Now as we all know by now… I’m not a sports guy. But I played a bit of basketball as a kid and even did a couple of seasons in a “real” league as a teenager.

BasketballAnd as much as I hate to admit it, sports and guitar often seem to have this interesting symmetry when it comes to practicing and perfecting what needs to be done.

Basketball players spend an unbelievable amount of time on the most fundamental of techniques… the layup.

In reading several articles about “how to run an effective basketball practice” every single article says to start with layups and to make sure that you include them in every single practice.

And I’ve heard of pro players who religiously get out on the court and practice layups until they are completely on autopilot.

Why do you suppose that is?

“Duh, dummy, so they don’t miss in a game…”

Yes, I know… but what is it about playing in a game (or playing a song) that makes it somehow harder to execute the layup?

I mean, if they can do it in practice and hit 10 out of 10, why wouldn’t you expect them to hit 10 out of 10 on game day?

And that, my friend, is because there is all this other stuff going on that changes the situation dramatically.

There are defenders, crowds, flashing lights, noises… a whole host of variables that aren’t there during practice. And any one of those things could easily capture a player’s attention right when they need to be focused on executing that layup…

… so they have to be able to execute that layup even if they aren’t paying attention!

Even if they are staring at the defenders, looking for a teammate, listening for the buzzer, or whatever – that layup still has to go in or those guys are out of luck.

Now let’s say you’re a beginner and you know how to play a C chord and a G chord… and you can switch between them pretty well.

What happens when you have a song with C, G, Aminor, and then F? My guess (it’s not really a guess, I see this happen all the time) is that you’ll be thinking about the F and mess up the C to G that you thought you could play just fine.

See the situation is a little different and that new element is all it takes to tip the scales out of your favor I’m afraid.

Or let’s say you memorized the A blues scale, box 1, and you’re going to use it and solo over a blues now…

So you fire up a jam track and get ready but all of a sudden it’s as if you’ve never played that scale before in your life, how can that be?

Well now you’re listening for chord changes and rhythm and all kinds of stuff that you weren’t focused on before… the situation isn’t the same and since nothing is on autopilot it kind of falls apart.

“Well that’s great, Griff… now that you’ve doomed us to failure how about a little help?”

Of course… glad you asked 🙂

The obvious first thing is not just repetition, it’s repetition on a consistent basis.

If you’re the beginner who has just learned C and G, as long as you go back and forth between them a few times each day, they will get better and more on autopilot pretty quickly. If you do it once a week… well it’ll take a LOT longer to get there.

Better yet, once you get C and G down, look for chord progressions (songs) that have C and G, and maybe 1 or 2 other chords. Learn the 1 or 2 other chords and practice putting them all together. There are a ton of songbooks full of easy songs out there with songs that have only 3-5 chords each.

Don’t worry about whether or not you are doing it like the song – in fact, it doesn’t even matter what the song is. Just practice the chord changes with 4 strums each and try to keep a steady beat.

You might find one that has C, G, Amin, F and another with D, C, G, C and another with G, C, Emin, C – just to name a few. Build out slowly from what you start with and you’ll find that you have a pretty good chord vocabulary within a few short weeks.

If you’re the guy (or gal) who has just learned the blues scale in A… go find as many jam tracks in the key of A as possible and noodle around with that scale until the cows come home. It’ll be lousy – that’s fine. This isn’t about being the next BB King today… that comes later.

Try playing it from the middle – start on the 4th string and go up and back, then from a note on the 2nd string. You can come up with a ton of different possible ways to play that scale pattern that are different from just starting on the 6th string and going all the way up and back.

You only need 5 minutes to do that, but if you do it every day you’ll pretty soon get to a point where you really can’t come up with anything that stumps you. Then you’ve got it and you know it… and that’s pretty darn cool.

If you only remember 2 things from today, remember this – repetition doesn’t win the day, consistent repetition does. Small amounts, every day, will produce FAR better results than cramming 1 day a week. That’s why I say 20 minutes per day of focused practice time is usually all that you need to see good results.

