“Practice makes perfect”, or so the old adage goes, and when it comes to playing the guitar (not an easy instrument to learn well) this is never more the case. When we are learning a new skill, the fact that we should practice as much as possible seems like common sense.
If you are getting it wrong at the beginning, then the more you practice, the more you practice the wrong way of doing things. If you are not practicing correctly, however, you can hinder your progression more than you can help it. By doing things incorrectly at the beginning, you will continue to do so.
To give an example, look at the way that you hold your hands – if your hands are in a poor or incorrect position to begin with, then the more you continue in that vein then the more reinforced and powerful that position becomes. After a while, you will find it very difficult to change. The poor hand position is a good example to use, because when it comes to playing the guitar, it is a very common problem. In some cases it can even lead to injury.
As you can imagine, the overall importance of rhythm in music is never to be underestimated, and if you get it wrong from the beginning, it can affect all other aspects of your progression. The way that you practice rhythm is also important, and is another common problem amongst students. It doesn’t really matter whether you read music or not, but the ability to count the beats within any given piece of music is integral to your learning to play properly.
In order to play with other musicians, you need to be able to keep time with the music. Obvious you would have thought, but I am constantly amazed at how few people can do this properly. It really comes to the fore when they play with other musicians in a jam session, for example.
Take a look at your practice schedule now, and the way that you practice. Ask yourself whether your hands are in the right position, and if you are able to count the beats within the music. If the answer is no, then you really need to examine the way that you practice before the ‘bad habits’ become so ingrained that they are almost impossible to change.
Also worth considering is the speed at which you play. For the slower-paced musician, make sure that you are not sacrificing rhythm for the ability to play at that speed – this is another common problem.
A good tip which many people find incredibly helpful is to use a simple device to help you keep the tempo, such as a drum machine or a metronome. If you find that you are playing too slowly, then keep practicing, and slowly build up the speed until you can keep pace with the tempo. Remember the things we spoke about earlier – don’t sacrifice your good hand position in order to make the time!
Hand position, rhythm and speed or tempo – now you have some ideas of where your priorities should be when it comes to practicing guitar. Once you have mastered these, not only will you find your standard will improve considerably, but also your guitar practice much easier.
Commitment, determination and lot of practice – all of these are necessary to play the guitar to a high standard. Be wary of those who tell you you can play like an expert in just a few days. Practice correctly, and practice often, that is how you will get the best out of your guitar.
Copyright 2009 Liam Gibson (Stage Guitarist)
