Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Top Mistakes Guitarists PDF
Top Mistakes Guitarists PDF
by Greg ORourke
fretdojo.com
AboutTheAuthor
AwardwinningAustralianguitaristGregORourkereceivedhis
BachelorOfMusicHonoursdegreein2006,andwasascholarship
holderattheAustralianNationalUniversitySchoolOfMusic.Gregs
mainspecialityisinfingerstylejazzguitar,whichheteachesabout
onhiswebsitewww.FretDojo.com.
Gregsversatileabilityontheguitariscredittoseveralteachershe
hasstudiedwithovertheyears,includingTimKain,oneof
Australiasleadingclassicalguitarperformersandteachers,aswell
asMikePriceandthelateDonAndrews,wellknownperformersand
teachersintheAustralianjazzguitarscene.Gregiscurrently
studyingadvancedjazzimprovisationandarrangingwithCanadian
jazzguitaristMattWarnock.
GreghasgivenprizewinningperformancesattheAustralianNationalUniversityChamberMusic
Competition,andwasawarded1stprizeintheChamberMusicdivisionofthe2004Australian
InternationalGuitarCompetition.
Gregcurrentlyenjoysabusycareer,comprisingofteachingonlineand
offline,performingandcollaboratingwithotherAustralianartists.
LearnWithGreg:ExclusiveReaderBonus!
TableofContents
Preface 3
Mistake#1:AnAppleaDayKeepstheDoctorAway 4
Mistake#2:NotMakingProgress?Thiscouldbewhy 12
Mistake#3:TheBestFeedbackAnyMusicianCanGet 17
Mistake#4:AJackofAllTradesisMasterofNone 21
Mistake#5:HaveYouGotIt,orNot? 26
Mistake#6:YouRequireThisKeySkill 30
Mistake#7:ExcellenceDemandsThisAncientTechnique 34
Mistake#8:Thiscouldbehurtingyourtechniqueandyourhealth 38
Mistake#9:TheMythMostMusiciansLiveBy 42
Mistake#10:Lastbutnottheleast 45
NextSteps 48
Preface
Timeandtimeagain,inmyownteachingandfromdiscussionswithother
guitarists,Iveseenguitarplayersmakingthesamemistakesoverandover.
Whatcanmakeorbreakyourguitarplayingisyourguitarpractice.Howyou
dontdo)
structureyourpracticesession,whatyoudo(and iscritically
importantforgettingbetterresultsontheinstrumentinlesstime.
Isincerelyhopeyougetalotoutofthisguideandhavesomekeytakeaways
foryoutoremovetheroadblocksinyourplaying!
Withbestwishes,
GregORourke
www.fretdojo.com
#1:AnAppleaDayKeepsthe
DoctorAway
Weallknowthatfeeling.
Youknow,thatitchyfeelingyougetinyourfingers.Thatrestlesscornerof
yourmindknowingthatsomethingisntquiteright.
YouknowwhatImtalkingabout.Itssomethingallguitaristsarefamiliar
with.
WhatamIalludingto?Notpracticingguitarfordaysofdaysofcourse!
Fretingus
Guitarwithdrawalisthemedicaltermortousetheformalterm
Devoidilicus.
Howseriouscanthisterribleafflictionbe?Well,Iknewsomeonethatused
togocrazyiftheyhadntplayedtheirguitarforatleast24hours.Yes,
Literally.ClinicallyInsane.
The
Futileattemptsathumouraside,InowintroducetoyouNumber1of
Top10MistakesGuitaristsMakeInTheirPracticeSession:
Mistake#1:NotHavingARegularRoutine
Havingaroutineisthecoreskillofanymusician.Itisfromaroutinethat
oureffortweputintosomethinghasthehighestleverage.Itmakesdifficult
thingseasybyturningsomethingimpossibleintomanageablechunks.
Sowhydosomanyguitaristsignorethispoint?
Lifegetsinthewayofcourse.Lifewillconspireagainstyoutothwartany
attemptstocreateaworthwhileroutineatanything.Howeverasanaspiring
first
musicianthisisthe thingthatyouneedtoensureisfirmlyputinplace.
Notimespentonscales,coordinationexercises,improvising,speed
development,oranythingelsewillbearanyresultanytimesooninyour
playingwithouthavingaregularroutine,bywhichyoumaketimeforyour
guitarpracticeandthenhaveawellthoughtoutstructureinthesession
itself.
InthefirstinstallmentofthistenpartGuide,youwilllearnthebenefitsof
creatingadailyroutinetoyourguitarpractice,andhowtocreateandstick
toaroutine.
TheBenefitofaRegularRoutine
Thereisnowaythatonecanimproveaskillwithoutaroutineofsomesort,
especiallyforacomplexskilllikeguitarplaying.Why?
ToanswerthisquestionIwanttointroducetoyouoneofthebesthelping
handsyouwilleverhaveonyourmusicaljourney.Hisnameis
Yourveryown
subconsciousmind.
Thesubconsciousmindisyourfriend.Itisyourhumbleassistant,working
arent
onyourguitarskillsforyouallthosetimesthroughoutthedayyou
practicing.Justlikemixingupsomedoughandthenleavingittoriseonthe
you
benchwhileyouhaveacupoftea,thesubconsciousmindworkswhile
dont.
Inyourpracticesessionyoubasicallyhaveahandovermeetingwithyour
subconsciousmindandoutlineitsworkforthedaywhileafterwardsyou
metaphoricallygoandplaygolf.
Haveyouevernoticedwhenyouhavepracticedregularly,andpickupyour
guitarafteragoodnightssleeptotrythattrickychordmelodysoloof
GreenDolphinStreetthatyouwerestrugglingwiththedaybeforeallofa
suddenitbecomeseasier?
