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.
Talent is NOT the Answer
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
New research shows that becoming an exceptional performer has little to do with any innate
talent or skill. Exceptional people are not gifted. They are not born geniuses. Exceptional
performers are a product of:
The amount and quality of practice are key factors that determine the level of mastery a person
achieves. Consistently and overwhelmingly, the evidence shows that exceptional performers
are always made, not born.
The rigorous research examined exceptional performance using scientific methods that are
verifiable and reproducible. Most of the research studies are compiled in a 900-page handbook
called The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance edited by K. Anders
Ericsson. It includes studies by more than 100 leading scientists who studied exceptional
performance in many fields including surgery, acting, chess, writing, computer programming,
ballet, music, and many others.
Ericsson states:
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
It Takes Deliberate Practice
But, putting in tons of practice doesn't mean you will master the guitar or any field. The practice
must be what Ericsson calls deliberate practice. Deliberate practice is a huge sustained effort
to do things you are unable to do well or even not at all.
Most people tend to practice what they already know. Golf champ Sam Snead once said, "It is
only human nature to want to practice what you can already do well, since it's a hell of a lot less
work and a hell of a lot more fun."
Only by long-term work trying to do what you can't do will you become a master guitarist or
expert in your field. You must work continually--hours every day for all your life to eliminate
specific weaknesses. It must be focused practice.
The word "deliberate" cannot be emphasized enough. Practicing mindlessly on autopilot will not
produce mastery. For you, the musician, mastery is not the result so much of how many hours
you practice and exercise the fingers. What matters is how many hours you practice with your
head. Research shows that very few experts, including musicians, writers, and athletes can
engage in highly focused deliberate practice for more than four to five hours at a time.
As Sam Snead pointed out, it is very easy to neglect deliberate practice. Even master
performers who reach high levels of performance may begin to rely on intuition and respond by
habit to specific situations. This can cause problems when they encounter new challenges
because they can lose their ability to analyze the problem and fix it with the required new
solutions. But research has shown that musicians over 60 years old who continue deliberate
practice for about ten hours a week can match the speed and technical skills of expert
musicians in their twenties when tested on their ability play an unfamiliar piece of music.
It Takes 10,000+ Hours (Even for Mozart)
Ericsson's research shows that even the most gifted performers need a minimum of ten years
or 10,000 hours of intense training to achieve mastery in their field. He says (and I absolutely
concur) that in music and some other fields, the "apprenticeship" is longer. "It now takes most
elite musicians 15 to 25 years of steady practice, on average, before they succeed at the
international level." That translates to 15,000 to 25,000 hours of practice.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Some child prodigies or a chess master like Bobby Fischer are able to beat the ten-year rule by
practicing more hours per year. And times are changing. Before the early 20th century, people
could reach world-class levels more quickly. In the music world there were not nearly as many
performers. And from what we can tell from written accounts, technical execution was not on the
level it is today. With the advent of advanced recording technology we now have the
expectation of perfect technical execution on CDs which has translated into expecting technical
perfection in concert performances as well. The bar has risen significantly since pre-recording
days. It is now almost impossible to beat the ten-year 10,000 hour rule.
Most people are naïve about the effort and time it takes to become an expert:
Leo Tolstoy once mentioned that people often told him they didn't know if they could write a
novel because they hadn’t tried yet. It irritated him to no end that they thought if they just got
started, they too could produce a brilliant novel. After all, everyone writes. Most people have a
natural ability or have learned to do it in school. What's the big deal? Equally irritating to me is
that this type of person, if they do get around to creating their book or musical composition or if
they work on their skill at playing an instrument--will think their work is equal to that of a true
master. They are clueless.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Self-help authors tend to promulgate this same type of thinking. They tell their readers they are
essentially ready for success and just need to take a few easy steps to turn their lives around.
Except for the flash-in-the-pan here today/gone tomorrow celeb types, researchers unfailingly
have found that so-called born geniuses, natural talents, and "overnight successes" spent a lot
of time in practice and preparation. They didn't find any exceptions. Remember, the
researchers are not talking about people who achieve popular success because of their
lifestyle, sexual adventures, and outrageous behavior. They are talking about people who are
masters of their skill--true experts.
