The Three Hills of Learning Guitar

Let me preface this entire document with a short disclaimer. This blog post is entirely my view, and any similarity between other theories and existing methodologies is entirely coincidental. If it so happens that there is someone out there that has had the exact same idea as myself, then all I can say is that great minds think alike!

In my experience in learning the guitar, performing all over the world and teaching hundreds of students, it seems to me that there are three hills to climb when playing the guitar. I was toying with this idea and considering the points as three separate pillars, but I wanted to think more along the lines of a journey rather than outright ‘completion’. 

This blog post will explore the three hills as I discussed, and hopefully it will allow you to envisage your pathway in a clearer light. I will quickly explain the main chapters, and then go into more detail in separate sections.

The three hills of learning guitar are as follows:

1. Learning a technique, concept, chord or similar,

2. Being able to execute the above well, but through concentration and hard focus,

3. Fluency to the point of not having to think about the minute details. Freedom to enact the idea at a moment's notice.

Hill 1 - Learning the Thing

This may seem really simple, but there are steps to take and foundations to lay to help things go smoother further down the line. The thing in question could be nearly anything, on the guitar. Specifically something new, like a new chord voicing, finding notes on the strings or playing a whole song.

This is where having a good teacher comes in handy, because learning something often requires correct technique, or the use of the correct fingers etc. Having to ‘unlearn’ this in the future can be almost as hard, if not harder, than learning the original idea in the first place. Most people can naturally avoid any big mistakes, but you will undoubtedly pick up some bad habits.

For example, let us assume that you have just learned the standard, open position A chord. You have worked on the shape, using the correct fingers and can strum the correct number of strings - fantastic! That is the first step, however, you are just starting up the first hill.

Can you remember the chord by name each time? What about making it ring clearly each time, or playing in context with other chords? This may come easy to some, and nearly impossible for others. I have had students pick up barre chords instantly, and begin using them immediately. Others I have taught for a good while still can’t nail them properly. As I have said before, everyone is on their own guitar playing journey, and others are further along that path - I guess it goes without saying that everyone’s hills are different sizes, also. 

Another great example is something I witness on a weekly basis. When teaching certain students about the notes on the fretboard, nearly everyone can quickly and easily learn about chromatic notes and how to find all of the E notes using that knowledge. However, even after quite a few lessons, the number of students who still have to follow basic steps each time they are instructed to do so is nearly 100%.

Hill 2 - Execution

To me, there is a clear distinction between knowing and understanding a concept, to actually executing it to an acceptable standard. There are many clear examples of this in all walks of life, but here are some guitar specific ones that I have experienced both first hand and as a teacher. Perhaps you will relate to some of these?

As beginners, or at any level, guitarists like to learn licks and solos because it is an enjoyable activity; we get pleasure from putting in the hard work to something and seeing the fruits of our labours. I would often learn snippets of a solo by BB King, or a lick from a famous song such as ‘Technical Difficulties’. However, just learning the part up to speed, with the correct articulations and guitar tone does not guarantee I can play it within a song, or in a live situation - it was, and in many ways still is, something to focus hard on. 

Students often start by learning simple versions of a riff. Popular candidates are songs like ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep Purple, ‘TNT’ by AC/DC or ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana. I experience great joy when I successfully guide a student through this process - but it is rarely the full, complete riff from the beginning. 

Somethings you should consider as key points in ascending hill two, are as follows:

• At the correct tempo,

• Exact use of articulation,

• Appropriate guitar tone (using the correct gear if possible, or doing the best with what you have to hand),

• Overall feeling of comfort when playing (sometimes people hold their breath, which is not advised for many reasons).

I think this hill is where most of us face the biggest challenges. As we will soon learn, ascending hill three is done through repetition, whereas hill two is a multi-faceted enemy.  The best piece of advice I can give here is to try and keep a firm grip on what made you want to learn the thing in question in the first place, this is what will keep you motivated. 

Hill 3 - Fluency

The Oxford Dictionary definition of the word ‘fluency’ is “A smooth and easy flow; readiness and smoothness…”. I believe that this is the ultimate goal for when you are learning something; this is the final hill you have to ascend. You may be thinking why this is important, and the obvious answer is that you should not have to think about it - it should just happen. The goal is to have no hesitation!

Having freedom from the intense focus from the previous section allows you to focus on other things. You can then concentrate on relaxing your shoulders and playing with correct posture, think more about the guitar tone (how it should be changed given the immediate context) and, if you are performing live, how you look onstage. To get here, I have discovered that the process is simply endless repetition, both in a practice context and in a live situation. Like a seasoned chef does not need to think about how to chop an onion, a guitar player should not have to use any significant amount of brain power to execute something. 

Commonly, music theory is something that hinders many guitar players; I have spoken before about my difficulties applying it to my playing (you can read the blog post here). It may take some people a long time, but music theory is best utilized when you achieve a level of fluency whereby you can play without thinking about it. I would rather think back and explain what I have played, rather than constantly think in the moment - you lose some musicality that way. 

Expanding this idea further, you are then able to add your own stylistic flair to the piece, whatever it may be. I think that one should be able to play something properly first before anything is then altered or arranged; to pay proper respect to a piece of music, you should be able to play it as intended. 

Example

Let us use sweep picking as an example through all three of these hills - please read my blog post on the technique here. Understanding the technique, learning the shapes and any physical requirements is everything you must do to ascend hill one - this should not be too difficult. 

After learning the above, then your next task is applying it to any number of different permutations all over the neck of the guitar. In addition to this, you should be working at a variety of different speeds and beginning to practice in both isolation and in the wider context of a song. You may also choose to apply the technique to a variety of different shapes and string groupings.

Finally, there should be no issues when it comes to using the technique in your improvisations and no level of intrigue or concern when you are learning a piece of music that features the technique. 

Final Thoughts

Anything that you learn on the guitar can be applied to the ideas I have discussed here, from a whole song or specific technique. I would suggest that you feel comfortable to do so, try and organise your practice and playing into this framework. I like how it gives you specific targets along the way, rather than going from a state of not being able to do something - learning anything is rarely an off-on switch. 

Good luck, and keep on rocking!