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The
Principles of Practice
Based on "The Principles of Correct
Practice for Guitar"
by Jamie Andreas
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| IN
THIS ISSUE |
February
3, 2002 Volume 71
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A Romantic Conclusion!
John Parsons, a power user of The Principles, has sent in his 10th
mp3 of "Spanish Romance", on which he has been doing excellent
practice for many weeks. He has chronicled every detail of his practice
approach, and it is available on the site. In addition, I have made
comments and corrections every step of the way, as I would with
someone sitting in front of me. Together, I would say that John
and I have put together an incredible resource for all practicing
guitarists out there who have the stamina and focus to study it.
It is an object lesson in what real practice is all about, and John
has gained solid results not only on this piece, but also raised
his level as a player, creating real Vertical Growth.
With this 10th mp3, I am bringing this feature to a conclusion.
I had this to say to John concerning where he is at with this piece:
Okay, here we have the music really starting to take shape, really
coming together. A lot of progress has been made with all the technical
difficulties: they have been attacked diligently and intelligently,
and they are yielding. The music is beginning to emerge, and will
continue to emerge as John continues to live with the piece. This
is what building a repertoire is all about. It is a matter of a
long-term continuing and evolving relationship with a piece of music
you have decided is meaningful for you to play. This is the professional
attitude.
John work on "Romance" has brought the piece to the point
I describe as "having your hands around the music". This
means the music can be played from beginning to end from memory,
perhaps not perfectly, but without breaking down.
At this point, the piece "needs playing". A lot of practice
time should be at Level 2 & 3 now, in order to continue to bring
the music out. A lot of technical difficulties will actually be
improved at this point even without the Level 1, microscopic type
practice. Just by playing it, the fingers will become more comfortable
in what they are doing, minute adjustments will be made by the body
as the piece "works itself in" to the body and mind. Most
importantly, the emotional aspect of the music will develop. In
fact, the best way to look at it is that the PHYSICAL, the MENTAL,
and the EMOTIONAL aspects are now able to all come together, because
of CORRECT PRACTICE. Very often, because of fatal defects in the
PHYSICAL aspect, (what we normally call "technique"),
the MENTAL and EMOTIONAL aspects of the music cannot develop.
Level 1 practice should still be done, especially on the most difficult
parts. However, if the essence of the difficulties are being worked
on in other pieces, (for instance, if you are improving your bar
w/finger-stretch in another piece), you will find "Romance"
improved on these spots later on, even if you don't practice it.
However, I would put the piece into "playing mode" now,
more than before. I would, for instance, pick the guitar up at random
times and just play the piece. I would continue to monitor the playing
for technical issues that I would address in my technical practice
sessions. But whereas the beginning stages of working on the piece
focused mostly on Level 1 practice, now there would be something
more like this distribution of practice time:
30% Level 1
30% Level 2
40% Level 3
I invite you to take a look at the rest of my comments and advice
to John on what to do concerning the piece at this point. You can
also listen to his mp3, and read his lesson log to see how he went
about his practice. And keep in mind, this is the first Classical
type piece John has tried.
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/Romance/JparsonsSpRom3.htm
How Long Before I Sound "Decent"?
Assuming an average student with no "natural talent",
with a teacher & 2hr. daily practice schedule, how long until
you can play some decent songs competently (I don't mean flawlessly).
I am referring to something like a "Jim Croce" kinda tune.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely
Jim Summers
In the ideal situation someone practicing two hours a day would
begin to be making music in about three months. This means strumming
chords all the way through a song, changing smoothly and keeping
up with the tempo. The ideal situation would be that they are being
taught according to The Principles, so that there would be no hit
or miss results, but rather, they would learn how to practice right
from the beginning, how to train the muscles to move, and the fingers
to develop strength and stretch, without at the same time building
in the very "hidden" tensions that will actually make
smooth controlled movement impossible.
In other words, I know that if I have someone sitting in front of
me, and I train them in how to practice according to The Principles,
they will without a doubt be able to play notes and chords smoothly,
they will be able to "make music". Now understand that
when you say "play a Jim Croce song", or any other song,
it all depends on HOW you play it. You certainly won't be able to
play the complex fingerpicking arrangement used on "Time In
A Bottle" within three months, although perhaps some very talented
individuals might. But anyone can reach the level of strumming chords
to a steady beat. And in time, anyone can reach the level of doing
those fingerpicking arrangements.