Let's look at Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the most famous examples of a child prodigy
who is commonly cited as a born genius. No one questions that Mozart's achievements were
head and shoulders above others of his time. What is forgotten is that his training was also
head and shoulders above others of his time. Mozart's father, a violinist, was a superb and
insightful musician. He wrote an important violin instruction book. He was also a skilled
composer. Mozart's dad began teaching little Wolfgang when the tyke was only four years old.
Dad provided an environment where the young boy could hardly do anything but put in his
10,000+ hours of deliberate practice. Little Wolfgang had an expert teacher encouraging him
and feeding him knowledge 24/7, from the age of four. THAT is what started Wolfgang on his
path to genius. Not even Mozart was born an expert--he became one.
You Must have a Supportive Environment
Not only must you put in your 10,000+ hours. In many fields it is crucial you start when you are
young. Motor skills for playing a musical instrument are most easily learned at an early age.
Also, one's available time to engage in endless hours of deliberate practice decreases as the
demands of a job or caring for a family come into play.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Being in an environment where you are encouraged to practice your skill or at least where few
restrictions are placed on it is an extremely important part of achieving mastery. It can be family
support and encouragement or support from an outsider who helps provide that environment or
opportunity for 10,000 hours of deliberate practice.
You Need Good Teachers
But that still isn't all of it. You know you have to put in your 10,000 hours. You are in a
supportive environment where you are free to do it. But now you need a teacher, coach, or
mentor.
Ivan Galamian is acknowledged as one of the best violin teachers of all time. He once made the
point that even the best students don't necessarily engage in deliberate practice all by
themselves. Galamian said, "If we analyze the development of well-known artists, we see that in
almost every case the success of their entire career was dependent on the quality of their
practicing. In practically every case the practicing was constantly supervised either by the
teacher or an assistant to the teacher."
Scientific research on world-class performers confirms Galamian's observation. Interestingly, it
also shows that the future performer needs different kinds of teachers at different stages of
their learning.
The research shows that in the beginning most students have loving and caring local teachers
who are able to give them lots of praise and time. Eventually, the student studies with a teacher
who is an expert himself, who has achieved international levels of achievement. This caliber of
teacher gives not only expert instruction but intensive and sometimes painful feedback. But at
this level, motivated students actually seek out this type of take-no-prisoners feedback. At the
same time, the student is skilled at recognizing what advice from the teacher works for him and
what doesn't. The budding elite performer is fully aware of what he is doing right and
concentrates on fixing with deliberate practice what he is doing wrong. Performers, who want to
be the best, deliberately choose unsentimental teachers who will challenge and drive them to
higher levels of performance.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
The best teachers also identify things that will need to be improved when the student reaches
the next level of performance skill. While it is important that the teacher be tough and
demanding, he must also be sensitive to pushing too hard and too fast which might produce
frustration or burnout, even in advanced students.
The ultimate goal of the master teacher is to become obsolete--to teach the student to teach
himself. As the student's experience and ability increases, he becomes more independent, able
to develop his own plan for his future development. The student leaves the nest to fly on his
own.
The Brutal Facts of Reality
If your passion in life involves being a master performer or expert in your field, the preceding
are the brutal facts of reality. Take them to heart, but not in a negative way. You now know
what you need to do to become an expert. You now know how to make your talent. You will not
be discouraged that you were not born a genius. There is no such thing.
Remember, you need 10,000+ hours of Deliberate Practice, not mindless or pointless
repetitious practice. Your mind must be constantly and intensely engaged with the fingers. Find
the best teachers you can (note the plural) and allow them to become obsolete.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
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
New research shows that becoming an exceptional performer has little to do with any innate
talent or skill. Exceptional people are not gifted. They are not born geniuses. Exceptional
performers are a product of:
- 1. Deliberate practice
- 2. Enthusiastic family support or support by a mentor throughout their developing years
- 3. Study with devoted teachers or coaches
The amount and quality of practice are key factors that determine the level of mastery a person
achieves. Consistently and overwhelmingly, the evidence shows that exceptional performers
are always made, not born.
The rigorous research examined exceptional performance using scientific methods that are
verifiable and reproducible. Most of the research studies are compiled in a 900-page handbook
called The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance edited by K. Anders
Ericsson. It includes studies by more than 100 leading scientists who studied exceptional
performance in many fields including surgery, acting, chess, writing, computer programming,
ballet, music, and many others.
