Master It Faster!
We all want great chops without trying – but are there really any shortcuts? We talk to four expert tutors and one neuroscientist to find out…
Everyone agrees that the guitar is not an instrument that gives instant returns. You might be able to get a tune out of a keyboard after just a few lessons, but playing a blistering solo on a guitar takes years of practice. It’s a case of blood, sweat and tears as we search for enlightenment in our quest to achieve that easy fluency that we witness in all the top players. But even the Olympians had to start at base camp in their struggle for the summit – it’s just that some seem to be gifted with golden wings while the rest of us endure boots of lead. So, how do those knights of knowledge – the guitar teachers – pass on their skills to their students? What are the common pitfalls where we all flounder? Is there such a thing as a shortcut? A silver bullet that guarantees success? We sought answers from four of the best teachers in the business…
What do you think are the common pitfalls with students learning guitar today? PH: “One of the most common I encounter is where pupils feel that they are not good enough. A lot of this seems to come from them seeing other players on the internet who appear to be perfect and they can often feel pressured and inadequate as a result.” DI: “The biggest, for me, is those students who feel they can come to a lesson and somehow have me install some music into them. I always say, ‘I don’t teach, I merely aid the learning process.’” JW: “There’s a temptation for any student to skim across the surface of what’s available, rushing to get through as much as possible rather than seeing how everything is related to everything else and managing their progress in a logical, progressive way.” GL: “Students need to understand that practice is required – there are no shortcuts. I wish there were.”
What do you do to encourage good practice disciplines? DI: “I never tell anyone to practise – I expect them to want to do it. For my school students, it’s a little different because I have to write reports for them, so I have to crack the whip sometimes. But for my private students, they’ve chosen to spend time and money with me so I assume they’re going to put the time in.” GL: “I found the most effective method is to make the material fun. That way it doesn’t feel like practice. Give a student something they are enthused about and can see a reason for, and they will practise it 99 times out of 100.”
How do you address ear training? PH: “Ear training is something that is essential and is ongoing for all of my pupils – whether they know it or not! I often get them to try to transcribe the music they are interested in, which is a good thing to do, because, ultimately, it will make them independent in this area.” JW: “Initially begin with some simple interval exercises, both away from and on the guitar. Pentatonic scales and the major triad are a good place to begin. Consider using the easier intervals to get to the more complex ones, so you might use the perfect 5th as a stepping stone to get to its raised and lowered variation.”
Occasionally, a student’s morale will drop owing to them feeling that they aren’t progressing fast enough. How do you counter this? JW: “I generally give a pep talk right at the beginning of any course. It’s almost inevitable that as your awareness of the possibilities increases, then your mental map of where you sit in relation to this will definitely change, so the more you know the more you realise how much you don’t know and you’ll feel like you’re going backwards. The first step is to acknowledge that this is normal, and if Allan Holdsworth and Scott Henderson are unsure about their playing, then why should we be any different?” DI: “I remind them that music is not a race. Faster is not better. I also feel that, if they are not progressing fast enough then I’m probably giving them too much to do, so I’ll ease off and try to give them a feeling that the pace they’re going at is fine.” How would you go about preparing a student for their first experience of playing live? DI: “Well, I tell them that if they play a wrong note, the majority of the audience won’t notice!” PH: “If I am dealing with the question of pre-gig nerves, if someone is fairly thickskinned all I often need to do is state a few home truths and any nerves will go away. These truths can vary from, ‘Look, you are only playing music, you are not saving anyone’s life – it doesn’t matter if you make mistakes’ to, ‘Don’t worry, in 70 years’ time everyone watching you will be dead, so trust me, it really doesn’t matter. Just do your best.’ One of my favourite ways is just to get a nervous student to imagine they are somewhere else rather than actually at the gig, somewhere where they are the most comfortable, like at home. I know this sounds daft but it does often work!” How important a part of the general package is teaching a student about gear? DI: “Recently, a new student arrived at his lesson with a cheap S-type guitar that I spent the whole lesson trying to get to play in tune. I had to say to him that this guitar was going to hold him back. On the other hand, I don’t subscribe to the notion that if a beginner buys a beautiful mid-60s Tele that some magic mojo is going to rub off on them, either.” PH: “In the course of my lessons we often talk about equipment – how to set it up, how to maintain it, how to make it sound good and even things like how to properly coil a guitar lead up. I am constantly amazed by the number of pupils who turn up for their first lessons with badly set-up guitars that are nearly unplayable with terrible intonation, etc. I routinely have to sort that out for them. I also let them watch, so they can learn and do it for themselves in future.” How much of an emphasis would you normally place on students seeking out other players to play with as part of their general development? GL: “Ensemble playing, be it with a group of guitarists or a band, is another plateau for musicians – learning how to interact with other instruments. I love jamming and improvising, and that really only comes from having done it for decades and gaining the experience.” JW: “I often stick around during the week after teaching to get a bit of practice in before heading home and, walking past the rehearsal spaces, I see the same faces in the booths jamming until late in the evening. No surprises that these are usually the same players first in the queue for auditions, getting a head start in forming bands and making the first steps towards a career as a musician.”