Guitar Player.

HOW TO PRACTISE PROPERLY....

Fri, 09 May 2025 18:57:44 GMT

Practising is an art in itself.....

9/5/25

INVESTIGATE METHODS OF PRACTISING!

Practising is an Art in itself......

It has to be learned, just as knowing where the notes are on the guitar has to be learned.

The first and most important aspect is to practise SLOWY and in time, even if the result

doesn't 'sound like the music'.

"But it doesn't sound like it," students often say.

That's because the rhythmic sense of the music is lost at very slow tempos but if you practise too fast, you will not be able to make the transitions and create the flow necessary to make the music 'sound right'.

Practising too fast is the most fundamental mistake people make and is usually due to impatience.

It's also often due to completely ignoring the timing and placing the emphasis on what people call "the tune".

The thing is, “the tune” *is* the rhythm. The two are inseparable.

Although a good method of understanding the time and rhythm is to play the melody on one note.

That way it's possible to hear the rhythm without the difficulty of moving to different notes and chords.

After mastering the rhythm on one note or chord, then include all the note and chord changes because it will be clearer to you what the rhythm should be.

It’s the time, rhythm and phrasing which creates “the tune” and that is why it’s so important to practise slowly and in time.

Time, rhythm and phrasing are the most important aspects of music and the most difficult to master for most people.

Get a good professional teacher and they will show you how to practise properly and save you a lot of time.

An experienced musician/teacher will be able to teach you various methods of practising which will help you to develop solid technique and a better understanding of the learning process.

Invest in a metronome.

Learn to count rhythms by developing a counting method for crotchets, (quarter-notes)

minims (half-notes), semibreves (whole-notes), quavers (eighth- notes), semiquavers (sixteenth-notes), the triplet version of all of those and also for tied and dotted note values in all the time signatures.

Learn how to count the equivalent rest-values.

In time and rhythm, silence is as important as sound.

Do not skip rests! Rests are as important as the notes.....

ON NOTE VALUES;

A crotchet (quarter-note) is not always worth one beat!

Learn to thoroughly understand time-signatures - note values are entirely dependent

on the time-signature!!

There's obviously more to it than those examples but you have to start somewhere.

Build a solid foundation....

ALWAYS PRACTISE IN TIME!

Time is what music *is*

There are also well-proven ways of reinforcing difficult technical passages.

It's to do with creating motor-skills which originate from the connections made in the brain.

A knowledgeable experienced teacher can show you how to do that.

Too complicated to explain here-sorry.

SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS - WHAT USE ARE THEY?

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 19:21:38 GMT

SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS

Inexperienced guitarists often avoid or even belittle the importance of scales and arpeggios.

However, they are a great way of getting to know the fretboard, different keys and also to improve fluidity in getting around the fretboard.

They are also very useful in some styles of soloing because the guitarist gets to know where all the chord-notes are located and can therefore create better sounding solos in some styles.
In a chord progression, it is not good to end a phrase on a 'wrong' note unintentionally.
The phrase will sound wrong.

In some styles it doesn't matter so much but if you wish to improve your musicianship and have greater choice, then it is very important to know the key in which you are playing and through which keys the chord changes are progressing.

One way of going about that is to play through the chords of a key in arpeggios along the fretboard.
Three octave arpeggios are great for exploring a key- so for example, in the key of C major, play up the

C major arpeggio and then down the next chord arpeggio Dm.

Then up the next chord Em and down the next chord F major.
So the routine will be like this;
C ascending, Dm descending, Em ascending, F major descending, G major ascending, Am descending, B Diminished ascending and finally C major descending.

When you have mastered that, then try playing the diatonic 7th chords as arpeggios in the same way, then the diatonic ninth chords, 11th chords, 13th chords and then do the same in the minor key.

Then take the 7th 9th 11th and 13th instead of starting on the root note.

Or 3rd 5th 7th 9th etc.

Then do the same with the chord progression of an actual song or instrumental composition, in order to explore soloing possibilities.

This is one of the processes by which you get right 'inside' the music.

