You might be thinking that this is going to be an post about effect pedals, pick-up selectors, or string gauges. However, this is about finding the sound you actually like to play. And, it may not be as easy as you think.
Many of us, including myself, came to guitar because we wanted to play a certain type of music. For me, I wanted to be a rock star. Let’s face it, in the back of my mind I wanted the rock ‘n roll life of fame and fortune. I am glad that my conscience lead me down a better path. As I began to play rock and roll, my ambitions were high and I worked hard at it. However, after a while I realized that I really didn’t love to play rock as much as other styles of music. I enjoyed listening to the rock more than actually playing the rock. I found that I enjoyed the nuances of fingerstyle for my playing and I enjoyed the energy of rock for the weight room.
You see it took me a while and a lot of experimentation to find out that I really loved fingerstyle. I was in college when I began the guitar and I had to play fingerstyle for my degree. But outside of the college work, I worked on the rock ‘n roll, studied with jazz players (guitar and other instruments) and through it all found that the fingerstyle playing is where I wanted to land. I can play rock and jazz using fingerstyle but it is in arrangements and pre-composed pieces for guitar that really intrigue me for my own playing.
I still love the occasional jam session on electric guitar, but on a daily basis it is the fingerstyle acoustic (and mainly nylon string) that I find myself leaning on. All of this is to say that you may need to go through a few different styles and genres and even techniques to find the one that best suites you as a player. It does not mean that you cannot enjoy other music, but it means that you probably lean toward a specific style more than others. Pay attention to that intuition and your playing will be rewarded because you will have greater joy through the occomplishment of your innate inclinations.
I obviously teach many students of many different backgrounds. They have very different goals and ambitions when it comes to their guitar playing. I can honestly say that all of them are committed to learning the guitar. But today I thought I’d hit those who think they want to learn guitar.
I have people contact me for lessons that are excited about learning the guitar for any number of reasons. The next thing they will ask is about purchasing a guitar. I first ask them their price range and try to give them the best response that I can. But many of them don’t heed my response to quality of the instrument. The always come back with this type of statement, “I don’t want to spend much money until I know that I will stick with it.” At this point, I already know what type of person I am dealing with. If they decide to take lessons, then I know they will be gone in two months or less. Why you ask? Commitment.
I am not suggesting that a new student go out and buy a five thousand dollar guitar. But I am suggesting that the lack of willingness to spend the money for a good instrument, a tuner, and any other necessary items shows that there is no commitment to them playing the guitar. Without a good instrument the learning becomes a struggle because the instrument is harder to play. Without a tuner the guitar sounds awful. Without the right materials to learn from, you just flounder in progress on the instrument.
It is important to know that to get good at the guitar takes time and persistence. It comes with many frustrations before enjoyment is fulfilled. Before you call for lessons to your local guitar teacher, take a moment to ask if you are willing to commit the time and the money to play the guitar well.
In guitar we are constantly trying to keep up with our chops or other just learn another, harder song. This is good for a while but we must remember to not let this become our focus. We must be consummate learners!
A consummate learner does not just learn a song to learn a song. A consummate learner asks the why and how questions of every piece or technique. What are the chord changes I am playing? Why do the chord changes work? Why do I like this sound? Why does it appeal to me? What does this technique do for the song I am playing? Does this technique actual add to the song or is it just for show? Could the notes be played in different and more effective place on the guitar? Why do I want to play this music? Do I even like this music or is just for show? Or, do I just think that everyone plays this and so should I? What time period does this come from? Does the version I have heard demonstrate a knowledge of the time period practices? What tempo is appropriate and is their room to change it according to how I like it to sound?
That is the mind of a consummate learner of the guitar. It does not matter what style you play or type of instrument you use. You should always be asking these questions and more. The most important question to keep asking is always, “Why?”
Time and time again we tend to put unrealistic expectations on ourselves and our guitar playing. If you have read any of my blogs then you know that setting goals is a high priority of mine. As a matter of fact, it is the first thing that I talk about with a new student. But how realistic are your goals?
