The Most Common Mistakes that Guitar Students Make

The Most Common Mistakes that Guitar Students Make

Over the years, I have found that there are some common mistakes that all guitar students make at some point or another.  But these problems are easily fixed, once you can name what they are, and point them out with a sense of encouragement!  And truth be told, this applies to all music students, regardless of what instrument they might be learning:

1) Failing to tune up before you play:  Tuning your guitar is incredibly important, especially for beginning students.  Not only do you want the songs you are learning to sound good--but as you learn, your brain is memorizing both where your fingers should be placed, as well as the notes you are playing.  Trying to memorize these notes and sounds becomes much more difficult with an out-of-tune instrument.

2) Failing to pay attention to tempo and timing:  Although most students do not enjoy playing along with a metronome, it is an extremely valuable tool to help build a sense of timing and rhythm.  You can also use rhythm tracks, or a rhythm machine included with software like Garage Band. Or, simply tap your foot in a quarter note rhythm to help guide you through a musical piece.  This sense of rhythm and timing is especially important if you ever plan to perform with other musicians!

3) Failing to have patience:  Most students want to learn to play notes and chords as quickly as possible, forgetting that playing an instrument takes time, patience, and practice!  You have to put the time in to get the results that you want.  Or as one of my younger students says, "Practice makes perfect,and practice makes permanent."  You will get where you want to be musically, but it does take time!

4) Failing to play for others:  Many students are "shy" about playing in front of other people, especially if they're just starting out with lessons--but your friends, family, and other students are a great audience to have as you grow and learn your instrument.  They're there to give you support and encouragement on your musical journey, so let them be there for you!

5) Falling prey to discouragement:  Most often, we are our own harshest critics.  When you get discouraged, remember what I said earlier--that in time, you will get where you want to be musically, if you are willing to put the time, energy, and discipline into learning and practicing.  Every well-known and talented performer that you like to listen to started out exactly as you did--and probably made the same mistakes as you!

Click on the video link below to hear me talk a little more about these issues.  Happy Pickin'!

Common Mistakes That Guitar Students Make

Simple Strums for Beginners

As a beginner guitar student, the most important things you are working on are probably learning your basic notes and how to read them, learning to finger common chords, and learning how to STRUM  those chords in time.

Below are some images of common strum patterns that can be used in 4/4 time at almost any tempo (We'll deal with 3/4 and 6/8 time in a future post!).

On thing to remember is that strumming does not have to be fancy to be effective.  This is especially true if you are accompanying yourself or someone else who is singing a tune.  As you watch popular artists on TV or videos you will note that if they are singing, they're probably either doing a simple strum, or letting their second guitarist do the fancy stuff!

In any event, here are some common strums--and you'll note that in a lot of songs, it's sounds just fine to hit one strum per quarter note, or do two strums per beat in an eight-note pattern.  While there are some "down" and "up" stroke indications for these strums, it's more a matter of what you are feeling and are capable of doing.

One last thing:  I generally use a thinner pick for acoustic strumming, and I really try to use my whole are, bending at the elbow and letting my hand go across the strings in a smooth arc.

Click on the video link below for a demonstration of these strum patterns.  Enjoy--and Happy Pickin'!

"Two-torial" # 9--Simple Strums in 4/4 Time

Developing Your Musical "Ear"

One of the best pieces of advice that one of my guitar teachers ever gave me was to always be working on developing my musical "ear"--that is, he encouraged me to work on 'hearing' notes in my head before actually playing them on my guitar.

This is a skill that takes some time to develop, but one that also pays HUGE dividends in the long run.  Even if you are a beginner student, a good way to practice your lessons is to say or sing the names of the notes as you play them on your guitar's fretboard.  Over time, you will see that you too will be able to hear those notes in your inner "musical ear," and it will become almost second nature to you.

And you don't have to be a great singer to do this training--in the privacy of your rehearsals and lessons, be intentional about this training.  Eventually, you won't even have to sing the notes aloud, as your inner musical "ear" will be doing that silently inside of your head.

In the video link below, I demonstrate an easy technique for developing your ear.  Happy Pickin'!

Developing Your Musical 'Ear'

"Two-torial" #7--Cleanliness is next to Guitar Godliness!

Today's post and video are about the importance of keeping your guitar strings wiped down following every rehearsal, lesson, or performance session.

You may not realize it, but every time you play your guitar, your fingers leave behind traces of oil and perspiration which, along with the natural humidity in the air and airborne pollutants, begins to corrode your guitar strings.

Eventually the strings corrode, get "grungy," sound dull, and become way more likely to break!

By simply wiping down your strings and neck after every playing session, you will greatly extend the life of your strings,and they'll stay bright sounding.

As you can see in the video link below, any soft cloth will do; most music stores sell microfiber guitar cloths, but even a good old cotton T-shirt will work just fine.

Happy pickin' and cleanin'!  The video link is below:

Keep Those Strings Clean!