It's very difficult at first but pays-off in the long-term.

So - scales and arpeggios are not a waste of time and you can be creative about how you play them.

Rest Strokes or Free Strokes? (Apoyando or Tirando)

Sun, 26 May 2024 12:58:28 GMT

26th May 2024

Tirando or Apoyando strokes? (Free Strokes or Rest Strokes)

Rest Strokes - Apoyando is the correct term - should only be used when the music allows.

That means in situations in which any melodic or chordal accompanying notes will not be stopped by the rest stroke sounding the upper melody, or an 'inside' melody.

('Inside' refers to a melody played on strings between the bass and treble strings whilst simultaeneously playing the accompanying part on the bass and treble strings ).

In polyphonic music, it is necessary to sound several notes at the same time and if the accompanying note or chord uses an adjacent string to the melody, then the rest stroke will stop the adjacent string from sounding.

Youtube any name player like John Williams, Julian Bream, Elliot Fisk, Alvaro Pierri or the composer Leo Brouwer or the astounding Ana Vidović and watch carefully...

You will not see many, if any, rest strokes.

The same is the case if you search for finger-style jazz and blues.

Players such as Joe Pass, Charlie Bird, George Van Epps, Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Also search the brilliant Tommy Emmanuel and watch carefully....you will not see any rest strokes.

It is also the case in finger-style rock and pop guitar.

The rest stroke was in common use when it was normal not to play using finger-nails as it helped to create a louder note for the melody part compared to the accompaniment.

I have seen young students playing Renaissance and Baroque pieces with rest strokes.

Depending on the piece, it can be a completely wrong technique because the rest stroke actually stops the adjacent string from sounding and the main characteristic of those styles is to have at least two separate melodies sounding at the same time.

Rest strokes can be useful of course, but only if the music allows their use.

They are mostly used in single-line passages, or music which has been composed so that any counter-melody, accompaniment chords, or bass part, are not on adjacent strings.

Some teachers encourage beginners to use rest strokes in order to avoid 'slapping' the strings against the fretboard by plucking too forcefully, which is a common issue with beginners.

In most cases, it is not advisable to remedy the problem in that way because it locks the young student into using rest strokes and causes problems when attempting to use the far more commonly used free strokes.

However, practising your scales with rest strokes can be very useful in improving technique.

A well-known example of a classical period piece in which it is possible to use rest strokes to great effect is Fernando Sor's 'Allegretto' from '24 Very Easy Exercises' #22 Opus 35.

It's around grade five level.

Try using rest strokes to play Albeniz's 'Asturias' or Leo Brouwer's 'Decameron Negro' or Roland Dyen's arrangement of Jobim's 'Felicidade' and you will immediately understand the problem!

There is a video example of 'Felicidade' on the homepage of this site, played on a steel string arch top guitar.

HOW TO SPELL 'PRACTISE' OR 'PRACTICE'

Sun, 10 Mar 2024 17:33:25 GMT

10/3/2024

IT'S ANNOYING!

In English English (as opposed to American English) 'Practice' spelled (spelt) ��‍♂️ with a 'c' is a noun.

'Practise' spelled with an 's' is a verb, therefore if you practise an instrument regularly, it is a verb - a 'doing something' type of word.

If you are referring to a Doctor's Practice, then the noun version should be used because you are using the word to describe a place rather than an activity.

So in my Teaching Practice, (a noun) practise (a verb) happens every day.

Confusion can arise when describing 'best Practice'.

It would perhaps be easier to adopt the American version which is 'practice' in all cases.

Does anyone care?��

TIME AND RHYTHM

Sat, 06 Jan 2024 19:51:53 GMT

6th January 2024

Time and rhythm are probably the most important aspects of music.

Time and rhythm combined is probably the most important aspect of music, along with phrasing.

Phrasing is a product of the control over time and rhythm.

That is true for all styles of music.

Find a good teacher and experienced musician who can show you how to use a metronome effectively.

Patience and diligent attention to the details of every aspect of the music is essential.