Thatsbecauseallthroughthedayandnight,Mr.Subconscioushasbeen
conscious
workinghisbootyoff.Andyou(wellthe you)didnthavetodo
in
anything!Itsnotactually thepracticesessionyougetbetteratthatriff.
inbetween
Its yourpracticesessions!
Thatisthemainreasonforwhyroutinesaresopowerful(andgetting
enoughsleepaswellforthatmatter:).Infact,therearemanyother
benefitstoastrongroutine:
Routinesinawayareanarbitrarywaytoensurethatyouactuallydo
maketimetoplayyourinstrument.Especiallyifyouhavefamily
membersitgivesanexpectationthatyouwillbeunavailablefor
those2030minutesdailysothatyoucanworkonyourcraftwithout
beinginterrupted.
Routinesgiveyouaframeworkbywhichtoorganiseyourlifeandto
measureyourprogress.Professionalmusiciansandothercreative
typesareoftenterribleatselforganising.Ithinkthiscouldbedueto
thefacttheyspendconsiderabletimeworkingfromhomeanddont
haveanyroutinesorexpectationsimposedonthemexternally,e.g.
bya9to5job.
Routinesencourageselfdiscipline,whichcanpositivelyimpactall
sortsofareasinyourlife,notjustyourguitarplaying.
Areyouconvinced?Good!Soletsnowtalkabouthowtogetaroutine
happeningforyourpractice.
HowtoDevelopaRoutine
Talktoyourfamily(ifyouhaveone)oryourhousematesand
collectivelydecideonatimethatwouldbeworkableforeveryone.A
routinewillonlybesuccessfulifyougarnersupportfromthoseit
affects.
Decideclearlyonthe
duration
foryourdailyeffort,andberealistic
initially.Startsmallifyouareabeginnerandjustdosay10to15
minutes.Foraproguitaristyouwillneedaroundanhouratleast,
howeverifyouareverywellorganisedinyoursessionyoumayneed
only30minutes.
Alotoftimecanbewastedifyouarenotorganisedinadvanceto
practice.Makesureyouhaveadedicatedcornerofaroom(ora
wholeroomifyouhouseissoendowed)andthatallyourgadgets
anddoodadsareoutreadytogo.Yourprecious20minutesmaybe
90%wastedifyouarerunningaroundlookingforyourguitartuner,a
pencilandsoonyouwouldbesurprisedhowfasttimemoveswhen
youareinyourpracticesessiontime.
FindingaRegularTimeToPractice
Thisisoneofthehallmarksofasustainableroutine.Herearesometipsto
helpfindaworkabletime:
Makeitideallyatthesametimeeachday,thiswillessentiallymeet
theexpectationsofthoseyourroutineeffects.
Ifyouneedto,getupearlytopractice(preferable)orstayupabit
later.
Useheadphonesandanelectricguitarifyoupracticeattimethat
disturbsotherfamilymembers.Forthosetimesmypracticeneedsto
bequietIusethe
SteinbergUR44audiointerface
pluggedintomy
computerwithheadphones.Whatisgreataboutthissetupisthatall
youneedtodoisturnyourcomputeron,plugyourguitarinand
everythingisreadytogoperfectforalatenightpracticesession
andnocomplaintsfromtheneighbors!Addedbonus:youcaneasily
recordyourselfthroughthissetuptoassessyourprogress.
Ifyouwantthefeelofanacousticguitarwiththismethod,asilent
guitarmightbethebestoption,
clickhereforamodelIrecommend.
Decideonthe
durationtopractice
atleast20minutesdailyisstill
sufficienttomakesomeprogress(30minutesatleastisidealtoaim
forthough).
HowToStructureaPracticeSession
Welldonemyapprentice!Youhavecreatedaregularroutine.Butthat
leadsustoanotherroutinetoimplement:
thesequenceofthingsyou
actuallydoinapracticesession.
10
Thisdoesntneedtobeverycomplicated.Thisismytriedandtested
routinethatIhaveineachpracticesession:
WarmUp:
e.g.play1scaleorarpeggioacoupleoftimes
MainProject:
themainthingImcurrentlyworkingonatthemoment,
e.glearningaseriesofJoePasslicks,learninganewtuneetc
Review:
IplayatuneoracoupleoftunesthatIalreadyknow
Ifmyscheduleisallowingalongerpracticesession(1ormorehours)
Iensurethat
regularbreaks
arefactoredintothedailyroutineas
well.Thisisahighleveragetechniqueasputtingshortbreaks
periodicallythroughoutalongsessionrefreshesyourmind,and
meansyoucanassimilatemoreinformationcomparedtoifyouare
braindeadfromoverdoingit.
YourAssignment:
OkaspiringguitarJediovertoyou.Thinkaboutyourguitarpractice
routine.Doyouhaveone?Ifyoudo,howcoulditbeimproved?
Ireallybelievethisissomethingoverlookedbysomanyguitarists,Icant
emphasiseenoughhowmuchimplementingthesestrategiescouldimprove
yourguitarplaying.
Icanhighlyrecommendabookonthesubjectofcreatingandmaintaining
99U.com
routinesforcreativetypesbyJocelynK.Gleiandtheteamat :
11
ManageYourDayToDay:BuildYourRoutine,FindYourFocus&
SharpenYourCreativeMind(book).
Thisisthe
bestresource
onthetopicIhavecomeacross.
InthenextinstalmentoftheGuide,wearegoingtotouchonamistakeI
seeguitaristsmakingallthetime,whichiscripplingtheirabilitiesand
causinganytimetheyaremakingintheirpracticetobewasted.
12
#2:NotMakingProgress?This
couldbewhy...
Hereisaclassicexchangeinaguitarlesson:
Teacher:Tom,thattunestillneedsalotofwork,didyoudoanypractice?
