Welcome to The G aka Gool’s Guitar Gossip – blogging about anything music related
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Let your mistakes be your light!
One thing I notice both as a musician jamming with others, and as a music tutor, is the fear of mistakes.
While I understand the concern when playing in front of a crowd, there’s NO excuse when one is learning, as the only critic is your 4 walls.
Yet, sometimes when one is learning an instrument, they forget that the best learning of one’s mother tongue happened while still in the cot, with little to no consciousness. Similarly in music, best to think less – to walk the fire, to swim the water, to take risks.
What do I mean?
When we are writing songs, we should just try ideas and see how they sound. Sometimes (or many times) we think too much wanting to know about the theory of why something will sound right. But how about we instead experiment and if it sounds right then it means we are using some theory rule, even if we do not know which? After all, haven’t we all learnt to listen and speak before how to read and write?
Same when practising. We need to try stuff. Take e.g. a solo – some are scared to improvise, others just go for it. Or a strum pattern of a song – some spend ages trying to get all the down and up strokes exactly like a video by the original songwriter, while others do not look up a video at all (remember the pre-YouTube years?), just sing the song’s rhythm, & start strumming it without understanding how it would be written. So who gets on with it first? The 2nd of course!
Which brings me to the next point – efficiency. When you practice, don’t overthink because if something comes out wrong, your ears will let you know, thus learning how not to do it. Great! So try again! Wrong again? Amazing! 2nd lesson learnt in how not to do it. And sooner than you realize, you run out of all the options of how not to do it, that you will do it right! Get the point here? I am from Malta (a Mediterranean island). Do you know how most of us learn how to swim? Our parents throw us into the sea, and that way through learning how not to swim, there is only maybe 10% of the technique of swimming they later have to explain! Efficiency at its best – of course they are in the water with us to ensure we don’t drown, and that’s where lessons with a pro tutor come in – he teaches you how to swim alone, but never lets you drown.
Quick question here!
You to stranger : What’s your name?
Stranger : Lucy
Verbally ask the above – takes 1 second to get an answer.
Now write the question on a paper & hand it to Lucy, and she’ll write her name on the paper, and you read it back. Surely that took longer didn’t it?
It’s the same with your instrument – go for it, and it gives you answers sooner!
This is also what makes the best musicians live, always confident they can turn any mistake into a clarification, like in a face-to-face conversation vs an endless Facebook argument (we’ve all facepalmed at those endless threads).
And now to writing our own songs. Sometimes we are in our element, and writing the best tunes. But other times we are in a different mood – drunk, or tired, or simply not our usual self. But we feel an urge to play, maybe stronger than when we are our normal self. So whatever your mood, don’t overthink, just film/record yourself. Do NOT think of the mistakes you could do, but go for it, and only later, do listen and watch.
For example, my video above! I just was out and about, and needed to express myself so much that once home I just filmed (as you can see I literally placed my mobile on the chair and started). Did I care about the camera angle/ filming quality? NO….. because music is audio not video! So that’s my suggestion to anyone – when your creativity calls do not clutter your head thinking about mistakes/ lack of perfection/ perfect filming/ bla bla bla, but just go for it! You’ll thus build a library of snippets, and only later when writing a song that you extract the best parts of whatever you got.
Till next time, keep making mistakes, as they will be your light!
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For lessons, please book at this link.)
www.malcolmcallus.com
Modern approaches to guitar, bass, ukulele & music theory tuition
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What does playing a music instrument mean to you?
Update 2020 : I asked the same questions to different students few years later. Enjoy their video.
Original article from Oct 2016 :
For the last few months, I’ve been asking all my students this very question in view of later compiling it into this blog, an exercise meant both to drive them to want to play more (by understanding each others’ perspective why they love playing guitar/bass/uke), and also for the better good of motivating anyone reading this to pick up an instrument – whatever the instrument – and play. To that effect, I include some videos for further inspiration.
Answers varied from “my way of communicating to Jesus through praise” (Alex, acoustic student) to “a way to develop my creative side” (Graham, online electric student) to “a treat for my retirement” (Martin, acoustic student) to “something completely different so enjoyable that time flies away” (Byron, uke student) to “infinitely deep and rewarding- something you enjoy alone or share with others” (William, online electric student), to the even more out-there “a way to be inspired and tap into the rhythm of the universe!” as Rob, an electric guitar student put it.
However you look at it, playing a musical instrument means different things to different people, and the aim of this article is to highlight that. To me, as a tutor and performer alike, it means a lot, but mostly
a) a way to translate my never-ending quest for being creative.