If you learn how to use a metronome properly, you will be amazed at the difference it will make to your playing.

Use a metronome when practising.

It is a skill in itself, but once you have learned how to use one correctly, you will experience an amazing improvement in your playing.

Learn to count out rhythms as you play to the metronome and play very slowly.

This reinforces every movement clearly and obviously develops correct timing.

Use the metronome on short passages first, then link passages as each becomes more accurate.

WHY IS MUSIC 'THEORY' NECESSARY?

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 14:10:56 GMT

"Is music theory really necessary'?

NOVEMBER 27th 2023

I am often asked why music theory exists and why is it necessary.

Well, in the grand scheme of things it isn't necessary per se......

In 'THE BEGINNING' there were no rules.

Some rules developed due to how instruments were created and made, others arose as musicians experimented and wanted to reproduce their sound again, or due to the commercial requirements of their employers- which could be one of the great Courts of Europe such as the Hapsburgs and Esterhazy Courts or the Church, or a recording company - EMI for example.

It may be a surprise to some, but the truth is that there are no rules in music, or any other art form.

You can do whatever you want.

However, where the rules do apply is in order to create and play the many different styles of music.

Each style has its own set of rules which only became rules as the style developed and after the style was established.

This is the case in the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic styles of orchestral and chamber music and the 20th century development of Serialism.

The styles of orchestral and chamber music have their own sets of rules, some of which cross-over into other styles.

That cross-over is largely why Western Music has a common harmonic and rhythmic language which people are usually familiar with.

Having a common language could be described as creating a 'comfort zone' for listeners - one which some composers dearly like to upset, if given the opportunity.

The same is true in Rock, Metal, Pop, Country, ‘Folk’, Blues and Jazz.

So if you want to play like Jimi Hendrix, it's necessary to understand what makes his style sound the way it does.

Jazz has sets of rules as does The Blues.

In some styles, those rules never change, or change slowly over a long period so as to not alienate the audience.

Commercial value is one of the aspects of composition.

In some styles the rules are always changing as musicians/composers push the 'boundaries'.

There are no boundaries apart from human technical ability.

Computers can easily surpass that boundary......

In popular music a question is often asked about Indie music.

"How do I play Indie?"

It’s an ‘attitude' rather than a ‘style' because it isn't truly a style as such.

'Indie' bands use the same old chords and chord sequences and pentatonic sounds as in most popular music.

The name came about due to some bands not wanting to be part of the corporate- controlled area of most pop music at that time.

It was a reaction to the marketing people, the accountants and money-makers.

‘Independent Record Label' is a more accurate origin

of the name - hence 'Indie'.

Anyway - I digress somewhat.

It's all very simple- THERE ARE NO RULES. You can do what you want.

Although whether anyone will want to listen to what you have done is another consideration. ��

For many creators, that doesn't matter…

So - 'rules and theory' exist in order to re-create a particular style.

That is all....

DON'T BECOME A TAB VICTIM!

Sat, 21 Oct 2023 11:35:42 GMT

TABLATURE (TAB) OR PROPER NOTATION?

21/10/2023

'TAB' (Tablature)

Tab. is very useful when working in non-standard tunings. In fact that was the original reason for its use.

However, in standard tuning it can never replace the benefits of proper notation.

Notation allows the cross-referencing between different music (in any style). That means learning where the actual notes are rather than following a pattern of numbers written by someone else.

The way something is written in Tab. is only one person's opinion of how the music should be played and because most things can be played in more than one place, Tab. never allows you to explore the range of possibilities and therefore limits your knowledge and completely negates cross referencing between similar music in the same key.

Cross-referencing allows you to use understanding gained in one piece to speed up learning in another because of shared notes and shared combinations of notes.

Tab is like when a child draws in a 'Dot to Dot' book, following the patterns already marked out by the author of the book.

The true skill is the author's, not the child's.

'Dot to Dot' books cannot teach a child how to draw and Tab is the same in music.

It's why Piano, Violin, Wind Instruments and all other instruments apart from the Lute, use proper notation.

