How To Study, Memorize And Retain Music On The Guitar
What you are about to find out are the same secrets that Aaron Shearer pointed out to me when I was one of his students at Peabody Conservatory of Music.They are the most powerful learning techniques that exist and if you use them consistently they should change your guitar playing forever! What you are going to find out, quite simply stated is “How To Learn”! Ponder this, when somebody has given you guitar tabs or guitar tablatures to learn, did they actually highlight “how” to learn it? Almost certainly not. A lot of individuals learn by rote repetition which is repeating something over and over again till it ultimately gets beaten into their heads! This is quite time consuming and typically falls apart if the performer becomes nervous. The “mental imagery / visualization” techniques you are about to discover are very time efficient because you will be using your brain to its’ fullest extent. Bear in mind, your fingers only do what the mind directs them to do. Clear details up in your head and you will be able to quit making errors when you play guitar! The “mental imagery / visualization” procedure you will use includes 5 steps. All 5 of these steps have to be used for each and every measure of the piece of music before going on to the following measure.The initial 4 steps need to be completed with your guitar in its’ case. Doing so is essential! Keep your guitar in its’ case for the first 4 steps!
Step #1 – Count and clap the rhythmic structure of the measure. For instance in 4/4 time you would count quarter notes as 1-2-3-4. eighth notes as 1& 2& 3& 4& , sixteenth notes as 1a&ah, 2a&ah, 3a&ah, 4a&ah. and so on. You would clap the side of your leg with your right hand whenever you would strike a string or group of strings. This can let you figure out and hear the rhythmic structure of the measure – which is the most elementary component of tunes.
Step #2 – Ascertain the left hand fingering for the measure. Utilizing the palm of your left hand as the fretboard, actually press down the finger or fingers you will use to perform the notes and chords in the measure while at the same time imagining or seeing the strings and the guitar frets in the mind’s eye as if you had been physically performing it.
Step #3 – Determine the right hand fingering for the measure. If playing with a pick, you would have to determine whether you are picking up or down for each note. If playing fingerstyle you would need to decide which fingering sequences you would use. At this point the right hand fingers or your pick would actually be picking the air while in your mind’s eye you are picturing or viewing the string or strings which you are striking.
Step #4 – Do steps 2 and 3 at the same time, truly striving to see the strings and frets in the mind’s eye as you are playing them in the air, while at the same time counting out loud.
Step #5 – Take your guitar from the case and actually play the measure you had been working on. If you can play it 3 times in a row with no mistakes, then you understand and know that measure. Now you can proceed to the next measure and use the same 5 step approach for it. After you have completed the new measure, be sure to actually perform the new measure with the old measure. By doing this you are constructing the piece of music by attaching each measure to the one prior to it – considerably like you would build a chain by attaching each new link to the one before it.This “mental imagery visualization” process woks so effectively simply because it enables you to concentrate clearly on every hand individually. If you comprehend the fingerings for each hand individually, mixing them with each other isn’t that difficult. The dilemma for us guitarists has often been trying to do too many things at once!
Peabody Conservatory trained guitarist Steven Herron helps people become better guitar players. His company ChordMelody.com features a large selection of guitar tabs for all styles as well as instructional DVD courses. Find out more and claim Steven’s popular free monthly guitar lesson e-course available at: =>
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