Student:Yes,I
practicedquitealot
actually.(Tomlooksabithotunder
thecollar.)
was
IthinkTomwasactuallytellingthetruth.Perhapshe dedicating
regulartimetoaroutine.
However
Aroutineinitselfisntenoughtoreachyourgoalsonguitar.Weneed
anotheringredient.WhichleadsmetointroduceMistake#2:
13
Mistake#2:NotHavingClearOutcomes
Itisdifficultwithanartisticpursuittohaveclearoutcomes.Afterall,music
hasinfinitepossibilities,whichmeansinfinitedirectionsthatyoucouldgoin
ineachpracticesession.
Theproblemwhenyouaretryingtolearnaskillthoughisbywalkingin
manydifferentdirectionsatonce,doyouthinkthatyoureachyour
destination?
Orperhapstheoutcomesonedesiresaretoofuzzy,likeIwanttoget
betteratguitar.OftenwhenIaskstudentshowtheyaregoingtogetbetter
atatune,theyjustsaypracticeitmore.Thisistoovaguean
dont
understandingandwillreflectintheresultstheygetor,shouldIsay,
get.
ThereisatechniquethatIusethatreallyhelpssetclearoutcomesin
practicesessions.Icallthisfortnightlyoutcomegoals.
TheSolution:FortnightlyOutcomeGoals
Atthestartofevery2weeksofpractice,Iwritedowninmydedicated
practicediarythe3or4thingsthatIwanttoaccomplishinmypractice
sessionsoverthenext2weeks.Thiswouldlooksomethinglike:
14
Goalsfor28/8/1511/9/15:
AbletoplaytranscriptionofLennyBreaussoloonGreenDolphin
Streetwithoutanyerrorsat110beatsperminute
Abletoplaya2octaveDbMajorscaleat130beatsperminute.
Abletoimprovisewiththe2JoePasslicksIlearntonthetuneAngel
Eyes.
ThesestatementsarecleargoalsofwhatIwanttoachieveforthenext2
weeks.Noticehowthereislittleambiguityhere.Eachstatementneedsto
havesomesortofbenchmarkthatwoulddesignatethegoalcomplete.
Theruleis:Youarenotallowedtoaddanythingelsetothislistuntilthe
next2weeksisup.
Youthenwritewhatyouneedtodoinordertoreacheachofthesegoals.
Forexample,letstakethefirstgoalonthelist:
Goal#1:
LennyBreausGreenDolphinStsolo,110bpm:
TasksToCompleteGoal#1:
Graduallyincreasespeedofthewholesectionuntilreaching110
beatsperminute
Revisevoicingsinb43
15
Workonaccuracyinbars23and27
Workonthealteredscalelicksinbar67
NowthatIhavemygoalsforthenext2weeksandthetasksneededto
attainthesegoals,Ithendevisearoutinethatwillallowtimetoworkon
them.
IfIonlyhavea30minutesessionthough,itisunlikelyIwillhaveenough
all
timetoworkon prioritise
thetasksforallofmygoals.Soitstimeto the
abovelist:
TasksToCompleteGoal#1(Prioritised):
Workonthealteredscalelicksinbar67
Workonaccuracyinbars23and27
Revisevoicingsinb43
Graduallyincreasespeedofthewholesectionuntilreaching110
beatsperminute
Ithenchoosethetoponefromthelistandthen
workitintomypractice
routine.
AsmentionedinthePart1,herearehowmypracticesessionsare
structured:
16
Structurefora30minutepracticesession:
Warmup:5mins
MainProject:20mins
ReviewPreviousTunes:5minutes
SoifItakethefirsttaskoffthetopofmyprioritisedlist,myinitialfirstfew
practicesessionsforthe2weekblockwouldlooksomethinglikethis:
Practicesession28/8/15:
WarmUp:ascaleortwo5mins
MainProjectWorkonthealteredscalelicksinbar67:20mins
ReviewTaketheATrain5minutes
YourAssignment:
Nexttimeyoupracticehaveathinkaboutyoursessionandwhatit
comprises.Haveyougotcleargoals?Haveyougotcleartaskslistedto
meetthesegoals?Haveyouprioritisedthesetasks?Areyouactioning
themintheMainProjecttimeofyourpracticesession?
Inthenextchapterwewilladdressatopicthatmakesmostguitarists
cringe.Canyouguesswhatitis?
17
#3:TheBestFeedbackAny
MusicianCanGet
Thisisatruestory.
OneofthebestjazzguitaristsIknow(letscallhimRobby)overheard
tapedeck
someoneplayingarecordingonanoldtapedeck(yesa this
wasthe1990safterall)ofsomesologuitarmusic.
Whoisitplayingthatpiece?Therhythmisallovertheplace,andtheir
toneislikeacheesegrater!
Thepersonplayingtherecordingstaredblankly,asifponderingwhatto
saynext.
Davehimself.
Therecordingwasof ClearlyhehadbeenmakingMistake
#3:
18
Mistake#3:NotRecordingThemselves
Recordingyourselfisthebestselfassessmenttoolyoucanpossiblyget.It
surpassesevenagiftedteacher.Thereisnowaytoignorethefunny
squeaksandbuzzeswhenyouarelisteningtoyourselfonarecording.This
isasurefirewaytomakerapidprogress,andletsfaceit:ifyouare
planningtomakeaCDonedaybestgettheshockofhearingyourselfout
ofthewayearly.
Evenifyoudonthavearecordingsetupyet,asimpleexerciseistoplaya
really
pieceandcheckifyouare listeningtowhatsoundsarecomingoutof
think
yourinstrument.Iswhatyou comingoutofthatboxwithstringsis
is
actuallywhat comingout?Ifyouhaventdonethisbefore,thissimple
listeningpracticewillbenefityourplayingprofoundly.
