Use a Metronome.

I have spent at least a few thousands of hours playing and practicing with a metronome in my life as a guitar player. The benefits are nothing short of staggering and I would recommend it to any and all that play guitar and want to improve.

Music can be simply defined as 'notes in time' and that definition should compel me as a musician to take the 'time' part of the equation seriously. I remember a very famous respected studio musician saying that "notes are secondary", and that, from a modern perspective gives 'time' a little more weight and importance than 'notes'.

Using a metronome can be challenging at the start. To have a tempo or beat clicking in your ears as you play will take some time to get used to. Start off with simply hitting one note per metronome beat as you ascend through a simple pentatonic scale and then you can graduate to two, three or four notes per metronome beast in the future.

I use the metronome to practice scales, chord rhythm, song parts, and to develop speed and good phrasing in melodies and guitar runs. I usually practice with slower speed settings so my playing remains flawless but some guitarist really push the tempo to play as fast as they can for the purposes of their style of music.

If you buying a metronome, find one that has a pleasing sound that you will be able to listen to for hour without irritation or ear fatigue. I like small metronomes that can travel with me easily and that have the tone of a woodblock.

If you get to the place where you're playing music professionally, there is no way to avoid playing to some kind of metronome, so follow Vinnie's advice below.

Make the metronome your friend, not your enemy.

Vinnie Colaiuta (drummer - Sting)

What I need to play a gig?

If I run through my checklist of things I need to play a live show (gig), I immediately think of guitars,  picks, strings, cables, pedals, amps and maybe some appropriate stage clothes and maybe a book to read if there are technical problems that cause long delays.

The gear stuff always seems to take care of itself but today I want to talk about another side of the things needed to play a gig.... and that is: PREPARATION.

Preparing for a gig or a show for me is never just preparing my equipment or simply packing up the tools for the job at hand. The preparation I am talking about involves three main focal points that help me more than anything else to do a good job.

KNOW YOUR GUITAR

I am in constant need of resharpening, refreshing and reshaping my guitar playing 

to keep my playing from being stale, predictable, and sloppy. I was labelled a gifted

child at the age of 4 but I can't, and have not been able to rest on that assumption or

label to sweep me through the challenges, however small, of live and studio performances

that I have learned to not take lightly or for granted. I have to know my instrument and

know how to animate it to be an effective guitarist 

KNOW THE MUSIC

Knowing the music for a gig is essential to playing with some confidence and making
 a good impression on the artist or producer that hires you. Knowledge of things like
different chord voicings, memorizing main melodies, song-arrangements, tempos, and quick transitions from song to song can make rehearsals and sessions go smoother, leaving room to
be more creative and establishing a rapport with the other musicians and singers you're
working with on the gig..

KNOW YOUR ROLE

Sometimes your role as a guitarist can change with different producers,
arrangers and artists. It's important to get a sense of what the people you're working for
are wanting as far as the approach needed to fulfill the your duties and meet the expectations
of that musical situation or event. Try to find out some information. Mt role can change from
rockstar to quiet sideman or from main lead player to 'bread and butter' rhythm player depending on the expectations of the artist.

Preparation can involve more than you think and presenting yourself as being prepared will put you at the top of the list for being called back and gaining the respect of other players.

The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Learning the Fretboard

Learning the fretboard is often a challenge untaken by guitarist in a mostly TAB driven world; and with the guitar being an instrument that tends to thinks of chords and scales as numbers, shapes and patterns rather than notes of melody and harmony it's no surprise that the fretboard remains a mystery to many modern players.

Here's list of good reasons to start memorizing the guitar fretboard.

- It connects you (in language) to other musician such as piano players, string and horn players,   educated bassist and drummers, composers and producers.

- It gives you another musical perspective in thinking about and creating with chords and scales.

- It means you won't be the only illiterate musician in the room. (a joke!  - I think))

- it will help you find those cool target tones other guitarist find in their solos and riffs.

- it helps breaks the barrier between hearing and seeing and of the abstract and reality: bridging the gap between the exterior package and the interior soul of music.

- it's a tool that will expand your overall knowledge on the guitar.

- it's recommended by top guitarist all around the world to get the most out of guitar playing.

If all you want out of the guitar is strumming a few of your favourite songs and enjoyment of the guitar at the ground floor level, you can exempt yourself from this sort of project, but if you want the most out of your guitar playing adventure, learning the fretboard should be on your list of things to work on over the next little while.

My advice is to start with one string and memorize the notes forwards and backwards (up and down) the neck of the guitar. Once you have achieved that, begin to master the rest of the guitar and try to connect the tab your playing with the name of the notes and the dissect the chords your playing into group of notes that make up the harmony of the songs your playing.

HAPPY PLAYING!

One Man Jamming - The Art of Improvisation

For many of my students working on improvisation, I suggest that they learn to jam by themselves some of the time. The reason why I suggest this is that many guitar players are immediately disconnected to the chords of a song once they go to single note runs or solos. If you have to supply both the chords and the solo, your going to connect the two much better and think more in a conversational way: chord - notes -chord - notes - or statement - response etc... type of thing.

So, in a typical blues progression I can hit the first chord and respond with a run that takes me to the next chord then another run that takes me back to the first chord, and with each change I am challenged with fitting not only the timing of things but leading the notes in the direction of the next chord in the progression. This type of exersice not only helps me get a good balance between chords and notes, it brings out chords in my runs and the runs in my chords: it integrates all the elements of playing together, like what naturally happens on an instrument like piano.

Taking this skill into a band situation can bring out a very lyrical approach to lead playing. I can weave through the chords seamlessly, blow off a classic rock run, add a blues cliche, and finish off with a rapid scale passage for the climax. I become multi-dimensional and more connected with the musical surroundings or settings because of the awareness of the musical backdrop of a song.

