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5 Ways to Improve Your Playing
(C) 2006 by Charlie Read
1. Practice scales a few minutes everyday. This will improve your left/right hand coordination, rhythm, and understanding of the fingerboard. Scale books for all instruments are available at music stores or online.
2. Find a practice buddy. Some things are more fun with a friend: watching a good movie, going for a walk, etc. Music practice can be the same way. I saw a big improvement in my playing when I met some guys from school who played, and we would sit around and exchange chords, licks, and fragments of songs. You don’t have to get together every day, but if you can do so on a regular basis you may even develop a friendly competition to learn and share something new each time (like Lennon and McCartney!). This can really kick your playing to a higher level!
3. Learn a new chord at least once a month. Are you limiting yourself to your weekly lesson in your method book? Don’t box yourself in – with a chord book ($15 or less) or Internet web page, you can quickly find a new chord or two. As you finger a new chord, play the notes individually to make sure they’re all there; then combine it with other chords you know. One new chord a month (now that ought to be easy) will add up to 12 new chords in a year. This is a practically effortless way to increase your musical knowledge. And don’t forget: the best way to learn chords and remember them is to use them in songs. Do an Internet search (or get an inexpensive songbook of hymns, patriotic songs, pop tunes, or folk songs) for lyrics with chords (pick something you’re familiar with) and start strumming until your improvement is obvious to all!
4. Pick out tunes by ear. It doesn’t have to be a Mozart masterpiece, or even “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Use your instrument to pick out simple melodies “by ear” – without a songbook. Simple nursery rhymes that you learned as a kid would be a good place to start. This simple and fun exercise helps your sense of pitch tremendously – and will come in handy when you jam with friends only to find no one brought along any music!
5. Use a metronome often! This handy little tool is not just for beginners. The top players will all tell you the advantages of perfecting rhythmic accuracy and blazing speed by practicing chops at a playable tempo, then increasing the BPM in manageable – yet challenging – increments. Final word: if you don’t have a metronome, get one – and use it faithfully! You’ll see an improvement in your playing within weeks, and others will notice it too.