, they are no longer content with flailing away at power chords or strumming through simple progressions. Whether you are giving lessons or taking lessons, that can be an important question to consider.

Let's take it for granted that you’ve decided to be a serious musician. What should you spend your time practicing? It can be very frustrating trying to prioritize your practice material with so many possible choices. The guitar offers an almost paralyzing amount of options due to the number of varying styles and genres that feature the instrument. It therefore becomes necessary to narrow the focus of your study. However, I believe that there are universal techniques and concepts that should be studied by guitarists of any style which will help avoid gaps in knowledge and playing ability.

My next several entries will explore different areas of study, their relevance to various playing styles, and suggestions for budgeting practice time around these subjects. Some that I am considering include: Dexterity, Chords/Rhythm, Lead Playing/Improvisation, Reading, Theory, Repertoire, Composition (Songwriting), and Ear Training.

As I’m preparing this next entry, I’d like to invite you to leave your own comments and suggestions. Are there concepts/techniques that you think are vital to EVERY guitarist? What are they? Are there techniques and concepts that are so specialized that most of us don’t need to concern ourselves with them? What area should a guitarist spend most of his or her time practicing? How could you encourage a serious student to work on these areas? What would you teach a student before they have reached a level of playing where they can decide how serious a player they intend to be? What should your guitar teacher have taught you that they neglected?

Also, I’m always up for lesson posting requests on the site. So far, I’ve posted the nasty minor key solo (which I plan to edit somewhat so you don’t have to read a lengthy essay on bending techniques and chord tones. Yuck!) and the Turnaround Licks lesson, which is of moderate difficulty. So, request away and I’ll see what I can come up with.