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Written by Tim FerrissTopics: Filling the Void, The 4-Hour Chef - 4HC
When will you stop dreaming and start playing? (Photo: Musician “Lights”, Credit: Shandi-lee)
It started as a kid, listening to my dad play around the fireplace during the holidays. The fantasy continued with
Guns N’ Roses and the iconic Slash. From hyperspeed Slayer to classical Segovia, I was mesmerized.
But I never thought I could do it myself.
Despite tackling skills as esoteric as Japanese horseback archery, I somehow put music in a separate “does not
apply” category until two years ago. It was simply too frustrating, too overwhelming.
My fascination with guitar wasn’t rekindled until Charlie Hoehn, an employee of mine at the time, showed me
the 80/20 approach to learning it.
This post explains how to get the most guitar mileage and versatility in the least time…
Do you have any additional tips, whether for guitar or applying the 80/20 principle to another instrument? Piano,
violin, flute, or other? Please share in the comments!
Enter Charlie
Almost everyone has fantasized about performing music in front of a huge screaming crowd at some point in
their life. For me, I’d always dreamed of playing guitar with the same mastery as Jimmy Page, Allen Collins, or
Mark Knopfler. Sadly, I could never stick with guitar practice. I ended up quitting multiple times for a host of
reasons: the material was boring, my teacher moved too fast, my teacher moved too slowly, my fingers were
killing me, my wrists were sore, I wasn’t making enough progress, and so on.
Then my friend Jake Ruff taught me two simple exercises that changed everything, and I’ve been able to stick
with guitar ever since.
Some guitarists proclaim that you need to tackle music theory first, while others will tell you to learn sheet music
while you’re practicing chords. I found it most effective to focus on a few easy exercises, while minimizing
boredom and pain. In other words, the process for learning that you enjoy the most is the best one, even if it isn’t
comprehensive.
Comprehensive comes later. First, we need to get you hooked.
Here are the three things you need to know before learning guitar, under my plan or anyone else’s:
1. You will feel clumsy. Remember when you first learned how to type? You wanted to hammer out 100 words
per minute, without ever making an error. The reality? You constantly had to look down at the keyboard, and
you’d get frustrated whenever you made a mistake. Guitar is the same way. As much as you’ll desire the ability
to play all your favorite songs beautifully, your body and brain simply won’t be able to. Your fingers will move
slowly, your hands will feel awkward, and the sounds coming from the guitar will not be easy on the ears. Relax,
and give yourself permission to suck. Allow yourself several weeks to build “muscle memory” – getting
comfortable having your hands in positions they aren’t used to.
2. Your fingers will be sore. Expect the tips of your fingers to hurt for at least a month while they’re developing
calluses. If your fingers get extremely sore, take a day off, and never play until your fingers bleed.
The pain you’ll feel is largely unavoidable, but you can reduce it by using a capo (a clamp you fasten across the
strings of the guitar – read more on this in “Getting Started” below). The most important thing, of course, is to
not quit playing altogether because of the pain. Whenever you want to quit because it hurts your fingers too
much, say to yourself, “Justin Bieber taught himself to play guitar before he was 12.” Yes, that’s right. That
effeminate kid successfully got through the same pain you’re feeling, and so has every other guitar player on the
planet. You’re more than capable of pushing through.
3. You need to practice for at least 10 minutes each day. There is no quick path to mastering the guitar, but
there is a fast track to failing: a lack of practice. During the first month, you need to make playing your guitar for
at least ten minutes into a daily habit. Playing every day will help you build calluses faster, and increase your
comfort level with the instrument.
When I first started, I aimed for at least two 10-minute practice sessions each day. I found the most convenient
time to practice was while watching TV. The two exercises you’ll be focusing on won’t require intensive periods
of concentration, so it’s totally fine to watch your favorite show while strumming away.
Getting Started
First and foremost, you’ll need to buy a guitar (See guitar recommendations below in the Gear section). I know
it’s obviously possible to learn with a friend’s guitar or one that’s been given to you as a gift. However, I found
that my desire to learn increased substantially only after I put some skin in the game. Buying my first guitar only
cost me $100, but spending that amount made me much more committed to learning.
