Everyone knows how to study, right? Wrong. The truth is most people have never been taught how to study and therefore never learn. People who underachieve often do so not because they are not intelligent, but because they don’t know how to apply their intelligence. Recently I came across a “Study System” that I think applies to music. It’s called sQ3r. Sounds high tech. Actually it has been around since 1946. It works like this:

Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review.

It can be applied to learning music in a number of ways. Here are two examples.

Say you need to learn theory and you just purchased Complete Idiot’s Guide to Music Theory. (Good Choice) First survey the chapter. Look at all the headings, graphs, etc. Then ask yourself questions concerning what you just saw. For instance what are intervals, why are scales called major, etc. Then read the entire chapter. Afterwards recite the key points and the answers to your earlier questions out loud. The next day come back to it and review.

This can also be applied to learning a piece of music with some slight modifications. First, survey the piece. What is the key? the time signature? Are there any repeated sections (the form)? What looks tough? What is the chord progression? Then question the piece. Why did the composer write it the way they did? Is it a sad piece, does the writing reflect this? Next read through the piece beginning to end. Afterwards play the difficult sections over and over until you have them (the musical equivalent of the recite phase). And when you have the whole thing learned review it from time to time to keep it up. Have fun.

Playing guitar correctly involves using the weight of the left arm not just the strength of the left-hand fingers. This is difficult to achieve. Some feel as if their hand is frozen when they try to do this. For this I would suggest that your arm’s weight needs to be held up between notes, or in other words only use your arm’s weight when a note is making sound. Two suggestions on how to try this.
1) Practice playing with your left hand thumb not touching the guitar neck at all. You will feel the guitar wanting to fly out and your right hand forearm keeping it in place. I wouldn’t suggest doing this all the time, but it is a good way to develop the feel.
2) Play things slowly. Feel your arms weight being used while a note is sounding, and feel it being relieved when the note is complete. I like to picture a faucet being turned on or off. Make it clearly on or off, no drips.

Disorganized about your practice? Try out our GuitarGames.net’s Online Practice Schedule. If you haven’t been making progress in your guitar playing lately the reason is most-likely lack of focus. Get focused and watch your playing soar. I know it doesn’t sound cool, but it works.