Iwouldrecommendthatyoutrytorecordsometimesaudioonlyand
sometimeswithavideo.Iactuallythinkvideocanbeamoreencouraging
startaserrorscansoundmuchmoreexposedonanaudioonlytrack.Also,
avideorecordingcangiveyoufeedbackonperhapsthemostfundamental
visually
aspectoflivemusicalperformance,howyouare communicatingto
theaudienceasyouplay.
19
RecordingGearandTips
Thesedaysyoudontneedthousandsofdollarsworthofgearanda
dedicatedstudiotogetahighenoughrecordingforselfassessment
purposes.Herearesomeoptionstoconsider:
Anymodernsmartphonegivesagoodvideoqualityandreasonable
audioquality,andissimpleandfasttosetup.However,unlessyou
havealedgeordesktherightheighttheycanbeabitannoyingtotry
tosetupsothevideoshotisframedcorrectly.Iusea
Jobystand
with
this
KLYPcasebyManfrotto
toholdmyiPhone,andIplacethis
smalltripodonadesktorecorditworksreallywell.Toframethe
shotIusethefrontfacingcamerasoIcanseetheshotontheiphone
screenasImrecording.
Foraudio,abudgetoptionforanmicrophoneisthe
BlueYeti
USB
microphone.Itsoundsamazingandhasalotofdepthtothesound.
BeingaUSBmicrophoneitsimplyplugsintoyourcomputer,andcan
beusedwithanyrecordingsoftware.Itcomeswithitsownstandso
youcansimplyputitonyourdeskinfrontofyouandawayyougo.
AnotherhandyfeatureisthatitisiOScompatible,soyoucanuseit
withseveralrecordingappsforiPhone/iPad.
Anotherqualityalternativeisthe
Zoomh4nHandyRecorder
.Thisis
evenasimplersetupithassomeprettygoodmicrophonesonthe
unitanditrecordsstraighttoSDcardswithouttheneedfora
20
computer.YoucanalsogetrecordersbyZoomthatcanrecordhigh
qualityvideoandaudiosimultaneously.
Mypersonalsetupforrecordingisa
RodeNT3
thatisconnectedtoa
SteinbergUR44audiointerface
.Iuse
AdobeAudition
forrecording
Garageband
software.Forsimplerecordingsthoughsomethinglike
Audacity
forMacor forPCdoesthesamejobasAdobeAudition
thereisnoneedtobuyprosoftwareunlessyouareplanningto
releasethenextplatinumalbum.
YourAssignment:
Startrecordingyourself.Youdontneedtohaveanyoneelselistentoit.
Onetipistonotlistenbackonthesameday,sometimesyoucangeta
totallydifferentperceptiononwhatarecordingsoundslikeifyoulistento
therecordingafterafewdays.Ifindmyperceptionsaremuchmore
positiveifIleaveitforawhile.
OkthatsitforMistake#3.Inthenextinstallmentwearegoingtotalkabout
whyguitaristswhoaremakingregulartimeANDestablishingclear
outcomesSTILLarentmakingprogress.Letstakealook
21
#4:AJackofAllTradesisMaster
ofNone
Whyisitthatsomanyguitaristsoftendosomanytechnicalexercises,so
manyscales,somuchlisteningtoCDsandsomanyhoursontheir
instrument,yetdontseemtomakeanyprogressintheirplaying?
Whataretheydoingwrong?Dotheysimplynothavewhatittakes?Isitthe
naturallawoftheuniversethatsomepeopleshouldbeonstagewhile
othersdrivethetrucktothegig?
Idontthinkso.Thereisasimpleexplanationforthispuzzlingconundrum.I
presentyouMistake#4!
22
Mistake#4:TryingtoCramTooMuchInto
OnePracticeSession
Ajackofalltradesismasteratnone.Andaguitaristthattriestocoverall
hisbasesinasinglepracticesessionisdoomedtofailure.
Thisissomethingthattookmemanyyearstorealize,butitissuchan
importantaspectofthegameofguitarpractice.Ifyouplayalotof
exercisesaspartofyourpracticesession,8090%ofthemareprobablya
wasteoftime.
ThiswassuchanimportantpointthatImgoingtorepeatit.
.
Mostexercisesyouplayareawasteoftime
ImsorryifImoffendinganybodyhere.EspeciallyfansoftheGiuliani120
Righthandexercises(thatcanbeboileddowntoabout10exercisesand
therestarejustfluff)orShearersLefthanddevelopmentexercises,of
whichtherearehundredsbutonlyabout7areworthpracticingatall.
Practicetimeisprecious,andwastemustbeeliminated.Unlessan
exerciseisastrategyinmeetingoneofyourgoalsinthenext2weeks,you
.
shouldnotpracticeit
Thisisreallyanextensiononthefirstcoupleoftopicsinthisseries.Ifyou
havedevelopedasoliddailyroutine,clearoutcomesandcleartasksto
23
meetthoseoutcomes,thiswillbeindicatedbythefactthatyouarent
spendingexcessivetimeonaplethoraoftechnicalexercises,unlessthey
arepartofa(verybrief)warmuproutine.
Butwontmytechniquesuffer?
Iknowwhatyouarethinking:
ButwontmytechniquesufferifIdontplay3hoursofscalepatterns
daily?
Acommonfear,myfriend.Heressomepointstoconsiderinthatregard:
Therearewaysaroundplayingendlessboringexercises.Makesure
toincludeinyoursetlisttunesorarrangementsthatworkoutmultiple
techniquesatonce,andplaythemaspartofyourReviewtimeyou
haveallocatedinyourroutine.
Useimprovisationasatechniquebuilder,notjustacreativetool.
Improvisationisaverygoodwaytogetyourscalepracticeinbutina
muchmoreinterestingwaythatdoesnthavethatboringmindless
feeltoit.
