A Well-Rounded Guitarist
Music is a language and is best learnt when fully immersed in a musical environment. Just like when I learnt Spanish; I had my weekly class and did my homework… but I didn’t get good until I went to community fiesta’s, sang songs in Spanish, made Spanish speaking friends and travelled through and around Spain. In fact, it was the latter that helped apply the former in a real-world setting.
Learning an instrument works the same; the weekly lesson and regular practice routine only goes so far – and that assumes excellent regular practice. A prominent Music Education Academic recently said that for total musical emersion; a student needs an average of 12hrs of active music a week. That doesn’t mean 12hrs of practice a week – and lucky too, because that’s unsustainable. There are other supporting musical activities that are super good and support the guitar playing.
Learning an instrument works the same; the weekly lesson and regular practice routine only goes so far – and that assumes excellent regular practice. A prominent Music Education Academic recently said that for total musical emersion; a student needs an average of 12hrs of active music a week. That doesn’t mean 12hrs of practice a week – and lucky too, because that’s unsustainable. There are other supporting musical activities that are super good and support the guitar playing.
Guitar lessons
This is obvious, we want to play guitar we get guitar lessons – go to a professional. Don’t forget to put some excellent weekly practice in because without, there is very little this person can do for you. Traditionally speaking in solo instrumental lessons, you’re not paying for the content of the lesson but the time of the professional. They cannot build on concepts if you haven’t grasped them yet (i.e. practice).
Performance
A performance focuses the lesson, focuses the student and the pride of having played well is simply the best feeling! Until a performance everything said by the teacher is just theoretical. A performance could be a school concert, private concert, audition or exam. When the nerves kick in, things get ‘real’, and the more performances you give – the easier they get.
Ensemble
This is what it is all about! Students connect in a non-competitive environment. The individual plays something small, yet as a collective they create something big!!! Playing with their peers mean they need to stay in time with each other, and need to develop the focus to do so. It isn’t the same when they play with their teacher because the teacher can adapt to poor timing, missed notes etc. So, ensemble playing can help improve note recognition and timing (among other things)
If you’re very lucky, the ensemble may go on tour to another town, state or country – my music tours remain among my highlights of my school years. One student said to me years back “I love these tours more than Christmas”. Because students are brought together through an interest, not just because we are all in year 8. This can then create lifelong friendships; I know adults who globe-hop regularly (pre-pandemic) from festivals, camps and summer schools with a heavy ensemble focus. Check out Taranaki Classical Guitar Summer School and the Sydney Summer School. These are just a taster, there are loads of these events all over the world.
If you’re very lucky, the ensemble may go on tour to another town, state or country – my music tours remain among my highlights of my school years. One student said to me years back “I love these tours more than Christmas”. Because students are brought together through an interest, not just because we are all in year 8. This can then create lifelong friendships; I know adults who globe-hop regularly (pre-pandemic) from festivals, camps and summer schools with a heavy ensemble focus. Check out Taranaki Classical Guitar Summer School and the Sydney Summer School. These are just a taster, there are loads of these events all over the world.
singing
Being able to sing gives you the ability to hear a note before it sounds; it develops the ‘inner ear’. If you can’t sing it, you can’t hear it, you can’t play it. We play guitar to avoid having to sing, but any instrumentalist’s aim is to imitate what the voice does so naturally. There’s a reason people say ‘let it sing’ when referring to guitar playing. Best thing to do is join a choir. Singing in a choir is fundamental for aural training, even better if you are given an inner voice (Alto or Tenor). People ask me how I can hear things in music… well it started here.
theory
Theory of music goes past what and how, and moves to why? “I know what the note is and how to play it, but why does it sound good/bad? Theory is a large area that I outsource now – years ago I tried to teach theory and guitar to students, even across two separate lessons, but theory would dominate and guitar playing would suffer. It is not possible to teach the basics of guitar playing without covering some basic theory, for example note names, rhythm time values. But there is a point it branches away into other concepts – for both theory and guitar. Theory tends to get neglected up to Grade 4, and then at Grade 5 things get harder and it needs that theoretical foundation. Students very rarely get past Grade 6 with no formal theory training and I agree totally with the AMEB requiring the co-requisite of Grade 2 theory at this stage.
Piano
Keyboard skills help understand theory quite well. The keyboard is laid out quite logically – more logically than the guitar fret-board. You don’t need to be an expert of the piano but having a basic knowledge is very useful. Even as a master guitarist, I referred to the keyboard for theory for a very long time.
active listening
Music is an aural art. Listening to others play is important to learn what to do and maybe what not to do. Don’t limit the listening to just classical guitar or just the current pop song being pushed on the radio. Extend to other styles and other instruments – an orchestra is rich with music colour!
Don’t rely on a Spotify playlist or similar, there is a difference between ‘passive hearing’, something in the background as you do other things and ‘active listening’ like going to a concert. Passive hearing is not music education. A concert is unedited, things go wrong, musicians react and recover… it is more real.
Don’t rely on a Spotify playlist or similar, there is a difference between ‘passive hearing’, something in the background as you do other things and ‘active listening’ like going to a concert. Passive hearing is not music education. A concert is unedited, things go wrong, musicians react and recover… it is more real.
masterclasses
A different voice – often with the same message but sometimes a new angle. A masterclass is a public lesson, and begins with the student giving a public performance including a ‘master’ guitarist. The master then conducts a lesson to the whole room using the student to convey their points. These public lessons benefit both the student playing and the observer; so, pay attention while others play. Alternatively, a lesson from someone who isn’t your regular teacher is super helpful – regardless of who your regular teacher is. Often university students will contact a visiting/touring guitarist to their town a get a private lesson – no reason why school students can’t do this too.
classroom music
This can be hit or miss depending on who is running the course and what they decide to focus on. Regardless of this, there are some nice positives in adding Music to the school selected subjects. First, this is the best time in a student’s life to learn music. This then validates time to practice and master their instrument. Second, it is a good platform to learn some musicology – history of music. Finally, it can require students to bring together what they’ve learnt through composition.
In conclusion, it is not possible for a musician to fully develop in just 30 minutes of guitar lessons a week over the years. There are other musical activities they can incorporate to get an average of 12hrs of active music each week, that would help gain greater value from guitar lessons.
In conclusion, it is not possible for a musician to fully develop in just 30 minutes of guitar lessons a week over the years. There are other musical activities they can incorporate to get an average of 12hrs of active music each week, that would help gain greater value from guitar lessons.
Last updated January 2022