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Use guitar scales to build technique
When I started playing guitar many years ago I fell for perhaps the silliest trap that I could fall for.
For some reason, I thought that if I could master the chord positions and get my left hand to move fast I would have mastered the guitar and be entertaining and amazing my friends in no time flat. As a result, I wasted an inordinate amount of time solely focusing on my left hand technique. Boy, was I dumb. Playing the guitar in many ways can be likened to driving a car. Your left hand steers the course and the right hand provides the momentum, the brakes and the gear changes. One is useless without the other. Imagine sitting in your car, with your hands on the steering wheel, with the motor running and no means of putting the car in gear or having the means to move but no steering capacity. Each element needs the other to make it work properly. So how do you consistently build both techniques? At the risk of sounding boring, I find scales to be the most effective means of improving both hands' technique, while at the same time training my ears to hear the right notes. Yes, I know that some people say you don't need to play guitar scales, but I'm yet to see a pro who doesn't know theirs backwards, sideways and upside down! You don't need to spend a lot of time each day - maybe 15 - 30 minutes at first, but the idea is to concentrate completely on getting your technique right during those periods. Start slowly and focus upon the following points getting your left hand's fingers to land exactly behind the fret ensuring that each note sounds crisp and clear
Whatever right hand technique you choose make sure that you are getting it right. If it's classical rest stroke make sure you alternate your index and median figures on each note - if it's alternate rock picking as favored by virtuosos like Steve Morse make sure that each note is picked in the opposite direction to the last. This is easier said then done and requires concentration in the early stages. Listen completely to each note as you play it. Say the note out loud to emphasize the point. Work with a metronome to get your right hand trained to working in time FORGET ABOUT SPEED until you have your basics mastered than gradually build over time. You can't play fast unless your technique is sound with both hands. To attempt to play fast before you are ready is like trying to drive while under the influence. You might fool yourself but you won't fool anybody else. In summary, what you need to do is to view your guitar as an instrument that requires total control with both hands. Focusing on basic technique with both hands is the solid foundation for good guitar playing.
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Contributor's Note
Content originally published on my own website "Think guitar"
which is currently being restructured under a different domain name
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May, 2012
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