Ericsson states:
- "The journey to truly superior performance is neither for the faint of heart nor for the
impatient. The development of genuine expertise requires struggle, sacrifice, and
honest, often painful self-assessment. There are no shortcuts. It will take you at least a
decade to achieve expertise, and you will need to invest that time wisely, by engaging in
'deliberate' practice--practice that focuses on tasks that are beyond your current level of
competence and comfort. You will need a well-informed coach not only to guide you
through deliberate practice but also to help you learn how to coach yourself."
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
It Takes Deliberate Practice
But, putting in tons of practice doesn't mean you will master the guitar or any field. The practice
must be what Ericsson calls deliberate practice. Deliberate practice is a huge sustained effort
to do things you are unable to do well or even not at all.
Most people tend to practice what they already know. Golf champ Sam Snead once said, "It is
only human nature to want to practice what you can already do well, since it's a hell of a lot less
work and a hell of a lot more fun."
Only by long-term work trying to do what you can't do will you become a master guitarist or
expert in your field. You must work continually--hours every day for all your life to eliminate
specific weaknesses. It must be focused practice.
The word "deliberate" cannot be emphasized enough. Practicing mindlessly on autopilot will not
produce mastery. For you, the musician, mastery is not the result so much of how many hours
you practice and exercise the fingers. What matters is how many hours you practice with your
head. Research shows that very few experts, including musicians, writers, and athletes can
engage in highly focused deliberate practice for more than four to five hours at a time.
As Sam Snead pointed out, it is very easy to neglect deliberate practice. Even master
performers who reach high levels of performance may begin to rely on intuition and respond by
habit to specific situations. This can cause problems when they encounter new challenges
because they can lose their ability to analyze the problem and fix it with the required new
solutions. But research has shown that musicians over 60 years old who continue deliberate
practice for about ten hours a week can match the speed and technical skills of expert
musicians in their twenties when tested on their ability play an unfamiliar piece of music.
It Takes 10,000+ Hours (Even for Mozart)
Ericsson's research shows that even the most gifted performers need a minimum of ten years
or 10,000 hours of intense training to achieve mastery in their field. He says (and I absolutely
concur) that in music and some other fields, the "apprenticeship" is longer. "It now takes most
elite musicians 15 to 25 years of steady practice, on average, before they succeed at the
international level." That translates to 15,000 to 25,000 hours of practice.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Some child prodigies or a chess master like Bobby Fischer are able to beat the ten-year rule by
practicing more hours per year. And times are changing. Before the early 20th century, people
could reach world-class levels more quickly. In the music world there were not nearly as many
performers. And from what we can tell from written accounts, technical execution was not on the
level it is today. With the advent of advanced recording technology we now have the
expectation of perfect technical execution on CDs which has translated into expecting technical
perfection in concert performances as well. The bar has risen significantly since pre-recording
days. It is now almost impossible to beat the ten-year 10,000 hour rule.
Most people are naïve about the effort and time it takes to become an expert:
- After a pianist gave a fabulous concert, a woman ran up to him gushing about how
wonderful it was and how "She would give anything to play like that." The pianist looked
at her straight in the eye and replied, "Oh no you wouldn't." The woman, somewhat taken
aback asserted, "Yes I would." The pianist explained that "I doubt you would practice six
hours every day, every day of your life, sacrificing time with friends, family, and your
children. I doubt you would spend the rest of your waking hours studying music, listening
to it to learn everything about it. I doubt you would maintain my rigorous touring schedule
of constant travel and endless hours in motel rooms. I doubt you would enjoy the
sometimes crushing criticism of my work when I have an off night." And he went on quite
a while longer while the poor woman came to terms with reality.
Leo Tolstoy once mentioned that people often told him they didn't know if they could write a
novel because they hadn’t tried yet. It irritated him to no end that they thought if they just got
started, they too could produce a brilliant novel. After all, everyone writes. Most people have a
natural ability or have learned to do it in school. What's the big deal? Equally irritating to me is
that this type of person, if they do get around to creating their book or musical composition or if
they work on their skill at playing an instrument--will think their work is equal to that of a true
master. They are clueless.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Self-help authors tend to promulgate this same type of thinking. They tell their readers they are
essentially ready for success and just need to take a few easy steps to turn their lives around.
