• Using The Basic Practice Approach On Familiar Material
• Dead Notes On Bar Chords
• Spanish Romance

Using The Basic Practice Approach On Familiar Material

Hi Jamie!

I have just received your book and am starting to put your principles to practice. I must tell you the book is totally awesome! But, I do have a short question about practicing....

After applying your practice technique to a section of music (5 measures) and getting it up to the proper speed (quarter note = 116), I am unsure what I should do when I practice that section of the song the following day.

Do I start again back at no tempo practice for that section of music, or do I start at the ending speed (quarter note = 116) and try to play it even faster?

The reason I ask is because for a long score (6 pages or more) it may take me hours to practice it if I must apply the Basic Practice Approach to previously learned sections of the song beginning at Step 1 (no tempo practice).

Dan

Hi Dan,

Good question, and time and common sense would probably lead you to the answer, but let me try to give you the right way to look at this. The Basic Practice Approach is to be applied in all its detail any time you are dealing with music that is ABOVE your present level of ability, and continues to defy your efforts to improve it. That means essentially it is THE way to create Vertical Growth. Now, when it comes to pure technique and the exercises used to develop it, there is no "speed limit". If you are happy playing scales at 120 bpm (16th's), then fine. Once you reach that, you only need to maintain that level of ability. If you desire to reach 160 bpm, then you must do a different kind of practice. You must apply the Basic Practice Approach, as well as every other approach I have written about. Knowing which approaches to use for which problem is a skill that is always developing for each of us.

Your question has to do with using the Basic Practice Approach when creating Horizontal Growth, that is, when learning something already within your present level of playing ability, it just happens to be new, so the actual notes and associated movements must be "programmed in" to the neuro-muscular system. You are giving a scenario where this new music is able to brought up to tempo in one day. Fine, but now you must realize that in order to SOLIDIFY that music, to INTERNALIZE it, you must re-inforce it into the reflexes through enough correct repetitions of the music. Don't assume because you played it well in your room last night that you are ready, for instance, to perform it. You will most likely find that once you hit the stage and start to play it, you will wonder if you have ever played it before in your life! It takes a good amount of correct repetitions to have the music "stick", which basically means to internalize it to the point where it can be played from muscle memory alone.

If there are NO technical problems with the music, all the notes are there and you are not feeling discomfort, then the process of internalizing the music, or the process of maintaining the music can be done this way: always begin with "modified No Tempo Practice". Play through the music slowly, and stop and linger on the passages that, while they may be within your ability, are of a more complex nature, and will benefit by being "visited" in a relaxed way.

Then, set your metronome on something slow and comfortable, and play through the music in rhythm, creating a "prototype" of how it will be when played up tempo, so, all the details of tone and other dynamics are there, just at a slower speed. Then, just play it (level three practice in The Principles). Relate to the music emotionally, and get it to the point of being played from memory. Repeat this process every day. Then test it out by recording it, and playing it for friends (or even better, enemies!).

No, I don't recommend playing 6 pages of music with the Basic Practice Approach. That isn't necessary. Use it, where needed, for smaller sections, anywhere from 2 notes to around 16 bars. Then treat the next passage the same way. If you work both passages up to tempo, then go and combine them at about half that speed, bringing both passages, combined, up to tempo. Continue this process to cover the whole piece.

Dead Notes On Bar Chords

Hello Jamie,

Some songs i play today require use of barred chords like a Bb or G#. However I soon found out that in all the years of playing the guitar, that whenever I play these chords, some notes don't sound well.... like a dead note especially on Fm, B7, and the like. How do I strengthen my index finger so that I can avoid these dead notes?

Thanks, Jay

Hi Jay,

First, I am glad you are listening better, so you have identified notes that are "missing in action"! Second, understand that strength in the index finger is only a part of doing bars well, and not the most important part. It's amazing how players put all the importance on this. I was in a lesson the other day with someone who is twice my size, and probably as strong as the incredible Hulk! His hands are twice my size, and he actually asked me if I thought perhaps I had extra skin on my finger, and that was why I could get all the notes out in a bar and he couldn't!

Here are the important factors:

1. The ability to lay the 1st finger across the strings and NOT have the 2nd finger squeeze up against it.

2. The ability to have the upper arm muscles stay relaxed, and add the weight of the arm, having it come through the bar finger to supply a lot of the pressure needed to get the string down. Most people lock up the upper arm immediately upon placing the bar down.

3. The bar finger must be positioned right up close to the fret, often it is not, it is too far away, even a quarter of an inch greatly increases the amount of pressure needed to get the string firmly to the fret. Actually, when done correctly, it looks like the finger is on top of the fret, when viewed in a mirror. Also, a slight lean of the finger toward the head stock of the guitar is a good idea.

Here is an exercise. Go to the 5th fret, and touch your light and relaxed 2nd finger to the 6th fret, 3rd string. Focus on your breathing and keep it flowing. While you are touching the string with the 2nd finger, lay the 1st finger across the strings with no pressure. Make sure your 2nd keeps separated from the 1st, and very slowly apply pressure with the bar across the strings, but only push them down half way. Imagine the strings are a bunch of individual rubber bands, and focus on the actual feeling of them under your finger. Keep breathing, and push the bar down a little further, using a combination of a slight squeeze between finger and thumb behind the neck, and the arm weight mentioned before. . Stop and check your shoulder and relax it. Now, slowly push the string down all the way, as you breath and as you keep your attention on your shoulder, which will tense as you do this.

Stop, relax in this position, then rest. Repeat this a few times. As far as strength goes, there is a small muscle in the hand itself called the Lumbrical which actually performs the action required for a bar. All the usual huffing puffing and straining is not going to strengthen this muscle.

Also, make sure you read the essay "Easy Bar Chords" on my site.

All material copyright © 2003 by Jamie Andreas, GuitarPrinciples.com