If you come into guitar playing and say, “I am going to give it 10 weeks and if I am not good enough then I’m done.” You are setting yourself up for failure. You are done before you even start. The problem probably won’t lie in the fact that you did not continue for 10 weeks, but rather in what you expect out of those 10 weeks.
You have never played the instrument before and have no idea how your body and brain are going to function when challenged with the new movements and thoughts related to guitar playing. Therefore, it’s good to set a goal of committing 10 weeks but don’t set a goal as to where you should be. After you have played those 10 weeks, then you can begin to see how much you can possibly accomplish in a specific time frame.
Life also factors in when it comes to knowing how much you can accomplish in 10 weeks. You have too much other junk going on in your life. You may have a kid that gets sick and you can’t play for a week. Or FILL IN THE BLANK happens and your out for a week. Life happens and therefore we cannot predict how our progress will be over a specific period of time…especially at the beginning. Later, when you understand how you work in relation to the guitar, do you begin to set specific time related goals. And even then understand that you may not reach them in that time frame. But…you will be closer.
Bottom line, stay in reality when it comes to setting goals for your guitar playing.
When learning most of us usually break material down into smaller pieces without even thinking about it. Take the lick, riff, or section of music you are trying to learn and break it up into smaller, more manageable pieces. Practice each piece until you can do it correctly. When two small pieces are learned consecutively, then attempt to perform one after the other until you turn them into a single larger section. Once you have a larger section, you can then join it to
another larger section. And the process goes on and on . . .
While you’re doing this remember to play and learn each section correctly. It is extremely important that you master each smaller section before you try to make larger sections out of them. Do not confuse this with playing a section fast. However, you do need to be able to perform it accurately and almost without thinking.
For instance, mastering a particular scale would require you to no longer look at where your fingers are positioned. Having to look at your hands would mean that you have to consciously think about where to place your fingers. The ultimate goal is to do it almost without thinkning.
About a year ago, I decided to take a hard look at my classical guitar playing. You see I have been teaching full-time for six years now. As a result, my playing and practising has suffered. Therefore, I decided to take two or three or ten steps back and work from the beginning (sort of). I decided to use two method book/series in the process: Guitar Repertoire and Studies from the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Guitar Lesson Books by Julio S. Sagreras.
I decided on both due to their obvious graded material. The Sagreras, which to many has fallen out of favor, has a strong emphasis on the rest stroke throughout. I find that this is an area that I was never taught. There are many who argue about whether or not to use rest strokes, but I am on a journey to become the very best at the guitar and the pieces I play. I figure I need to study all the tools necessary to get the interpretation I want. It was also an area that was de-emphasized by those with whom I studied.
It has been about a year since I began my journey. Many times it is difficult to stay the course. I mean this in terms of music and the rest of my life. I work six days a week and have a family to tend. I decided a long time ago that my mission is to teach, but I surely do miss performing. Musically it can be difficult knowing that I can play more difficult pieces than those I am presented at times in the series I am working through. This brings me to the point of this short message: the journey is the most important part. As I play these “supposedly” easier pieces, I many times find challenges that I did not expect. A piece may be easy to finger but difficult to execute musically. Or, it may be difficult to finger but seem easy in its interpretation. I have been amazed at the “jewels” of compositions that I have stumbled upon in this journey. Though seemingly difficult, I am reminded at the beauty of a simple melody or chord progression as Aaron Shearer told us.
Though my competitive side wants to work on the standards of concert repertoire, I am sticking to my plan and focusing on this journey. In doing so, I have fixed many problems in my playing that will finally be resolved for good. I am also learning to appreciate every aspect of music from its simple melodies to its extreme harmonies. I urge anyone who is a classical guitarist to take time to learn some simple pieces again. In them, you may find the answer to the problems that have been plaguing you in even the most complicated masterpiece. Then again, you might find a masterpiece hidden in the simple. Above all, it’s not where you are going, but what you learn on the way there.
