I almost cried during my guitar lesson today. I told my teacher about the problems I was having playing the song we are doing, to the point where there is a technique issue. They more or less ignored me, and make me play the song at 70%. I obviously can’t do that (yet). My hands will freeze when I fuck up on guitar. Not so much with piano, because I can find the notes again more easily. Might be a vision issue honestly.
They say there’s this way of practising where you just up the speed, ignore mistakes, and iron them out later. So when I obviously couldn’t play the song at 70%, they up it to 80% and then 90%. It’s way too fast, and so I’m fumbling around like an idiot, and then I just freeze. Body says no. Maybe it’s an anxiety thing. I get really nervous during the lessons and forget stuff too. I should do a shot before I go. The teacher tells me I just have to push through when I make a mistake. They also turn up their amp and play along, so can’t hear all the wrong notes ringing out over it. I’ve also tried to learn so many different songs, and have never mastered one because my teacher always wants to move on after a couple of weeks.
I have dyspraxia, which is like the dyslexia of movement. It seems to be more widely recognised overseas compared to here. Maybe there is a bit of learned helplessness. But I feel very defeated, even though all I probably have to do is practise more thoroughly. It’s kind of like with handwriting, which required years of OT, although I still do hold a pen wrong. Maybe my ex was right, I won’t be a good guitarist. I kind of just want to go back to the beginning and start again.
I practice with a metronome when there’s something I’m learning that I can’t play straight away at normal speed.
I start with 50% till it’s perfect and I’ve ironed out any technique issues then go up by 10bpm. Rinse and repeat.
If you can play it well slow, it’s a lot easier to play well fast.
Don’t let them get you down! Slow and steady then when you speed up you already have the movements locked into muscle memory.
It doesn’t mean you can play it straight away but it’s a hell of a lot easier.
This is how I learn tremolo picking parts with weird picking patterns and triplets at 180+bpm. And I’m doing the same thing with drums and it’s working great!
Slow, then speed up when comfy.
That’s how I learned the songs for the band I’m in. Now I can play them without thinking because they’re locked into muscle memory. When you speed up and are making mistakes, you’re only locking in bad technique.
No idea why your teacher would go in that direction.
Thank you! I do something similar for piano, except I go a bit slower than 50% and use a metronome, which is working well. Maybe I should try the same for guitar!
This sounds like it’s getting you into a stressed state which is not conducive to learning and memory. Also not getting it right before speeding up and not letting you hear what you’re playing? I don’t know a lot but that seems really counterintuitive.
Maybe it’s time for a new teacher with a different approach.
I agree. I think my teacher’s idea was that I don’t just stop playing when I make a mistake. I also think they want me to do the slow practice at home and then just jam out in the lessons, which I don’t entirely agree with.
bit of a whinge
I almost cried during my guitar lesson today. I told my teacher about the problems I was having playing the song we are doing, to the point where there is a technique issue. They more or less ignored me, and make me play the song at 70%. I obviously can’t do that (yet). My hands will freeze when I fuck up on guitar. Not so much with piano, because I can find the notes again more easily. Might be a vision issue honestly.
They say there’s this way of practising where you just up the speed, ignore mistakes, and iron them out later. So when I obviously couldn’t play the song at 70%, they up it to 80% and then 90%. It’s way too fast, and so I’m fumbling around like an idiot, and then I just freeze. Body says no. Maybe it’s an anxiety thing. I get really nervous during the lessons and forget stuff too. I should do a shot before I go. The teacher tells me I just have to push through when I make a mistake. They also turn up their amp and play along, so can’t hear all the wrong notes ringing out over it. I’ve also tried to learn so many different songs, and have never mastered one because my teacher always wants to move on after a couple of weeks.
I have dyspraxia, which is like the dyslexia of movement. It seems to be more widely recognised overseas compared to here. Maybe there is a bit of learned helplessness. But I feel very defeated, even though all I probably have to do is practise more thoroughly. It’s kind of like with handwriting, which required years of OT, although I still do hold a pen wrong. Maybe my ex was right, I won’t be a good guitarist. I kind of just want to go back to the beginning and start again.
OK here’s my 2 cents for what it’s worth.
Speeding up with mistakes makes no sense.
I practice with a metronome when there’s something I’m learning that I can’t play straight away at normal speed.
I start with 50% till it’s perfect and I’ve ironed out any technique issues then go up by 10bpm. Rinse and repeat.
If you can play it well slow, it’s a lot easier to play well fast.
Don’t let them get you down! Slow and steady then when you speed up you already have the movements locked into muscle memory.
It doesn’t mean you can play it straight away but it’s a hell of a lot easier.
This is how I learn tremolo picking parts with weird picking patterns and triplets at 180+bpm. And I’m doing the same thing with drums and it’s working great!
Slow, then speed up when comfy.
That’s how I learned the songs for the band I’m in. Now I can play them without thinking because they’re locked into muscle memory. When you speed up and are making mistakes, you’re only locking in bad technique.
No idea why your teacher would go in that direction.
Thank you! I do something similar for piano, except I go a bit slower than 50% and use a metronome, which is working well. Maybe I should try the same for guitar!
This sounds like it’s getting you into a stressed state which is not conducive to learning and memory. Also not getting it right before speeding up and not letting you hear what you’re playing? I don’t know a lot but that seems really counterintuitive.
Maybe it’s time for a new teacher with a different approach.
I agree. I think my teacher’s idea was that I don’t just stop playing when I make a mistake. I also think they want me to do the slow practice at home and then just jam out in the lessons, which I don’t entirely agree with.
I might do some research into different places.