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This is the place to be for free on line advice and bite sized articles to get you moving and keep you motivated (click link for the online video lessons). The material here is designed to whet your appetite for one-to-one (or group) lessons, it is also aiming to be a great online resource to help get you moving forward under your own steam too. Do check back regularly... the plan is to keep updating with new material. If you want to be kept informed of updates, add your name to the email list...

 

 

'Little and often' is probably the best advice here, especially when you're just starting out. As you get more proficient and the bug well and truly bites, 'lots and often' could well be your mission!

As with any new skill, practice - lots of it - makes perfect! Your rate of progress is proportional to you're the amount of practice time you put in. It is generally accepted that it takes roughly 10,000 instrumental practice hours to fully train a professional classical musician from picking up the instrument to graduating from a conservatoire. Jazz musicians call it 'wood-shedding' - or shedding for short.

Don't, however let that put you off!! You need to build up gradually. We all have to start somewhere and we all take it to whatever level we chose.  My guidelines for a total beginner is generally to aim for 10 or 15 minutes a day for a week or so, to give your finger tips a chance to harden up. If you dive in full-on for hours and hours on end you will regret it - being unable to play with hypersensitive red finger tips! Start cautiously and you can quite quickly step this up to whatever you chose -  half an hour a day 5 days a week will see you progressing at a fair rate of knots. Be aware, however, of over enthusiastic burnout.

 

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Another point worth noting here, if we're being completely accurate, is "practice makes permanent', not "practice makes perfect". Worth sharpening up on your practice techniques themselves then to make sure you don't have to un-practice well learnt bad habits. More advice below!

Probably the best thing a good teacher can instil in a pupil is a good practice strategy. Not so much how long to practice and how often, but making the most of what time you have available. This is something that will stay with you you forever. Here are a few tips that should help:

 

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slow it down

 

The most common practice error I see is trying to do things too fast from the off. If you are trying something new and you can't get it clean, slow it down. There is no shame in having to play something slow to get your fingering accurate and the notes clean. You do that and then increase the speed incrementally you'll get up to speed in no time at all - in fact you're going to get there one hell of a lot quicker, with a lot less frustration along the way. Interestingly, it tends to be intermediate players - people that can already play some - that are guiltiest of this fundamental error. Is that you? It's an understandable instinct to have in this world of instant gratification - you 'want it and you want it now'. It's easy to get impatient. but easy to correct too!

 

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hone in and loop it

 

If you're struggling with something, zoom in and identify the bit that's giving you the problem. Often you'll find that 95% of the phrase is OK, it's just the 5% that's tripping up the whole section. Identify the couple of notes, or the chord change that's causing the problem, hone in on it in isolation, slow it right down and get it sorted. Then set up a loop to practice that one phrase, over and over but in time. Start with (say) a one bar loop, keeping the time going continuously - nice and slow. Aim to do it 5 times in succession. By the 3^rd repetition you'll be playing it cleanly (just!), and by the 5^th you'll be wonder what the problem was!.  Feel the weight lift off you're shoulders as your muscle memory takes over and your brain can power down. Then zoom out a little to maybe 2 bars, then 4 then the whole section. Voila - sorted!!

 

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accelerate slowly!!

 

Yes, sounds like a contradiction I know!! Rare to happen 'for real' in music but a brilliant practice technique for a) disciplining yourself to first play 'slow and clean' and then b) pushing yourself to build speed and technique. You also in the process develop an acute sense of both tempo and timing - possibly the most importance skills you gonna need!! Works great for any 'speed developer' type single note exercises, and any scales/arpeggios you're hopefully working on (bounce of  each end of the scale in a continuous loop up and down). The technique can also obviously be applied to any looped passages you're trying to bring up to speed…(see above).

 

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pre-visualisation

 

This should perhaps slot in before the three points above as it is particularly relevant to the total beginner taking those first few tentative steps with your first few chord changes. It doesn't take long for most beginners to realise that it's not the playing of the chords themselves that's the problem, but the changes between the chords - or more  specifically getting those changes in time. Before attempting any new chord change do what athletes and sports people do prior to the big event and pre-visualise the move in slow motion.  Finger the first chord, then without strumming, slowly move to the second shape. Do it in real slow motion and aim to get all your fingers to land together on the second chord. Do this 2 or 3 times nice and slow, and then gradually speed it up. Then engage your right hand and do 4 strums per chord on a real slow beat and suddenly you have a fighting chance of getting the chord change in time. It works with any tricky guitar parts you may come across that stretch you as you develop as a player.

