I can’t count the number of times I’ve told my students this: there’s a simple thing you can do to improve your guitar playing. It’s so straightforward, yet most people overlook it, despite its potential to make an immediate impact.
Music as a Language
The idea that music is a language has become quite popular in guitar education circles. While I wouldn’t strictly categorize it as a language, I believe it shares many similarities with how languages can and should be taught. The processes of thinking, producing sound, and receiving sound are quite similar.
Just as with learning a language, immersion is key. You can’t truly learn a language just by reading textbooks or studying grammar. To gain fluency, you need to listen, imitate, and speak. Think about how you learned your native language: you listened to your parents, mimicked the sounds they made, and eventually began to express your own thoughts.
Learning a Second Language
The same principle applies when learning a second language—immersion can accelerate the learning process. I’ve heard stories of people struggling to learn a language until they were immersed in an environment where they had to use it daily. One extreme example involved a government employee who, needing to learn a new language for work, was sent to live with a family who only spoke that language. After six months, he returned fluent.
Applying Immersion to Guitar Playing
So, how does this relate to improving your guitar playing? When working on a song, I always encourage my students to listen to the recording and, if possible, play along with it. This is a form of immersion. By listening closely, you can start to pick up on nuances, phrasing, and arrangement details. You can feel the rhythm and understand how the music flows.
One of the biggest challenges beginners face is mastering rhythm. Immersing yourself in the music helps you internalize strum patterns and timing, which are crucial skills at any level of guitar playing.
Tools for Slowing Down and Learning Music
If the music you’re trying to learn is too fast, you can use software like Transcribe to slow it down. This tool is highly recommended as it not only allows you to slow down songs but also to loop sections and change keys if necessary. I use it frequently when I need to learn songs or solos, whether for teaching or performance.
YouTube also offers a speed control feature (found by clicking the settings cog at the bottom right of the video player). While it doesn’t offer all the functionalities of Transcribe, it’s free and gives you access to a vast array of music. Slowing down videos can help you catch details you might miss at full speed.
The Benefits of Listening and Playing Along
No matter your skill level—beginner, intermediate, or advanced—spending time listening to music and playing along can significantly improve your guitar playing. It’s similar to learning a language: listen, imitate, immerse yourself, and then you can start to make the music your own.
Engage with Your Learning
Do you listen to the songs you’re learning? Do you play along with them? If you’re exploring a new style, do you immerse yourself in that genre? Has this approach helped you improve your guitar playing? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section.
