Learning an instrument is hard at the best of times. Everything feels brand new and if you were to take a minute to think about all that’s involved in learning rhythms, chords, techniques, scales etc. it would be enough to put you off before you start. There is a solution to this… learn smarter not harder.
The biggest obstacle when learning is usually, how do I say this… you! I know that sounds blunt and a little stereotyped but it is true (for most at least) that when we put our hand to something new we often want to be able to achieve success quickly to experience the instant gratification we all either consciously or subconsciously need. This leads us to approach learning in a way that is actually more harmful than helpful. We often rush things and we strive for perfection without a thought for progression.
Within the context of guitar playing this often means we try and reach the unreachable too soon. When learning a new song for example, my experience in being a guitar teacher is that students often want to read and play the whole song straight away – I get it, I was exactly the same before I learnt to work smarter and not harder. We want to be able to play the best songs with little to no experience and we get frustrated when things don’t go our way.
Structuring practice times at home using the following methods will not only help you become a more technical and competent player but it will also give you the instant gratification you’re after (in more manageable chunks).
1. WORK TOWARDS PROGRESSION INSTEAD OF PERFECTION
- Think of learning the guitar like riding a bike, it takes a few goes to get it perfect. You might wobble for a bit, struggle to change gear and you may fall off at times. Despite these setbacks your goal remains the same – to be able to ride well. It’s the same with guitar playing – wobbles, dead notes, sloppy rhythms are all a part of the learning process. If you focus too hard on getting the perfect sound you’re missing out on the progression because you’re too focused on getting things perfect. Progression leads to perfection, without one there isn’t the other.
2. BITESIZE CHUNKS
- This may sound pretty obvious but when push comes to shove but we often forget this little nugget of advice in the practice room. It’s best to cut things down to manageable chunks – that may be a section, a line, a bar etc. Slowing the track down or using a drum beat makes things easier to learn. You’ll actually learn quicker this way.
3. ATTENTION TO DETAIL
- Read well to avoid having to re-learn sections. I see it all the time and I can be guilty of it myself. If you don’t read the music properly and thoroughly enough you’ll read things incorrectly and have to learn them again – this is tricky after muscle memory has set in and you’ll have to work twice as hard to correct your original mistakes so it makes much more sense to read more thoroughly before attempting to play.
With these three tips you should play quicker, find learning easier and enjoy the process so much more! Enjoy!
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