It has been awhile since my last post! My how time flies, 2011 is here soon to be 2012!

Students coming and going is a part of the guitar teaching industry, we as guitar instructors do accept this.

I have definitely noticed a trend in my over 10 years of teaching guitar, I do wonder where the world is headed with what I call the "technology" generation shift.

What do I mean by this? Well, in our everyday lives, we are busier and busier as there are more gadgets to pay for (my parents sure never paid for a second vehicle, cell phone, or internet) that perhaps sometimes parents let technology help raise their children. You know, it's easier sometimes to let the child play with a new video game or watch a movie, just to get a few quiet minutes to ourselves. And with advances is social networking, kids get very caught up on events on their computers or cell phones........

Now having come from the Atari generation, we did play video games, but we did not let it consume our day to day activities. I remember when I was young playing Space Invaders, then after awhile going outside to play street hockey or baseball. I don't know if this is so much the case for many kids of today.

How does this relate to teaching guitar? Well, let us take the Guitar Hero craze for example. This was great for the guitar teaching industry as many kids and teens developed an interest in learning the actual instrument after playing the video game. I have noticed when many do take actual guitar lessons, once they realize it takes some practice and effort to make progress, some rationalize that it is easier to play the video game and drop out of lessons.

Don't get me wrong, there are still many wonderful teenage students out there, but I can definitely see where the times have changed, even since the mid 2000's.

Right now I am thinking about a few students who have given up their valuable lesson spots over the past few years, with both of us knowing they haven't really made much of an effort. I would hate to give up on something knowing I didn't really try my best. I hope as they get older they realize that what you put into something you truly do get out of it, not just on the guitar, but life in general. Video games and TV don't give back very much when you consider how much time some people put into them.

A Matter of Trust............

A common question I get asked is: "How can I play like you?" Of course, answering this question can be a long one, but sometimes telling someone what NOT to do is as good as telling what TO do.
For everyone reading, including all of my students, past, present and future, I can define my biggest strength as a student that helped me on the guitar when I was taking my first real lessons two decades ago: I trusted my teacher.

The concept was simple: I was hungry to succeed on the instrument, and although sometimes the methods my teacher gave me were not always the most fun and exciting, I trusted the fact that because he was definitely an outstanding player, he must have known something I did not. I put my trust in him and did what he told me to, and am I thankful I did, for I would not now have a thriving teaching business, and play professionally (meaning, being paid to perform.) And most of all, I would not have become a much better player.

I believe almost all students start lessons with the best of intentions, and many succeed, but some falter. By faltering, some do improve, but do not come anywhere close to their potential, simply because they do not follow the important methods I have laid out for them over the course of their lessons.

Sometimes I will bump into a former student like this, and ask them how their playing is, and generally by their own admission, they tell me that they have not improved to their potential by not following the methods I have outlined for them. They have chosen to become their own worst enemy. This will always be puzzling to me.

If for some reason you find yourself in the situation of denying your instructor's methods, do the following:

a) Give your instructor some credit in your mind for the level of proficiency they have achieved. More than likely they can play at a much higher level than most musicians in your community (especially if you live in a small town)
b) Ask yourself why is it that you are taking lessons in the first place. They cost money, and you probably do want to become a better player right?

Until next time, play hard, practise hard, and for the love of God, follow your instructor's methods!


Bryan Briggs

Facebook: Bryan Briggs Music Academy
Twitter: BryanBriggs2day
Youtube: BryanBriggsshred
www.bryanbriggs.com

Happy New Year, Goals for 2010!

Well a new year is among us, warm wishes for 2010!

So with the new year comes new resolutions. A common one is learning the guitar, either the guitar as a new endeavour, or perhaps the new resolution is to pick up the guitar again after some dormancy.
If you are rekindling your desire on the guitar, first thing is to forget the past and look at the new year as a brand new start. Maybe quickly think about your previous efforts and why they may not have succeeded (trying to teach yourself, not staying to a daily practise regimen, not getting the proper instruction, etc...) and retry again but not following the same path you had taken before which led to undesirable results. A common pitfall may be not being able to find the time. Well, the answer is simple, make finding time a priority. Everyone truly is busy in this crazy world, but if we analyze how we spend our time each day, you would be surprised with the results. Some people can seem to find time to routinely watch their favourite TV show (s) playing video games, or sometimes be on the internet for more time than we realize (myself included, damn that Facebook!!!!)
If your goals are recreational, you can find 20 minutes a day to practise. If your goals are more serious, then you must treat is as such, compare it to if you played competitive sports, how much of your time would be devoted to it.
To keep the desire burning, go out and treat yourself to a live DVD of your favourite band, watch your favourite player and pick up that guitar! 2010 is YOUR year go for it!

Bryan Briggs

Facebook: Bryan Briggs Music Academy
Twitter: BryanBriggs2day
Youtube: BryanBriggsshred
www.bryanbriggs.com

Summer Time for Guitar Students..... Proceed With Caution..

For many guitar students, like any other music students, summer is a time where many discontinue lessons, (or take the summer off) basically for a few reasons, but mainly because the parent(s) do not want to be tied to any schedule for the summer, and the student wants the summer schedule to be as free as possible.
For a student with very modest goals, (ie to learn some campfire songs, which he or she will probably want the summer off anyways to play them, okay silly humour there) it is no big deal taking the summer off. Their goals are very small, and really they should start achieving them after a small amount of months of lessons on the guitar anyways, if they are putting in an honest effort.
For a student with more "serious" ambitions and goals, taking the summer off often proves to be deadly for a few reasons:

a) Having a weekly lesson helps keep the student accountable to their practise routine.