In my daily life and even outside of musical fields, I constantly seek and am thrilled by novel ideas, hence the guitar is my tool to give my share for more alternative ways to create new music. An artist first, then a musician, then a guitarist. In other words, I always try to feed any audience that element of surprise.
Being creative is a constant challenge to keep the mind fresh, as through finding ways to make dreams an aural reality (i.e. writing songs), one stays young. Read this article for more details about the benefits that learning music has on the mind.
b) a therapy.
If there are long periods of teaching without creating new music, I feel an urge to express myself the soonest possible. So in a way, without a musical instrument, I do not feel alive. Music is a fire in the belly, and the instrument is only a medium to convey that passion.
c) a means to happiness.
As a young professional, I was an office department manager. But I quit as most of the time I thought of the guitar anyway. I took the step of moving from small Malta to mega London to live from what I love – MUSIC! I have persisted long hours of study to be where I am, and I still sacrifice time from other things, but ultimately I am doing what I love, and I would not have it any other way as nothing is as rewarding as seeing others excel in their instrument thanks to my help.
In a nutshell, my life is surrounded by music and the rest fills the blanks, never the other way round.
So one can imagine how it feels to read the same line of thought re-echoed by my budding 14 year old rocker Henry Brewer who thinks that “the guitar means everything to me. It’s one of the main things that keeps me motivated in day to day life, and I would like to become a musician/teacher when I grow up. Whenever I play the guitar I always derive great satisfaction!!!”
Or as adult student George Stein, also a pianist, puts it : “I can’t live without music and sound. I would rather be blind than deaf. As a little kid, I could pick out simple melodies on the piano on my own… it always made sense. I started piano age 7, trumpet age 8, drums at 10 & baritone horn at 12. Later as a young man I started to play around with guitar, but never pursued it. A few years ago I bought a decent Tanglewood 6-string acoustic and started to play more, initially on my own before I realised that I’d get further faster if I took lessons. Fast forward 3 years into lessons, the guitar is starting to make sense… still not like the piano (that will still take a while) but I feel like I can play. I now own 6 guitars, play at least a little pretty much daily, …. I like being able to play, and making music is just such a thrill, every time… I guess for me, learning guitar has enabled me to continue to not only make music, but to also grow and develop as a musician. It’s fun, and it fills an important space to me. Life without music – all kinds – isn’t really life.”
Words of weight there for you! But yes, playing any instrument is a therapy, a challenge, and a reward.
“I have never been particularly musical, but have always appreciated musicianship in all its forms. For me now, I find the ukulele an escape from everything. Because it requires the same concentration as say, reading, but also incorporates participation, it is such a soothing and welcome relief from the day to day grind. It has already brought me immense satisfaction and I have already found a groove with it that I didn’t realise was even available.” opines Paul Gill, an adult who studies ukulele with me, just because “it is different than all my peers learning guitar”. That is uniqueness for you! And I applaud him for that – sometimes it is sound to watch the rest, then take a different path!
Like everything one works for in life, learning does not come without its sacrifice. As acoustic guitar student John Ford puts it : “Playing guitar can be demanding, sometimes frustrating, but it also allows me to switch off from day to day things and focus on trying to create something approaching music. The possibilities of the instrument are endless and every time I pick the guitar up something different will happen – sometimes bad things, but sometimes a chord change, a riff or a solo will fall into place and the world seems a better place”.
Irrespective of how daunting challenges might be, especially for younger students, they still see the rewards, as one Marko Mosquera forths : “To me the guitar is an instrument which can be good but at the same time challenging. It can be really enjoyable and fun to solo as well as play songs but at times it’s a hard amount of work. It’s an instrument which can be used for so much, but I do find it at the same time hard and frustrating. Not necessarily a bad thing as after all we all need to overcome some challenges or do something a bit different, which is why I started playing guitar in the first place.”
But then again – “the guitar is like a lover which your partner tolerates. It is not even forbidden or weird to play with your lover in front of your partner. For me, bass guitar time is when I don’t think about work and duties, and after spending a long time playing I feel relaxed. And I don’t need to have bad feelings about that lover :-)” is how lovely my bass student David Badin verses it. How could you think of the challenges when the rewards outweigh them?
Positivity and persistence! The only mindframes to overcome challenges and become good!
