STRIP IT BACK
The guitar, with its kink in the tuning and its system of repeat notes, is one of the most difficult instruments to make sense of. Strange that it should also be the most popular of all instruments. The fact is though, that when you learn any instrument, you also must learn Music, capital M. So not only do you wind up facing the task of coordinating all those fingers, you've got to know where you can put them too.

I was never, even as the twelve year old that I was when I started playing, under the impression that music was something that some wrote and others read. I've always know it to be a kind of system, ready to be tapped into at any time by any one at all. Those who knew more rules sounded better than those who didn't. Those who played more often sounded better than those who simply dabbled. But certainly, it was always more to me than something to be read and rendered.

I've been forced to think hard about all aspects of being a guitarist once again. The first time was when I wrote, and illustrated, PlaneTalk - The Truly Totally Different Guitar Instruction Book. Now, I'm in the middle of editing together the video of the same lesson. I've been driven semi crazy by the process --being a guitarist, not a video editor -- but being able to see and hear what I refer to as 'the trick', is very satisfying. I drives home the main thing all specialists must do in order to perfect their craft -- simplify.

There are so many layers to music, and so many discrepancies to the layout of the guitar, that most players learn the basics from a book or friends, and are so mystified by the details and the terminology that they stay stuck at that level, thinking that it's just too difficult for them to ever understand.

It's actually quite easy to understand once you start stripping it down. Over the 40 years I've been a self taught player, I've been able to prioritize information, in other words, give certain musical facts their own level of importance. If I am to be inventing as I go, I want to know the bottom line. From there I can build up the detail.

Most of the vital factors can simply be heard and appraised. Major / minor quality should be something you just recognize. Major seventh, seventh, sus four, augmented, ninth, you should be able to recognize all these qualities. This only comes with listening, consciously listening and (eventually) remembering. But the bottom line of all of the above is the triad.

Intervals should be recognized. I still hear the first two notes of "Apache" when I think of a fourth. This is trickier to hear, at least for me, but it can and should be done.

The "genre" of music (love that word) is another bottom line. I've narrowed the vast number down to three: Major, minor, blues / jazz / R&B / RnR / funk. The latter make use of the flat three and flat seven. The first two are self-explanatory.

The bottom line of time is that it's either in fours or in threes.

The chord of the moment rules, the rules are consistent.

If you're the kind of player I mention above, do yourself a favour and look into how music works rather than rely on tab or written exercises. There is a lot of user friendly info at my site:
http://guitarforbeginners.com

To be able to confidently go about playing endless variations on an invented theme to very specific (but wide open) rules, is probably what we all aspire to acheive. The only way to get to that point is to condense everything down to its very essence, then build back up from there.

And you've got to love it.

All the best, I'll announce it here when I finally finish the video. I'm averaging two minutes of finished video a day. I'm working with overlays, I'm recording the voice over as I go, I'm importing video files and sound files, I'm making graphics and titles and ENDLESS DOTS!!! But it will be worth it. It will reveal all.

Kirk
http://kirklorange.com
http://lorange.kirk.net
http://guitarforbeginners.com
http://mp3.com/kirklorange

and remember...

For the price of a one on one lesson, you too could know the secret to understanding the fretboard - just treat yourself to a copy of PlaneTalk! Buy it here:
http://lorange.kirk.net

or read on to win a copy...