So, one concept I often speak about during my private guitar sessions is about how much music is a language.
Most people consider picking up an instrument to be a hobby in it’s own category…music! But there is so much involved when learning the instrument. Not only are we getting our fingers to press down on the strings correctly, but we’re learning chord names, differences between major and minor tonalities, soaking up rhythm concepts and learning how to play in time, and so much more!
All of these topics help us understand music better AND help us communicate with other musicians! If you’re looking to really dive deep into the world of guitar, treat it as if you’re learning a new language.
The most productive way to learn how to speak a language is to go out and speak with other people who are fluent!
This means - go talk with other people who also play guitar, go to concerts and watch how the lead guitarist plays, listen to music on a long drive and really pay attention to each instrument, watch interviews of your favorite guitar players. This is the best way to become fluent in the language of music! And by doing so you will discover genres of music and styles of playing that you truly enjoy. Instead of being overwhelmed with all the information that’s out there.
I know this isn’t specifically related to practice, but I believe if you keep this mindset we tend to have more patience in our practice sessions knowing it’s all a process of learning a language!
See you in the next lesson!
-Sydney
“Growing around great musicians, you just can’t help it. I identified with it immediately. It was something that was so natural to me that when I started singing, it was almost like speaking.”
Instructor: Sydney Ellen
Sydney is a guitarist, songwriter, and performer from Southern California. Graduating summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music and with over 20 years of experience in music, Sydney is passionate about helping fellow guitar players reach their goals and enjoy learning music. Sydney loves writing music and listening to Classic Rock/Metal hits.