The two main features ( music as conversation and music in unity ) of this approach are present in every great soloist I've ever heard. You can clearly trace or analyze the unity of chords and notes in players like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Slash and John Mayer as well as hear the obvious conversation going on between support musicians and soloist throughout the music of guitarist such as Jeff Beck, David Gilmore, Jimmy Page, Eric Johnson, and Angus Young.

Practicing jamming by yourself can be difficult at the start and needs some acquired skills of being comfortable with some air (space) between chords and notes: but it can help you achieve some great results in the improvement of your solo playing.

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

Victor Hugo

Music : "Something to do" or "Something you do?"

Is music 'something to do' or 'something you do?' 

Pause for a moment and think about it before you read on...

To grapple with this question is both important and thought provoking; and to approach an answer will shed some light on the state of modern society and the health your own artistic pursuits. I used the word 'grapple' because it suggest a struggling or wrestling with the idea instead of a passive pondering approach, and because it rhymes with 'apple.'

An apple is a thing known for it's colour, flavour, texture, and health benefits. It's red, sweet, juicy and good for you: it's what an apple is. So when I think about the question above, my mind tends to leans toward the basic characteristics of 'who I am' (central or focal) instead of 'what I do'  (peripheral or subsidiary). 

Let's move on...

When music is 'something you do', it becomes a part of your identity and tends to grow in concert with the rest of your character, soul and natural creativity. When music is 'something to do', it's like fashionable clothing: in style one day, out the next, and something very much superficial.

What does this mean?...

If you want to play music and enjoy fulfillment in the journey like the great players you hear on your favourite albums you have to let the music become a part of 'who you are' and letting it sink deep into your soul. It's about developing taste and a hunger for the practicing, studying and playing of your guitar by making it part of your everyday experience of living, and knowing that by doing so, it will build a more whole and healthy person.

"Music is a moral law. it gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything" Quote: Plato

5 Tips for Beginner Guitar Players

One: "Do or Do Not; there is no TRY" (Quote - Yoda)

For Jedi warriors and guitar players alike this is an essential idea throughout your entire life as you fight the forces of the dark side or just the forces of your own lack of confidence. You will learn most of what you need to be a player just in the simple act of doing.

Two: "To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first" (Quote - William Shakespeare)

Patience with persistence is the right combination for this essential idea, and whether it's 'To be, or not to be" will depend on just taking things as they come. Each individual connects the dots at different times, and rushing and cutting corners will not get you to your destination any quicker.

Three: "The main thing to do is relax and let your talent do the work" (Quote - Charles Barkley)

Tension is always an obstacle to efficient motion and mental acuity, so relax and enjoy the process of becoming a guitarist and appreciate the gift of being able to play and make music.

Four: "Never lose a holy curiosity" (Quote - Albert Einstein)

Be curious in discovering things about music, sounds, different approaches to technique and the things that make great guitarist great. Be a curious student of the whole of music.

Five: "It's not having what you want but wanting what you have" (Quote - Sheryl Crow)

Enjoy the simplicity of making music. Just you and your guitar will create timeless moments that will be like 'vitamins' for the soul. Don't look outside the resources at hand for some sort of special inspiration or magical prescription for success. 

The "ART" of Practice ( part 2 )

In the Art of Practice (Part 1) I mentioned that there was no art to the 'getting to' or the 'doing' of practice. It's just the plain fact that the only sure-fire way of consistent practice for most people is scheduled practice: just like sports or theatre.

I think I can give some advice on the Art of Practice once a regular and consistent practice of the guitar is taking place.

Slow down

We can take our cue on this part of the art of practice from the legendary Canadian pianist Glen Gould. He would often practice new songs at half-speed so he would never make a mistake or error in his playing of a song. He thought (and I think he's right) that mistake our 'videotaped' in our minds only to resurface or replay later in time. So, slow down and practice perfectly and don't get in the habit of practising a mistake. It will only return and replay during performance.

Relax

Learn to work and practice with a healthy amount of patience a let the the success in what you do be just a by-product of doing the work with enough repetition to perfect it. Just like the famous quote, "eat the elephant one bite at a time".

Stradegize

Have a plan on what you want to accomplish during practice. An example of this would be: I want to get a certain number of bars of music down; I want memorize a certain lick or passage of music; I want to understand the harmony behind the chords; or I want to get to know the scales or patterns needed to improvise in this son. So you will practice until that element or part of the work is done.

Conquer (gaining confidence)

Personally, I build my confidence in my abilities by conquering the task at hand. The secret is really simple; "in competing the task I learn to do the task." We just get caught up in too many of the particulars that we're setting ourselves up for defeat.

Play

A big part of practising is having enough play time to keep the joy and remind ourselves of the reason we started playing guitar in the first place. Have unscheduled, spontaneous, and unstructured times of making noise or jamming on your guitar where you just let go and let the fingers fly. I sometimes turn all the lights off in my studio and just jam to mp3 without a care in the world.

The Art of PRACTICE ( part 1 )

One of the question that gets asked most in music lessons is, "how do I get my son or daughter to practice more?" After 25 years of teaching guitar I am convinced that there is no ready or set answer to the question. In one sense, there is no art or skill to getting into the doing of practising of guitar, rather, there is an art to practising once things are in motion.

The one universal principle in practice that can work for everyone is to have "scheduled practice" times, just like you would have in sports, dance or drama. Start off with 3 - 4 scheduled guitar practices per week and it will get easier and more enjoyable once it's routine and you see the benefits of your consistent work.

To add to the practice tip above, here's a quote I like from the legendary and successful football coach Vince Lombardi.

"Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect"

...with patience

...and persistence