I strongly recommend starting with an acoustic guitar, rather than an electric. With an acoustic, you don’t have to
plug it in to play and there’s less of an upfront investment (i.e. you don’t need to buy an amp). Learn on an
acoustic first; if you decide to play electric later, the transition will feel much easier than it would have had you
only learned to play electric.
Next, you’ll want to buy a capo. This is a clamp that raises the pitch of the strings. You’ll be using it for a
different purpose, but to start, it will help reduce the pain in your fingers.
The capo pushes down on the strings, putting them closer to the fret board and thereby making it easier for you
to push them all the way down with your fingers. When you’re doing the exercises, I suggest putting the capo on
the second fret.
You don’t have to use a capo, of course, but it can really help while you’re still developing calluses.
Once you have your acoustic guitar, capo, and a few other essentials (see the Gear section at the end of this
chapter), you’ll need to put the strings on and get them in tune. Here are a couple videos that will help you do
both of these things:
Changing acoustic guitar strings tutorial
Tuning your guitar
For tuning, the $3.99 ClearTune app works really well and is convenient to keep on hand when playing,
particularly in the beginning. It’s available for both iPhone and Android.
Now that you’re all set up, it’s time to take a seat in a comfortable chair and get in position to play.
The most important thing about your posture is to stay relaxed. Because you’ll be pressing down hard on the
strings, you’ll often feel your upper body tense up. Take a deep breath and only maintain pressure in your
fingers.
One final note on your positioning: Your thumb should not wrap around the neck of the guitar; it should be
pressed against the back of the neck. Sure, you’ll see a lot of professional guitar players who don’t comply with
this, but it’s much easier on your hand to learn chords this way.
Exercise 1: G-C-D
The number of chord variations you can learn on guitar is seemingly endless. We’re going to start with three of
the basics: G, C, and D.
Before we get into explanation of this exercise, take a look at how to hold the G, C, and D chords: [Note the use
of the silver capo in the photos]
In the G-C-D exercise, you’ll be working on switching from chord to chord. Here’s all you need to do:
Once all six strings sound nice and clear individually, you can begin strumming to hear the full sound of the
chord. Strum lightly for 10-15 seconds, making sure that the chord sounds nice and clear with each strum, then
transition to the next chord.
After you’ve reached a point where you’re fairly comfortable with transitioning between these three chords,
you’ll want to try playing along with actual music. Jamming to your favorite songs is definitely the most fun way
to learn in the beginning, because it really feels like you’re producing a better sound than you actually are. It also
forces you to get better at matching the correct tempo of a song while strumming.
Here are several popular songs that are great for practicing the G-C-D exercise:
1. Push down on the first string (the one furthest from you), 1st fret, with your index finger. With your other hand,
use your index finger to pluck the string. Ensure that a clear, crisp tone emits. If it sounds dull or muted, press
down harder on the string.
2. Push down on the first string, 2nd fret, with your middle finger. With your other hand, use your middle finger to
pluck the string.
3. Push down on the first string, 3rd fret, with your ring finger. With your other hand, pluck the string with your
index finger.
4. Push down on the first string, 4th fret, with your pinky finger. With your other hand, pluck the string with your
middle finger.
5. Move your index finger down to the fifth fret.
6. Push down on the first string, 5th fret, with your index finger. With your other hand, pluck the string with your
index finger.
7. Continue “climbing” the fret board until you’ve reached the 12 th fret.
8. Once you’ve climbed all the way up to the 12th fret, it’s time to do the exercise in reverse. Go all the way back
down the string, moving up the neck of the guitar one fret at a time, and plucking the string each time your
fingers move down a fret.
9. After you’ve gone up and down the first string, switch to the second string. Do this exercise on all six strings.
Again, it’s important to ensure that you’re getting nice, crisp tones each time you pluck the string. Don’t rush
through the exercise if the tones aren’t perfectly clear.
Once you’re comfortable with the Fret Climb, try to increase your speed.
Next Steps
Once you’ve mastered the G-C-D and Fret Climb exercises, you’ll have a nice solid foundation that you can
build upon in the months to come. But what do you do after you’ve perfected those two exercises?
I suggest mimicking the Axis of Awesome, then picking and choosing your favorites to learn.
Axis of Awesome
First, prepare to have your mind blown. Then, watch the The Four Chord Song by Axis of Awesome.