Lookforwaysinwhichyoucangoodawellbalancedmusical
music
workoutbyactuallyplaying .Therewillbetimeswhen
24
exercisesarecrucialinmeetingoneofyourgoals,butthatdoesnt
justifyfillingallofyourpracticeroutineupwiththem.
Dontmultitask
Inyourpracticesession,justcommittoimprovingONEthingatatime,and
thisiswhattakesplaceinallocatedMainProjecttime.Itmakessense,
becauseina30minutepracticesession,itisunrealistictothinkthatyou
canimproveyourimprovisingANDspeedANDlearnanewpieceAND
learnrighthandharmonics.Evenifyouhad3hoursadaytoplaywithyou
shouldbecarefulnottospreadyourmindtoothinthinkofpoorMr
SubconsciousfromChapter1.Youwontoverloadhim,willyou?Ifyou
juggletoomanyballsultimatelysomewillstarttogetdropped
Imabigfanofthe80/20rule.Thisideahasbeengarneringalotofinterest
lately.Thisruleisanobservationthatthereisatendencyinhuman
endeavourandinnaturefor80%oftheresultstocomefrom20%ofthe
effort.
InrelationtomyownplayingIstartedtojustplayafewpiecesthatIknew
workedoutmostaspectsofmyguitartechnique,anddidthisinsteadof
worryingaboutthemillionsofscalesandexercisesthatareusually
improved
prescribed.MytechniquedidnotsufferwhenIdidthis.Itactually
drastically.
25
YourAssignment:
Watchyourselfnexttimeyoupractice.Thinktoyourself:AmItask
switchingtoomuch?,IsthisexerciseIvebeenplayingforthelast6
monthsreallynecessary?AmIfocussingonjustlearningthisONEtune
atatimeoramItryingtolearnthreeatonce?Thelastpointisabitlike
tryingtoread3booksatonceyourmindisntreallydesignedtodothis
sortofthing,andyouwilltakelongertoreadall3booksthiswaythento
readjustoneatatime.Gettoknowonetunereallywellandyoucanthen
applythedeepknowledgeyouhavegainedtomanyothers.
ThereisacoupleofgreatbooksIcanhighlyrecommendondeveloping
thissortofmindsetthatIwouldconsideressentialreadingforanyone
strugglingwithtaskoverload:
TheONEThing:TheSurprisinglySimpleTruthBehindExtraordinary
ResultsbyGaryKeller
Essentialism:TheDisciplinedPursuitofLessbyGregMcKeown
Onwardsandupwards,myfriend.Welldoneforgettingthisfar!Thesubject
ofthenextchapterisonethatevennonmusicianscanspoteasily...
26
#5:HaveYouGotIt,orNot?
should
Outofalltheaspectsofmusic,thereisonethingyoudefinitely be
focussingon.Asitissomethingthat,ifgoneawry,canturnanamazing
performanceintosomethingthatismoreirritatingthanlisteningtoanMIDI
elevatormusicversionofIveGotRhythm.Neglectingthisonewillbeto
yourperil.
So,ironically,Mistake#5is.
27
Mistake#5:NeglectingRhythm.
Rhythmissuesareverycommonamongstguitarists,andcanmanifestasa
grossorsubtleproblem.Asagrossproblemitisactuallywellgrossin
everysenseoftheword.
Sometimespeoplemanipulatetherhythminthenameofplayingwith
rubato
whatscalleda feel,i.e.usingthesubtlestretchingandcompressing
oftherhythmasanexpressivedevice.Dothistoomuchthough,andyoull
getcommentssimilartothefollowingIgotinaguitarcompetitiononcefrom
oneofthejudges:
Youaremakingmeseasick.
Moreoftenthough,rhythmproblemsaremainlydowntoalackof
awarenessofrhythmfeel.Thisistrickythoughasunlessyouhavean
externalreferenceitwontbeeasytodevelopagoodunderstandingofthis.
However,helpisathandwiththefollowingtechniques:
Option1:Useametronome
Thissoundslikethelogicalchoice.Ametronomeisasimpledevicethatis
likeaclockinthatitticksregularlyhoweveryoucansetthespeedofhow
oftenitticks.Thiscangiveagoodindicationofwhetheryourrhythmis
correctornot.Theyarealsoverycheapnowthankstosmartphoneapps,
28
forexample
thisappforiPhone
.Ifyouwantthemoretraditionalphysical
device, .
Korgmakesthisexcellentmodel
Ihavefoundwithmystudentsthoughametronomeisratherdifficulttoplay
alongto.Especiallyatslowertemposastheclicksaretoofarapartunless
yousubdividethebeats,andthatusuallysoundsratherunpleasantona
metronome.SoifyouarentametronomefanIwouldsuggest:
Option2:Useadrummachine
Drummachinesareexcellenttoplayalongwithastheygiveamuchmore
complexrhythmpatterninthebackground,whichironicallymakesitmuch
easiertoplaytoasthebeatsaresubdividedbutfeelsmuchmorenatural
andpleasanttoplayalongto.Thesedaysyoudontneedtonsofmoneyfor
adrummachinethankstohandyiosapps(youcanprobablytellbynowIm
Garageband
abitofanappjunkie).Try foriPadoriPhone,ithasabrilliant
drummachinethatcancreatenearlyanybeatyoucouldneedonthefly.
Option3:Arealdrummerorothermusician
Thisisprobablythebestoption(aslongastheyhaveadecentrhythmfeel
themselves!).Afterall,rhythmisaliving,breathingthingitsnotaprecise
clickofanelectronicdevice.Sothebest(andmostfun)waytodevelop
yourrhythmisinagroup.Adrummerobviouslywouldbethebestwayto
gobutanyothercompetentinstrumentalistwillalsoreallyhelpyou
develop.