And second, once you’ve learned a little something, try to build a little something more on top of it. This is the way my Blues Guitar Unleashed course (well… all my courses) is designed because that’s what works with my private students just like it worked for me growing up and just like it will work for you.


    82 replies to "Guitar And Layups"

    • jean dominique

      Point well taken. Thank you

    • Bart

      “Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong.” -Nick Saban, Head Coach, Alabama Crimson Tide Football

    • Sean Lee

      When you’re playing air guitar!

      • A J

        Even air guitar F chords scare me

    • George Voss

      When is a guitar (or any other instrument being played) like a basketball? When they are flat!

    • DaveyJoe

      Great advice Griff!
      11/12/18

    • Stewart Bain

      Just what the Doctor ordered. Consistency consistency consistency. Thanks Griff

    • DanaC

      Wow! Excellent advice, Griff! I’ve been struggling with your lesson, Texas Hideout, for a couple of months, but for a long time I wasn’t consistent, about getting small phrases down, or about counting, making sure the timing was correct on even the smallest phrases. But I heard you when you said before, you have to count, count, count! I went back to Texas Hideout about two weeks ago and applied those things, and also what you say here; not reputation but consistency. And now I have about half the tune down, and memorized, and am getting close to being able to play that much with the slow jam track. My goal is to be able play it consistently, and record it and post it to my FB page. At THAT point I will move on and tackle the second half. I have been struggling for a while with my learning to play, but the Texas Hideout lesson really opened my eyes, and inspired me, and within a few weeks it was all coming together!! Thank you, thank you, Griff!

    • Mike Seary

      Really interesting Griff but I had to Google “layup” first. For those who don’t know…..

      A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump shot. The layup is considered the most basic shot in basketball.

      Wow! Now let me explain the rules of cricket…….

      • John mann

        Thanks for that, I though I was the only one who didn’t know!😕

        • John Simpson

          Josh, you weren’t the only one. I appreciate the clarification too, especially Griff’s emphasis on consistency and repetition; things I’d forgotten.

      • JP

        It’s exactly the same as hitting the stumps with a throw from deep cover

    • Sluggo17

      Thank’s Griff,

      I try to share your teaching with all who love to play guitar.
      20 minutes twice a day is all my schedule allows at the moment. I learned the playing on the porch but struggle with counting.
      I plan on investing more in your acoustic blues guitar programs.

      Merry Christmas and happy New Year!
      Bob

    • Willem

      Very good advise.I’m a little inconsistent in the amount I play and what I work on each day and some days I don’t play.I took a seminar with Robben Ford this summer this summer, and he had similar advise,although it was hard absorb all he had to show us his outlook of what was important in learning to play the guitar was the most I got out of the course.Thanks for being around and sending emails daily with great tips and advise.

    • John England

      An interesting and informative article as usual, Griff.
      Compliments of the Season to you and yours, from this side of the Atlantic.

    • Seamus

      Thanks Griff for your always practical and helpful advise throughout the year.
      Wish you and your family all of the best for the festive season and great things in 2017 from us here in New Zealand.

      • Barry Smith

        Thank you for you’re consistent inspiration in my guitar playing journey

    • Gary Hylton

      Griff,

      I’m still with you and following your advice! I wish you would have been around in 1957. No tellin’ where I may have been today!

      Thanks for everything you do to help those of us who play guitar – play better!!!

      Wishing you and your family a most enjoyable holiday season and the best in the new year.

      Old School & Still Rockin’

    • Ben

      Thanks Griff …good advice as usual. About the only thing better is two 20 minute sessions a day. Say one in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening. Pick the guitar up whenever…even if it’s for 5 minutes!!!

    • John

      ????

    • Charles Snyder

      Always wise advice from you, Griff. Today is no exception.

    • Gene

      Griff…This is great stuff! Keep it coming.Thank’s.Gene

    • mike beigel

      Great blog, just had that problem 5 minutes b-4 I read this.Please keep up the encouragement. I have wanted to quit many times, finally i can see tremendous improvement.I may go to a jam session one day

    • John

      My high school baseball coach always told us to practice like we play because we will play like we practice. Philosophy applies to guitar and any of life’s endeavors.