“Learning the guitar is fun yet challenging and I don’t even mind doing my homework. I like the feeling of learning a new song or solo, my guitar is so versatile, you can play almost anything with it.” is how 11-year old Nancy Booker faces it. She already has a Grade 5 exam under her belt, and is currently prepping for Grade 6.
“Something precious, a means to play songs. All my family are musicians so I look forward to play with my cousins on stage” is young teenager Leon’s aim and reason to play acoustic guitar.
Or as adult Paul Killick views his acoustic guitar : “… mainly trying something I’ve always wanted to do, something completely different from anything else I do in life; being creative gets me out of my comfort zone! Also, it helps me appreciate the guitarists I like more!”
As a musician, the moment I decided to pick the guitar, I wanted to do it the serious way. I remember my parents insisted to not buy me a guitar as a gift on a plate but wanted me to work for it (maybe that boosted my persistence after all), so for a whole summer I worked for one, and once I got it, I sought a guitar teacher. I had this will to become as good as possible the soonest possible to form a band, so the expertise of those who had been down the road before me was not an option but a must.
26 years later, as a tutor, I know that learning alone (off friends, the internet, going to gigs, etc) does not even start to compare to finding someone to guide you. Like the tortoise and the hare story, learning alone is like jumping from here to there without plan, whereas with a tutor you are presented with steps one at a time, facing up to challenges gradually rather than eating more than you can chew.
So I also asked my students how they feel about lessons and how they view their playing as compared to when they started…..
Kicking off with the previous Paul Killick : “I have got a little better than I was, and when I do exactly what is suggested, I have got a bit better again! It’s teaching me the discipline to follow instructions. I have always tended to shy away from/give up on things that I can’t immediately do, so it’s good for me to keep at this, even when sometimes I feel I don’t have the natural aptitude for it. It’s teaching me to persevere I guess. Lessons definitely teach you the good habits, the framework you need to be able to grow as a musician. And it gives you little goals each week, which leads to a sense of achievement weekly.”
Or as online student William Ayerst put it : “After a few months of struggling, I was able to play without wanting to clamp my fingers over my ears, and after a few years I’m finally starting to feel like I’m passable. The biggest realisation for me was that there was no shortcut – no trick or hack to get better – just hours and hours of hard work. Having lessons has given focus to that work and ensured I’m always pushing my boundaries further, instead of spinning my wheels.”
For bassist David Badin it’s a matter of confidence : “I feel more comfortable playing and holding the bass than before. I could play tabs before but I didn’t have the basics. Learning about rhythm, notes, scales, etc. clarified what and why I’m actually doing and I feel more confident while playing.
Young 11-year Nancy, a complete beginner when starting few years ago opines that “Lessons have enabled me to progress at a much faster pace than just watching the internet. A teacher can help you not only learn new things but also master them”.
Slightly older Marko reckons that “I think it’s fair to say that I’ve advanced a fairly good amount from when I started playing. I learnt a lot more different topics on the guitar I thought did not exist. I have gone from starting to play with an acoustic guitar to moving on and playing with an electric guitar where you need to conquer different and more fast paced genres of music as well as being able to use it for different things because they are very different.”
Fellow young chap Henry believes that “my playing has vastly improved in the last 3 years that I have been studying the guitar. I have managed to get to a Grade 5 Level in 3 years thanks to lessons. Lessons are beneficial as they give purpose to the study of guitar, as you have something to work towards rather than sitting on your bed learning riffs off the internet. It also means that you can improve your playing much more quickly, because if something is wrong with your playing, a teacher can tell you, but the internet cannot.”
To the words of adults, bassist Lyn Hanrahan finds that “taking lessons has been essential for me. I need the structure to keep me practicing and help me learn correctly. Malcolm, gives me that structure.” and Rob Cruise feels “much better – before I was floundering around just trying to rigidly learn the songs I liked with no understanding of how they are put together or basic technique. The most satisfying thing about lessons so far is that I have been able to start to improvise and solo quite quickly, which I never thought I’d be able to do”.
Speaking of rewards – persistence pays back sooner than you think!
As reflected in the words of some ukulele students…..
Letting young 8-year old Charlie Walton go first : “There is a big difference from when I first started as Malcolm has taught me a lot. Also I can play a song and lots of rhythms now.”
In addition, adult Byron Heard is “amazed how your fingers learn their way without you thinking about it, if you practice enough.”
And maverick-minded Paul Gill (the adult who plays the uke to vary from all his guitar mates remember?) reckons that “considering that I couldn’t strum a melodic note before I started my lessons, the difference between my musical knowledge when I started and now is astounding. The benefit of having a teacher who can acknowledge your ability and push you when you need to is invaluable.”
