Six Things Every Guitarist Needs to Study
Theory
Music theory is not just a set of rules restricting what you are allowed to play. Music theory is the key that make the things you want to play easier to understand and helps you be more creative. When you learn theory, you will learn how the sounds common in most music styles are created. Having this knowledge speeds up the process of figuring out what you like about music and shows you how to make those sounds yourself. Unfortunately, what most music theory books and courses teach is a history of music theory. These courses usually take a long time to get to any helpful material and exercises. You want to find a local teacher that teaches music theory as a set of activities that show how to do specific things to get specific sounds. If you can not find a trained instructor in your area, one great online resource is musictheoryforguitar.com.
Rhythm
Rhythm tends to be the one skill that most guitar players overlook. Guitar players with solid rhythm automatically sound better. You can get away with playing a wrong note in time and have it still sound passable. It does not matter how many great notes you play if they are not in time. Out of time playing makes anyone sound like an amateur. Having a solid sense of time is essential if you want your playing to sound great.
Technique
Taking the time to learn proper techniques will help make everything you play easier. Technique is about understanding the most efficient movements you need to use to get the correct sounds out of your instrument with the least amount of effort. A trained teacher will be able to show you how to play with proper technique and will help you avoid learning things the wrong way. You want to learn the proper techniques from the start, so you don’t have to waste a ton of time correcting bad techniques later.
Fretboard Knowledge
Fretboard knowledge is where you take what you learned in music theory and then apply it to the guitar. Notes, scales, chords, and arpeggios all fall into this category. The more you know about the fretboard the easier it is to play the music you love.
Creativity - Application
Knowing how to play your scales, arpeggios, and chords is a good start, but you must also learn how to use everything you learn. There is no sense in knowing a ton of scales but not being able to make any music with them. If you study with a trained teacher, they will be able to show you how to apply everything you are learning. Practicing application and creativity will make learning other people’s music, improvising, and composing music much easier.
Repertoire
Every guitar player should have a collection of songs, riffs, or a collection of their own compositions that they enjoy playing. Don’t worry about learning full songs unless you are playing in a band or performing for others. It is OK to just learn the sections of songs that you like. This is one of the ways you can practice creativity and application.
About the author: Brian Fish is a professional guitarist living in Northeast Ohio and is an expert guitar instructor at Guitar Lessons Geauga.