Whether you’re trying to get better on the strings yourself or you have a growing kid who is starting to get really invested in their musical journey, there’s only so much you can do when practicing by yourself. If you want to keep getting better and to achieve a real level of mastery, then you need to truly understand the instrument. Here are some of the ways to do just that.
Prioritize Technique, Not Speed
While learning the muscle memory to be able to play faster is certainly an improvement of your skills, your ability to play different songs isn’t going to improve if you’re not also learning new techniques and focusing on clean and intentional play. This is one of the big benefits of learning from online tutorials and virtual guitar lessons rather than practicing alone. Being able to see the precise finger movements of someone else can help you mimic them and ensure that you’re building muscle memory in the right direction, rather than simply becoming more proficient at flawed techniques.
Truly Understand The Instrument By Building One
Better playing often comes hand-in-hand with a better understanding of the instrument. Simply learning to play isn’t the only way to build that understanding, however. Finding opportunities to learn how to actually build your own guitar, like Guitar Craft Academy’s summer luthiery program, can help you much better understand the impact of tonewoods, pickups, string gauges, and more. Assuming a guitar can also help you learn how to modify your own guitar, allowing you to better tailor your instrument to your style. It can be very rewarding to play an instrument that you played a literal role in shaping.
Keep Building Your Musical Vocabulary
Rather than simply improving the techniques that you already know, if you want to play a broader range of music, or even write your own, then you should try exploring new genres and techniques. For instance, you can dive into jazz for complex chords, blues for phrasing, or flamenco for fingerstyle agility. Getting outside of your comfort zone challenges not just your hands but your brain, helping you build a broader music vocabulary that allows you to find your own unique expressions as you play. Think of it as reading, you’re likely to be able to pull up more words if you read more broadly, rather than just copying the one book you’ve read time and time again.
Record Yourself Regularly
A little objective assessment is vital if you want to pick up what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong. For that reason, one of he best ways to identify areas for improvement is to record your playing. It’s easy to miss timing issues, buzzes, or weak dynamics in the moment, but to later pick them up when listening back to the recording. Setting up a decent recording environment is vital for being able to hear it cleanly, of course.
Everyone’s journey in improving their guitar skills is different, and you learn at your own pace. However, with the tips above, you can at least ensure yours is an environment of continuous improvement.
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