A Better Understanding

When I started playing guitar I was always told, learn the piece of music slow then build it up to speed. I had a lot of people around me with a lot of different tastes in music, so I was exposed to a variety, and you know how it is with people, "hey, play this, can you play that" etc etc. Of course, when you pick up the instrument and you hear something like Eruption, you want nothing more than to get to that level, and that can be any song that inspires you. One thing I didn't understand was, I always thought, if you learn the piece of music, get it stored in your head, then you gradually increase speed until you nail the piece. WRONG!!!!!

That's where this lesson comes in. One thing you need to understand is, with a complicated piece of music that has your fingers all over the fretboard, you will never tackle the piece if your chops are not in order, and that's something I didn't grasp for a few years. In order to have the dexterity, flexibility, and stamina to play certain pieces you have to have built your chops up to speed first, this is where "boring" practice comes into play, and Ive posted in the past ideas on how to arrange practice sessions so they are most effective and less boring. Ive also posted on how to break down complicated passages and turn them into exercises in order to build up to speed.

Its nice to be able to fly up and down the fretboard, but it wont come over night. Its something that takes hours of serious practice and determination. Just know that it will pay off if you put the time in, like anything else. Keep Rockin