Thank you for visiting. |
GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH Your Personal Guitar Lesson |
Photo by Robin Gentile, NYC
| BE SURE TO VISIT DOUG'S "SECRET VAULT" It contains many of Doug's Previous Guitar Technique Tips of the Month |
Have a comment?
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
We have a Printer Friendlier (PDF) version of this article that's also easier on the eyes.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
I've Practiced That Spot A Hundred Times
But when I play it for somebody, I still mess it up.
By Douglas Niedt
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be
considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
How many times have you heard or said that? If memorization is not the problem, this is what
the problem could be.
There are two basic types of practicing. One is the type of practicing where you don't really
play through the song or even a phrase—lots of times not even a whole measure! In this type
of practicing you are working on chord changes or working on a shift, for example. Or you
might be trying to get rid of a buzz, get a bar chord clearer, work on a stretch, practice a fast
scale passage, etc. This is where you work on a difficult spot literally a hundred times.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
The other type of practice is where you play a piece from beginning to end, absolutely
nonstop. You start the piece (without taking two or three cracks at it) and play to the end no
matter what happens. You don't stop, you don't fix something, you don't hit a chord twice if it
didn't come out clearly the first time. You pretend you are playing a formal concert, or that
you're on a television show, or a live broadcast radio program.
You cannot practice the first way and expect to immediately be able to play a piece flawlessly
beginning to end. You actually have to practice not stopping. It takes discipline and focus to
keep going when you make a mistake and not stop to correct it. In the first type of practice, if
done correctly, the hands DO learn the correct movements to execute a difficult spot
flawlessly. If practice carefully, you should be able to play the spot flawlessly several times in a
row. But that is an entirely different thing to your neuromuscular system from playing a whole
piece through beginning to end and playing everything flawlessly. Elements of focus,
concentration, and cumulative muscle fatigue can easily undo the lessons your hands learned
from playing that difficult spot by itself a hundred times.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Therefore, a substantial amount of time must be devoted to playing a piece from beginning to
end for your neuromuscular system to assimilate the lessons learned from the first type of
practice and channel those learned responses into a finished, complete performance.
For example, say that in your stage one practice of playing a chord change over and over,
you determine that to be successful, your left hand fourth finger needs to be over the 2nd
string and that your left elbow needs to be winged out a bit. When you play that change over
and over, those two elements fall into place—you're in a groove. But in the long haul of a
complete performance, as you play, you must anticipate that spot coming and must prepare
the 4th finger over the second string and wing out the left elbow ahead of time. Otherwise,
that spot you practiced hundreds of times still won't work.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
So you must first do the spot practice to figure out what you must do to execute the problem
passage correctly. But then, you must incorporate that information into your total
performance—you and your neuromuscular system must remember what to do in context. The
only way to learn that, once again, is to start the piece (no false starts) and play absolutely
nonstop to the end. This usually needs to be done at least once a day for thirty days prior to a
performance. Plus, continue to do spot practice to reinforce and review the details of
execution of problematic passages.
If you are going to give a performance of several pieces or a full-length concert, you must use
the same strategy. Practice from the beginning to the end, nonstop for all the same reasons.
Mental and muscular fatigue can become an issue in a full concert. The only way to get
around it (or I should say in shape for it) is to rehearse the ENTIRE program over and over as
a whole—and I can't emphasize or repeat the word enough—nonstop.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
But when I play it for somebody, I still mess it up.
By Douglas Niedt
Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved. This article may be reprinted, but please be
considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
How many times have you heard or said that? If memorization is not the problem, this is what
the problem could be.
There are two basic types of practicing. One is the type of practicing where you don't really
play through the song or even a phrase—lots of times not even a whole measure! In this type
of practicing you are working on chord changes or working on a shift, for example. Or you
might be trying to get rid of a buzz, get a bar chord clearer, work on a stretch, practice a fast
scale passage, etc. This is where you work on a difficult spot literally a hundred times.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
The other type of practice is where you play a piece from beginning to end, absolutely
nonstop. You start the piece (without taking two or three cracks at it) and play to the end no
matter what happens. You don't stop, you don't fix something, you don't hit a chord twice if it
didn't come out clearly the first time. You pretend you are playing a formal concert, or that
you're on a television show, or a live broadcast radio program.