    • Cary solinski

      The Chinese have a rule do your moves until they become a reflex that you don’t have to think about the next move

    • cowboy

      Great points Griff…

      there used to be a saying. “you are only as good as your practice”…amazing how that holds true in most everything…

      thanks for the simple reminder…later.

      cowboy

    • Big Dan

      I’m a jock trying to become a musician. I played and officiated sports into my mid-50’s, and I couldn’t agree more. And I mean all sports are like playing guitar. And then you get on a team (band), and you have to get everyone on the same page, pulling for the same thing. So much fun. Best thing about playing guitar is you can get out of bed the next morning and you’re not sore! lol

      • jim

        …after back-to-back nights of 4 hr gigs with an old Les Paul hanging around your neck….you’ll be sore!

    • carl reeves

      I retired from tae kwon do 15 years ago…advanced black belt…..anyway ,yes sports and music are very related …..scales/forms…..kicks,punches/technique(slurs,hammer ons etc)….self defense techniques/stock riffs…….since my knees gave out ,guitar study is just as challenging…tks Griff

    • John England

      More sound advice Griff.

    • Greg

      I really needed this. After watching the You Tube series “Introducing Roy Buchanan: The World’s Greatest Unknown Guitarist”, I just wanted burn my guitar and give up. That guy was so incredible and he was very secretive, he would turn his back to the crowd because he was a guitarist’s guitarist. This is the guy that people like “Duane Allman” paid to go see play and try to perceive his licks! So, Roy knew all this work he’d done; years of “figuring out” bizarre and incredible techniques, heck, he was not about to just “give it away”. To be honest, to see and hear the stuff that guy could do was inspiring, but also, as a “dilettante”, it was quite humbling if not humiliating. You would love to be that good, but just know it’s impossible! So, I am having to let that go, pick my guitar back up out of the gutter and not try to be as good as Roy, but as good as Greg, and I think I can do that, and of course, people like Griff Hamlin and the Blues Guitar Unleashed Course can at least help me accomplish that. There are plenty of Great “Known” and “Unknown” guitarist that are nowhere as phenomenal as Mr. Buchanan. Therefore, I have to be grateful and focus on being the best guitarist “I” can be. That’s all anybody can do and that’s all that Roy did. So I can thank my lucky stars that there are teachers out there like Mr. Hamlin and courses available, like “Blues Guitar Unleashed”. PS Also, if you have not seen “Introducing Roy Buchanan: The World’s Greatest Unknown Guitarist” and you play guitar, you really need to check it out! Thanks for the space to share.

      • Drake J.

        You could also check out Danny Gatton, he will blow your mind !

      • Gary Hylton

        Thanks for turning me on to Roy Buchanan. That guy is a study! I just finished watching Part 1 of the documentary “Introducing Roy Buchanan Greatest Unknown Guitarist in the World [1971}”. I plan to watch/read something everyday about him until I have been through all I can find.

        Also, I would be remiss if I failed to thank “GRIFF” for these forums, because without them we would not be able to grow in so many ways!

        Old School and Still Rockin’

      • MoreFreedom

        Thanks for introducing Roy to me. Don’t give up – you can do at least some of what he did. I learned long ago, if someone can do something, you can probably do it as well if you’re dedicated enough. Of course there will always be others who are better, but it doesn’t matter. Celebrate what you can do, and try to do better.

        One thing that helped me get those chord changes down, is to isolate the problem change, and just work on it. Like from Am to F – I just went back and forth until it was easy. Then I applied it to the song. That was long ago, but I still isolate those problem changes/licks and work on them when learning something new. Pretty soon you’ve got the muscle memory where your fingers should be, and it’s easy. It just takes some practice.