Some students are more specific to what they want to learn and how they look at their instrument. For example, Graham Seabrook, an online student from Malaysia finds “My playing has developed considerably since taking lessons. I think one of the main differences is the progression from being able to play a vertical C major scale to understanding how I can play it horizontally to connect along the fingerboard. Personally I feel this is the foundation of being a good player, as developing this further would eventually allow me to jam with other musicians in any key”.
John Ford, sitting comfortably in his London lounge, writes : “I have been taking guitar lessons for approximately 9 months, after spending a long time bashing around on the instrument with no real purpose. In that time I have seen my playing, instrument understanding, scale & chord knowledge, techniques and musical theory have all improved considerably. The lessons have been really useful as they not only focus on individual areas but also help me appreciate how they all fit together.”
And acoustic student Alex Achikeh views it that “I am much more confident in playing and my rhythm has improved drastically. My technique has improved in what chords I knew previously especially when it comes to using the 1st and 2nd position to change between chords. There is a lot more structure to my learning and it allows me to develop in many areas that I would not have explored otherwise. It has given me the foundational knowledge of the fretboard which in terms makes it much easier to play scales and to play music rather than let music play me.”
“To play music rather than let music play me!” is a motto anyone learning any musical instrument should pick up as a creed!
Last few words from multi-instrumentalist (now predominantly a guitarist) George Stein – “I understand the skill set, and know better what’s required to play what I want. Other people have told me that I sound good, that I can play now… I am still pretty self-critical, but when I record myself and play it back, I do have moments where I think… “gosh, that’s me?” So I’m learning, I’m improving, and I’m getting more confident. I recognise this feeling, because I’ve had it before with other instruments… the point where you think, ‘yeah, I got this!’. Without a level of technical skill, even the most talented person will not be able to really express themself & make music, on any instrument.
I think I now know how to practice, and how to get better. Finding the time to properly practice is often a challenge, but lessons have given me a body of knowledge that allows me to develop much faster than if I were to try learning alone.
I’m probably not always the easiest student, because at one level I’m a beginner, on another level I am perhaps a bit more advanced (and impatient). But the structure and the education I’ve got from lessons have really benefited me. I’m familiar with a few instruments, but I always loved guitar, and the different styles of music you can make with guitar. And I always dreamed of playing guitar. So in some ways I’m realising a dream. Maybe it’s not too late to be a Guitar God??”
It’s never too late!
Feeling inspired? Book a lesson today
Or you already play but having a bad day, you feel rusty, or you need some words to motivate you how to find time for the guitar among other things in life? Just watch Steve Vai talk about the guitar.
For more vidz accompanying similar articles, please subscribe to Cool Gool’s Youtube
For lessons, please book at this link.)
www.malcolmcallus.com
Modern approaches to guitar, bass, ukulele & music theory tuition
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If you can feel it, you might as well try it!
To quote a great inspiration to most of us (more about him later) : “If you can feel it, might as well try it”.
But first, a story from when I shared lyric duties for 1 of my bands. Our vocalist had better English than mine, yet wondered how I wrote better lyrics than his. My answer was that what I presented would be the 5th/6th draft, as actually I’d have corrected a lot. With each draft, I’d let the words talk to me back, seaving the manure from the gold in a bunch of hay.
How I differed from him was that I never expected amazing lyrics at my 1st attempt, but would rather let the good parts shine through the bad as I re-read them over and over again. Nothing that a novelist wouldn’t do when writing a book, and as soon as he applied that approach, his lyrics improved!
Similarly, let’s bring this to the table how to become a good improviser, which is music on the spot without time for drafts. Yet, drafts do happen, in our practice time. So what I generally suggest to my students is –
RECORD YOUR SOLOS.
LISTEN BACK & SEAVE OUT YOUR OWN GOLDEN LICKS.
REPEAT THEM TO GENERATE NEW GOLDEN ONES.
Time and time again, this approach made them understand that fire only burns the 1st time, and once you know how to walk it without getting burnt, it’s fun! And it works! Every time without fail.
So back to the quote above, by none other than Joe “Satch” Satriani!
With “If you can feel it, might as well try it” Satch tells us that after hours of training and singing scales (your drafts), melodies and fingerings become sort of attached to each other with less effort. So when you actually improvise, whatever you hear in your head can be translated onto your fingers. Be adventurous!