You cannot practice the first way and expect to immediately be able to play a piece flawlessly
beginning to end. You actually have to practice not stopping. It takes discipline and focus to
keep going when you make a mistake and not stop to correct it. In the first type of practice, if
done correctly, the hands DO learn the correct movements to execute a difficult spot
flawlessly. If practice carefully, you should be able to play the spot flawlessly several times in a
row. But that is an entirely different thing to your neuromuscular system from playing a whole
piece through beginning to end and playing everything flawlessly. Elements of focus,
concentration, and cumulative muscle fatigue can easily undo the lessons your hands learned
from playing that difficult spot by itself a hundred times.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Therefore, a substantial amount of time must be devoted to playing a piece from beginning to
end for your neuromuscular system to assimilate the lessons learned from the first type of
practice and channel those learned responses into a finished, complete performance.
For example, say that in your stage one practice of playing a chord change over and over,
you determine that to be successful, your left hand fourth finger needs to be over the 2nd
string and that your left elbow needs to be winged out a bit. When you play that change over
and over, those two elements fall into place—you're in a groove. But in the long haul of a
complete performance, as you play, you must anticipate that spot coming and must prepare
the 4th finger over the second string and wing out the left elbow ahead of time. Otherwise,
that spot you practiced hundreds of times still won't work.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
So you must first do the spot practice to figure out what you must do to execute the problem
passage correctly. But then, you must incorporate that information into your total
performance—you and your neuromuscular system must remember what to do in context. The
only way to learn that, once again, is to start the piece (no false starts) and play absolutely
nonstop to the end. This usually needs to be done at least once a day for thirty days prior to a
performance. Plus, continue to do spot practice to reinforce and review the details of
execution of problematic passages.
If you are going to give a performance of several pieces or a full-length concert, you must use
the same strategy. Practice from the beginning to the end, nonstop for all the same reasons.
Mental and muscular fatigue can become an issue in a full concert. The only way to get
around it (or I should say in shape for it) is to rehearse the ENTIRE program over and over as
a whole—and I can't emphasize or repeat the word enough—nonstop.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
BE SURE TO VISIT DOUG'S "SECRET VAULT"
It contains many of Doug's Previous
Guitar Technique Tips of the Month
It contains many of Doug's Previous
Guitar Technique Tips of the Month
Have a comment?
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
Question?
Suggestion for the website?
We would love to hear from you.
We have a Printer Friendlier (PDF) version of this article that's also easier on the eyes.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
It's SO much easier to read a printed article than to read it from the computer screen.
 | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  |
 | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  |
| These are my very detailed, in-depth articles and high-def videos on how to play the classical guitar. It's like getting your own private guitar lesson every month. Need info on classical guitar right hand technique? Guitar scales? How to play bar chords? Harmonics? Looking for a classical guitar practicing routine? Tips on performing onstage? How to tune a guitar? Looking for easy Christmas guitar arrangements? Chances are, I have covered it, or will soon. The tips are by subscription only. |
Be a better guitar player or teacher. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on the
Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written tips run
over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and the
production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on the
Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written tips run
over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough and the
production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Be a better guitar player or teacher. SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on
the Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written
tips run over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough
and the production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.
Purchase a ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION to:
DOUGLAS NIEDT'S GUITAR TECHNIQUE TIP OF THE MONTH
Doug's Guitar Technique Tip of the Month will be sent to you monthly. These are the best on
the Internet. No one else's technique articles and videos even come close. Most of the written
tips run over 20 pages. Most of the videos run from 15-30 minutes. The tips are thorough
and the production is excellent. Check out the free tips in Doug's Vault for a sampling.
A one-year subscription (12 tips) is only $24. That is only $2 per tip.