29
OnceIhaveoneofthereferencepointssuggestedabove,Iwouldthen
recordmyselfplayingalongwiththemetronome/drummachine/other
person
.Usetheselfassessmentandrecordingskillsoutlinedinchapter3
todothis.Problemsolved.
YourAssignment:
Recordyourselfbutlistencarefullytoyourrhythmfeel.Nowtrythesame
thingbutwithoneofthereferencepointslistedabove.Anyproblems?You
couldreallygainsomeinsightsintoyourplayingwiththistechnique.
Rhythmisthecornerstoneofmusic.Soensurethatyouhavetakenthe
timetolaythefoundations.
Thenextinstalmentwilltouchonatopicthatshouldconcernallguitarists,
andchancesareitisbeingignored.Okletsgetintoit!
30
#6:YouRequireThisKeySkill
Ifyouwanttoimproveyourjazzguitarplaying,butnotspendinga
significantchunkoftimeonthisnextmistake...
Wehaveaseriousproblem.
IntroducingMistake#6!
31
Mistake#6:NotGivingEnoughTimeTo
Creativity
Inmyprejazzguitardays,Ifellvictimtothisinsidiousmistake,andnow
realisehowstiflingnotenoughgivingtimetoimprovisecanbeforany
musician.
Dontgetmewrong,therearedefinitelytimeswhereitismoresuitedto
playingaprepreparedarrangement,howeverifyoudontspendtimeon
improvisinginthepracticeroomyoucannotonlystifletheabilitytoplay
technique
withothermusicianseasily,butactuallyhamperyour aswell.
Moreonthatlater.
IknowImlargelypreachingtotheconvertedhere,butjustincasehere
aresomeofthekeybenefitsofimprovisation:
Improvisinghelpsyoutolearntomatchyourearwiththesoundof
theguitarveryclosely.Thismeansthatyouhaveamuchgreater
chanceofrecoveryifyouhappentomakeamistakewhileyouare
performing.Someonewhodoesnothavetheseskillswillreally
struggletorecoveraperformanceifthingsgowrong(whichatsome
pointwillhappensoitsbesttobeprepared),
Beingconfidentwithyourimprovisationgivesyoutheabilityto
performorjamwithothersatshortnotice.Thisisnotonlygood
32
sociallybutcouldleadtomoreworkasaguitaristifyouarea
professional,
Improvisationusesscaleandarpeggiopatternsandsoyougetto
practicethematthesametimedoingsomethingexpressiveand
creative,
Improvisingisfun!Itsachallengingwaytothinklaterallyand
creativelyandisreallybeneficialforyouroverallmusicalskillsand
yourmindingeneral.
Sohowdoyougetyourimprovisationtothenextlevel?Byvisitingthe
FretDojo.com
blog(ofcourse!)Iwillbepostingregularvideosonthetopic
tosharewhatIknow,bothonsinglelinesoloingaswellastheoftensought
afteradviceonchordsoloing.Immotivatedtodothisasitcanbequite
difficulttofindagoodteacheronthetopicandIvehadthebenefitof
havingsomegreatteachersonimprovovertheyears.Asastart,checkout
this
beginnersguidetojazzimprovisation
post.
Foranothergreatresourceonimprovisation,checkout
thisblogfrommy
buddyMattWarnock
whohasanexcellentwebsiteonthetopic.
Improvisationisthefundamentalskillsofajazzguitarist,but
shouldbea
fundamentalskillofanymusician,ofanystyle.
33
Inthenextinstalmentofthisguidewearegoingtolookatthethingthat
mastersoftheguitarandancientIndianYogishaveincommon.Ahah!I
seethatgotyourattention
34
#7:ExcellenceDemandsThis
AncientTechnique
does
Sowhat aancientIndianYogiandaguitarmasterhaveincommon?
Betyouvebeenthinkingaboutthatone.
Theanswer?Illgettothatinaminute.
Aswevealreadydiscussed,thebestpracticesforaguitarpracticesession
istomaketimetopractice,haveaclearroutineforeachsession,andhave
clearmeasurableoutcomes.
However,thereisonestumblingblockthatplaguesaspiringguitarists
acrosstheword.YoucanseeitinmindlessnoodlingwhilewatchingTV.
Youcanseeitintheorchestrapitwheretheguitarististheonlyone
doodlesawaywhiletheconductoristryingtosaysomething.
CanyouseewhereImheading?Herewehave:
35
Mistake#7:HavingaLackOfFocusIn
PracticeSessions
Theguitarmasteriskindoflikeayogireally.Becauseheslearnedthe
valueofsinglepointedconcentration.
Focus.
Focusisthethingthatallowstrulygreatthingstohappenintheworld.The
trulygreatartistic,architectural,andspiritualachievementsbythe
luminariesofmankindarearesultofthissimple,butunbelievablypowerful
skill.
Anditisthisskill,myguitarapprentice,thatyouwillneedtocultivate.
TurnoffthatiPhone.Banishsocialmediaupdates.NomoreYoutube
videosofcatspullingfaces.Yourguitarpracticetimeis
justforthat:
masteryofthekingofinstruments,theguitar.
Wheneveryounoticeyourselfstrayingoffthetopic,bringyourmindbackto
thepresent,backtoyourgoals,andbacktothattaskthatwillachieveyour
goals.
Cultivatingfocusisoneofthehighestleveragethingsyoucandoforyour
guitarpractice.Itwillmeanyoucanget3timesthevaluefromthesame
amountoftimeyouspendonyourinstrument.Throughbeingfocusedand
36
consistentyoucanachieveunbelievableresultsevenwithinashortspace
oftime.
Ihavefoundthepracticeofmeditationtobeveryusefultocultivatefocus,
seethisarticle
formore.However,ifthatsortofthingisntforyouthenthink
aboutthisideaoffocuseverytimeyoupractice.Thinkaboutyourtaskfor
thesession,andsinglemindedlyworktowardsthatwithoutfail.
