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Becoming an expert guitarist.
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JasonM
Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore
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 Becoming an expert guitarist.
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Hey folks,
Since we all aspire to become better players (or luthiers),and we recently talked a little about this subject earlier, I wanted to share some points from an article I read about "expert minds" in this months issue of Scientific American  . Mabey some of you caught it, but the article talks about the differences between novice players of chess and the thinking patterns of grandmasters, how and why they become experts, and how this relates to experts in other areas like music.
The first point is that grandmasters and musicians draw on a vast repository of structured knowledge , rather than having an advantage of analysis in comparison to a novice. Some musicians can play a score of music back after only hearing it once. Likewise, a chess master can recall all the positions in a chess game after examining it for a few seconds. This ability is directly correlated with a chess player's rating. However, a grandmaster can not recall the positions of the pieces any better than a novice can if they are randomly placed on the board.
The idea is that an expert is not using raw, original creativity as the primary means of making his move, but using a sets of structerd knowlege of past experiences and studies that come to his mind without consciously searching his memory.
It is also believed that diligent practice makes an expert, not inate ability. Experts are made not born. Someone on this forum recently pointed out that it takes a decade of rigorous practice to master a field. It is possible for someone to play an instrument or chess for thousands of hours without ever making it pass the begginer level. It has been found that playing in chess tournaments does not make you a better player. Only effortful study and challenge will make you better. In other words, you won't get stronger by lifting the same weight all the time. It is interesting that begginers usually excell very quickly at first, and then qickly level out. This is because they do engage in effortful study at first. But after reaching an acceptable level of performance, they become more lax with practicing.
Even prodigies like Mozart started early with rigorous practice. The article also talks about motivation being a key factor and a substitute for talent.
Anyway, all this isn't a big surprise. It has been said before. Pdl practiced for twelve hours a day or whatever. 90% persperation.... etc. But it is somewhat facinating to see some science behind these beliefs, as well as giving a bit of hope that there is always room for improvement. Most importantly, reashuring that you have not reached the maximum of your talent and abilities.
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Date Aug. 8 2006 16:59:00
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JasonM
Posts: 2055
Joined: Dec. 8 2005
From: Baltimore
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RE: Becoming an expert guitarist. (in reply to Phil)
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Koella, Phil,
I don't think your ever going to feel four strokes as one  , but it doesn't matter... there is a saying from Ricardo, my favorite, which is "Practice makes permanent." which I think he learned from some ecentric music teacher of his. This is no creed to live by, but its true. You need to practice right, or your just wasting your valuable time. Good advice I think.
New-agy, no way man. Talking about all of this rigid practice stuff. Right now I'm listening to some crazy, virtuoso, hammer-dulcimer jazz cd that I got in the mail.
It is a euphoric experience listening to something other than flamenco one in a while. 
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Date Aug. 10 2006 23:51:58
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Nemo Nint
Posts: 41
Joined: Jul. 20 2006
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RE: Becoming an expert guitarist. (in reply to JasonM)
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I just want to say ...
I love this board!!
I love you all; this discussion and the rest are so very inspiring and exciting.
What I like to do is practice songs that I like, based on sheet music- because I'm not very good at hearing yet. But I've been playing guitar for a year and a half and I can almost play standard notation in classical music on the fly, first time looking at the music. A week ago I couldn't. I very effortfully study and learn the technique and go slow/fast/slow in practice... then I stop playing guitar for a few days.
When I pick it up, it's all sunk in and after 10 minutes of playing, everything is natural. Don't think this is saying much, I"m still just referring to 1-2 notes/beat melodies with a single-note bassline. And I prefer learning classical guitar songs, but being a generally excited person, flamenco is my flavour of choice when I'm not mellow. Recently, I learned "Earth" by Hans Zimmer, from the Gladiator soundtrack- It's a beautiful song.
While aspiring to be better, I still hate considering myself "great" or even "good" in skill because the act of doing that tends to make one (especially myself) puff up and feel special, boasting, etc. I hate that in me. Just being fun and modest is my style.
I figure out what I would like to play and learn it a bit.. not even the whole song but just a single falseta, and then play it with my own particular tempo/rhythm/accents at any given moment. Then if I think it sounds good.. I feel elated :) But I still don't think I'm good. I try to play as if I am a hot shot with real true but un-boasting skill, and keeping my personal esteem low enough to be constantly grounded. I hate thinking I'm an expert but I still want to be one. How very odd that is.
I wonder what issue of Scientific American that was with the article on expert minds?
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Date Aug. 11 2006 8:56:05
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d85jrs
Posts: 2
Joined: Apr. 24 2006
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RE: Becoming an expert guitarist. (in reply to JasonM)
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JasonM,
I just wanted to comment on your first post, which I thought was excellent. I've thought about the subject in the past, specifically with respect to learning languages. As far as I understand it, the only way you learn to speak a new language well is not only from studying the rules of grammar, but building on top of those rules with concrete examples from actual use. You hear someone use a sentence, and then you make it your own. The more setences you have to call upon, the better you speak. Through practice and experience, like you said.
When it comes to guitar, you're absolutely right. The idea of "expert" is often over blown. Granted, a genius comes along once in a while, with a natural advantage -- maybe they've got great ears, above average dexterity, etc -- but, without practice, they're going nowhere.
I heard a quote from Yo-Yo Ma once, which went someting like this. People call me a genius, but nobody saw my practicing eight hours a day when I was ten. Or twelve hours a day when I was sixteen.
In my personal learning experience, I've been learning flamenco for about six months, just working on the basic technique. I think flamenco is an especially frustrating form to study, because it could take weeks to learn a basic falseta. Sometimes I get tired of it, but, the good thing is that after those few weeks, when you can play that falseta with your eyes closed, you not only have learned to play (part of) a new piece, but your whole guitar technique has gotten much better. You've become a better guitar player.
And, when you show your friends at a party, you know there's no freakin' way they're learning that little falseta without going down the same hard road you did.
End of ramble!
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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE |
Date Sep. 8 2006 3:45:31
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