| 1 - Practicing Too Fast | | | | All of this immediately points the student in the |
| Virtually all guitar students practice everything at a | | | | wrong direction, away from developing true guitar |
| speed that makes it impossible for their muscles to | | | | ability. Because of the extra burden placed on the |
| work in a relaxed fashion. Unknown to students, their | | | | fingers, hands, arms, and shoulders, the majority of |
| muscles are in a state of chronic tension during the | | | | people who try to learn guitar fail. |
| whole time they are practicing. | | | | The first place a student should learn to play in order |
| This tension stays in the muscles due to the power | | | | to develop perfect and relaxed control of the fingers |
| of "muscle memory". Because of this, the student will | | | | is higher up on the neck, where a beginner can learn |
| be placing a severe limit on their guitar abilities. | | | | to move the fingers in a relaxed way and without |
| Everything will feel difficult because the hands, arms, | | | | strain. Gradually, the student can move down the |
| and body have a level of tension during movements | | | | neck fret by fret, learning to be relaxed at each fret. |
| that simply does not allow for smooth action. | | | | 5 - Fighting the Energy of the String Instead of Using |
| The real secret is a super slow type of practicing | | | | It |
| that I call "No Tempo Practice". It has the power to | | | | Once all these bad things have happened (and they |
| unlock the professional level ability in any player. | | | | happen to some degree in virtually all students) the |
| 2 - Not Paying Attention to the Body During Practice | | | | student will actually be learning to "fight the guitar", |
| We play the guitar with the body. That is the central | | | | not "play the guitar." |
| fact that cannot be ignored. Students who have | | | | With every note that is played, the body will tense |
| "natural talent" tend to pay more attention to what | | | | more and more, and that tension will be locked into |
| their body feels like when they practice and play. The | | | | the muscles, and be considered "normal" by the |
| majority of students are busy thinking and worrying | | | | student. Some students with a lot of stamina will |
| during practice, and have no idea what the muscles | | | | learn to play up to a point, but they will not play |
| they are trying to use really feel like. So, they allow | | | | anywhere near as well as they could if all these bad |
| crippling tension to be present during all the | | | | things were prevented from happening. |
| movements. Advanced players never allow this, and | | | | Great players, who have learned to relax while |
| they are always on the lookout for body tension. | | | | playing, are actually using the energy of the strings |
| We must pay absolute attention to the whole body | | | | as they play in the same way that a great diver uses |
| during practice, especially the shoulders, arms and | | | | the energy of the diving board to gain spring and |
| hands. Shoulder tension is the biggest cause of finger | | | | power, or as basketball players use the energy of |
| problems. However, playing the guitar does require | | | | the basketball to control how they dribble the ball. |
| effort. One of the keys to making progress is | | | | In all these cases (the guitar, diving, and basketball) |
| learning the difference between necessary effort and | | | | force is being applied to a flexible medium. An expert |
| unnecessary effort. | | | | in all these fields knows how to make their body |
| 3 - Lack of Knowledge of How the Body Learns | | | | "one" with the object they are applying force to. |
| There is an entire science of how the body learns | | | | Then, they combine their own energy with the |
| new movements. It is called "motor control learning", | | | | object in order to achieve their goal. |
| or just "body learning." It is important to | | | | The unskilled player of any sport or any instrument is |
| understand that there are definite laws of how the | | | | not becoming one with the object they are using; |
| body learns new movements. When we follow these | | | | instead, they are fighting it. An unskilled guitar player |
| laws during practice, we will be successful; it is as | | | | is actually fighting the strings instead of using the |
| simple as that! | | | | string's energy. |
| The reason people struggle with guitar is because | | | | This is why great players make it look easy, because |
| they have never been taught these laws, or | | | | it IS easy when you are using the energy of the |
| principles of body learning. Anyone can learn them, | | | | string itself to help make the necessary movements. |
| use them, and be successful with guitar. | | | | Other players look like they are having a hard time |
| 4 - Beginning at the "First" Fret | | | | because they ARE having a hard time. They must |
| All guitar methods begin by teaching students to play | | | | learn why and how they have made it so hard. When |
| at the "first" fret. This is wrong because the first fret | | | | they do, they can begin to undo all their playing |
| is the hardest place to play. It causes great tension | | | | problems and start to enjoy the wonderful feeling of |
| (even strain) in the arms and hands of a beginner. | | | | playing the guitar easily. Anyone can do this. Anyone |
| Also, the frets are furthest apart at the first fret, | | | | can become as good as they wish to be on the |
| forcing the untrained fingers to strain in order to | | | | guitar! |
| stretch into difficult chords and notes. | | | | |