Somanypeoplecomplainaboutnothavingenoughtime.
WhattheyshouldreallybesayingisIhaventmadearoutine,Ihaventgot
cleargoals,andImnotfocusedwhenIdomaketimeforpractice.
Dontbeoneofthesepeople!
YourAssignment:
Findthewaythatworksbestforyoutocultivatefocus.Whetheryou
trymeditationorotherwise,useyourguitarpracticeasafocus
trainingsession.Cultivateawarenesstocheckthatwhatyousetout
todoinasessioniswhatyouareactuallydoing.
Youcanuseotheropportunitiesthroughoutthedaytocultivatefocus,
notjustyourguitarplaying.Whenyouwashthedishes,justfocuson
thatsimpleactivity.Whentalkingtoafriend,areyoureallyfocussing
onlisteningorareyoutalkingtosomeoneelse?
37
Ifyouarelookingforabitoftechnologicalassistanceforcultivatinga
mindthatcanstayinthepresent,Iwouldrecommendthewebsite
Headspace
.Itsagreatresourceandaninterestingcontemporary
lookattheancientpracticeofmeditation.
Okyogicmaster,welldoneforattainingtheseventhstage!Inthenext
topic,itstimetolookatthebodybeautiful...
38
#8:Thiscouldbehurtingyour
techniqueandyourhealth
InthisinstalmentoftheGuide,Italkaboutareallyimportantaspectfor
yourhealthontheguitarandperhapsmytoptipIeverlearnedfor
improvingtechniqueontheinstrument.
Ihaveseenmusiciansonmanyinstrumentscrippledtheircareerbecause
ofoverlookingsomethingsosimple.Onewouldlaughifitwerentsosad
theeffects.
Dontletthishappentoyou,Ineedyoutotakeheedhereok?Especiallyif
youpracticeforlonghoursontheinstrument.Thisisserious.
SoMistake#8is:
39
Mistake#8:NotThinkingAboutPosture
andFeel.
Itisabsolutelycrucialtoconsiderpostureasaguitarist.Afterall,itsour
fingers,arms,andnervesthatformthepathwayfromourbraintothe
guitar.Iftheseareoutofkilter,youmusicwillsufferitwillhamperyour
techniqueandcouldcauselongtermdamage.
Rememberthatoldtune?
Hipboneconnectedfromthethighbone
Thighboneconnectedfromthekneebone
Kneeboneconnectedfromtheshinbone
Everypartofthebodyaffectseveryotherpartofitsfunctioning.Soifyour
postureisnotgoodwhenyouplay,itislikeputtingtrafficlightsona
highwayitwilldrasticallyslowthespeedandeaseatwhichyourhands
canmoveasthetrafficbetweenyourbrainandmuscleswillslowdownto
asnailspace.
Ifyouplaywithpoorposture,youreallymustsortthisout.Youwillquickly
noticesomeverypositivechangesinyourtechnicalability.Playingwitha
goodposturecanalsoreallyhelpwithconfidenceonstagebody
languageiseverythingafterall.
40
HaveIconvincedyou?Good!Nowthatwehavesortedthatout,thereisan
importantconceptIwanttointroducetoyouthatIconsiderthebestwayto
improveanypieceortechnique.
TheFeelintheHands
TheNumberOnethingIalwaysthinkaboutinmypracticeis:doesthis
passagefeelgoodinmyhands?Doesthisfingeringworkformyhands?
Howisthisfeelingrightnow?
Thisisahigherprioritywhetheraparticularfingeringpatternorsolution
logical
makes sense.IfitsimplydoesntfeelgoodinthehandsafterIplay
withitforawhile,Irejectit.
Thissimpletip,giventomebythegreatclassicalguitaristTimKain,has
beenmymosteffectivestrategyforgettingmusictoflowandexpressing
myselfeasilyontheinstrument.
Sotrytocultivatethistypeofselfawareness.Askyourselfhowdoesmy
handsfeelrightnow?Howdoesmybodyfeelrightnow?Howismy
posture?
Theresultswillspeakforthemselves.
41
InthenextinstalmentofthisGuidewecoveramindsetissuethathasa
long,anddeludedtraditionacrossthestudyofmostinstruments.Ilook
forwardtoblowingthismythoutofthewaterforyou.
42
#9:TheMythMostMusicians
LiveBy
HeyJerry,Idid
4hours
practicetoday!
Yourookie,thatsnothing.Idid
6hours
practice!
4hours.
6hours.
?
possible
Isthislikely?Isit
Itis.IknewpeoplewhenIwenttouniversitytostudymusicthatwould
proudlyboastoftheamountofhourstheycoulddoinonesittingontheir
instrument.Inmystruggletokeepup,ItriedtodoeverythingIcouldto
sustainthatamountoftimeinthepracticeroom.
?
productive
Butwasithealthy?Wasit
Lookingback,Icanseethecompetitivenatureofthissortofthing.But
moreimportantly,ithighlightsoneofthekeymistakesguitarists(and
musiciansingeneral)makewhentryingtoprogressontheirinstrument,
whichis:
43
Mistake#9:ThinkingHours=Progress
Thisisabigone.NearlyeverypromusicianIvemethasthismindset.And
nearlyeveryamateurmusiciancomplainsaboutnothavingenoughtimeto
practice.
Butthereisgoodnews!ImheretotellyouthatHours=Progressis
misleading.Infact,itistotallydeluded.
Letsconsidertheothertopicswevecoveredinthisguide.Creatinga
routine.Havingclearoutcomes.Havingfocus.Becomingselfawarein
variousways.Notwastingtimeonsuperfluousexercises.
