Connecting guitar players everywhere.

As a child I couldn't wait to get to my guitar lesson each week. It was the highlight of my week. I would hang out with other musicians at my local music center and by age 14 years was regularly jamming and even gigging. By 17 years old I had a network of musicians who I could jam with regularly. It was hugely inspiring and was all inspired by one man.

My teacher Mark Bergman was outstanding as both a player and a teacher and became an absolute inspiration to not only me but much of the local guitar community. A local hero you might say. Mark had the ability to bring musicians together and to push them beyond their comfort zone. He brought out the best in you. I was inspired by the way he connected musicians. This led me to a career in music and teaching but also inspired me to take it one step further.

I had imagined a place where the world's best guitarists could come together to teach and share their knowledge and experience with students. I wanted to be able to tap in to their combined yet diverse talents. I knew if there must be other inspirational guitarists and teachers like Mark out there but the challenge was finding them and then bringing them together.

My early attempts at creating my vision came with many disappointments and enormous unexpected challenges. This led me on a path to understand how others had come to realised their dreams. One of the first people I read about was Walt Disney. When Disney decided to create Disneyland most people thought he was crazy. He went to hundreds of banks and money lenders to seek finance for his dream but was continually knocked back. I read many similar stories and realized that dreams are always personal and most people will think you are crazy. We somehow have this idea that all successful people were always successful as if they somehow were given their success. This is rarely the truth. Dreams of the results often of long arduous struggles.

In the late 90's after almost giving up on the idea and focusing on my own teaching the internet made its first real appearance and this brought new hope. The main problem had been trying to connect with other inspiring guitar teachers and the internet for the first time was going to allow this. I recalled how my teacher Mark had connected me with other like minded teenagers and we were able to form bands and inspire each other. G4 GUITAR is based on that same experience. We are creating a community of guitarists but thanks to the internet our community is becoming worldwide. We know the secret to inspiration is connecting with like-minded people. In music if you play and connect with other musicians you will learn faster and become more inspired. G4 GUITAR is about doing this with teachers so students ultimately benefit.

In a sentence G4 GUITAR is all about connecting guitarists.

To learn more about the G4 GUITAR METHOD please the ONLINE INTRODUCTION to the G4 GUITAR METHOD.

If you have any questions please feel free to email myself anytime at david@g4guitar.com.au

David Hart - Program Director

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Does Music Make My Child Smarter?

Scientific research on the effects of music on children is always a common subject among educators and parents. Compared to the long history of research on language, our scientific understanding of music is relatively new. What they do know is unborn babies respond to music in the womb from around 17 to 19 weeks. Research has also shown that everything from nursery rhymes to musical toys to dance lessons to learning a musical instrument all strengthen a child's educational, physical, and emotional development. This is good news for parents because enriching the lives of their children with music can be easily accomplished.

So does Music Make My Child Smarter?

Daniel J. Levitan wrote in his book 'The World in Six Songs" about how a simple song like "Patty-Cake" teaches a child coordination. In regards to memory training think of how children learn the alphabet by following a melody almost identical to Twinkle Twinkle walk around the house singing TV jingles. Imagine if instead your child sang songs using complex physics formulas or Shakespeare. Rhythm and song are indeed strong and powerful educators.

Why action speaks louder than word.

Over the years I have seen an overwhelming amount of evidence. When learning a song, a musical instrument or a dance step children experience the unique integration of body and mind that music provides. Studies show that when you read something you only retain around 10% after one week. When you role play or act out something you retain 90%. Playing or singing music has the effect of integrating what you learn into your memory in the same way. Sensory integration is a crucial factor in a child's learning readiness for school especially in subjects such as reading, writing, and maths.

Start early and use variety.

Music improves spatial-temporal, a neurological process needed to understand mathematics. The best way to enhance your child's learning with music is to encourage listening to and learning music throughout the child's developmental years. Try to do it in a variety of ways that are enjoyable and fun, then let your child's own interest and aptitudes guide your choices of lessons and activities. There are many early development courses available for young children and most are worthwhile.

To learn more about the G4 GUITAR METHOD please the ONLINE INTRODUCTION to the G4 GUITAR METHOD.

