guitar advice
Problem: Broken Strings
03/02/09 03:08 Filed in: Instrument Care
I was hanging out at the music store when in storms an angry mother making a beeline towards the first person with a store polo shirt to make eye contact with her. She’s got a guitar in one hand her receipt in the other and junior marching double time trying to keep up.
She shouts, “How dare you sell me a defective product knowing full well that Little Johnny’s just a beginner!” Read More...
She shouts, “How dare you sell me a defective product knowing full well that Little Johnny’s just a beginner!” Read More...
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Problem: Constant Noodling
16/03/09 02:47 Filed in: Teaching Advice
What is it about the guitar that renders the player into a semi-conscious state of executing uncoordinated single-string non-melodies characterized by nauseating tone at irritating volumes? Why do they succumb to this zombie-like state that they fall into and out of where there is no rational communication possible? I imagine that to them I sound like the teacher from the Peanuts as I try to talk them back into reality. Can they hear the unpleasant sounds that are emanating from their instruments? Or, is the delusion of rock stardom so intoxicating that they cannot pull themselves away from noodling without the help of a 12-step program? Read More...
Problem: Glorifying Illiterate Guitarists
24/03/09 02:44 Filed in: Teaching Advice
I came across two things last week. The first, I was surfing through YouTube the other day and came across a video from Dave Navarro’s Spread TV. His special guest was George Lynch and, in this video, they both admit that they are not knowledgable musicians. George states (at 2:44 of the video), and I quote, “I have absolutely no musical knowledge… I couldn’t play a major scale if you put a gun to my head…” To which Dave responds, “Right, me neither…” Now, Lynch has a Guitar Dojo that provides instruction and guidance to aspiring guitarists as well as producing his own instructional videos. Read More...
Problem: The Plateau
09/04/09 02:35 Filed in: Teaching Advice
I’m currently teaching a student who, by all accounts, is considered one of the best in the school. I knew this 18 months ago when I started teaching him and found out about his reputation. At the time he was about 15 and very into the music that most 15 year olds are into. He has good ears and a good sense of rhythm with a non-working knowledge of music theory (he knows some theory but doesn’t understand when he’s doing something or why it works). Read More...
Playing Is Not Practicing
04/05/09 03:11 Filed in: Teaching Advice
I find it interesting that many students don’t understand the difference between practicing and playing; however, I’m astonished when the parents don’t seem to know the difference either. The mother says, “Well, it’s not for lack of picking up the instrument…” While the father says, “He’s got that thing in his hands all of the time…” These are all good things to hear but not quite to the point that I’m trying to make. Which is simply: Practicing is not playing what you already know but, rather, working on the things that you don’t know and, maybe, are not very good at… yet. Read More...
When A Favorite Student Moves On
03/06/09 02:41 Filed in: Teaching
As the summer begins many students go to camp, vacation, etc. or simply take a break from lessons. This is a common occurrence; however, this week one of my students said goodbye not “for now,” but rather “for good.” At first, I was caught by surprise and my initial reaction was sadness. I’m not naive enough to think that students will stay in lessons forever but this is one of those unique situations. Sometimes kids move on and another shows up to fill the void; but, in this case, I’m going to miss this person.
Read More...The Six Ts to Becoming a Good Guitar Player
03/07/09 00:39 Filed in: Playing Better
Many students use the term “good” to describe a guitar player. Some will even ask what does it take to become “good.” Others want to make sure that they are on the road to being considered “good” by their peers. So for this article I wanted to address: what makes a guitar player good? Read More...
Becoming a Better Player
29/08/09 03:28 Filed in: Playing Better
The common thread that I see and hear amongst my “more proficient” students is that they can play fast and intricate passages with a little bit of practice. And, as they get better, their stage presence becomes more commanding and they start showing signs of, not only improvement but—dare I say it?—the potential for prominence. However, the other common thread is that they spend most of their time on developing what they’re already good at and dismissing what they really should be working on. Read More...