The bottom line is that with enough time and correct practice, anyone
can reach any level they desire. The level of technical sophistication
of just about anything you are going to hear in the folk/pop realm,
is attainable by anyone. And a good rule of thumb for all those
taking lessons is this: in any 6 month period, if you are not seeing
any progress, any real indications that you are getting better,
and becoming able to do things you couldn't do before, then something
is wrong. If you are not finding the things you can already do becoming
easier to do, then something is wrong, your technical development
is not being tended to properly.
And further, as a person who constantly sees guitar students who
come from other teachers, I can tell you that in the majority of
cases, the technical development of students is (I would go so far
as to say) COMPLETELY neglected. All you have to do is read some
of the testimonials and some of the reports that students who I
am presently working with have posted on my site to see the truth
of that unsettling comment. So it is each students responsibility
to oversee the integrity of their own development.
There are 3 types of guitar students.
First, the person who has a lot of "natural talent". They
will learn no matter how inept the teacher is. They will pick it
up just by watching and persevering. They will be making music in
a very short time. They, however, will still hit their own limits
beyond which they cannot go without competent instruction. They
will still be building in future limitations through ignorance and
incorrect practice. I know because I belong to this category. This
type is in the minority, but I must say over the years I have met
plenty of them.
Second, the person who does have a lot of natural ability, BUT,
if they are not set on the right course, that ability will remain
untapped. They are very likely to develop bad habits right from
the beginning because of wrong practice approaches, and find that
playing well continues to elude them. In the worst case, they may
not even "get off the ground" and get to the point of
really making music. In the best case, they may end up playing "well" by certain standards, but they will be plagued with doubts and insecurity
about their playing. They will never know how well they would have
played if they had been pointed in the right direction from the
beginning. These people are in the majority. I see them all the
time. Sometimes, I see them after a year, or many years of wrong
effort on their part. Depending on how long its been, it can be
an easy job to fix it, or a difficult one.
Third, the person whose natural talent is not really showing up
on the radar screen! There are certain people that I have taught
that I am convinced would NEVER have learned to play without the
kind of intense, "let me take you by the finger" kind
of instruction I have given them. These people flounder around for
years in the usual type of instructional setting, and they NEVER
get it. The physical obstacles are never overcome, because they
are never addresses at the sufficiently deep level they need to
be addressees at.
There is a prevailing myth, a prevailing belief that only those
people possessed of "natural talent" will be able to play
the guitar. It is one of the missions of GuitarPrinciples to prove
that this is not true. It is only because of the hit-or-miss approach
of most guitar instruction that this seems to be the case. If guitar
instruction were scientific (and the essence of science is the ability
to produce consistent and measurable results), and based on Principles
(things that are true for everyone), then, I would be able to answer
your question with great assurance "Jim, within three months
you will be making music. Within anywhere from 6 months to 2 years,
you will be sounding like the record".
But, depending on how the course of your development actually proceeds,
given the possibility that you might receive inadequate instruction,
the answer has to be "there is no way to know how long it might
take". But at least, if you understand what I am saying here,
you will be able to change the course of your development, and seek
better instruction, if you see nothing happening. That way, you
won't end up like some of the people that write to me and say "Jamie,
can you help me, I have been trying to play the guitar for 30 years,
and don't feel like I'm ever getting anywhere".
Guitar Class Questions
Hi Jamie,
My name is Buzz. I just ordered your book. Let me tell you a little
about myself. I never played guitar before. I just bought a guitar
and started to hit a few chords from a beginners guide and found a
lot of strain and tension on my left hand. It would start hurting
after like 5 seconds. I didn't even know how to hold the guitar until
I found your site. My neighbor has been playing for 38 years and he
gave me a lesson. He started me out on bar chords and some oldies
tunes like 'wild thing'. I found these extremely difficult and my
left arm would hurt and my right arm would go numb.
When I read your site, I stopped practicing his lessons in fear of
developing bad habits. I just started a class in my school, guitar
basics, and my teacher had us start out on the chromatic exercise
using fingerpicking style. Is that a good thing for a beginner/nonstarter?
I emailed your assistant, and she told me to go to the non-starters
page (Editors Note: this material is now part of "The Path") before I tackle the book. On your first lesson 'three blind mice',
I have a question. Do I downstrum as soon as my foot taps the ground,
or do I strum in between taps? Also, is it alright to hold an acoustic
guitar in classical position in all styles?
Should I not pay attention to my lessons I get from my teacher, and
just focus on your teachings, or should I do them simultaneously?
Sorry for making this so long, but I admire your guitar life. When
I first found your site I stood up till 2am to read your articles.
Thanks Jamie
Hi Buzz,
Welcome aboard! You know, with a name like Buzz, you really should
be a musician, so I am glad you are getting started!
