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1) Tales from the gig. Monthly feature with a lesson we can all learn from.

2) Readers questions. Answers to your questions concerning guitar related issues.

matters.

Tales From The Gig

Anyway , back to the story. As part of that junior year, I had to do a solo recital on classical guitar. Talk about nervous. First of all, I was used to playing in bands where you can blend in and hide behind the other members of the band. Second, I was used to playing bars and restaurants. Playing solo in front of music students and professors on a stage in a university setting. Too much to handle.

First, you have to come out and take a bow. That was awkward enough. Plus your in a suit and tie. Another new experience, playing in something besides jeans and a tee shirt. Well anyhow, I start to play. I am playing a piece by Sor, one of the greatest composers for the classical guitar in history.

In the middle of a passage my worst fear realized. Major clam(for those of you that don’t know, a clam is a mistake). Panic sets in. All I can hear are those wrong notes ringing in my ears. What do I do? Make another mistake, followed by another. Three mistakes in a row.

I finally recovered and somehow made it through the rest of that recital. Even though it was a horrifying experience to go through, it was probably the best lesson I ever learned on a gig.

Mistakes are gonna happen. If you play enough you will play a wrong chord, play a bad note, screw up in ways that you couldn't possibly imagine. So what’s the lesson? When you make a mistake let go of it and move on. Retain your concentration and move on.

This will keep you from making several mistakes in a row like I did. I was so focused on the first mistake I made more. If I would have let it go and stayed focused it would have been a much better performance.

So remember, when you make a mistake, let it go and stay focused. Try to apply this in all areas of your life. A mistake becomes part of your past as soon as you make one. Let’s leave our mistakes in the past where they belong and work to create a bright future for ourselves and others.

Share the gift of music.

Good playin,

Bob

Reader Questions

This is probably the most frequently asked question I get. It’s also the hardest one to answer. I wish I had a crystal ball to answer this one, or better yet a magic wand so I could just wave it and turn us all into the guitarists we want to be. Since I don’t have either one, here are a few thoughts on the subject.

First, how do you want to play guitar? Do you want to be able to strum a few chords and sing folk songs, or do you want to play like Van Halen or Steve Vai? Or maybe you want to play jazz guitar. How you want to play will be a factor in how long it takes.

It will take a lot longer to be a jazz guitarist or to solo like Vai or Van Halen than it will to play simple chord accompaniments to folk songs. There are many different styles and ways to play guitar, some more difficult than others. By clearly defining your guitar playing goals, you can get a better idea of how long it will take you to learn.

You can learn to play a few chords and strumming patterns in a matter of weeks. To learn how to improvise and solo can take years. In fact, that is one of the joys of music, there is so much to learn that it is a never ending process of discovery.

Second, how much time are you willing to spend practicing? As far as I know, there are no shortcuts to learning the guitar. I see promises in ads like, “Learn To Play The Guitar In 3 Days.” In my experience, this is simply not possible. It takes practice to learn the guitar.

If you are only willing to commit to 10 or 15 minutes here or there, it is going to take you a lot longer to learn than someone who spends an hour every day practicing. Or two hours, or three...you get the idea. The more time you spend practicing the quicker you will learn.

Third, and this is one I can’t put my finger on(no pun intended.) Some people seem to have more of a natural aptitude for the guitar than others. They just seem to be able to pick it up easier than others. If you are one of the fortunate ones that seem to be blessed with this, good for you.

For the rest of us, hard work and practice will get us to our guitar playing goals. I really believe that anyone can learn to play. No matter how difficult it may seem at times, stay the course, practice, and you will improve.

This is the best answer I can give to your question. I’m sure it’s probably not what you were looking for but hopefully I have given you some insight and some things to think about. In summary, define your goal as a guitarist, and when you achieve that goal you may find yourself then setting a higher goal. Set aside a consistent block of time to practice. Daily repetition of your material will help you improve faster than anything I know.

Thanks for the question and good luck!

Best Wishes,

Bob

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I really appreciate any comments both good and bad that you might have.

If you have any comments at all let me have right between the eyes.

To your guitar playing success.

Best wishes,

Bob