This comedy trio plays 38 pop songs in five minutes using just the E, B, C#m and A chords. Pick up those new
chords, use www.ultimate-guitar.com to look up the below songs for ordering, and you can play them.
How’s that for Minimum Effective Dose?
Whatever the case, always make sure you’re enjoying the process.
Once you get past these first few weeks, it’s smooth sailing. Have fun!
Gear
Fender Squier SA-100 – This is a great beginner’s acoustic guitar that won’t break the bank (about $100). I
learned on a similar Fender model, and have been playing it regularly for five years.
Taylor 110 Dreadnaught – For those wanting a nicer model than the Fender, this acoustic guitar is fantastic and
runs for about $600.
Kyser Capo – The most popular quick-release capo. Use it to quickly change the pitch on all six strings, and to
reduce soreness in your fingers while practicing.
D’Addario Acoustic Strings – It’s in your interest to buy nice strings for your guitar, as they will last longer and
be more comfortable. Get at least two sets, in case a string snaps.
String Winder and Cutter – This handy little tool speeds up the process of restringing your guitar, and has a built-
in wire cutter so you can trim the ends of the strings off.
Guitar Picks – You can learn guitar without ever using a pick, but I can guarantee you’ll eventually want to use
one. Picks give you a crisper sound and more precision in your playing. You won’t regret practicing with one.
Tools, Tricks, and Resources
Justin Guitar – Justin Sandercoe, a London-based guitarist, assembled more than 500 free lessons, many of
which contain video and audio tutorials. This is one of the best resources online if you really want to dive
headfirst into learning all things guitar.
Ultimate Guitar – This is my favorite spot for finding free song tabs. One of the site’s most helpful features is its
quick display of how a chord is held when you hover your cursor over any chord listed in the song.
“Ocean” by John Butler – My favorite guitar instrumental, by far and away. This song is motivation for me (and
several of my friends) to keep practicing. [TIM: Here’s a video of a separate friend, Maneesh Sethi, playing
Ocean after one week of 4 hours/day practice.]
1 This is a variation on the more commonly used C-chord, as this one is easier to practice for beginners. With this
variation, you won’t have to change the positioning of your hand when transitioning to/from the G-chord.
AFTERWORD: Best of Tips in the Comments
This post produced some GREAT comments and tips from readers. From the first 100 comments, Charlie chose
some of his favorites. Here they are…
###
I am going to weigh in on this one because the article is missing what I think is the most important thing to getting good fast
(other than regularly scheduled effective practice). One word: Feedback.
You need high quality, quick and regular feedback to gain proficiency quickly on any musical instrument.
1. At the end of each practice session, make a video recording of yourself (with your phone or laptop) of you playing what
you practiced (song, scales, chord patterns) to a metronome.
2. Always review the last practice session’s recording as the first step in your next practice session. It’s like football, hockey,
and other sports — they always watch the game afterwards to look for things they missed in the heat of the moment. It’s the
same principle for playing guitar because it requires a lot of hand coordination and listening ability. Make sure to capture the
entire guitar in the frame of your camera so you can see where your hands are, your posture, etc. Listen to the sound… Where
are the calm notes? Did you drop the beat? It’s very important to always practice with a beat (metronome, drum machine etc.)
and to be in tune (use a guitar tuner).
3. Spend time with a good teacher if possible, they will be able to correct things and teach you things that can only happen in
a face to face medium.
1) You only need to learn 3 “shapes” rather than chords and use a capo. With these shapes and use of a capo (to change key)
you can play 95% of songs out there.
2) Most shapes (and all for starters) consist of two fingers bunched and one stretched. Sometimes it is just two bunched.
3) You don’t need to play full chords – learn how to use 3 fingers first (index, middle and ring) by using the shapes.
4) DO NOT play all the strings at once – 80% of the time play the lower (base notes) and play the upper strings as highlights.
Less is more. It is the difference between teen angst and lounge cool.
5) The chord shapes are: the C/G (as above but don’t need the pinky unless you want to); the A/D – (like D but only index
and middle, A is one underneath the other); and Em7 shape (like G but with index and middle on 2nd fret A and D strings –
two lowest but one)
That is it. Too much time is spent with learners trying to play full chords and having all the strings ring out. That will come in
time. For now, stuff that. Dexterity with minimum movement is what you are after. Combined with only playing groups of
strings will make you sound more experienced then you are!