    • Stanley King

      Dave Edwin mentioned that most of us have little concept of the practice time greats like Tommy Emanuel have invested into their playing. I saw Tommy live a few years ago and after the show I had the chance to talk to his road manager. She said that he drove her (and everybody else) crazy on the bus between shows with all the running through scales and practicing of those slick licks he does. She said it was almost a constant thing for Tommy to do while traveling between shows. And it certainly shows in his picking. I’d just like to know what he’s forgot.

      • MoreFreedom

        I’ve got to agree that Tommy Emanuel is a fantastic player. Better than Roy Buchanan who’s mentioned above IMHO.

    • Ernie

      I always keep my practice guitar on the stand where I can see it most of the time that I’m home. It’s amazing how many times I pick it up and try new ideas or practice lessons without even thinking. I probably pick it up 5 or 6 times a day and play it for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. I notice that when I learn something new, the first time doesn’t sound very good, but every time I pick up the guitar after taking a break, I notice some improvement even that same day. I also try to listen to a recording of what I’m trying to play during my breaks and I notice that my timing improves the next time I pick up my guitar.

    • Taurino Salinas

      Griff, I rarely post on here but I have allways been thankful for your lessons and Ihave to say that after reading some of the comments on here this morning I am more fired up about practicing consistently. Muchas gracias for all your efforts. God bless.

    • Paul Warner

      I put in every day at least an hour and most days two hours on the guitar. I cannot imagine practicing 20 minutes and progressing, and that is not to say that the 20 minutes a day is wrong, but for me it would not work. There are days I have put in 4-5 hours because there is a lot that I work on. Yes I will have those moments where I feel I have gotten stale, and I will take a day off from it, but overall I really like having a guitar in my hands.

    • Marty

      Too many teachers expect this and that from us. They forget what it is really like when your first learning to play. Griff remembers!!! That’s what makes him a good teacher.

    • Gary Hylton

      Griff,

      Good pointers and it’s never too late to start good habits!

      Old School & Still rockin’

    • Royce

      I know that there is nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said, I have found after 36 years of pretending to know how to play the guitar and learning 100’s of songs Griff has help me to understand a few basics that has made the difference between making sounds and making music. If you play the music and it doesn’t sound quite right do it anyway. By the 2nd or 3rd even the 10th time you go thru the notes or cords it becomes cleaner and more like music. Just remember If you do not have music in you, it won’t just appear out of nowhere. Thanks Griff

    • Mark Wales uk

      Thanks Griff
      for the advice I practice everyday and I try to lean something new everyday

    • bill (england)

      i get to see loadsa people on open mic nites with loadsa books or papers cos they have not learned the tunes. it always sounds like they are reading it off the page, and the fumbles and mistakes are glaringly obvious. it is not a crutch. i can understand if they are beginers first time out, being brave, but many have been at it a long time and no improvement is made.
      one tune learned and played well is far better for those that have to listen,(especially if they PAY to get in). put the time in. it really pay’s off. i NEVER play a new tune out till i’ve learned it.

    • Elissa Studzinski

      How can I make additional transfer to my railroad blog?

      • Manny Hernandez

        That much what needs to be said because four years ago I couldn’t play what I know now. You got to stick with consistency repetitive exercises to get better. When I practiced in that fashion that GRIFF mentioned,it was slow and did not make sense to me why everything sounded odd and out of tune? Quite frankly, I became a little frustrated, but one glorious moment it all fell into place.and became a little inspired to play more.There is no easy way out. You have to be serious and commit yourself.If Mr. GRIFF Hamlin can do it, I can do it and all of you guitar players can do it. YOU CAN DO IT! A beginning student—–Manny Hernandez.

    • Sandra Mahony

      Thanks griff, great advice ,thanks for all your positive input, it can get a bit lonely sometimes learning the guitar,hence we all have to hide away in a room or whatever , so we dont drive our partners mad, so I love reading your comments and little stories, thanks so much.

    • Michael

      Thanks Griff! not just practice, but daily quality practice. It is slowly but surely leading me to muscle memory and less mental stress when practicing. thanks again coach !

    • Jeremiah Gee

      Thanks Griff,thank you for your support and have a nice Thanhsgiving. Gee

    • jim

      Er…what’s a layup?

