Inspiration For Guitarists
I think of myself as a pretty grounded guy. I try to teach things in the simplest, most practical way I can.
So the practice advice I'm about to give might sound a little esoteric. But stick with me, because it's about as practical as it gets.
One of the biggest problems I see guitarists struggle with is a mindset problem. They believe that when they practice, they're training their fingers to do the right thing. That might be 10% of it. The other 90% is training your mind.
The biggest step in getting your fingers to do what you want is having a clear mental picture of what you want them to do.
This shows up in the two struggles I see over and over again:
1. Phrases and melodies that sound like running scales. This usually happens because people practice scales focused on their fingers and which frets they're hitting, instead of listening to the sound of what they're playing.
2. Technique problems caused by playing too hard. People get so focused on playing the right notes that they pay no attention to how hard they're fretting them. If you're pressing harder than you need to for a clean note, you're wasting a lot of energy. And if you've got a death grip on the neck, your hands won't be nearly as nimble as they would be with a light touch.
So here's my practical advice for improving these two important parts of your playing:
Just pay attention to them.
That's it. Set an intention at the start of your practice session to focus on one or both, then check in with yourself regularly to make sure you're still paying attention.
I see so many people putting in the hours trying to train their fingers, without noticing what the notes sound like or how much effort they're using to get them out.
So here's my challenge: for the next month, start every practice session with two intentions. Play lighter. And try to predict what each note will sound like before you play it, rather than just putting your fingers on a scale shape you've memorized.
Give it a month. I think you'll be surprised.
-Dustin
P.S. The Practice Studios in my Essential Skills Guitar Course give you backing tracks to play over, which is the best way I know to hear what your notes actually sound like. Try this month's challenge with them.