Thesearewhatgenerateprogress.Time,initself,doesnot.
probably
Ofcourse,someonewhopracticesfor6hourswill makemore
progressthansomeonewhopracticesforonehour.
relativeamountofprogress
However,the far
fortheextra5hourswillbe
smaller
thanthefirsthour.Thelawofdiminishingreturnswillapply.
FocusandconsistencyandtheotherpointswehavecoveredinthisGuide
arefarmoreimportantthansimplytallyinguphoursspent.Thehours=
damaging
progressmindsetistoosimplisticandcanbe .Damagingtoyour
health.Damagingtoyoursanity.Andironically,damagingtoyour
productivity
inthelongterm.
44
Ifyourgoalsaretobeoneofthebestmusiciansintheworld,yesitistrue
youwillneedtospendmanyhourseachdayrefiningyourcraft.Howeverif
youwanttobe80%asgoodasaworldclassmusician,youcanspend
20%theamountofthattime(rememberthe80/20rule?).Andbeing80%
asgoodasaworldclassmusicianisstillprettydarngoodinmybooks.
YourAssignment:
Takethefocusoffneedingtoneglecteverythingelseinyourlifeso
thatyoucanfitxamountofguitarpracticehoursinyourday.Decide
onatimeframethatiswhateveryourschedulepermitsandstickto
Focus
that. consistency
and arethekey.
AdopttheotherstrategiescoveredinthisGuideandoptimize
whatevertimeyouhave,togetfarmoreresultsinashorteramount
oftime.
Imgladthatwehadachancetomythbustthatone.Lastbutcertainlynot
theleast,intheupcomingfinaltopicoftheGuide,Imgoingtosharewith
youtheNumber1strategyforensuringthatyoumakerapidprogresson
do
yourinstrumentandusethetimethatyou haveinthebestpossibleway.
Letscheckitout!
45
#10:Lastbutnottheleast
ThisisprobablymymostimportanttipforyouinthisGuide.Areyou
excited?Good!Letsgetintoit.
Doyoutrytoplaythroughthechangesofatuneyouwantedtogetunder
yourfingersbuttotallycluelessonhowtodoitwellorsoundlikeagreat
jazzplayer?Orperhapsyouvebeenreallyinspiredbylearningchord
melodyandsoloingfromhearingthegreatslikeJoePass,TedGreeneand
LennyBreau,buthavenoideawheretostartlearningthisstyle?
Perhapsyouhaveadecentgraspofscalepatterns,chordvoicings,anda
goodlistoftunesunderyourbelt,butitintegratingitallintoacompelling
performanceisstilleludingyou?
loathe
Bynow,fromreadingthisGuide,youknowhowmuchI wasting
time.Lifeisshort,soitbestbespentfeelinglikewearemakinga
difference,improvingourselves,andgenerallymakinglifeawesome.Not
wastingtimeonhalfbaked,atworsttotallyincorrectinformationonhowto
learnsomethingascomplexasjazzguitarplaying.
Thisultimatemistakeisthemostimportantonetorectify.Letmesharethis
withyounow:
46
Mistake#10:TryingtoFigureEverything
OutYourself,RatherThanGettinga
Teacher
Ateacheriscrucialtolearningacomplexskilllikeguitarplayingandare
the
ultimatetimesaver
foryourpracticetime,forthefollowingreasons:
Theyarea
filter,
givingyouwhatyouneedtoknowattherighttime.
Avoids
informationoverload
authority
Theyarean :ateacherwhoisknowledgeablewillsimplify
thelearningprocessbyprovidingcorrectinformationrightfromthe
getgo
accountability
Theygiveyou andawaytomeasureprogress
feedback
Theygivevaluable andhelpadjustandimproveyour
strategy
Theygivea
clearpath
toimprovementsoyoudontneedto
endlesslywanderaroundwonderingifsomethingiscorrectornot.
Agoodguitarteacheristhemostvaluablethingyoucandoforyourmusic.
and
listento
Andwhenyouhavefoundagoodteacher,makesureyou
implement
theiradvice.
47
ThisiswhatinspiredmetobuildFretDojo,asIwantedtobuildaresource
thathasboileddownforyouthemostimportantpointsindevelopingthe
skillstobecomeagreatjazzguitarist.Awebsitethatprovidesthemost
essentialtoolsyouneedtofreethatmusicinsideyouthat
youknowisin
there.
Aresourcethatgivesyouaclearpathtogettingbetteratyour
instrument,sothatyouenjoyyourmusicmoreandthenshareitwith
others.
Connectingwithothersiswhatweneedmostintheworldrightnow.And
musicisawonderfulwaytodothis.
Well,thatsaboutitforthisbook.Hmmm...hangonasecond...
Phew,Inearlyforgot!ThereisonethingIwantedtoremindyouabout
beforewewrapitupseebelow:
LearnWithGreg:ExclusiveReaderBonus!
48
CongratulationsYouHave
CompletedtheGuide!
Imsogladthatyouvejoinedmeforthejourneyandyouarenowanofficial
Fret
FretDojojazzguitarinitiate!Ifyouhaventalready,requesttojointhe
DojoFacebookGrouphereor
followmeonTwitter
(@gregoguitar)andsay
hello,Iwouldlovetohearfromyou.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsaboutthis
Guideorneedhelpwithanyaspectofyourguitarplaying,Iammorethan
happytohelpinanywaythatIcan.Illalsoletyouknowwhenmylatest
postsandvideoscomeoutsokeepyoureyeoutforthose.
Welldone!Youdiditthisconcludes
HowToAvoidTheTopTen
MistakesThatGuitaristsMakeInTheirPracticeSession.
Thanksvery
muchforreadingthisebook.Isincerelyhopeyoufoundthisusefulandyou
hadsomemeaningfultakeawaysasaresult.Iwishyoutheverybestin
yourguitarjourney.
IllseeyouintheDojo!
Greg:)