If you have any questions please feel free to email myself anytime at david@g4guitar.com.au

David Hart - Program Director

Become a G4 GUITAR FAN on FACEBOOK.
http://bit.ly/G4FACEBOOK

Visit the G4GUITAR METHOD Website
www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

My Top 5 tips for success on Guitar

1. Fill in your practice Log. FACT: Students who fill in their practice logs almost always progress at a faster rate and are more likely to stick with guitar long term. The practice log shows your commitment to the guitar. It keeps a track of your investment therefore giving you a way to compare your results compared to time invested. This helps you to make better use of your time. It also helps your teacher to accurately assess your progress and commitment. If there is anyone strategy that produces the greatest results it would have to be the Practice Log.

2. Stick to the G4 GUITAR METHOD. Why reinvent the wheel? We have spent thousands of hours teaching, researching and testing all the best ways to learn guitar. I have personally studied some of the best teachers & the best players not just in guitar but all areas of skill development. I make it my business to study successful achievers at every opportunity. The G4 GUITAR METHOD has been carefully designed and includes everything you need to build a solid foundation to playing great guitar. By all means find your own style but stick to the program to develop your skills.

3. Be consistent. Try to practice everyday no matter what. We all have busy lives and it is easy to make excuses but excuses won’t make you a great guitar player. I know you want to be great and you can be if you get consistent with your practice. It takes around 15 weeks to establish a habitual practice routine. After that it gets easy. Trust me. I practice 2 to 3 hours every night without fail and I am VERY VERY BUSY. Just for the record I practice around 6000 minutes per month. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BEAT THAT! If you beat it let me know and I will publish you on our website.

4. Listen to your teacher. Your teacher knows what you need to be doing in order to improve. If you don’t understand what is being asked of you then don't be afraid to speak up. Every single lesson is important so make sure you walk away knowing what you need to be doing.

5. Don't be shy. Speak up. If you ever have any doubts or concerns the best solution is to ask questions. If you would rather speak to our student coordinator please email Emma at emma@g4guitar.com.au. If your are a parent it is important that the teacher is able to meet you from time to time. For more information please see our Parent Page on or website. http://www.g4guitar.com.au/parent.htm You can also communicate directly with myself by emailing david@g4guitar.com.au

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Do you have the talent for guitar?

When I was a teen learning to play drums and guitar I saw students as either naturals or un-naturals. The naturals were those who seemed to be able to learn their instrument with ease and apparent joy whereas the un-naturals were those of us who lacked this natural ability and spent much of the time asking the question "Why me?" It felt rather unfair especially when you would practice much harder yet for the naturals they seemed to just pick everything up with little or no practice.

As the years went by I realised that those with natural ability did indeed exist and that this phenomenon exists in almost every area of life but when scrutinised natural ability is not really a defining factor for long-term success. In fact most of the people who I recall at the time as naturals gave up playing music altogether. This struck me as bizarre because at the time I would have given anything to be in their shoes. I recall one friend in particular who was younger than I who was also learning with the same teacher and he was amazing. I couldn't believe that a kid of 12 years of age was able to play sophisticated jazz and rock while I at 17 years of age was still struggling with the fundamentals. I found out a year later that he had given up the guitar completely to focus on surfing.

As the years rolled by I came to see that it was one's love and passion for learning music and the guitar that ultimately made the difference. No matter where you are now and how much talent you believe you do or don't have your ultimate success will be based on your love affair with the guitar more so than anything else. I've heard thousands of stories in all endeavours from sports people to Hollywood actors to politicians to great artists and the one thing that seems to define more than 90% of them is their passion for their chosen field. In the majority of these cases there was no apparent natural talent.

The point to this blog is to encourage you to follow your passion, work hard and have fun. Learning guitar of course is not going to be fun all the time. In fact your passion should drive you to do things that you need to do regardless of whether you enjoy them or not. The best comparison I can make is physical fitness. If you are unfit going for a jog everyday will probably be painful at first but the result is you will feel better the rest of the time. Practicing guitar especially the boring elements will result in you being a confident guitarist when it comes time to perform. So if in doubt about your talent for guitar try rephrasing the question to "Do I have the passion for guitar?"

David Hart - Program Director

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Visit the G4 GUITAR METHOD Website
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Ph:0405-274456

The 80/20 rule and guitar practice.