Other benefits of proper notation are that it is possible to better understand the relationship between harmony (the chords) and melody.

Proper notation also allows the rehearsal of sections of the music and contains accurate representation of the rhythm.

Some Tab. systems now incorporate the correct rhythm notation ('Super-Tab') so why not just use proper notation???

DON'T LIMIT YOURSELF. DON'T BECOME A

'TAB VICTIM'!

The Art of Practice

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 10:02:26 GMT

The Art of Practising Correctly

Practising is an Art in itself

It has to be learned, just as knowing where the notes are on the guitar has to be learned.

The first and most important aspect is to practice SLOWY and in time, even if the result doesn't 'sound like the music'.

"But it doesn't sound like it," students often say.

Practising too fast is the most fundamental mistake people make and is usually due to impatience.

It's also often due to completely ignoring the timing and placing the emphasis on what people call "the tune".

It is necessary to sometimes separate the sound of the melody from the rhythm.

Time, rhythm and phrasing are the most important aspects of music and the most difficult to master for most people.

Get a good professional teacher and they will show you how to practise properly and save you a lot of time.

Invest in a metronome.

Learn to count rhythms by developing a counting method for one-beat notes, then half-beat notes, then quarter-beat notes and then triplets. There's obviously more to it than those examples but you have to start somewhere.

ALWAYS PRACTICE IN TIME! That is what music *is*

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR?

Mon, 11 Sep 2023 12:24:02 GMT

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR?

BLOG 9/9/2023

Two questions people often ask when taking guitar lessons.

1.HOW OFTEN SHOULD I BE PRACTISING THE GUITAR?��

2. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN PLAY THE GUITAR?��

1. Practising should ideally be done each day, keeping in mind that the idea is to become a little (or a lot) better than before you started the session.

At first, short periods and as often as possible.

Eventually, methods of practising can be learned which increase the efficiency of the process and avoid dead-ends. A good teacher will be able to advise you about the correct and efficient methods - there are many! It requires experience to learn the ways.....

Most people practise far too quickly.

Very slowly and accurately is best, gradually increasing tempo as you improve accuracy in time and rhythm.

2.HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO PLAY THE GUITAR?

Pablo Casals was one of the world's most accomplished Cellists.

He lived to the magnificent age of 97 and was still playing cello.

In his early 90s, he was asked by a journalist,

"Why do you still practise at your age?"

Pablo thought for a moment and replied,

"Because I think I'm starting to make progress." .......��

And that, dear friends, says much about learning to play an instrument.

Playing guitar is no different.......

You never stop learning, improving, creating.

There's always more to learn, ways to get better.

In Guitar lessons at Westside Guitar Studio, the aim is not only to provide you with a solid foundation on which to build your guitar playing, but also to continually improve musicianship and your perception of music.

That process involves ear-training and understanding music 'theory'- it's inseparable from music practice.

Perhaps the most important aspect of performance is control over time, rhythm and phrasing.

Guitar Player.

HOW TO PRACTISE PROPERLY....

Practising is an art in itself..... ﻿

SCALES AND ARPEGGIOS - WHAT USE ARE THEY?

Rest Strokes or Free Strokes? (Apoyando or Tirando)

26th May 2024

﻿ Tirando or Apoyando strokes? (Free Strokes or Rest Strokes)

HOW TO SPELL 'PRACTISE' OR 'PRACTICE'

10/3/2024

﻿ IT'S ANNOYING!

TIME AND RHYTHM

6th January 2024

﻿ Time and rhythm are probably the most important aspects of music.

WHY IS MUSIC 'THEORY' NECESSARY?

"Is music theory really necessary'?

DON'T BECOME A TAB VICTIM!

TABLATURE (TAB) OR PROPER NOTATION?

The Art of Practice

The Art of Practising Correctly

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR?

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR?

Practising is an art in itself.....

Tirando or Apoyando strokes? (Free Strokes or Rest Strokes)

IT'S ANNOYING!

Time and rhythm are probably the most important aspects of music.