The main thing is knowing how and where to resolve, purposely repeating “mistakes” before resolving. The safe bet is to play a semi-tone up/down to find the note that sounds right (within the key), as explained at malcolmcallus.com/fingerboard & malcolmcallus.com/jazz
In closing, here’s some Satch talk…..
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www.malcolmcallus.com
Modern approaches to guitar, bass, ukulele & music theory tuition
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The 1st time it’s a mistake, the 2nd time it’s jazz
“The 1st time it’s a mistake, the 2nd time it’s jazz” is a saying that goes around among musicians, mostly among soloists. What’s this about, and why is it so important?
As a musician, I constantly improvise. As a tutor, I constantly showcase how to improvise. Why? It all boils down to one thing – approaching fire with fire! In other words, giving students the confidence that the sooner they walk the fire (i.e. start to solo), the sooner the fire won’t burn anymore (everything becomes easier once you try it).
A point I love during lessons is that once I teach a scale, I immediately give students a backing track and ask them to start playing the notes not in order, to be free, to play anything whether it makes sense or not. Both student & I know that they need to go back home and practise that scale in alternate/economy picking vs a metronome to brush it up both visually and rhythmically, however we ignore that point, we think less and get on with it! The point here is to improvise (= singing with your instrument) and as everyone has sung before in their life (shower singing counts!), it’s by nature that they find their way. The subconscious is a big boy, we all know more than we think we do, so just play and it works sooner rather than later. Make no illusions, it will start as crap, but the more you do it the ratio of crap:gold will soon go from 9:1 to 0:10.
Point here is not how to start soloing, but for any of you that have been soloing for a while who would like to know what happens when for some reason they hit a ‘wrong’ note, a note that does not harmonically fit with the backing chordal accompaniment. So back to our idiom – the 2nd time it’s jazz! What happens then?
Repeat the ‘wrong’ note! And many times (at least 5-6 as the pic says). There’s a way how to of course, so keep reading…………
In a band, there are 3 ways how to improvise
1. the simplest way – you know the chords being played by the rhythm section (as a band you rehearsed the songs and probably also know the other guitarist’s notes, if not also the bassist’s, + you know the drummer’s patterns, when the vocalist comes in & what note, and more or less the keyboard notes too). So there you go – you have worked already what scale to use, and off you go!
2. a still simple way – let us say you have not rehearsed, but are jamming for the 1st time live with new musicians. They’ve been so great to hand you the song’s chord chart, so although you won’t know all other musicians’ parts, the chart more or less indicates what they may play. Enough info for you to choose the scale to solo with.
3. the more advanced musical way (not necessarily a hard way) that occurs when you jam with musicians live for the 1st time and they DO NOT give you a chord chart/ state the key – you are simply out there in the fire, and you gotta deal with it! With experience this isn’t difficult, so here’s how to build that!
You basically go on stage, keep your guitar volume down, and start hearing others’ chords to get the gist of it while playing some notes (just as you murmur before singing)! Then you put the volume up and continue listening to those chords on the spot, and this way you will solo using right notes without the need of knowing the chord harmonies.
But one might argue if they should be listening out to all intervals within a chord (as in aural tests in exams) to thus decide which notes within the scale to use. Which becomes too much work at every bar and takes out the fun and fire out of soloing!
Absolutely not! In a jam scenario, you just play and when you strike a note out of the chord (the ‘wrong’ note), you just move a semitone up/down. One does not need to know why it works (if you do, check out my ear training & theory course Know It Hear It!), but it works. As when you do, you are giving an illusion to the listeners of changing key. So to ensure that illusion strikes home effectively, just repeat that wrong note a couple of more times and then return back to the ‘right’ notes (not necessarily in order, but you could go to a ‘right’ note and return to the ‘wrong’ one some more times – the possibilities are endless).
Believe me, that when you manage to overcome this fear, that fire does not burn as you know how to walk it, it’s now the sweet fire of musical passion! For all who need to see to believe, we would not have Surrealism nowadays (and with it all those amazing out-worldly artworks on some vinyls you own) if Dali had not started seeing things differently than the ‘right’ rules of the time!
So, to recap, how to deal with wrong notes when they happen?
That could happen at a gig when a couple of hot women dance dirty a few feet away from you (or any other reason anyway) not ? You can loose track of which chord you on, the tempo, the key, … Naughty boy! When that happens, you have not been paying attention to one, two, or all of these:
- What are you playing?
- What is everyone else playing?
- How is what you are playing fitting in with what everyone else is?
