~~~

Lie #1:

'Sight read more music today than you did yesterday'

~~~

If sight reading pieces of music really, actually works for
your technical progress then I suppose you should read
through more of them.

But for most Guitarists, sight reading is only a vicarious way
to feel like you're really "A Guitarist".   I mean isn't the
whole point of it all to play Music ?  But if this what you've
been doing for months, years or decades, admit it.....it
hasn't 'really' been working.  Your technique has improved
only marginally over whatever time period and you're
probably only a little happier about how you play your pieces
this year than you were last year.  Sad,  but true ?

Here's a bit of my Master Class experience to put it another
way.

When and if you ever attend a Master Class, here's what
you'll witness.  A student, who has played through their
piece several million times, sits down and plays it for a
Sanctioned Teacher in front of an audience of CG students
who have played their  pieces a million times and are waiting
for the truth or at least some truth that will solve their own,
unique and individual riddles of slow progress or no progress.

The Teacher proceeds to tear apart the student's
 interpretation, sometimes with kindness, sometimes....not....
and then demonstrates a more effective interpretation along
with eloquent observations, interesting tips and humorous
anecdotes. 

Oohs and Aahs from the crowd......

Applause, Applause !

The student goes home and tries to muster up the emotional
maturity of the teacher and then plays the piece a million more
times, maybe better, maybe not. 

Why ?  Because the student's technique is 'exactly' the same
as it was before but the student is now one step closer to a
great Resume.  To be fair, these are great experiences to
well, experience.

What do the Guitarists in the audience do ?  They go home,
buy the piece that was demonstrated and sight read through it
a million times to see how they stack up against the Teachings
and then suffer severe depression over their inabilities for ......
perhaps months like middle level executives who just
got fired from their boring jobs.

Why ?  Because their technique is 'exactly' the same
as it was before.

And this scenario repeats itself over and over and over......
like some Guitarists' car wash, feeling shiny and new for a
week and then......back to the status quo.

Actually, only a very small number of extraordinarily talented
players ever independently move through the hurdles,
obstacles and brick walls that the Classical Guitar puts in front
of us all and reach the top.

They are the select top .01 percent who you hear in concert and
 are the object of every Guitar Groupie Wanna-be in the world.

If you're in that top .01 percent, congratulations !

You don't need to keep reading.  Go tend to your garden.

But if sight reading music is the major weapon in your arsenal
of mastering your technique, then realize this.....you're living
in a bear skin and knives world of survival and it will
only get worse through time in that cold dark cave you call
'Classical Guitar Technique'.  And all the Forum advice in the
world can't and won't help you with this lie.

You might as well sit down and become a diamond cutter
without any knowledge about diamonds or cutting !

Here's the TRUTH :  If you practice the right things correctly,
you CAN start to turn your technique around, you won't
get depressed and you won't need to attend dozens of Master
Classes and Concerts to reach deep inside and discover the
player you never thought you were.  And you won't have to
take endless lessons with someone who teaches you by having
you play music.

I used to call  Lessons 'Mini Master Classes'.

Because that's what they are and if you take these 'Mini Master
Classes' from the same person more than 6 times in a row,
I call them 'being in a rut'.

Exposing yourself to the musical teachings of one person is
myopic, damaging, too self absorbing and only eventually
serves the ego of the teacher and gives you only false hope.

If you want to take lessons, take one lesson from 3 different
teachers.   You don't go to the same Doctor week after week
to get an opinion on your condition, do you ?

No, you go to three Doctors, evaluate them all, and take the
most reasonable path recommended after reflecting on all
the issues.  End of Doctor visits.

Guess what ?  The same thing applies to lessons.  Keep it
in mind the next time you go to your lesson.  Announce your
new plan to your teacher and wait for "The Shock Heard
Around the World" !

BOTTOM LINE IN THREE STEPS :

1)   You MUST approach, what I call, the Critical Path of
       Technique from the beginning and not from the end.
       ( hint, music is the very end of the process )

2)    You must practice the Critical Path until it's second nature.

3)    You must practice the Critical Path until it's second nature.

But....the good news is, once you have it and it works, you
don't have to revisit the mastering technique process ever again.

You just keep it 'Warmed Up'.  If that isn't the most desirable
goal  as a Classical Guitarist to run and achieve as fast as you
can then perhaps you should take up Origami or something.

That's why the time you spend on REAL technique practice is
absolutely the best investment you can ever make - IF... you're
educated about what really works and what really doesn't.

That's what I did for years.....test and discard.....test
and discard.....until I had the boiled down, distilled list of
exercises that gets you as far as possible with technique in the
shortest amount of time with a user's manual that goes along
with them.

And music isn't on the list or in the Critical Path.  Anywhere !!

On the Next Page,  I'll blast apart Lie #2:

'OK, if playing music isn't working, I'll practice some scales'

Sakari


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