 

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practice time

Pupils often ask advice about a good practice strategy - what exactly is it that they need to be doing?! The first thing I'd say here is, whole books have been written on the subject (check out my 'reading' reviews for a few recommendations!). We are all different, we all have different agendas and goals, so there is no one 'good for all' clear cut approach. The one thing most of us have in common is a lack of time, so lets assume for the moment we all want to be achieving maximum gain in minimum time. By the way, this is not the same as having a 'quick fix' mentality, where you learn 'this solo here', 'that riff there', with no understanding of worth to back them up. No this is about practice efficiency. 

There are a number of components to a good practicing strategy, and the weighting you give to each will very much depend on your interests and motivation. A simplified breakdown of components you maybe  should be considering could include:

   1) building technique

   2) developing your theoretical understanding

   3) learning new material (building repertoire)

   4) developing your improvising skills

   5) maintaining what you have already learned ... etc.

Now it's very easy to overlook one or more of these areas, or maybe even get totally hung up on just one. That's all very well in small doses, but you really want to be covering each on a fairly regular basis.

 A typical practice session might include:

1) some single note technique building, such as scales (or maybe hammer-on/pull-off exercises),

2) really making sure you understand basic chord construction (triad plus 7ths - including all the options) and applying them to your open chord shapes (and checking you know all the options)

3) downloading a suitable chord sequence for that new song that caught your attention and having a first pass at it

4) practice jamming over a 12 bar blues on-line jam track - focusing on, say,  good phrasing

5) running through 3 of your better songs and polishing them for that open mic tomorrow night...

But the trick is to keep it varied. You need some continuity, but keep varying your practice structure/order  to maintain your enthusiasm. And at all time practice 'making music '- that's why we're here. Make it fun!!

 

 

 GENERAL MUSIC THOUGHTS

 

Here are a few general thoughts on having a healthy attitude towards your music... They are not meant to be prescriptive, just food for thought.  They are all concepts that I agree with and try to encourage, some are very much my own, some are not.

 

parrot fashion

I'm not a massive fan of learning things parrot fashion. By all means if you like a solo try to copy it, but use it as a stepping stone to something else. The very act of doing that will develop your ear, and help you understand how other players think/play - both invaluable. But replicating something else note for note in my eyes is kind of pointless. Don't try and be a pale facsimile of someone else - be yourself!! (the only time that that may not apply is if you're selling your soul in a tribute band!!)

Copying riffs is a big part of the learning curve - it helps you understand the craft of riff writing, but again, they don't have to be exact, do them your own way, with your own slant... This is one step towards 'making things your own' (scroll a little further down!) -  and this is really just one small step in the wonderfully under-rated art of arranging.

I see lots of people coming for lessons who, in the first instance, seem to be able to play (and in some cases play well). They can..... 'what they know'! What they can't do is 'think on their feet' - or to put it bluntly, be a good all round musician!  These people flop around like a fish out of water, once out of their very narrow and 'solo specific' comfort zone.... You don't want to be like that... it's not healthy. 

And on the subject of fish....

"Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, show a man how to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime".

I try and prefer to coach the art of fishing, rather than hand out a few bite-sized quick-fix morsels....

 

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broaden your influences

One of the best things you can do to move your musicality forward is to broaden your musical influences - or in short broaden your listening. An eclectic mix is a real healthy thing to have. We all have our core favorite genres, and perhaps even pet hates, but if you open your ears to others stuff too, it's gonna help you big time!

It's as easy to get stuck in a rut with your listening as it is with your playing. Listen to recommendations from your parents, your kids... anyone! Cross a few generational boundaries.. it's good for you. And go in with a healthy attitude and eager ears.. you'll reap the benefits. 

And use Youtube. A brilliant source of ideas and inspiration... There are loads of people out there, just a click or two away, doing very exciting stuff. Have a dip in and see what others are up to. You can even give it a go yourself - get it out there. 

We all occasionally buy music on the off chance - that wildcard CD that you hope you might like...?? They often get played once, then, if it's not instantly accessible, shelved!! Have you been there? Here's a tip: listen to your i-pod on 'shuffle' - you'll be amazed what it throws up. Something that you haven't heard for ages, something long forgotten, or never really listened to....  Do this with a view to maybe covering something - in a different way perhaps. Do a country song in a rock style... or that punk song with a jazz feel. You'll find it refreshing! And you'll build yourself an interesting repertoire in the process.

 

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building repertoire

Building repertoire is an ongoing lifetime process. As you develop as a player you will naturally increase the number of things that you can play. Being able to play 'a bit of this' and 'a bit of that' is not the same as building a repertoire of songs (or pieces) you can play from start to finish to a standard that someone is going to want to listen to. There are a series of stages you need to pass through to get a new piece of music up to a performable standard (I'm going to address this from the perspective of a solo singer/guitarist for now).  These are:

1) Choosing what to play!

