{"id":570,"date":"2014-04-08T12:00:50","date_gmt":"2014-04-08T19:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/classicalguitarshed.foureyes.com\/?p=570"},"modified":"2024-07-22T23:21:22","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T06:21:22","slug":"7steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/classicalguitarshed.com\/7steps\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Steps to Learning Any Piece Quickly and Easily (video series)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As practicing musicians, we all benefit from approaching new pieces with some sort of plan. \u00a0That is what this post is all about.<\/p>\n

When we decide to learn a new piece of music, there are a number of ways we can proceed.<\/p>\n

Bad example number one:<\/h3>\n

Among the most common methods, many will just sight-read<\/a> the piece into submission. \u00a0They just hack through it over and over, hoping that eventually it will sound good. \u00a0In the process, all sorts of fingering errors, note and rhythm mistakes and excess tension are learned into it from the beginning. \u00a0This way of learning feels good at the beginning (“I can hear<\/a> how it is supposed to sound!”), but takes a long time on the back-end getting the music up to performance standards (which it rarely does!)<\/p>\n

Often, the piece is abandoned long before mastering it, because of the glittering allure of another new piece. \u00a0Some players do this for their whole lives, and never really play all that well. \u00a0Sad, sad, sad.<\/p>\n

Bad example number two:<\/h3>\n

Others may like to take a measure or two at a time<\/a>, and read\/play each measure a few times, then move to the next. \u00a0While this is better than reading the piece top to bottom over and over, it is still not ideal. \u00a0We still practice mistakes and often\u00a0work all kinds of excess bodily tension into our muscle memory (kinesthetic memory). \u00a0Often by the time we figure out what the problem is, we have developed habits reinforcing that problem.<\/p>\n

On the upside, this method of learning also provides some immediate gratification with each new measure or phrase learned, which is, well…gratifying. \u00a0But we can do better. \u00a0Oh yes. \u00a0Much better.<\/p>\n

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A better way to learn music<\/h2>\n

What follows is a 7 step method to approach learning new music. \u00a0Each step can be expanded on, depending on your current level of playing and understanding, and on your musical intentions.<\/p>\n

If you like, you can Print a reference sheet<\/a>\u00a0for these steps and put it somewhere convenient.<\/p>\n

Tutorial Video Series<\/h2>\n

Step One: \u00a0Make small, manageable sections. \u00a0(Each subsequent step is for each section individually.)<\/h3>\n