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Way back in history, I took a test in college that told me the best way for me to learn something.

We all learn by using a combination of methods.

1. Learn by doing.
2. Learn by watching.
3. Learn by reading.
4. Learn by hearing.

Each of us uses a combination of these methods to learn. Which one helps you the best?

This is interesting because you migth think you need the 4 methods. Personnally, I need to read (understand) then by doing (practicing). This is what I need to learn guitar. But someone who has the good understanding of what he is doing should only watch or read or hear to learn. This is how I learn at my work because I have an advanced knowledge of what I do, I can easely adapt to a new situation.

Marc

1 and 2 for me watch and do

The more of these methods we can combine into our learning, the faster and easier it is to learn it. And since this is guitar, number 4 has got to be on everyones' list.

This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart.

Before we can answer the question, I think we have to know "what" it is that we are trying to accomplish. Generally speaking, if it's something that requires the development of a physical skill, whether it's swinging a golf club, shooting a game of pool, or playing a musical instrument, then the single most important element in the equation is "doing".

People tend to over analyze things for fear of practicing something wrong. This notion is supported by a misconception that "practice doesn't make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect". In reality, this is not the way the human brain learns complex physical skills. Granted, it would be nice if we could instantly do all things correct, right from the start, but this is rarely the case.

One of the greatest martial arts instructors that I've ever known, a British man named Steve Morris, used to say; "Build the gun and FIRE IT". What he was really saying is, you can stand around and talk about the proper way of striking an object all day long and you will accomplish absolutely nothing. The only way that you can increase physical skill in a given activity is to "do", make adjustments and "do" some more.

In my humble opinion, the single biggest contributing factor in becoming a good guitar player is "playing the guitar".

Kenny

kennyf wrote:

In my humble opinion, the single biggest contributing factor in becoming a good guitar player is "playing the guitar".

Kenny- I don't necessarily agree with you on that one!! I've played the guitar for over 40 years and to most people I suppose I play alright but to other competent guitarists (the people that are best able to judge) I suspect I would fall far short. So if simply playing was the "gold standard" any of us that have played for a lot of years should be good guitarists. But often we aren't.

I suspect the reason we aren't getting better is because somewhere along the road we actually stopped learning. Or maybe stopping progressing. Now that could be because we aren't committed, or don't play enough or any number of factors. But it could be because the way we try to learn is not how we are programmed to learn.

Andy, asks a very good question here. How many of us truly know how we learn best. I believe I am a visual learner with written back up. I have to see things to understand them (that's why I'm a civil engineer and not an electrical engineer!) and then be able to read they "why-fors" somewhere. But I don't know this for a fact.

I also believe that Neil is providing me a learning tool that fits my learning "style". Because of that, I've made more progress in three months than I have in years of independent study. It's really unbelievable. Maybe I'm just too cheap to waste $20/mo.!!

Once you find your personal style I think you have to stick with it. Any learning will always take commitment and lots of time "doing" as you correctly point out!!

For me, I can not learn a new song just by hearing or reading it. I can maybe get a chord or two or a bit of the picking by listening. Getting the written music (standard notation or tab) will get me a little further. But (to me) written music never captures the "feel" of a song. I make the most progress by watching then doing and doing and doing. I find watching LOTS of YouTube videos helps me learn what to do and what NOT to do.

ffsooo3 wrote:

For me, I can not learn a new song just by hearing or reading it. I can maybe get a chord or two or a bit of the picking by listening. Getting the written music (standard notation or tab) will get me a little further. But (to me) written music never captures the "feel" of a song. I make the most progress by watching then doing and doing and doing. I find watching LOTS of YouTube videos helps me learn what to do and what NOT to do.

Thats exactly me, same here. You know adult learning, andragogy , is a passion of mine, and studies have shown we change with maturity the older we become, we need to see and do to learn generally, the other senses yes they kick in and help but primarily research show see do for us Baby Boomers is what works best.

BigBear wrote:

...that's why I'm a civil engineer...

No doubt. I could have guessed that. :laugh:

BigBear wrote:

I have to see things to understand them...

Rick,

I don't think that we are that far off the mark here, or a least not as much as you might think.

We live in a very well educated, information intensive and analytical world. All of those things are good, provided that they are assisting you to achieve your goals and not a road block preventing them.

I say this a lot and I may have even said it here at some point, but it's worth repeating. There are "process" oriented people and there are "goal" oriented people. The process types are usually so wrapped up in "the process of" that they rarely, if ever, accomplish anything. The goal types are usually too busy being successful to bother analyzing the meaningless details that got them there.

Look... I understand the purpose of "seeing to understand" and I wholeheartedly agree with that. I also think that Neil's approach to teaching is a very, VERY good.

Let's see if I can make some sense of where I'm coming from...

If I gave you a list of 20 street names and told you to go home a memorize them, I'm quite sure that you could, but it would only be the memorization of meaningless words.

On the other hand, if we got into your car in an unfamiliar area to you, and I made you drive, while I gave you step by step instructions AS you were driving; "This is Elm Street, we're going to go three blocks down and turn right onto Main Street, etc...".

Ya see where I'm going with this?

By memorizing seemingly meaning words, what do you have? Even if those words are relevant, you have no reference to that relevance.

By taking you on a guided tour, while you drive, you gain an immeasurable about of knowledge that is both relevant and easily referenced in almost all regards. That relevance and random reference is commonly referred to as "Experience", the value of which is priceless.

Also... The relevance of certain things in music are largely dependent on your goals. If your goal is to be a music teacher, then a complete understanding of music theory is absolutely necessary. To a talented performer, maybe not so much, or at least not to a point where that person needs to remember everything they ever learned. To a performer, the performance is the goal and it requires MUCH more than an understanding of music.

I'm rambling now... :laugh:

Chasplaya wrote:

ffsooo3 wrote:

For me, I can not learn a new song just by hearing or reading it. I can maybe get a chord or two or a bit of the picking by listening. Getting the written music (standard notation or tab) will get me a little further. But (to me) written music never captures the "feel" of a song. I make the most progress by watching then doing and doing and doing. I find watching LOTS of YouTube videos helps me learn what to do and what NOT to do.

Thats exactly me, same here. You know adult learning, andragogy , is a passion of mine, and studies have shown we change with maturity the older we become, we need to see and do to learn generally, the other senses yes they kick in and help but primarily research show see do for us Baby Boomers is what works best.

Ahhhh... We all appear to be on the same page. B)