TPGC Blogs

Technique is the most important factor in playing the guitar. It overrides everything else–musical ability and musical knowledge. Its importance can never be over emphasised because in it are all the abilities required to produce music. Without technique, the greatest musical gifts are unable to find expression. However, once technique has been acquired, it is no longer important– as long as it is there!

The problem with technique is

1. to acquire it
2. to maintain it.

Acquiring good technique means long hours on the guitar but it must be intelligent parties. Constant repetition of a piece of music complete with mistakes merely ensures these mistakes are there for good! So, a sensible guitarist notes the difficulties and devices a means of overcoming them. Tunes with difficult scalic passages can often be improved by practicing scales, scales that has no relation to that particular piece. This sort of practice is usually more effective because if a piece is technically demanding, by the time it is learnt, the player will be so sick of it!

The trouble with most of us is that we spend all our lives trying to improve technique. These efforts are reflected in our playing of pieces both for ourselves and others. So all playing becomes practice. It explains why I say that once technique has been acquired, it is no longer important. Our problem is to be able to divide our playing into practice and playing and not to mix the two because it will make no sense to wait until a good technique is acquired before playing a piece musically(as against technically). I suggest that if a piece is technically possible, it should be practiced carefully to ensure a clear presentation. Then, when that happens ,it should be played with attention solely on the music to enable you to put your whole heart in it and forget the technique!

The better the technique, the better can music be played. Time spent on improving technique is time well spent!

Happy Guitaring.

by Ernest Kwok