-Know your ultimate guitar playing goals, and figure out what you need to learn/be able to do to reach them. Set measurable
goals and a schedule for each practice too. (This might be more for those at an intermediate/advanced level) Aimless
practicing is wasted practicing, and consistency is key.
-The more extremely focused your practice is, the better. Especially as you get more advanced, it will take a lot more effort to
refine your technique further and further until you reach your goals. The less distractions you have while practicing, and the
more focused and uninterrupted you are, the more effective your limited practice time will be.
-Stay as relaxed as possible. Use only as much tension as is necessary to make the sounds you want. Anything excess is
holding you back, and while it can take a lot of effort and practice to reduce tension when playing something difficult, do so
to the best of your ability.
-Focus on exercises that work multiple techniques at once. While practicing isolated techniques is good, if you have limited
time, you might not be able to get to everything. Exercises like ‘string skipping’ focus on alternate and/or directional picking,
coordination between your two hands, your fretting technique and string skipping itself, while an alternate picking
exercise might only help you get better at alternate picking. I know some of you might not know what all of those terms are,
but the important thing to know is that — just like exercising for fitness — certain guitar exercises do more for you than
others.
-You don’t need a guitar in your hands to learn songs or new chords/scales. Figure out the gist of the song on guitar if you
have to, then go on to practice things that will make you better. Spend the rest of your day, when you have time, visualizing
yourself playing the song, what you’d do on the fret board to get the sounds you want, etc. Then next time you sit down with
a guitar, since you’ve memorized it in your head, you can focus on mastering the song instead of wasting time trying to
remember which part comes next or how to play this or that. This can save you hours of wasted practice time.
-If there is only one part of a passage or song that’s keeping you from playing it perfectly, don’t play through the whole song
over and over again hoping you’ll get it right eventually. Focus on that one section of song. Break it down to its simplest
form, and blast it until you can nail it consistently. Whether it’s a transition between chords, a certain note pattern or riff,
whatever… It’s much more efficient to focus solely on that part and then integrate it back into the song than it is to keep
playing that song repeatedly while making the same mistakes.
I’d advise you to hook up with someone else as soon as possible and learn from each other. Friendly competition, more
rewarding and good fun. If you can sing all the better, learn one song and go to an open mic night (if you can’t sing find a
singer). There are a million songs that you could play with the chords above – choose one. Trust me: you’ll practice if you
know you have a gig at the end of the week. You’ll get a massive rush and want to continue doing it.
I applied the accountability principle to art this year… I painted every day for a year, from 11/11/11 to 12/12/12, and posted
each one to Facebook (398 paintings!!!) My technique and confidence levels improved dramatically. I was also able to
Intermediate Techniques
Learn about the almighty power chord (throw the guitar in drop d tuning to make this super easy). This will let you learn just
about any mainstream punk/pop or rock song and play the sh** out of your favorites. Keep it simple. Nobody starts out
playing Stairway to Heaven…. instead try ‘Smoke on the Water.’
The most important part is to push through the month or so that you aren’t very good. Focus on learning songs you love to
stay inspired.
If you want to take the band route (this was the fastest way to catapult my playing to a new level) find some guys that want to
learn bass/drums/keys etc and go at it. Sitting around in high school and saying to my friends (none of which could play any
instruments) lets form a band was the best decision I’ve ever made.
“Strumming and open chords” by Max
As a guitar teacher for many years, this is very accurate as far as breaking down the basic skills. Here’s what I would add:
1) Learn these 3 basic and common strumming patterns (D=down strum, U=up strum):
– D D DUDU
– D DUD DU
– D DU UDU
2) There are only EIGHT, yes EIGHT basic open position chords (without getting into fancy variations). The open major
chords are C, A, G, E, D (spells the word CAGED). Open minor chords are Am, Em, and Dm. Spend your first few months
switching between all of these chords (there are millions of songs that only use these chords!). You should be able to switch
from any chord to any other chord instantly.
3) Combine basic chord pairings, for example: (C-G), (G-D), (D-A), (E-A), (Am-C), (Em-G) with the strumming patterns
above.
