What is Position Playing?

Position playing for beginning guitar players.

Position playing means using one finger per fret. So if you're playing in the 5th position, your 1st finger plays the 5th fret, your 2nd finger plays the 6th fret, your 3rd finger plays the 7th fret and the 4th finger plays the 8th fret. Position playing is extremely useful when soloing so you don't have to do too much extra moving back and forth. Most guitar teachers teach positions using scale patterns which will help you figure out which position to use.

Exceptions to the rule.

There are times when it will be necessary to go out of position by 1 fret in either direction. Some of the scale patterns need to be altered so that you're still in the basic position.

How fingering relates to scales and chords.

Every chord has a corresponding scale, so when you become more advanced you'll be able to visualize the scale that goes with that particular chord. Once you become more familiar with the guitar fretboard you'll be amazed at how logical it is.

The takeaway from all of this is to be patient, play slowly so that you develop muscle memory, and get in the habit of using one finger per fret. One of the most important things my guitar teacher did was to not let me get away with using the wrong fingers!

To Play Fast, Learn to Play Slow

Learning to play fast.

At some point everyone sees or hears an amazing guitar player who seems to be able to effortlessly play at blazing speeds. How do they do that? The beginning guitar player sees no way to learn to go that fast, insists they sped up the recording, or used some other electronic trick. Then, they see that guitarist in person and realize he or she is capable of playing fast. So, how do you learn to increase your speed?
Believe it or not, the best way is to learn to play slowly. When learning guitar, you need to remember that if you can't play it slow there's no way you can play it fast. Yes, it's really that simple. Here are some tips for learning to increase your speed.

• Get a metronome and USE IT! I have students who buy metronomes and drum machines, use them for a short time and then give up on them. The most common mistake is setting a speed that you can't keep up with. Then the excuses start to come out. I can't play that slow, it's boring, the song or exercises don't sound good slow, and many more. Set the rhythm to a slow pace, concentrate on picking each note exactly on the beat, with each note being clean and clear. Don't try to play complicated songs or exercises at first. Don't speed up at all until you can play each note in time without missing a beat.
• Work on major, minor and pentatonic scales. Every song is based on a scale, so practicing scales is a valuable use of your time. You'll learn to recognize the sounds of the different scales which will help you develop the ability to pick out songs by ear.
• Listen to the masters. There are amazing guitarists in all kinds of genres. It doesn't matter if you like rock, metal, country, folk, classical or bluegrass music, with a little research you'll find someone you can relate to.
• Practice every day. You don't need to spend hours on exercises but you do need to work on them. One of the quotes I use is: if you think scales are boring, practice them until they're not boring. If you don't think scales are boring, practice them until they are boring, then repeat step one.
• Get help. A guitar teacher can help you progress by watching and listening to you play and giving you valuable tips and ways to improve.
• Find a practice buddy. Do you know someone who also plays guitar or perhaps another instrument that complements the guitar? Is there a particular style of music that you'd really like to play? Find someone to practice with and to hold you accountable. You can do the same for him or her.

There's lots of printed material to help you improve your speed, so check out all of the resources that are available. You can find books, online lessons, CDs and DVDs to help you.

To learn a song note for note, I highly recommend Riffmaster Pro Software. (Affiliate Link). The software enables you to slow down songs without changing the pitch, set up loops so you can work on individual phrases, change the eq settings to emphasize certain instruments, and export the slowed down songs you so you can record and practice them.

Should you purchase the program and have any questions about how to use it, just email me or leave a comment on this blog and I'll be happy to help you figure it out.

3 Sure Ways to Learn Faster

Everyone wants to progress more quickly, here are 3 sure ways to do just that.

1. Record Yourself. There are lots of options, from a cheap recorder from Radio Shack, a recording program on your computer like Garage Band, all the way up to professional, multi-track software. The important thing is not how many bells and whistles are available, but simply being able to record and play back what you sound like. Remember one basic concept: RECORDINGS DON'T LIE! You may be shocked at what your playing really sounds like, good or bad. I tell my students to record themselves, listen to it, then put it away for a few weeks before listening again. This is a good way to actually hear progress. 
2. Slow Down. Whether you're working on a new piece or polishing up one you've been playing for a while, it's good to slow down and listen for rough spots. It's much harder sometimes to slow a song down and play it accurately, listening to yourself play and concentrating on producing clear, crisp, clean notes.
3. Buy a Metronome and USE IT. I've heard all of the excuses: "it's too mechanical, it's boring, it distracts me, I can't figure out how to use it", and on and on. Don't forget the three things that make up music are melody, harmony and rhythm. Set the metronome to about 60 beats per minute, play scales, chords, finger stretchers, and anything else that needs work. You'll be surprised at how much this will improve your playing. Once you're at a level where you can play with others they'll really appreciate the fact that you have good, solid rhythm skills.

For more hints and tips, or to register for guitar or banjo lessons, visit our website: www.blguitars.net

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More Finger Stretchers and Warm-ups

How to warm up before playing songs

It's always a good idea to do some finger stretching and strengthening exercises before you start to play. I give my students a series of exercises to start with, and when I ask if they've been using them, the reply most of the time is a sheepish "I know I should do them more." So here's a sample of how you could get ready to practice by warming up.