    • Marco

      Right on time Griff. So much great and fun stuff to work on that my practice efforts can wind up all over the place. Time to refocus a bit. Thanks!

    • Jeff

      In 2011 I decided to dig my 1984 Sigma acoustic out of the closet and see if I could reclaim some of musical magic from my college days (it is worth mentioning that I was never that good so “magic” is a relative term). Well after a few weeks (okay months) of fits and starts where I could only play 15 minutes at a time before my fingers bled and some really bad choices on online/DVD guitar courses, I discovered this Hamlin guy and his BGU caper. I bought the base BGU course and got stuck in. I took on board the most fundamental of this guy’s teachings (after all, he doesn’t suck on the guitar)…practice every day…divide your practice into 3 bits: fundamentals, building technique, learning new stuff…counting out loud (you might have heard him mention this)…be musical not just mechanical…force yourself out of your comfort zone and just play (fake til you make it). It was a slog at first and if I’m honest I was less than diligent; however, over the last 2 years I would say that I have practiced an average of 6 1/2 days a week and an hour a day (some weeks/days more and some less – but pretty damn consistent). Yes I have a job and sometimes that job takes me to remote project locations where I work 14 or 15 hour days – my guitar comes with me and I force myself to “at least run through a few scales or finger-picking patterns for my 20 minute minimum.” Over the course of this 2 year journey I have acquired an alarming array of BGU courses – I say alarming because I have never made it all the way through any of them (Sorry Griff). However, I have spent serious time with all of them and each has helped me to shape my “guitar voice”. As it turns out that voice is more of a solo singer/guitarist than a jam night sort of guy (hence my go to course is Acoustic BGU).

      Now to the point of this diatribe…over this past weekend I noticed my wife unfolding one of my guitar stands and she says to me “you need to go upstairs, get your guitar and bring it down into the living room.” “Why?” was the obvious response. “Because you need to get the music out of the man-cave and start sharing it with the family…it’s really soothing and beautiful.” As I sat on my couch working on a finger-picking song that I had started trying to learn only 2 days earlier – the bass line was pretty solid, the fingers mostly knew where to go for the melody picking, the chord changes were reasonably smooth and seamless (including hammer-ons and pull-offs) – I realised that you don’t have to play for 30 years or practice 8 hours a day or start playing seriously when you’re 9 years old or even have the world’s greatest guitar to be able to make music, real music, that people will appreciate. All it takes is a bit of discipline (play every day if only for 20 minutes), a bit of persistence (for when it feels like you’re going backwards instead of forward) and listen to what this Griff Hamlin dude has to say about learning to play the guitar. Thanks, Griff.

      • Dirk

        Guitar playing is more like golf. Sometimes you just want to take that guitar and break it in two pieces over your knee!

        • Jeffrey Goblirsch

          I want to throw my Giuitar threw a window sometimes!

        • Scott

          The golf reference is a good one. I’ve never thought of it that way before.

        • Lego

          I want to do that to my acoustic guitar. I always hurt after only 10 minutes of playing it.

          • Kim

            check out the Zager guitars .com they are for players with bigger hands & have a VERY nice “action” (the pressing of strings to the fret board)This guy wrote the old song “in the Year 25-25 remember? it ? Good luck to you & ABOVE ALL PLEASE YOURSELF & Have FUN first !Respectfully,Kim

    • geoff

      Gday griff, great advice as always, please keep it coming, I need it .
      Cheers
      Geoff

    • Michael Chappell

      Hi Griff,
      It is always great when you think to remind us to go back to the basics and keep practicing them. Everytime I pick up one of my electric guitars for a practice everynight during the working week,also on weekends daytime I make sure the guitar is correctly tuned to pitch then I run through all the scales for speed and then all the Major & Minor chords before I move to a new lesson or practice an existing lesson of yours. Such as the Pride & Joy Part 2 which I am doing every day now until it sounds like you… well almost.

