Play Less, Listen More
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen” Ernest Hemingway.
This is an aspect of learning the guitar that isn’t always practiced. Listening to the piece of music you are learning is just as beneficial as practicing it on your instrument. We all listen to music in the car, around the house, whilst we exercise and numerous other places, however we are not really listening to the music for the most part. We are subconsciously listening. It is nearly impossible to truly listen to music whilst doing other activities. So what do I mean when I say, “Listen” to the music you are learning?
Keep calm and listen
It is important to listen to the song you are learning which means eliminating distractions such as mobile phones and even your guitar, it so fun to play, we can’t help but noodle on the thing! Give the song your undivided attention for the whole duration. You will hear parts of the song you have never noticed each time you listen. You will hear the structure, when it changes from the verse to chorus, bridge to solo etc. Try this exercise.
1. Listen to the verse of the song you are learning, with no distractions.
2. Listen again, saying the chords out loud (use your sheet music to follow if needed).
3. Now play the chord sequence. You can break it down into small chucks if needed.
Really listening to the song you are learning will help you learn the structure. Eventually you will be able to play the music without the need of sheet music/tablature. If you are consistent with listening to the music you are learning you will hear similarities in chord sequences and song structure that popular music shares. Eventually you will be able to transcribe music by using just your ears.
The amazing slow downer is a fantastic practice tool for the above. www.ronimusic.com
Just remember, your ears are your most important tools. Using them will make you a better guitar player and musician.
Good luck and keep practicing.
Mike
Getting the most from your practice
It can be hard to find time to practice for hours a day. However, less can sometimes be more. The key to improvement is consistency
Rather than cramming 2 in hours on a Saturday, try 20 to 30 minutes 4-5 days a week. That way you will retain what you have practiced from the previous day and will be able to monitor your improvement.
Below are some tips to help you get the most out of your practice sessions.
Fail to plan, plan to fail
We are all creatures of habit. If you know when you are going to practice over the week you are more likely to stick to it. Find a time of day that is best for you. I am more constructive in the morning. I give my self a time slot for the week and everyday I get up, make myself a coffee and get my practice in. Those that fail to plan, plan to fail.
Making sure you have small goals.
If you are practicing a challenging sequence of chords, rather than stumbling through the progression, split it down and practice 1 chord at a time. Then practice the transition from the first chord to the second. Do it slow and repeat with any other chords. This could mean working on a 2 bar sequence over the course of a week. The chord changes will get cleaner overtime if you are consistent. This might feel like you are not getting anywhere fast, but trust me, over time this makes a huge difference in your playing.
How to achieve your goals – Putting pen to paper.
Writing your goal(s) for the practice session/week will make your practice more constructive. Write down when you are going to practice and what it is you need to work on. For instance if you are trying to learn a hard chord sequence your goals could be,
· Practice going from the G-D chord (slow) - 5mins
· Practice going from A-Em chord (slow) – 5 mins
· Practice going from G-D-A-Em (slow) – 10 mins
The above could last for one session or two weeks. Obviously there is going be some noodling (technical term) and the times wont be exact. However if you have a plan you will get more out of each practice session and you will be able to monitor your progress.
Good luck and Keep practicing
Mike