This listening list includes the notes you’re choosing, the phrasing you’re choosing and how loudly you’re playing.
So if at any time you notice the band is getting shaky, go through this list to ensure it’s not you, and if not identify who it is and do what is possible to tighten up the band. Maybe playing the same wrong notes that the other band member is playing? After all this is what makes live music so beautiful – that it sometimes differs from the recorded songs!
Music, and in particular, improvisation is a listening art! So remember to always listen with your ears not your eyes. Because those hot women can distract your eyes but not your ears 🙂
Suggested related reading – malcolmcallus.com/fingerboard/
For vidz accompanying similar articles, please subscribe to Cool Gool’s Youtube
For lessons, please book at this link.)
www.malcolmcallus.com
Modern approaches to guitar, bass, ukulele & music theory tuition
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Enough burgers! You need a fit body to let healthy music flow out of you!
What is it with some players who despite their solid understanding of music’s “right” notes, they still get tired (or even feel pain) when playing for a long stretch of time?
The answer is simply that musical performance is an athletic discipline like any other sport, and that effortless playing depends on the body’s fitness.
Getting the best result for the least effort is indeed the most elegant way of doing anything, but is it practice that makes perfect? I would rather say repeating nonsense achieves fluent nonsense. As the reknown Alexander Technique mentions “prevention is better than cure and hence one is to focus on how to carry out actions to build GOOD habits.” So consult, stop to listen to others with less/ no physical shortcomings, and then re-approach one’s methods afresh. Sometimes dropping the stubbornness that something is good only because it has worked for many years is the key to open a new door.
So here follow some guidelines I’ve over the years shared on how to play comfortably, and why everything IS possible! As you may note, these are split into physical and mental exercises – the physical is first as it’s the actual practical task you try; however you’ll sure instantly notice a change in application (maybe easier) when you re-try the practical tasks after reading the mental part.
All following physical examples are for a right-handed guitar player:
1. Simply rest the right hand on guitar. The weight of arm keeps guitar in place, so do not try to push the guitar inwards from the right as this effects the posture.
2. Strap to be fitted so that guitar is same angle whether sitting/standing.
3. Thumb should not curl around fingerboard but rather act as a pivot midway behind the fretboard in line with the 2nd finger from the front. If not, the palm of the hand is narrowed, restricting playing of notes on adjacent frets.
4. A good posture depends on your body staying balanced and erect, avoiding undue twisting, with your head, elbows and neck able to move freely, your back standing/ sitting up firm & no twisting of shoulders to side.
5. The left shoulder isn’t to lean sideways towards the guitar. The hand and elbows are free as to pull the guitar inwards to the left of the body, if at all necessary.
6. Avoid picking too loud with right hand as this in turn demands left hand to apply more fretting pressure.
7. Despite a tutor’s guides, the best way to improve is to experience things first hand. A good way is for you to play a piece focusing on new posture without much attention to the piece, then playing the piece again with the old posture. This will reveal how the new posture differs from the old, and how easier it is.
Mental suggestions:
1. There’s no way but the best way. It’s the easiest to master, so make a habit of that. This is known as the cycle of conscious incompetence > conscious competence > unconscious competence i.e. first you’re aware of your shortcomings, then you practice enough to garner skill & the knowledge that you know what you’re doing, then your knowledge becomes so innate that you don’t even think about it, and it flows out of you when you perform.
2. Mental rehearse what needs to be done, and focus on it before actually playing it. This way the muscles will probably react more positively, as research has proven that the muscles react when thinking about something as they would when one actually does it.
3. Practice with awareness of your goals vs too much unfocused practice repeating same mistakes. I.e. playing flamenco differs from playing metal so new postures for each might have to be learnt, as what works for one style might not necessarily work for another.
4. Listen to the music to produce a tone befitting the style being played vs just focusing on getting a better tone. Decreasing your physical efforts makes you more sensitive to producing tone colours, in turn enjoying music more.
5. Instruct yourself with positives not negatives (DOs not DONTs).
So you might still argue that the old way works better? Well try the new way, see how it functions for you, think about how it differs from your previous methods, and only then reject it.
A Chinese idiom goes: “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”
And I bet you that if you understand the easiest way, it will become your new habit and you will not reject it. Just as many professional guitar players before you have not.
For vidz accompanying similar articles, please subscribe to Cool Gool’s Youtube
For lessons, please book at this link.)
www.malcolmcallus.com
Modern approaches to guitar, bass, ukulele & music theory tuition
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