      I find that I am still weak in Bar Chords so I am now working on those now. Not many times I need them but when I do it is not up to scratch. I am also still learning the Notes on the Fret board because when you are in your 60’s you have to keep doing a refresh to make sure you learn it like the hairs on your hand.
      All great Griff.
      Michael- Sydney Australia

      • Kevin

        Michael I really like your posts, man. Keep up the good work!

    • Dave

      Counting takes longer than 20 minutes!!!

      • James J Stabile

        That’s Totally Untrue!
        My original instrument was the snare drum and the training is “all counting” which I practiced 20-30 minutes a day and within about six months I knew almost everything I needed to know and could recognize, count and transcribe any rhythm I heard. When I was teaching in school. all of my 2nd-5th grade students could do the same with only about 5 minutes drill every other day. about once a month we would have a dictation test they were able to write down any rhythm I tapped out.
        surely Guitarists can do the same

        James

    • jim

      Basketball & Guitar:

      If you play outside the key, you’re offensive?

      • Lego

        Sort of like learning to color. It’s not right to get outside the lines.

    • Mary Chris

      It is interesting you mention basketball. there is a teenage boy in my neighborhood who inspires me to practice. He is outside shoot the ball @ his basketball net everyday. If this kid came be so dedicated to practicing basketball shots then I can practice scales and chord changes to improve my guitar playing

    • CRAIG PAYNE

      Wish my arm was not broken so I could
      start useing my beginners blues CDs
      I would love to practice.

    • colleen

      Love your advice, keep it coming

    • Howard Spruit

      I tourist asked an old man “How do I get to Carnage Hall?
      The old guy answered “PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!”

    • Charles S.

      Thanks again Griff for the inspirational and motivational tips you send out frequently. They really help to keep a person focused on the light at the end of the tunnel (and it’s NOT a train!). Great job!!

    • Len

      Thanks Griff,Its great you seem to cover the important things most guitar teachers that I have talked to overlook.Great help,Len.

    • Gary Hylton

      Griff, you’re right as usual! “Daily practice is far more beneficial than a marathon session once a week and don’t practice your scales in front of the TV. I read somewhere if you want to become a professional musician you need to practice at least three hours a day.” Since 1960 I have practiced on the average of an hour a day.I was never able to give up my day job, but I have played in some very good bands. Around this time last year I got to do a number in public with blues legend Johnny Rawls. It was a spur of the moment thing and I was nervous as heck, but Mr. Rawls made me feel right at home and all the years of practice paid off!

      Thanks Griff for everything you do to help those of us who play guitar – play a little better. Old School and Still Rockin’ – Gary

    • Czar1952

      Grif –
      I was a professional ski instructor for 25 years. I could ski down any trail in any conditions because of two things: solid technique and constantly practicing that technique. Every time I skied I would practice basic turns and exercises for the first hour, then teach or free ski. I got to a point where I was on autopilot and would enjoy the beautiful scenery while cruising down a slope. I studied violin and piano as a kid, and decided to take up guitar at age 55. I applied the same general principles to my guitar practice as I did to my skiing, and 7 years later I’m no Jeff Beck but I can hold my own whether soloing or playing rhythm.
      So what does skiing and playing guitar have in common? Same thing as playing guitar and playing basketball!

    • alan davis

      I go to singarounds sometimes and have messed up many times because of lack of practice. I. don’t let it worry me you lose fear and no one bothers, mind you there’s hardly ever much of an audience. So anyway when I have practiced I have had much more appreciation. Discipline is my trouble, practice time usually soon goes to me practicing whatever comes into my head.

    • mike z.

      Griff, again you have given us some great advice. Since I retired, I have more time to concentrate on practicing, and going through your courses I have purchased. Thanks again. Mike Z.

    • jim pyron

      I suffer from terrible stage fright. I can play a song at speed perfectly but as soon as that Audacity starts up I fall to pieces! More layups in my future.