2) Sourcing basic chords and a lyric sheet (ultimate guitar.com?)

3) Sourcing a suitable You Tube reference  as a starting point

4) Having a rough pass at it to establish general accuracy/correlation of keys/suitability re vocal range etc 

5) Have a think about your arrangement (addressing things such as groove, feel, dynamics, light and dark). In short how to 'make it your own'

6) Polishing, your guitar part and your vocal delivery and blending the two together as a whole

7) Internalizing everything (ie learning your lyrics)

8) Bedding it in in front of a live audience - the only way!

9) Maintaining it!! (ie dipping back into it every now and then so you don't forget it!)

Don't make the mistake of  learning one song at a time. Always have several on the go, in varying stages of completion.  As one completed song song plops off the production line, be sure to be getting another under way. And don't forget to polish them in the show room -  they sure go rusty very quick if left alone for too long... Be warned!!

 

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making songs your own

 

One thing I learned early on on my musical journey as an acoustic guitarist/vocalist is that 'making things your own' goes a long way to pleasing an audience. People don't really want to hear 'karaoke with a guitar' or some pale acoustic imitation of the original - they want to hear an original take on the song, some creative input from you the performer. Almost without fail, the exact clones pale into insignificance.

My classic introduction to this concept was with the 'Radio One Live Lounge' -  and accompanying CD's. Every band or performer plays acoustic versions of a couple of their own songs, then is given three songs from which to choose one to cover as they see fit. Almost without fail, the real iconic performances are the ones where the band takes the original as nothing more than a starting point, and then runs with it -  wherever their fancy takes them.

This is all about 'arrangement' - a very useful skill to cultivate. Some of my better arrangements have come about by taking something that I've been playing for a while and looking at alternative treatments - taking something 'rocky' and trying a 'swing' version, or taking something with a 'swing' feel and making it 'funky' or 'reggae'. Give it a go -  it can be quite refreshing.

 

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GETTING STARTED SINGING

 

One of the first questions I ask any people coming for acoustic lessons is "Do you, or do you want to, sing with your guitar?". I ask, because it's such a logical step to make - opening up many many doors unavailable to the pure instrumentalist. (Singing with electric is just as logical, but there just seems so many more 'pure guitarist' roles open to the electric player). The most common reaction is a variation on "Well I'd love to but I don't think I can sing!", or " What, me sing!.... in public!! Your having a laugh aren't you!". Sound familiar?

Two points. Firstly, of the hundred or so people I've taught over the last two and half years (at the time of writing!) I've yet to really see anyone who I'd regard has having little realistic hope of singing if they really put their mind to it! And secondly, it's never too late to discover your latent talent! It was a mere 5 or 6 years ago that made my first tentative step towards trying to sing with the guitar - and as you've probably picked up by now, I'm no spring chicken! 

I'm also no vocal coach, but I can get you moving... especially with the tricky art of 'doing twothings at once'. So how do you get started? Here's a few tips that might help to get the ball rolling...

 

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breath support

The one single thing I'd say that will improve the total beginner's vocal quality in one fell swoop is 'breath support'. Pick a note and sing 'laaaaaahhhhh' and time how long you can hold it. Now imagine back to the school playground and your mate going to thump you in the stomach! You tense your abdominals, right? This is the basis of breath support.

Try that note again, with those abdominals tense.... This time focus on controlling the flow of breath. Be economical, stretch it out, make it last. You'll see that you now have much more control over that airflow. How much longer can you hold the note?  - Half as long again? Double?? Think of watering your garden with a hose - with no nozzle on the end, the water just flows out quite limply with no projection. If you want it to project further you squeeze the end - smaller hole, greater pressure, greater projection.... Same with the airflow over your vocal chords. Greater projection, greater control.   

 

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singing scales  

Hopefully you are running through a few scales on your guitar to improve both your instrumental 'single note' technique and your improvisation skills.  If you want be develop your singing  you'll want to try running through a few vocal scales too, sooner rather than later. The major scale in a 'Sound of Music' styley ( do, ra, me fah, so, la, te, do) is a good starting point. Until you gain a bit of confidence pitching the notes vocally, try singing along as you play them on the guitar - just make sure you pick a key within your vocal range.

 

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 PERFORMANCE TIPS

 

 performance pressure

 

Everybody suffers from performance nerves in one form or another. If you didn't you wouldn't be normal - and it wouldn't be healthy. The more you do, the less of an intrusion this generally becomes (.... but then again, the more you do, the higher profile your performances are likely to be, and hence the higher the pressure........ I digress!).

