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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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

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Visit the G4GUITAR METHOD Website
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Ph:0405-274456

Classical sitting position for optimal guitar playing

Why do we recommend the classical position?

We recommend the classical position for all students for several reasons. Many students will complain at first that this position is uncomfortable but this is because the classical position is optimal for playing guitar where as the right leg is optimal for initial comfort. But this is only until they get used to it. A good comparison is golf. The perfect swing is not natural and almost anyone who is self taught gets its wrong. The classical position was developed over hundreds of years by the world's best classical guitarists in a time when looking cool was not their first priority. Playing at their best was their prime concern.

Right is not so right

The right leg position came about due to the rise of guitar through pop music. Most of the icons of pop guitar were either self taught or taught by self taught guitarists. There is no basis for the right leg style of playing and in fact it has many associated problems such as increased pressure on the wrists and a twisting of the spine along with potential neck problems.

The right size guitar

For young kids sitting in the classical position the guitar may seem too big. In this case they need to purchase a smaller guitar. 4 to 6 year olds should be using half size and 7yo to 11yo 3/4 size. If you are still having difficulty please take a photo of them in the classical position and send to me so I can see what is wrong.

I have noticed that the angle of the guitar for some students is not acute enough. In this case the students are taking the guitar from the right leg to the left but not adjusting the angle. The guitar needs to be close to 45 degrees for the ideal position.

John Petrucci is considered by many as the world's best rock guitarist. Here is a clip of John and notice how he is sitting.

You might also like the following blog:

*The 10 Minute A Day Practice Schedule.

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Immerse Yourself in Guitar

Surrounding yourself with guitar has a subtle yet powerful effect on your motivation. The best way to stay motivated about guitar is to immerse yourself in it so here are some tips;

• Stick guitar posters on your wall. Choose posters that inspire you.
  
• Make up playlists on your ipod of inspiring guitar songs.
  
• Go to your guitar lesson every week. Missing lessons will deplete your motivation.
  
• Go to a guitar shop once a month and check out the latest guitars.
  
• Watch a live guitarist or band whenever possible. Even if they are bad.
  
• Go to open mic nights and either get up and play or just watch.
  
• Worship a guitar idol. Most great guitarists were inspired by other great guitarists.
• Check out Youtube and subscribe to your favourites.
• Make friends with other guitarists, drummers, bass players, singers and anyone who will jam.
• Have a GUITAR DAY. Put a reminder on your calender each month where you devote the whole day to getting motivated about guitar playing.
• Visit the G4GUITAR Website or this Blog.
• Most of all have fun...
  

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

Got the blueberries?

Uncovered in several recent studies is the fact that eating blueberries is good for motor skill development. Fine motor skills are what you need for playing guitar so any advantage you can get is worth paying attention to. Some scientific evidence even suggests that blueberries can slow down and perhaps reverse age-related memory which is good news if you want to be playing guitar well into old age. That's my plan.

In a University of Reading in Pennsylvania and Peninsula Medical School in England study researchers supplemented the rats regular diets with blueberries. The rats showed a 83% memory improvement within 3 weeks on blueberries. In another study at Tufts University in Boston they reveal improvements in balance and coordination.

Learning guitar is largely a function of the brain. The healthier your brain the faster you will learn and the better you will ultimately play. This is because motor skill development starts with the brain. Staying fit, getting plenty of sleep and eating right produce healthy brains. This is often misunderstood when we see the fabled life of guitar legends who seem to party for days, eating poorly and living a very unhealthy life. While this may be the life of the occasional short lived rock star it is rarely what true guitar virtuosos do. Check out guitarists like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and John Petrucci who all have very strict health plans.

David Hart - Program Director

Join us at G4 GUITAR FACEBOOK.


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