Guitarists 5 Most Common Mistakes

nnThe guitar is one of the most popular instruments in the world. It has been adapted to the native music of nearly everywhere that it’s been introduced. The music of the great classical composers has been adapted to it. Great works have been written for it. It has symbolized social change and upheaval.nnIt is also an instrument with a poorly systemized approach to playing it.nnA big reason for this lack of systemization is that it has always been, at least partially, an instrument of the common man. The exception to this is found with classical guitar. As classical music was adapted to the guitar and specifically written for the guitar, an extremely efficient way of playing was developed. nnIf it’s such a great approach, why doesn’t everyone use it? Two reasons. Players are either unaware of it, or it won’t produce the sounds that the player wants to make.nnThis ignorance of it or rejection of it results in not using the parts of classical guitar technique that would benefit any player, regardless of style. The phenomenon of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.nnNot all of the 5 most common mistakes directly relate to improper technique. Some of them are a result of human nature.nnThe first mistake is in the way that the guitar is commonly held. Many players play while seated. It’s very common for seated players to hold the guitar on their right thigh. The problem with this is that it puts the guitar neck at a poor angle in relation to the left hand.nThis can lead to an inefficient technique with the left hand. Another problem is that if the guitar is too tall where the right arm comes over the top, it forces the upper arm in an upward direction, resulting in pain in the shoulder joint. nnNumber two is using too much pressure to hold down the string. A string only needs to be held down hard enough to produce a clear sounding note. When you’re concentrating on putting your fingers in some strange, new configuration, it’s easy to press down too hard. That rarely does the job. It is much more effective to put the fingers in the right place and then hold them down with just enough pressure to do the job.nnnMistake number three is not learning basic music theory. Stuff like how to read music and what all those numbers and letters after the letter name in a chord mean (D7#5). That’s kind of like learning to drive a car without knowing how to read a map. You may eventually get to your destination. Or you may not. nnWith all of the instructional books, DVDs, and private lessons (both on and off-line) available now, there’s no reason not to learn the basics. Now, I can hear you saying to yourself “that really sounds hard”. The secret is in breaking the information down into small manageable pieces. That can keep it from seeming so intimidatingnnnCommon mistake number four is thinking that you can buy your way to better playing. It seems to be human nature to think that the simple purchasing of a better quality instrument will improve your playing. If you’re playing a really lousy guitar it will help. Or if your guitar is inappropriate for the music that you want to play (bluegrass on a classical guitar). But it won’t make a difference if you’re purchasing the same type of guitar to play the same songs on. A better quality instrument may have a better sound and be somewhat easier to play, but your skills won’t dramatically increase simply because you’ve spent a bunch of money on a new guitar. This brings us to the fifth most common mistake.nnThe fifth most common mistake that guitarists make is not practicing correctly. By correctly, I mean practicing in a way that will actually improve your playing. A lot of players play the same scales, bits of songs or riffs for years and wonder why their playing doesn’t improve.nnTo actually improve you have to learn to practice in a focused, goal oriented way. You have to identify what you want to accomplish and how to go about reaching your goal. This may seem like a strict approach, and it may be too much for some people. Some people are happy knowing a few simple chords to accompany themselves with. An organized, focused practice regimen might just put more stress into an already stressful life. But for those who really want to improve their playing, an organized practice is the best approach.nnCorrecting these five common mistakes may not make you the next guitar god/goddess. In fact, some great music has been made by musicians who made some of these five mistakes every time that they picked up the guitar. But think of what they might have done if they had approached the guitar a little differently.n