Except for the flash-in-the-pan here today/gone tomorrow celeb types, researchers unfailingly
have found that so-called born geniuses, natural talents, and "overnight successes" spent a lot
of time in practice and preparation. They didn't find any exceptions. Remember, the
researchers are not talking about people who achieve popular success because of their
lifestyle, sexual adventures, and outrageous behavior. They are talking about people who are
masters of their skill--true experts.
Let's look at Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the most famous examples of a child prodigy
who is commonly cited as a born genius. No one questions that Mozart's achievements were
head and shoulders above others of his time. What is forgotten is that his training was also
head and shoulders above others of his time. Mozart's father, a violinist, was a superb and
insightful musician. He wrote an important violin instruction book. He was also a skilled
composer. Mozart's dad began teaching little Wolfgang when the tyke was only four years old.
Dad provided an environment where the young boy could hardly do anything but put in his
10,000+ hours of deliberate practice. Little Wolfgang had an expert teacher encouraging him
and feeding him knowledge 24/7, from the age of four. THAT is what started Wolfgang on his
path to genius. Not even Mozart was born an expert--he became one.
You Must have a Supportive Environment
Not only must you put in your 10,000+ hours. In many fields it is crucial you start when you are
young. Motor skills for playing a musical instrument are most easily learned at an early age.
Also, one's available time to engage in endless hours of deliberate practice decreases as the
demands of a job or caring for a family come into play.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
Being in an environment where you are encouraged to practice your skill or at least where few
restrictions are placed on it is an extremely important part of achieving mastery. It can be family
support and encouragement or support from an outsider who helps provide that environment or
opportunity for 10,000 hours of deliberate practice.
You Need Good Teachers
But that still isn't all of it. You know you have to put in your 10,000 hours. You are in a
supportive environment where you are free to do it. But now you need a teacher, coach, or
mentor.
Ivan Galamian is acknowledged as one of the best violin teachers of all time. He once made the
point that even the best students don't necessarily engage in deliberate practice all by
themselves. Galamian said, "If we analyze the development of well-known artists, we see that in
almost every case the success of their entire career was dependent on the quality of their
practicing. In practically every case the practicing was constantly supervised either by the
teacher or an assistant to the teacher."
Scientific research on world-class performers confirms Galamian's observation. Interestingly, it
also shows that the future performer needs different kinds of teachers at different stages of
their learning.
The research shows that in the beginning most students have loving and caring local teachers
who are able to give them lots of praise and time. Eventually, the student studies with a teacher
who is an expert himself, who has achieved international levels of achievement. This caliber of
teacher gives not only expert instruction but intensive and sometimes painful feedback. But at
this level, motivated students actually seek out this type of take-no-prisoners feedback. At the
same time, the student is skilled at recognizing what advice from the teacher works for him and
what doesn't. The budding elite performer is fully aware of what he is doing right and
concentrates on fixing with deliberate practice what he is doing wrong. Performers, who want to
be the best, deliberately choose unsentimental teachers who will challenge and drive them to
higher levels of performance.
You are on DouglasNiedt.com
The best teachers also identify things that will need to be improved when the student reaches
the next level of performance skill. While it is important that the teacher be tough and
demanding, he must also be sensitive to pushing too hard and too fast which might produce
frustration or burnout, even in advanced students.
The ultimate goal of the master teacher is to become obsolete--to teach the student to teach
himself. As the student's experience and ability increases, he becomes more independent, able
to develop his own plan for his future development. The student leaves the nest to fly on his
own.
The Brutal Facts of Reality
If your passion in life involves being a master performer or expert in your field, the preceding
are the brutal facts of reality. Take them to heart, but not in a negative way. You now know
what you need to do to become an expert. You now know how to make your talent. You will not
be discouraged that you were not born a genius. There is no such thing.
Remember, you need 10,000+ hours of Deliberate Practice, not mindless or pointless
repetitious practice. Your mind must be constantly and intensely engaged with the fingers. Find
the best teachers you can (note the plural) and allow them to become obsolete.
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.