I evaluate a student from the beginning of the lessons by knowing what their goals are, and countless times I have seen students with more serious ambitions take the summer off, and drastically fall behind with their progress in September, it is easy to see that they have not picked up the guitar very often over the summer.

b) There is a direct parallel between practising on the guitar and working out. You have to be in a routine for it truly to work. You can not go to the gym for 6 months then take 2 months off from working out, it just does not work that way, and the guitar is no different. Imagine your favourite guitar players that you admire, who inspired you to pick up the guitar in the first place.
Imagine what the state of music would be if James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Joe Perry, Carlos Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, etc... just stopped playing the guitar in the summer during their formative years of learning. Enough said.

The truth of the matter is that for a serious guitar player, the summer is actually a time to make your best gains and get more practising in. Even if they have a job over the summer, not going to school greatly frees up a student's schedule, I've made some of my best gains over the summer when I was younger. Use your time wisely. :)

Take care and we'll see you next time!

Bryan

Lack of Guitar Progress Part 4

Lack of Guitar Progress Part 4

Inaction


Hi everyone!

Here is the 4th installment of why many people do not progress on the guitar: inaction.

What is "inaction?" Here is my description, I have a few:

a) Some guitar players, after spending time going down dead ends with their playing progress, realize that they are not getting better at the rate they should. They know they should seek out lessons with a good instructor, but for various reasons, they procrastinate or rationalize excuses to put it off, with the result being more time going by with no progress. I have literally seen players come into contact with me about lessons several years ago, not commit to taking lessons, then when I see them play many years later, their playing has not improved at all. This is really unfortunate as they will never get those years back.

b) Some guitar players are fortunate enough to get into lessons with a good instructor, but do not properly or efficiently apply their methods, or do not take lessons long enough for any effectiveness. It always puzzles me when I have a new student, whose goal it is, is to be a good guitar player, yet they do not effectively apply the methods I have taught to them. I bump into these individuals years later and their playing still has not improved the rate it should, and I ask them if they have used any of my methods I taught them, when they say sheepishly "no" I just shrug my shoulders and tell them, that that was their choice.

c) For some, they prefer to stare at the guitar and just dream, or play a particular video game and pretend, I would rather do it for real, what about you?

See you next time friends.

Request to join my Facebook group for some free video lessons!

Bryan
www.bryanbriggs.com

Lack of Guitar Progress Part 3

Lack of Self-Evaluation


Do you ever think back in your life and compare yourself to where you were then to where you are now? Look at your job 2 or 3 years ago to now, your income a few years ago to now, etc...
I would imagine most people do. But how many people really do this with their guitar playing?
Sometimes people continue playing for years on end with little improvement in their playing and don't really think about it, thinking it will magically just come together on it's own, but to no avail.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to constantly self-evaluate your playing and progress, at least each month. Set goals for yourself and see if you reach them in the time frame you set for yourself.
I've always been good at using a year timeframe, I can look back each year and see where I have improved, and what areas need more work.
So evaluate yourself from right now to this time last year, a moderately serious to serious guitar player should notice large improvement over a span of a year.
Is there not a fairly dramatic improvement in your playing? Let's honestly evaluaty why:


a) Your practice routine is non-committed and unefficient.
b) Your learning methods are unefficient (either on your own or even perhaps your instructors methods.)
c) Your instructor's methods are efficient, but you fail (at your own choosing) to apply them properly.

Look really hard, it has to be one or more of the three.

See you next time for part 4.

Lack of Guitar Progress Part 2

The Dangers and Downfalls of "Songs Only" Lesson Formats.

Many instructors teach guitar with the format of simply showing students what they want to play.
Why this method? People inherently have misconceptions about guitar, and about the process of learning the guitar, people (students, and parents) relate progress and quick gratification on the guitar to being able to play bits of their favourite songs. Many instructors oblige this by teaching in this method only. This might seem like the best method in the quick short term, but in the long term it clearly spells disaster and a large loss of invested money.
Why is this? Well for many reasons, and I am speaking in this sense for people with modest to serious goals on the guitar, meaning they want to become a good player.
1) Learning the guitar is like learning to be able to build a house, you need to learn to use the proper tools to be able to build whatever you like. When you are shown songs only, you are not learning proper tools (fundamentals like proper technique, different techniques, etc...)
2) When you are learning "songs only" you are not learning in a methodical chain of lessons, learning to build on what you were previously shown.
3) Let's say you are a fan of Metallica, and you would like to be able to play a particular solo to one of their songs. If the teacher shows you the notes, you still will never be able to play it properly because you are NOT SHOWN the proper way to improve your technique to that level to play it perfectly!
4) You are not being given theoretical knowledge to understand what you are being shown and how the music works. I am so fortunate to have the instruction I had when I started out, and having been shown how to develop proper technique, and having been taught theory as well. Because I was given the tools early on, I learned to use them to keep building on what I had. Students who learn with the "songs only" method will never have that opportunity (unless they try different instruction.)
5. Society is generally subject to misconceptions all the time, and learning guitar is one of them. If you look around, EVERYONE owns a guitar, yet there are so few really good players!

In conclusion, if this is your chosen method, evaluate yourself, are you happy with your progress? Many people do not give themselves a self-evaluation, really ask yourself about your progress. Here's another simple one: If you have been taking lessons for over 2 years, here are a few things a good guitar player will be able to do:
a) Be able to spell out a major scale in any key.
b) Be able to play the 15 beginner chords on command.
c) Be able to play two or three note patterns on each string to eighth notes at 100 bpm (minimum)
d) Be able to perform half step and whole step bends and be in tune.
e) Be able to play at least one scale in any key over the whole fretboard.

If you have been taking lessons for more than two years, and you are not capable of doing this, it's time for some serious reflection.

See you next time for PART 3