Anyway, yes, getting my book is the smartest thing you can do. Your
neighbors bar chords would probably destroy any chance you have of
learning to play. The pain in your left hand, and the numb right arm
are exactly what happens when people start wrong right from the beginning.
Now, your questions:
The chromatic exercise from your class--this could also more likely
hurt you than help you. The exercises in The Principles are THE best
way to begin to develop the left hand. Doing chromatic exercises,
or any other exercise, with unknown tension in the fingers, hand,
arms and body will hurt you greatly. The thing that is wrong here
is that chromatic exercises, especially in first position, are way
too difficult for any beginner to do without UNCONTROLLABLE tension
resulting. The fingers need to be "spoon fed with baby food" in the beginning, because that's what they are: undeveloped babies.
AND, if you don't know what to do with your mind and your attention
while practicing, you are at a severe dis-advantage.
As soon as you get my book, read it through, and begin to work with
it. Then, apply the practice approaches to everything you get in class.
From reading my book, you will probably get a feel for exercises that
are inappropriately difficult for you, so don't do them. Spend most
of the time on the Foundation Exercises from my book.
Be cautious of your neighbors lessons. Stay away from bar chords for
now. Tell him to give you something extremely simple. But really,
your best bet is my Non-Starter/Beginner lessons. They are specifically
designed for YOU! I will be adding a new one to the series by next
newsletter time.
And as far as the strum in 3 blind mice goes, well I love your question.
It demonstrates what I always say about teaching: "never underestimate
the potential ignorance of the student". I love it when someone
asks a question you never would have thought someone would ask! And
I'm not saying its a dumb question. Especially for a beginner, there
is no such thing as a dumb question. It just shows that I need to
put on that page "Strum every time your foot hits the floor,
not in between the taps"! So, thanks for asking that!
And yes, the classical style of holding works for just about any style.
Standing with the Electric
A lot of questions come in concerning standing with the guitar.
I am going to put up a lot of pictures of standing and sitting with
acoustic and electric guitars. This week, I have put up a number
of shots of me with my electric, standing with different strap lengths.
Look
them over, and e-mail me about any areas of confusion or concern
that remain.
Recommended Metronome
As you know, the metronome is your number one "external"
practice aid. I get a lot of questions about which one to get, so
I have posted a page from which you can get the one I use and recommend
to students. The style of this model is most suited to the practice
approaches I use and teach. Find out more here.
A Doctor Gives New Meaning to "Practice" and "Patient's
(Patience)"
I was very happy to receive this letter the other day from someone
who has been making the kind of intense effort that is represented
by John Parsons work, and has studied this feature on my site, to
his great benefit. It is an example of how anyone can get better
if they know how to practice.
Dear Jamie,
Just a short note to inform you of my progress.
Received your book before Christmas. Read it voraciously for 1 week.
It took about 20 days for me to master 'Spanish Romance' to a level
that I WAS ABLE TO demonstrate to a hall full of students! Before
the book, I had almost zero plucking skill [fingerstyle], in addition
of a hiatus [from guitar playing] of almost 2 decades!
Yet, I only relied on Tablature(s) of Spanish Romance from the various
'versions' available from the internet. My secret for such 'rapid'
progress: - read, followed & actually understood John Parson's
progress and your tutorial/guide; listened to your CD countless
times daily. Better still, I even imitated your Left Hand movement
from your video! Before the book, I have mentioned this gross 'lack
of basics' to Geraldine.
It's just amazing what your book did for me. Not only I have learned
the various strokes [Free, Rest] but also appreciative of the need
to achieve the best TONE possible. More importantly, I have adopted
your 'pay the price ....' philosophy to the letter, in my practice
ethics. I just practiced and practiced and practiced, daily whenever
there is time available [night and day], and made tremendous effort
doing 'finger-stretching' exercises [eg while caught in a traffic,
I would consciously stretch my fingers by bracing them on the steering
wheels].
That's because I have understood the 'Understanding' and 'Tool'
required to achieve the goal. BTW, my DESIRE is at its height at
the moment. I am now embarking on the Tarrega: Prelude in Em, as
soon as I got your essay yesterday. I already liked the way you
played it. This is all for now. I got to rush off to give a lecture to
my students! Thank you, Dr. Syafiq Abdullah
MALAYSIA
This letter is a great example of the kind of obsessive focus we
need to keep reaching new levels as players. I especially like the
part about stretching the fingers while caught in traffic. I used
to do that as a kid in school. In fact, my best grades were in "Advanced
Finger Stretching". My worst grades were everything else! All
material copyright © 2003 by Jamie Andreas, GuitarPrinciples.com |
