In June’s guitar newsletter, I want to point back to a basic concept at the heart of learning an instrument and the key to eventually playing music with other musicians: the importance of developing the discipline to practice.

This month, I will be participating in my first 5K along side our 11-year-old daughter to celebrate the end of a season of a girls' running club.  My wife did it last year so it is only fair that it’s my turn despite the fact that I definetely do not consider myself a runner.  I see a lot of parallels between preparing for this event and for a live music performance.  Incorporating visualization techniques helped equip me for them and are worthwhile tools. 

When we watch an artist, we witness a product that has deep roots.  We are only seeing the blossom, the fruit so to speak, of a long growing process.  Not only is the event a manifestation of their creativity but also an accumulation of their past work and experiences.  We don’t see all the inspirations, teachers, mentors, books, musicians, music, recordings, art studies, instrument knowledge, schooling, endless practice, rehearsals and past concerts and much more behind the momentary performance.  

This year, on January 10th, Jeff Beck passed away at the age of 78.  The legacy of this English musician is enormous.  He solidified the option for guitarists to have solo careers and focus primarily on their guitar playing skills and own compositions.  He is an amazing illustration of how an artist can continually evolve and embrace many different genres yet stay close to his roots.  He also embodied an innovative spirit that saw far greater possibilities of what the electric guitar had to offer sonically.  I would like to encourage guitar lovers to become well acquainted with his tremendous creative output.  

Without a doubt a good melody is one of the most attractive things in music.  It keeps the listener engaged and compels us to re-listen to the song.  Melodies can range from very simple to quite complex and are equally present in all genres of music.  Analyzing their structure, seeing patterns and discovering formulas is engaging and educational.  Equally, composing your own melodies is also rewarding.  Starting in 2023, in an ongoing spirit of self-betterment and musical growth, I set myself the goal of regularly writing and recording a melody.      

Over the years, being a guitar teacher has morphed into a larger dimension.  Of course, the act of teaching, playing, practicing and performing are still at the heart of it.  However, the passing on of knowledge about music can go much deeper.  With the arrival of 2023, I am looking forward to enriching my students’ lives with all I can learn from my interest in music.  Educating them in unexpected ways and keeping them curious is my goal as their teacher. 

Asking questions is a good thing. Not only are you likely to get useful answers but you will enrich the person on the other end as well. Teachers especially are not only around to share their knowledge, but they are there to be drilled with questions from their field. It is a win-win situation. Get past any reason you might be afraid to ask questions. It’s OK not to know everything, and daring to ask questions is an act of courage and a sign of humility. Neither of those are bad traits!

Transcribing songs is definitely a skill that can be learned, and it improves the more you do it. Some songs follow well-established formulas that are recognizable by a trained ear. I notate, and then jot down a rough outline. I first notate the chord progressions with proper chord symbols (G, C, D Em etc.) and determine what part of the song they belong to. Often a song will have an Intro, a verse, a chorus, perhaps a bridge and an outro. You can designate these song parts using the letters A (verse), B (chorus), C (bridge) etc. This let’s you decode the form of the song, also called the roadmap, using the letters in the order the parts of the song are put together.

Saying YES and participating is not only beneficial to the growth of an artist but equally douses a wave of good fortune on others! Sharing whatever lies within you is a wonderful thing especially if you find yourself surrounded by folks who appreciate this mysterious realm we call “the arts”

Teachers need to be inspired in order to pass on the drive to learn to their students.  An ongoing urge to expand one’s knowledge and share one’s insights is a prerequisite for being a competent teacher.  It doesn’t matter whether you are teaching Kindergarten, elementary school, music lessons or a college level science class; anybody who is passing on knowledge is in the best shape if they themselves are psyched about their topic.  Living an inspired life can only happen if we enable it.  

 There is much to be learned from listening to music composed and played on other instruments. Music consists not only of melody, harmony and rhythm, but also of the tone, timbre, texture, dynamics and playing style unique to each instrument. These elements are an equal part of the musical equation and help us understand why genres exist and why a brass quintet is recognizable from a traditional bluegrass band.