How to think like a guitarist

Playing the guitar (and music in general) means learning to think in new ways and sometimes working against human nature. I’d like to give you some cool mind tricks to help you learn guitar concepts and become a better guitar player.

This is not a music theory article. Instead, I’m going to show you how to overcome some of the all-too-human blocks that keep you from playing better. And some of this may sound New-Agey, but don’t let that scare you. There is nothing to hear that I have not used myself and taught to private students to great effect. I give you these insights as someone who has taught hundreds of students and played thousands of shows.

1. A bad grade never killed anyone. Have you ever seen an audience member drop dead because the musician on stage made a mistake? Me neither. Most likely, no one has heard the error. Music is one of the safest activities in the world. Much safer than, say, amateur brain surgery.

And yet we have a very human fear of mistakes. We don’t want them to happen, and when they do, we want to go back and fix them. But when you’re playing with and for other people, you can’t do that. Chances are no one heard the mistake and the gang won’t know what you’re doing and will move on without you.

This is how I want you to practice this. Take your guitar and play a song that you don’t have perfect yet. Play the whole song and don’t stop for mistakes. Keep the beat, get back on the horse and finish the song. It will be an uphill battle with your brain if you are not used to doing it. It is much more important to keep the rhythm than to play every note perfectly.

If the best guitarists in the world seem to like to play their instrument without fear, it is because they do. And you can too.

Now, I don’t want to sound irresponsible here. It is important to learn to play correctly as well. After you’ve played the song, you’ll want to go in and work on the details you missed, one at a time. That is a different process and one that should be taken just as seriously.

But when you’re playing a full song, ignore the mistakes. Or hug them. That’s fun too. One of my tricks is to play the part wrong the same way the next time it appears in the song. So they think you meant it!

2. You must concentrate, Grasshopper. Being able to focus and concentrate on playing a piece of music for 3-6 minutes is no easy task. If you find your focus wanders (and you make mistakes) in the short 2 or 3 line pieces your teacher gives you, this is something you can work on.

You’re obviously focused on playing the guitar, but it’s easy to let other thoughts creep in and ruin your performance. A friend of mine was telling me about a show she did recently. Her ex-boyfriend was in the audience and throughout the performance she kept turning her relationship over in her head. As a result, she made mistakes and was unhappy with the performance.

You need to clear your mind (let’s get all the Jedi here!) and focus solely on the song. Meditation can help with this. Choose a simple word, something innocent, like “chair.” Now, set a subtle alarm of some kind for 3 minutes. Maybe a cell phone that vibrates so it doesn’t bother you too much. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes. Repeat your word over and over in your head or out loud. Every time some other thought starts to pop up, push it out and go back to your word. It will take practice, but your focus will improve dramatically if you do this often. When you can concentrate well for 3 minutes, try 4, then 5.

3. Boobs are distracting. Imagine the rock star you want to be. You are on the stage of a huge stadium in front of 50,000 people. It’s blazing hot under the lights. People are screaming like crazy every time you touch a string. Cacophony everywhere. And yes, girls show you and throw panties on stage.

Do you think any of this could distract you while playing? Not only do you need to be able to focus on your quiet practice time, but you also need to be able to play through any distractions that come your way. Even if you’re playing in a small coffee shop, some jerk will order an espresso while you’re playing and that hiss of steamed milk can seriously improve your groove.

I encourage you to practice playing with distractions. Try to play a song while the TV is on. Or for an even bigger challenge, try playing while a different song is playing on the radio. Do some finger exercises while talking to someone on the phone. Working with these ideas will help your fingers do their job even if your brain gets discouraged for a second.

If you work on these three ideas, you will become a better guitarist, enjoy the experience more, and reach that fearless musical Nirvana you are looking for.