How does the Pareto principal (better known as the 80/20 rule) apply to learning guitar? Well its basically about learning to focus your time in the right areas. Let me clarify. Playing guitar and learning guitar are two different actions all together. When you play you are performing. A performance is about playing what you can already play. Performance will certainly keep the skills you have in shape but they are unlikely to improve your guitar playing. Playing guitar is not focused on develop, just maintenance. To improve you need to practice.

Let us define practice. PRACTICE is working on a technique or song that you are unable to effectively execute. The amount of practice you do will effect how much you improve but the quality of your practice is also a deciding factor. By learning to focus your practice on the areas that will make the biggest difference to your playing you will progress faster. The 80/20 rule basically says in this case that 20% of your practice will result in 80% of your improvement. Find the 20% and your guitar playing will begin to rapidly improve.

Learning guitar is ultimately about focusing on the areas that will make the biggest difference. To learn how to focus and apply the 80/20 rule to your guitar I suggest using the G4 GUITAR METHOD which is all about applying the 80/20 rule. For more information be sure to visit www.g4guitarmethod.com.au

How does music theory help me learn guitar?

Many guitarists avoid music theory for various reasons. Maybe because its rare to see great guitarists thanking their knowledge of music theory as the reason they became successful but perhaps they should. Music theory can save you a lot of time in the long run. Operating without music theory while possible offers no real advantages. By understanding music theory you are better able to understand the workings of music itself. When I was a teen learning music my aural skills (ability to hear then play music) were poor. I started relatively late (teens are consider late starters) so music was like a foreign language to my ear. I found that by learning theory I was able to better understand what I was hearing and as a result my musical ear improved dramatically.

I really encourage any musician to learn music theory. There is a great site called FREE MUSIC THEORY WORKSHEETS which is a great place to start. I also recommend a book called BRIMHALLS 3 in 1 THEORY which can be purchased via the G4 GUITAR SHOP ONLINE. Perfect for the beginner.

Enjoy!

The Zen of guitar practice.

I recently read an article based on the book 'The Zen of Running' and I can see how many of these principles would apply to guitar. Here are just a few:

Concentration. You may have heard the term 'Deliberate practice' which refers to a style of practice that ensures you are not just going through the motions but are pushing yourself the whole time toward a specific goal. With guitar practice this requires your full concentration. Learning to just sit still for any length of time without interruption in itself takes practice. Try timing yourself to see how long you can practice a specific exercise without interruption or straying off to play some riff or song you already know.

Daily practice. We are creatures of habit. Our strongest habits are those we do daily. In fact your daily habits need no reminders. Think about the last time you had to remind yourself to take a shower, eat dinner, get dressed, go to school/work and so on. Daily practice does not necessarily make you any better at something but it helps you to maintain a regular time slot where you have the opportunity to develop your guitar playing but remember that your practice must be deliberate to really progress.

Contemplation. Allow time before and after each practice session firstly to decide what you plan to achieve and then at the end think about whether or not you followed through and did both the quality and quantity of practice you initially planned. Contemplation is about thoughtful practice. By ensuring you spend time planning and assessing you will improve the quality of your practice.

Stress. There are two kinds of stress in my opinion. Good stress is that which makes you work hard and grow. If you go for a jog and run further than you had before the extra kilometer or two may be stressful but the result is growth. The bad stress on the other hand is mostly about worry. This will usually just cloud your mind and your practice will suffer. Try relaxing before you practice. Do whatever works for you. In my case I find a 30 minute jog or swim puts me in a great state of mind and in fact research shows that our ability to learn new material peaks straight after exercise. If you are not the physical type try meditation or yoga.

Be in the moment. This is probably one of the most difficult challenges for most people. Our minds are continuously drifting into the past and future. While it is nice to dream it tends to dilute the quality of your practice. For example when learning a song you don't want to be thinking about your shopping list or you're going to have for dinner. Your full attention needs to be right here right now.

Journal. I think it's always good to keep notes on your practice and progress to keep things in perspective. When you have a bad day go back and read through your journal. If you've ever read biographies of successful people you'll see their road to success was often very bumpy. Remember if one day you become successful your journal may also inspire others.

David Hart - Program Director

Join us at G4 GUITAR FACEBOOK.
http://bit.ly/G4FACEBOOK

Visit the G4GUITAR METHOD Website
www.g4guitar.com.au
Ph:0405-274456