• Spend at least the first 5 minutes doing finger exercises. You can do finger stretchers, play some chords, a few scales, or a combination of those things. To stretch out and warm up the fingers, put your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the 1st string. Without removing that finger, play the 3rd fret, 3rd finger, 4th fret, 4th finger, (yes, the pinky), then 2nd fret, 2nd finger. Do as many strings as you can do comfortably, remembering to always leave the 1st finger down. Use different combinations of fingers, 1, 2, 3, 4, 4, 3, 4, 2, etc.
• Play some chords. Work on changing chords, getting crisp, clear notes and strumming evenly. Put your fingers on the chord, then play the strings one at a time to make sure they're all sounding. Buzzing or vibrations are caused by not holding the string down tight enough, playing too far away from the fret, or letting the pressure off. Muffled or deadened strings are almost always the result of something being in the way. Another finger, a sleeve, or fingernails that are too long are the prime suspects. They will also be muffled if you actually have your finger on the fret.
• Slowly and deliberately play through some songs. Again, work on playing slow and getting the notes clear.
• Don't forget the right hand. If you play with your fingers, try some arpeggio patterns, if you use a pick, try playing scales while you use up and down picking.

Try these tips and you'll hear your playing improve, guaranteed.

What's one thing you can do TODAY to improve your guitar playing?

Focusing on one thing at a time.

Sometimes learning to play guitar is really overwhelming. There are chords, notes, scales, arpeggios, theory, the circle of fifths, and the list goes on. A common beginner problem is trying to do too many different things and once and becoming overloaded with information. I've got students who surf the internet for info, then wonder how they're going to learn all that stuff. Playing guitar is a time art, it's not something that you learn in a short period of time. Finding a guitar teacher to help you sort things out is a good first step.

Finding the one thing to focus on.

Be honest with yourself, and assess your skills so far. There's no need to learn barre chords if you can't play simple open position chords, there's no sense in learning theory until you have a basic understanding of music, you get the idea. Deciding what type of music you want to play will be the easiest indicator of what you should focus on first. If you want to play the guitar and sing, practice chords. Don't buy a chord book and try to memorize 100 different chords, get a song with 3 or 4 chords and learn to play it at the correct speed, with no time lost between chord changes. Too many times a beginning guitar student will proclaim a song finished when it still needs lots of work. Do you want to play lead guitar? Start out with one basic scale pattern and explore it. Play a simple pentatonic scale and try out different note combinations. Once you know where the notes are, try to play something that sounds musical.

The main thing is to be advancing your playing and moving forward.

How NOT to Practice

Does this sound like you when you practice?

I practice while the TV is on. I've had students tell me that they practice while watching television or "have music playing softly in the background." Are you kidding me??? There's a difference between practicing guitar and just noodling around. What do you think you'll accomplish by not devoting full attention to guitar playing?

I try to concentrate but I keep getting text messages, emails or phone calls. Turn off the electronics, set up a practice room and buy yourself a cheap kitchen timer. Make it clear to the family that you're not to be disturbed until you come out of the room. Setting the timer for 30 to 45 minutes, deciding what needs work, and setting practice goals will improve your playing. Beginning guitar players may not be able to practice for 45 minutes at first, but it's a good target to reach.

I practice but don't seem to get anywhere. Are you really practicing or just going through the motions? There's a big difference between practice and playing the guitar for a while. Concentration is huge factor in making significant progress. Find a method that works for you and stick to it. Some guitar students play through a song over and over, some practice one or two small phrases at a time, and some have no idea of what works for them.

Don't practice mistakes. If you make the same mistake in the same place, fix it! Slow down, play each note so slowly that you can't play it wrong, and do that until your fingers go where you want them to. After you can play the trouble spot correctly several times, get out the metronome and very slowly pick up the pace. Trying to play faster without the metronome is much more difficult because it's hard to play a tiny bit faster. With the metronome you can adjust the tempo so you're only adding a few beats per minute.

Don't lose sight of the fun factor. Having said all of the above, there should still be time to play for fun. Depending on your level, spend some time trying new things, playing faster, and experimenting with different sounds. Play closer to the fingerboard then the bridge and listen to the change it makes, play louder, then softer, slide into strings, bend notes and see what you come up with. Try to make up a solo using a pentatonic scale, play some chords and see what they sound like together and pretty soon you'll have a very clear idea of all the ways you can play a guitar.

Music Theory, Part 2, The Circle of Fifths and Scales

The circle of fifths. What is it, why would I use it.

As you travel on your musical journey you'll certainly read or hear about the circle of fifths. It's a learning tool that helps you remember several important concepts. There are many examples on the internet, just Google circle of fifths. The circle teaches you key signatures, how many sharps or flats are in each key, which chords go together, and the relative minor chords. Going clockwise around the circle you learn the sharp  # keys,  going counterclockwise you learn the flat b keys. This helps you learn how to play in different scales. The letters around the top can also help you remember what the 3 main chords are in each scale. Pick a letter, then go clockwise 1 and counterclockwise 1 to get the 3 chords that are most common.

Relative Minors.

No, they're not your young children. Every scale has 2 letters that use the name number of sharps or flats. So C Major and A Minor have the same number, in this case zero, of sharps or flats. To play either one you just start on the first letter and then go through the 7 letters we use in music until it comes back around. For example: C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C is the C Major Scale while A-B-C-D-E-F-G-A is the relative minor.

How is this useful?

By knowing which chords go with which scales you can learn songs more quickly. The other advantage is that it will help you follow along when practicing or jamming with other musicians. This is just a brief explanation, so if you'd like to explore the circle further, do some research or have your guitar teacher go over it with you. It can definitely make figuring songs out a lot easier.

Why Do I Have to Learn Scales?

What is the one element that all music revolves around?

You guessed it, scales. Where do chords come from? Stacking scale notes. Where do songs come from? Taking scale notes and making them into a melody. Where do solos come from? Playing scale notes to form patterns that ultimately become the solo. That's why music teachers place such importance on knowing them. If you understand scales and how they work, your guitar playing improves. Knowing what you're listening to will make it easier to figure out songs and eventually write songs. Take the time to learn the different types of scales and what they're used for, you'll be glad you did.