Musical technique refers to instrumental players’ ability to exercise optimal control over their instruments to generate the desired musical effects. Improving the skill often requires practicing exercises that increase muscle sensitivity and agility. The compositional style is the composers’ talent and knowledge to create music. It differs from the instrumental or performance approach, which is used to actualize works in classical music but can also be employed in musical improvisation (Alexander, 2019). Practices like intonation or timbre, articulation, and musical phrasing are almost universal across all instruments. This is success story of an undergraduate music student who taught himself to play electric and acoustic guitar at home and later joined a foundation to perfect his skills.
The student has advanced from a beginner to an intermediate level, acquiring control, stamina, riffing, and rhythm playing skills. His acquired skills were learned through his home practice and training at the foundation. However, he plans to advance his guitar career by enhancing skills such as leading guitar improvising and chord extension and using the pedal to shape his tone. His favorite genres are metal, alternative grudge play, and rock.
Based on his experience, there are many skills and techniques that need to be employed in order to be able to face and the challenges and improve in becoming a performer. One of the skills he managed to acquire is a riff; it is a guitar performance with a range of items such as a particular chord progression, a single note played in a unique rhythm, or a repetitive melodic lead line. Musicians use the word to expound musical notions within a piece. At other times a riff is denoted as a lick, hook, or a lead line. Variations are integrated by lead and rhythm riffs guitarists or in-band if there are two or more guitarists. Riffs are commonly found in heavy metal music, rock, and jazz. One of the significances of comprehending rift is that it helps an individual create a melody for a song. When learning to play the guitar, there are dozens of different techniques a person needs to work on chords, scales, string inflections, and tapping (Klickstein, 2009).
Another skill is improvising, which is the art of composing and recording simultaneously. It is more like the ultimate test of a person’s suitability as a guitar player. Once a person can practice guitar solo effectively, improvising is the covetable technique to becoming an advanced guitarist. Improvisation gives individuals the freedom to explore and express their creativity through a guitar. The student acquired this skill by learning the music theory and memorizing the fretboard.
Dynamic control is yet another skill the student mastered. It is an effective technique that a guitarist should possess; however, it can often be overlooked. Dynamic expounds on how soft or loud notes are played (Montagu, 2007). Firm dynamic control enables a person to have more energetic performances and elevate the quality of the song being played to an indispensable new level. Some tips employed in implementing dynamic control in the guitar are playing softly and taking a single note at a time. Another form of skill is stamina which refers to the body being able to withstand a prolonged activity such as flipping the guitar. For a person to develop significant stigma when playing the guitar for an extended period, they must focus on relaxing their body and hands after playing each note.
The skills or techniques that the learner presumes have been favorable in the guitar career are rifting and improvisation. One of the primary reasons he believes that rifting is a skill for him is that he can comprehend which scales to employ during his performance. On the other hand, improvisation is effective because he can play along with the rhythm and create long and short notes in the genre he is playing. His advancement in improvisation techniques was through three methodologies: learning new licks where he would keep amassing fresh, original licks from different genres and styles. Another mechanism is listening to the guitar solos of his favorite guitarist to expand on his horizon, and through this, he can study their phrasing.
Finally, for one to play the guitar is to do more than memorize short musical phrases. Guitar riffs are like other music exercise forms or techniques; thus, practicing them can effectively advance a person’s overall strategies and manual dexterity. Each new variation one learns makes him a more versatile and capable guitarist and helps him avoid rock clichés. Learning how to play the guitar is not an easy task as a person has to grasp the ins and outs of music and the actual physical toll. As a student who was once a beginner in the field of guitar, he can testify that when it comes to controlling a finger awkwardly and uncomfortably at first, making one feel pain. Sometimes, it might seem impossible;h owever, much like the instrument’s music forms, the manual can be gained by practice and exercise. One technique that appeared slightly challenging to him was the endurance technique. He intends to employ two types of helpful activities that can assist in developing endurance concerning the rod and arm flexibility.
The first exercise is for a practitioner to rapidly open and close his arms as many times as possible. Moreover, if an individual is a right hand, they should use their left hand to open their fingers, and if one uses their left hand, they should use their right to practice. Opening and closing hand workouts assist an individual in improving stamina and have significant flexibility in the arms, allowing them to keep uneasy accords.
The next activity is designed to build strength in the wrist and fingers speed. In this practice, must find a riff that is outside of his skills, yet not too difficult to perform. The exercise starts slowly and then progressively speeds up; it can be done in a few sets, 5-10 minutes each (Peckham, 2010). This activity improves overall endurance and arm strength, enabling the person to play the guitar for an extended time. The timeline for this exercise is expected to take about three weeks to improve his stamina. Different activities and practices will be performed in the recorded duration. Another important factor in playing the guitar that can significantly affect the musician’s fatigue is posture and left wrist position. The left wrist should move as little as possible to avoid pains and excessive hand movement that facilitates the feeling of tireness (Peckham, 2010). Studying the guitar is not simple, either physically or mentally, but if one persists, he can have maximum enjoyment.
By the end of the three weeks, the player’s energy will be significantly enhanced, whereby he can perform for an extended period. This is key to his field to evolve as a star; one should be able to cover a wide range of songs. On the first exercise on stamina improvement, he plans on carrying it every day, and when he advances on it, he can do it multiple times. On the second exercise, still on the same technique, he plans to practice fifty repetitions daily. He purposes to practice the third exercise of stamina fifty times a day. The tips employed would not make learning music theory easier; however, they will significantly advance stamina technique.
As such, it can be seen that by implementing several important practices in his routine, the student was able to advance in many different skills. His main personal victories in learning to play the guitar include acquiring improvisational skills, rifts, and dynamic control. However, he is yet to enhance his endurance and strength levels. For that purpose, he intends to exercise such new practices as opening and closing hands and endurance practice with rifts of more advanced difficulty. Additionally, to ensure his safety, the student will attempt to adjust his posture while performing, as well as monitor his left wrist movement to avoid feelings of pain.
References
Alexander, J. (2019). Complete technique for modern guitar (3rd ed., pp.1-106). Fundamental Changes.
Klickstein, G. (2009). The musician’s way: A guide to practice, performance, and wellness (1st ed., pp.1-368). Oxford University Press.
Montagu, J. (2007). Origins and development of musical instruments (pp.1-280). Scarecrow Press.
Peckham, A. (2010). Vocal workouts for the contemporary singer (2nd pp.1-128). Berklee Publishing.