The knack is finding a few strategies that work for you.... you want the adrenalin rush that comes with the pressure to be beneficial, not detracting. Here are a few thoughts that might help...

 

 

draw people in

If you are a more introverted individual don't feel you have to be unnaturally gregarious and out going in performance. It can be quite endearing to just be yourself and draw your audience into your world. Try pretending that you are in your room playing to nobody but yourself -  and really savour every nuance of your own performance. If you close your eyes and absorb yourself in your own musical world you will draw people in - trust me!!  Check out  Paulo Nutini to see this approach in action...

 

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the protective bubble

If you are naturally a shy person, or feel that the slightest audience response may be misread or a distraction, the protective bubble around yourself can work wonders, especially when you are just starting out. You don't have to necessarily forcefully engage with your audience to get them on your side.  You can try avoiding eye contact and draw people in with the music alone...  You end up with an invisible shield around you that renders you impervious to negative outside influence. This does kind of overlap with the point above...

 

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take the edge off

A drink before you go on can be great to take the edge of your nerves. It can work wonders to help put you at ease. Be warned though - have one too many and you'll go the other way!! (It may sound great to you, but rest assured it doesn't to the rest of us!!). I have seen some real first hand evidence of a great guitarist (when sober) lose all their inherent musicality and good taste when under the influence - it's not a pretty sight.

And the same goes for other recreational substances. And watch the dependency thing. Nothing sadder than a talented musician only able to perform under the influence....

 

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friends and family

For what it's worth, playing in front of friends and family is 10 times worse than playing in front of a room full of strangers on an open mic!! Think about it!!  - you muck up at the family barbeque and you're going to feel the shame every time you meet up again! A room full of strangers in the pub, you never ever have to see any of them ever again. If the worst comes to the worst - you do your stuff and get out of there. The very act of acknowledging that lifts a heck of a lot of pressure. And besides, there are always other people playing too... to share some of the flack. There is always somebody less musical, or less experienced than you.... Easy!!

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BAND TIPS

 

timing

Right from the off we are all told just how important 'timing' is in music, and how critical it is to develop that inner 'metronome'. Yes, that is so very true - however, things are not quite that simple. As you travel along this wonderful musical journey and you personal musicality develops you'll start to learn that the issue of timing is not quite that clear cut. Even though the beat itself may stay defined with mechanical accuracy, how we play relative to it isn't. In fact this is the essence of good groove and band dynamics...

Take a lazy 'swing feel' blues. You play over that, you're gonna quickly realize that pulling back on the beat is what makes it really come alive, in all it's sleazy, smokey whiskey-slugging glory! Compare that to a driving rock song, something that makes you really wanna get up and rock out! This is pushing the beat. However, things are not even that simple... A great band performance is all about interaction and interplay.

A band performance that really grabs you is full of tension and contrasts. That can be about dynamics... light and shade, loud and quite.... or it can be about timing! Each member of a band can be pushing or pulling in a subtly different direction... One minute the bass player might be bang on the beat, the drummer 'pushing' it and the guitar player hanging off the back: - the next, the bass player might be pulling it back and the drummer driving it.... with the guitarist sitting on the fence! Have a listen to music that really grabs you, especially live, and see what's really going on. Try and develop an accurate feel for 'push', 'pull' and 'bang on the beat'. Your improvising in particular will benefit no end!

 

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choosing people to play with

Jump at the opportunity to play with other people! Whatever stage you are at in your musical development, playing with other people, however good or bad, is going to benefit you in one way or another! It goes without saying that playing with people a little better (or with a little more experience) than yourself is gonna pull you along the most. That's the ideal situation for your own personal musical development - just that bit better so as to keep you on your toes, but not so much better as to be intimidating. And yes to the contrary, plain 'bad musicianship' can drag you down (if it's for the long haul). Try and go into any musical playing situation with a view to maximising what all concerned get out of it. Even if you aren't the one reaping the most rewards, you'll get an awful lot out of nudging others along with their own development... and maybe even developing the art of tactfully taking control if the situation necessitates it too.

 

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 GUITAR CARE

 

how often should I restring my guitar?

That depends on how much you play it, how critical you are of your sound, how much spare time you have, how well off you are....

There are people out there who have there strings changed after every gig!! That's a little excessive and a little wasteful by my book... I'm playing my guitar on average 10 hours a day, but change my strings every 2-3 months... on acoustic that is. Electric is somewhat less frequent!!

I always need an excuse to restring... with a busy teaching schedule I'm always looking to maximize the mileage I get from a set of strings (keep the costs down and all that). I try and time string changes to preempt that extra special gig... the one that really matters. But when I do restring, I go the whole way and completely clean and polish the instrument and thoroughly clean and re-oil the fret board etc...