Blog Layout
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.
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.
26th May 2024 Tirando or Apoyando strokes? (Free Strokes or Rest Strokes)
10/3/2024 IT'S ANNOYING!
10/3/2024 INVESTIGATE METHODS OF PRACTISING!
"Is music theory really necessary'?
TABLATURE (TAB) OR PROPER NOTATION?
The Art of Practising Correctly
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR?
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.
26th May 2024 Tirando or Apoyando strokes? (Free Strokes or Rest Strokes)
10/3/2024 IT'S ANNOYING!
10/3/2024 INVESTIGATE METHODS OF PRACTISING!
"Is music theory really necessary'?
TABLATURE (TAB) OR PROPER NOTATION?
The Art of Practising Correctly
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO LEARN TO PLAY GUITAR?