    • Dave Edwin

      Most students have dreams of being like one of their heros, Tommy Emmanual,Clapton,or Tony Rice. They have little concept of the life these chaps live as they were in the process of becoming the stars they are today.First, they all are gifted to some degree or another but they will be the first to tell you that “it’s amazing how practicing eight hours or more a day influences your so called gifts” Jack Marlin. Jack was one Chets many protoges he brought along and encouraged. The key is most of us can’t spend the kind of time behind the instrument that the Derrick Trucks,Eric Johnson or the Griff Hamlins of the world devote themselves. Fortunately these fellows are willing to show us how to practice for best results.this especially ture if you come with most of the fundamentals under your belt. Back to the sports analogy most people don’t realize the difference between a pro golfer and amature duffer is a consistant three strokes per hole.

      • Jeffrey Goblirsch

        Exactly! Most of us don’t have the to put in to fulling improve as a guitar player. I work at least 11 hr days! When the weathers is bad it’s 13 hr days. The only way I can really improve is if I could get a 6 mo leave of absence from work. If everyone practiced 8 hrs a day, we would be the best guitar players on the planet

    • cowboy

      Having spent 30 years as a certified tennis teaching professional, I can truly relate to you analogy. If I’d spent as much time working on guitar as I have working on my tennis game, I’d be a much better guitar player but then my tennis game would stink…However, I’ve got a few years to work on guitar and can’t thank you enough for all the help…later.

      cowboy

    • Jeffrey Goblirsch

      Ya I was practicing last night! When I play Barre Chordst the magor, minor & 7th chords all sound the same, so I have to use open chords,. To get clear Barre Chords is like making a basket from half court!

    • Bill45

      Years ago I taught a beginning guitar class at a University. One of the students in one of the classes was a guy from the university’s hockey team. He was a nice enough kid, but was looking for an easy A in an easy class. While beginning guitar is certainly not Physics 101, I did expect the students to learn the open chords, some basic strumming and a little finger picking and I demonstrated early on what I expected by the end of the class. Well, the hockey player was expecting to spend 15 minutes a week on the lessons and be able to play the materials. In his defense, he had huge hands and fingers and his guitar was somewhat on the order of a beat up Stella, but my first guitar was a Stella as well and I did OK.

      During the classes I would draw chords or patterns on the board, demonstrate them, and then have each student attempt what I just demonstrated going around the class one student at a time. It mostly went well, but the hockey player was still stuck on week one material during week 6. So I asked him “What does hockey have in common with playing the guitar?”. His response was an emphatic “NOTHING!”. My response was “Oh yes there is commonality!”. And he challenged back “What?”. And I responded “Execution of technique.”. I then asked him how much time the hockey team practicing fundamentals. He muttered something under his breath and that was the end of the discussion.

      I also told the students that they would be much better off practicing 20 minutes per day instead of trying to practice 2 hours the night before the class. And I told them not to expect much progress if they were trying to practice at the same time they were watching TV! And one last thing, “Practice does not make Perfect”. Practice makes Permanent. If you practice something wrong it will take twice as much effort to fix it later!

      Long winded way to say I absolutely agree with you.

    • raymee

      Thanks Griff…. I am one who needs a lot of practice. I am very methodic and slow so I need lots of practice. Thank you for your support. Ray.

    • tony

      Some rehersing before hand would have been good for me last week . went out with my band after not praticing before a open mic nite was well not so good to me any way. My guitar was not tuned too well I fumbled on some simple lics almost lost my voice too . They said play one more so I pulled one out of my head an played it ok . My band members said I did fine but I am my own worst critic. I guess that what Iam saying brush up before you go out to play do not wait 6 weeks to do it . Without some pratice it may seem a gloomy situation but I hear also it could be fine without . I paly almost every day up to two hours at a time . the time flys by and seems like only 20 minutes . Been stomping my left foot more often these days . drum machines are great to have too. I am eager to go out and do the open mic thing soon . To be honest there was a shooting at that particular place no one shot but gave the whole band a scare . There is also one of them amps with a speaker that rotates with the horn to . The bar owner ownes it and uses it for his keyboard pretty kool . B-O . Some of the best musicians go there from as far as manhatten Ny.

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