RuggedReviews.com Review of The Principles of Correct Practive For Guitar

The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar is a must-have for beginning guitarists or experienced players who are experiencing a technical problem playing single notes or chords. I used it to reinforce the skills taught by Steve Krenz in his excellent Learn & Master Guitar instructional book and DVD set.

I would even go as far as to recommend that anyone on the verge of taking up guitar read The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar from cover- to-cover before touching the instrument. That may sound extreme, but author Jamie Andreas, an accomplished guitar player and respected instructor, wrote this book to give players a sound foundation in playing guitar correctly from day one so we will be less likely to experience problems as we progress as players.

Andreas begins by explaining what we need to succeed as a guitarist: A strong desire to play AND a strong dedication to practicing and playing correctly with a complete focus on the matter at hand. That might sound obvious, but a lot of players don't practice with total awareness, and they gradually pick up bad habits that compound themselves.

The basic premise of The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar is that if we practice playing each note and chord with complete awareness and consistently have our body, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers relaxed and in the right position when fretting, strumming or fingerpicking, we will progress as players. She explains fundamentals like how to sit properly, how to hold the guitar properly, and how to fret, fingerpick and strum in painstaking but necessary detail.

The The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar helped me enormously. When I first started playing, keeping the guitar still when I was changing chords was next to impossible. And if you don't keep it still, you have to chase the neck around. I was building up so much tension, my neck and shoulders ached and I couldn't move smoothly from one note or chord to the next. Andreas' playing tips and exercises helped me bring the situation under control.

Another time, I was dying to fingerpick, but I didn't know the first thing about how to place my hand and fingers and how to strike each individual string with correct timing. She walked me through everything necessary to master these skills and more. She even goes as far as to recommend that we practice placing our fingers on or over the correct string without plucking it, so our fingers will build up the "muscle memory" necessary to gain consistency. This slow and deliberate approach has worked over-and-over again for me.

The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar doesn't promise quick and easy results like all the sham instructional material out there. What it does teach is that if we're mindful about the way we interact physically and mentally with the guitar and take the time to develop excellent technical skills, we will succeed as guitarists.

Whenever I hit a snag in my ability to play guitar, I pull out The Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar and methodically confront the challenge so it won't hobble me further down the road. Thank you, Jamie Andreas for giving me the ability to recognize and address problems on this complicated instrument.