fretboard, strumming hand or the tablature? ;)

Hi All,

I've seen similar topics on the forum before, but I don't think it was this specific angle -

I'm currently learning first few melodies (first 3 strings so far), with Ode To Joy, etc., and struggling to pay attention to too many things at the same time - i.e. fretting hand, strumming hand, and the tablature.

I can't seem to observe all 3 things at the same time, so I'm not convinced this is what I should be doing...

Now, the question is - what should be my goal? Play without looking at the fretboard, and the strumming hand?

Currently I'm moving my head constantly, analysing what the tablature indicates, setting up my fingers on the fretboard, then looking at the strings, to pick the particular string I should pick, etc. Not very efficient, and I don't think my improvement should be about me moving my head faster...

So, should I be learning to play those by heart/from memory?

Or just look at the tablature, and try to place my fingers properly on the fretboard, and pick the right strings at the same time without looking....?

Originally Posted by: p_p_sI'm currently learning first few melodies (first 3 strings so far), with Ode To Joy, etc., and struggling to pay attention to too many things at the same time - i.e. fretting hand, strumming hand, and the tablature.

It can be overhwleming for a beginner!

Individuals learn at different rates. And with guitar, it depends on how much raw manual dexterity you bring to the task.

In general, you need to focus on one thing at a time. Go very slowly & work on memorizing the fretboard location of the notes. Take time to look at both the notation & your hand to make sure you've got everything right. It won't help to practice the wrong thing! Then make time to pick them out very slowly in order. If you having trouble playing them quickly in time, then slow down & simply play the right notes in the right order until you can do them all cleanly & clearly.

After you've automated this much, then you can start to try to play it as a piece of music. You can still look back & forth between your hands & the notation. But as you practice more, you will develop "muscle memory". This means that your brain & hands need time to learn these new skills.

Playing music in real time requires that you have completely automated the physical motions.

And the only way to make that happen is repetitious practice. It takes different individuals different amounts of time. But everyone has to go through the same process: you have to repeat those motions enough for them to become second nature to your hands & brain.

This is because there is no time to think of every single motion or note when you are playing in real time. There is only time to think in larger units or sections of the music.

Compare walking or driving a car. If you had to think of every single motion & aspect to consider while doing these everyday, mundane tasks you would never get them done!

Slow down. Be patient with yourself. Take it a step at a time. Enjoy the process!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my post Christopher! I'm kind of starstruck, as I wasn't expecting an answer from an actual Instructor!

I'm in no rush, and don't expect it to be easy, or just coming on it's own without me putting in the work. I just wasn't sure I'm focusing on the right things.

Originally Posted by: ChristopherSchlegel

In general, you need to focus on one thing at a time. Go very slowly & work on memorizing the fretboard location of the notes.

So, aside from working on my muscle memory, and making sure I can pick particular notes cleanly and clearly, when reading the notes, my goal should be to know by heart the correct placement of fingers on the fretboard (and string to pick) just by looking on the notes, and not necessarily the tablature?

Because, the way I was practising it now, was basically disregarding the notes on the staff completely (not sure if that's the correct word, sorry!), only looking at the "tab" below... now, deciphering tab takes a bit of my mental power, as each time I have to be super aware to think "ok, this is 3rd string, 2nd fret, 3 times, then change to open on 1st string 1 time, and then... etc. etc.". So it wasn't so much about correct finger placement, and muscle memory, as it was about deciphering correct finger placement to play it on time...

I can see the improvement even practising it this way, but adding one extra string to the mix, made it almost exponentially harder ;)

I am still enjoying it a lot, but for the moment I've got a feeling it's much more mental / focus exercise to me, rather than a mechanical one ;)

Thank you!

It may sound a little daft but when I find putting everything all together overwhelming I tend to practice each element separately a few times before running through a piece as a whole.

An example would be to run through the tab in your head a few times with a metronome running without even touching the guitar. Then maybe do a run through where you are only fretting the notes to the metronome without strumming and then vice versa (picking the correct strings to the click without fretting the notes.) A step further from this would to practice the verse and the chorus in isolation before bringing them together as a whole.

I have been doing this when I get stuck working on a song and it has been helping me a great deal. Hope this helps a little.

You're welcome for the reply. It's what I'm supposed to do. :)[br]

Originally Posted by: p_p_sSo, aside from working on my muscle memory, and making sure I can pick particular notes cleanly and clearly, when reading the notes, my goal should be to know by heart the correct placement of fingers on the fretboard (and string to pick) just by looking on the notes, and not necessarily the tablature?[/quote][p]You can realistically only look at one thing at a time. Or focus on one thing at a time. Even once you can play all these things with ease, you can only focus on so much at any moment. That's why the overall goal is to work on memorizing, playing & repeating everything (tab, strings, fingers, hands) until it's all second nature.

It is necessary at first to isolate them in discreet parts to gradually work toward memorization. But the goal is to automate everything as much as possible.

Originally Posted by: p_p_sBecause, the way I was practising it now, was basically disregarding the notes on the staff completely (not sure if that's the correct word, sorry!), only looking at the "tab" below...[/quote]

That's fine & necessary to a degree!

[quote=p_p_s] ... now, deciphering tab takes a bit of my mental power, as each time I have to be super aware to think "ok, this is 3rd string, 2nd fret, 3 times, then change to open on 1st string 1 time, and then... etc. etc.". So it wasn't so much about correct finger placement, and muscle memory, as it was about deciphering correct finger placement to play it on time...

Right. And until you have some of that process memorized, automated, made second nature you are going to have that trouble. The process of gradually making it second nature is so you can look or read ahead a little bit & count on your hands to do what they are supposed to do while you are scanning for the next task.

[quote=p_p_s]I am still enjoying it a lot, but for the moment I've got a feeling it's much more mental / focus exercise to me, rather than a mechanical one ;)

There's a lot of rubbing your belly & tapping your head at the same time sort of thing that has to get learned as you begin. :) Best of success!

Originally Posted by: djlawrence1988

It may sound a little daft but when I find putting everything all together overwhelming I tend to practice each element separately a few times before running through a piece as a whole.

Sometimes I drive my wife crazy by playing the same 2 measures of music over & again for hours. :) But that kind of repetition is sometimes necessary in order play the music correctly.