Subject: The Solution to Guitar Problems
You are getting this e-mail because you subscribed to it on www.learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com. If you don't want to receive these e-mails any longer, go to the bottom of this message and click on "unsubscribe." Hey there Friend, In the last email, we talked about some common frustrations that guitar players run into from time-to-time. Today I'd like to talk about the one thing you can do to correct most of the problems you could encounter. I know that sounds like a pretty bold claim, but this really is a key element to improving your playing and fixing problems regardless of your guitar playing level.I mentioned that I have identified a problem in my playing. Let me get into a little more detail about that so you have a better idea of how you can apply the solution to your particular frustration. My issue has to do with my right hand - picking to be specific. I don't seem to be challenged with strumming or learning patterns. My timing from a rhythm standpoint is pretty good (don't get me wrong - we can always improve). Where I run into problems is related to playing riffs and solos. Well, actually, that's not even entirely true. It's mainly when I am practicing scales. But it sure would affect playing repeated riffs and (arpeggios) in songs. My right hand (picking) only keeps up with my left hand (fretting) to a certain speed. After that, things get real sloppy. I am not able to get the picking motion of my right hand to move quickly enough to hit the next note as fast as my fretting hand can move between notes. I haven't actually timed myself with a metronome to know exactly what speed things fall apart, but there's the first clue to improving. If I consistently used a metronome, I'd know exactly at what speed my picking falls apart. I get a hand slap for that. No gold star for Davey! While it's fairly obvious for someone who's been playing guitar for a long time, you might have trouble figuring out your challenge if you're relatively new to the instrument. That in itself can be frustrating - you know there's a problem - you can hear it. You just don't know how to articulate that problem. This is when it's really nice to have someone who can look over your shoulder and tell you what they see and hear. But again, if you don't have someone who can help you, you'll have to look at each element of your playing and analyze individual motions and techniques. Anyway, back to the problem, or rather how to fix it! Step one, get a metronome, and more importantly, use it! You need to have away to measure your current capability - how fast you can accurately play notes or chords. A metronome allows you to set a tempo and document your progress as you increase the tempo. This ties in extremely closely with the next step. Step two is to... SLOW DOWN. Wait, did he just say "slow down"? What is that? I want to get faster, not go slower! Hey, I hear you. And if I hadn't seen this in action, I would have been right there with you. But the truth of the matter is, if you're messing up at higher speeds (even if those speeds feel like a snail's pace to you), it means that you've fallen into a trap that can't be fixed unless you back off and wrestle with some bad habits and muscle memory. I'd be willing to bet if you almost ask any pro guitarist or teacher, they would agree with what I've said here. It seems a little counter-intuitive to slow down instead of practicing at higher speeds. You might feel like you're going backwards, but it's not the case. Like I said, you've got to break yourself of some bad habits. Think of your hands like wild horses - before you can tame them, you've got to 'break' them. OK, don't break your hands, you want to control them… It's all about muscle memory. When you play a certain way for a period of time, your fingers and hands get used to the placement and movement. Initially, it may not be apparent that there could be a better or more efficient way to play something, but as you work on more difficult material, problems could begin to show. The way you do this is to slow down and force yourself to play at very slow beats per minute (BPMs). It will be agony for a while, because when you are practicing things as low as 30 to 40 BPMs, it takes discipline to keep yourself from forcing the next note. Make sure you are playing each note perfectly and in time with the beat. Over the course of a week or two gradually increase the tempo on the metronome and practice whatever it is you're learning. Within a short time, you will have mastered the problem area. The nice thing about this method of improvement is it's cumulative, meaning, improve in one area and the next problem will be a bit easier to solve. Using a metronome is great for practicing various aspects of playing like strum timing, riffs and soloing techniques, but when you're trying to learn how to play a song, the metronome alone won't allow you slow the song down enough to actually learn what it is they are playing. Fortunately, there are tools to help you do this effectively. Here are a number of resources that will allow you to take a recording of a song and slow it down to a manageable speed so you can hear all the notes being played and figure them out. Then you can gradually speed them up until they are at regular tempo.
These are just a sampling of tools you can use to help your playing. There are many vendors, each offering something a little different. But at the end of the day, it's not about the tools. It's about taking the time to teach (or retrain) the finger and hand muscles the proper placement and technique. You can't get there by playing things fast - you have to slow down. Play it, play it again, then play it until it's perfect at speed. Then speed it up gradually until you got it mastered. Do this, and you will be blown away by your progress and ability. Now I need to go take my own advice! Peace~ Dave Dave "Eddie" Vance is a rock guitar enthusiast and gear nut. He has been playing guitar for over 30 years and enjoys tormenting the neighbors every chance he gets. When he's not slaving for the man, you can find him rocking out with his B.C. Rich Bich guitar, a cold beer and some sweet tunes. He also runs Learn-To-Play-Rock-Guitar.com, but you knew that already! Follow Learn To Play Rock Guitar:I welcome your feedback! Did you like today's message? What other topics would you like to see covered in my e-mails? Please let me know at: dave@learn-to-play-rock-guitar.com As always, please feel free to forward this email to a friend! I review products before recommending them. If you buy a product based on my recommendation, I will receive a commission. However, my emails also contain links that don’t require any investment on your part and are jam-packed with "juicy, guitar learnin' tastiness". We don't rent or share your name with anybody. Feel free to forward this issue to any friends you think would enjoy its contents. They will thank you. So will I.
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