I grew up in a very musical family (mom is a professional blues singer and stepdad is a guitar teacher) and I’ve been playing
guitar seriously for 7 years. After dozens of paid gigs, and thousands of dollars spent on lessons, these are what I have found
to be the 20% of skills that get 80% of the results, beyond what Charlie laid out here.
Solos: If you want to solo, there is only one scale pattern (i.e. collection of notes) you need to know. MOST famous players,
including Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton, use an extended form of this box for over 90% of their soloing. It’s
called the first form of the pentatonic scale, and it is a repeated pattern of five notes that you can see here. If you are playing
any of the G C D songs here, put the lowest note of the scale (marked with an R in this picture) on the 12th fret of the low E
string. For any of the Axis of Awesome songs, put the lowest note of the scale on the 9th fret. Now practice going up and
down the scale in time with the songs and experiment with starting and stopping at different points. Gradually, steal licks
from your favorite players and sooner or later you’ll start to come up with some of your own!
Songwriting:? Write your songs in this format: Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus Chorus. For “Good
Riddance,” the verse is where he says “Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road…” and the chorus is where he says
“It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right.” The bridge is the instrumental breakdown after the second chorus (I
advise you to put words in the bridge, however). Got it? Great.
Now which chords should you play in your song, you might ask? Well, fortunately, Charlie already gave you three of them.
Write all of your songs with the G C and D chords, as well as the chord E Minor. Experiment with different combinations of
these chords. Your verses should all have the same chord progression, and your choruses should have the same chord
progression, but the progression in the verses should generally be different from the progression in the choruses. If you use
the same chords in both sections, make them last longer in one than the other. The key is variation to maintain the listener’s
interest. In the bridge, come up with a new combination of these chords, and try adding the chord A minor for spice. For
inspiration on how to combine chords, learn the songs Charlie has listed here. See what decisions those writers made. I also
highly recommend learning Taylor Swift songs, no matter your opinion of her music. The only way to avoid writing cliché
songs is to learn as many cliché songs as you can so that you know what not to do.
Learning Other Instruments
This is foolproof. Anyone can make up their own music. I found out when I lost my vision and was so scared I would not be
able to play piano because I always read the music and could not play by ear. I heard a Ray Charles song and realized, he was
playing on the black keys. Revelation! (My vision came back later.) Baby What’d I Say – it’s blues with a 1-4-5 pattern,
starting on the E-flat. But even if you don’t know music or what that stuff means, you can use the black keys to improvise
and play a relaxing melody.
This is what I show children how to do—Play a black key with your left hand and press the foot pedal at the same time,
holding it down. (There are 3, use the right foot on the far right pedal.) The note will sustain itself. Touch a black key with
your right hand, then another, try to make a pattern, then repeat it a couple of times if it sounds good. Play another note with
your left hand, down in the bass notes, the low notes, and again move around in the treble, high notes, with the right hand.
STAY ON THE BLACK KEYS and you will not make a mistake. Try to establish a rhythm, which is just the beat. If it
sounds a bit wrong, do it again, as if you meant to do it, then move to a sound you like better. Maybe this will be the first
song you’ve ever composed.
To end it, you can repeat that first pattern, hold the last note and maybe do one last bass note. Breathe in, breathe out, close
your eyes, and you will feel the music, plus look cerebral and cool.? Let the pedal up now and then or it will sound too
murky, maybe when you change bass notes… Just to prove my point when someone is skeptical, I have played on the black
notes with my fist, forearm, and even my elbow, and can make it sound like it goes together.
Try googling 1-4-5 and blues scale for more. There are tons of music lessons out there. Learn the circle of fifths, learn the
scales and the chords, major and minor. You will never run out of things to learn with music.
“80/20 Flute” by Kaylin Johnson
Here are some key points for applying the 80/20 principle to classical flute, designed for someone who can already read
music:
(1) When playing solos and other pieces, flute players rarely benefit from re-playing the portions they can already play well. I
see a lot of students who are so determined to play perfectly from start to finish. They end up wasting a lot of time playing
the portions they have already mastered, when instead the majority of practice time could more efficiently be spent focusing
on the parts that are causing them difficulty.
(2) All etudes and exercises are not created equal. I once had a teacher tell me that if I could master the exercises in the
Taffanel/Gaubert 17 daily exercises book, I could play almost any solo. This is true to some degree, but I would recommend
focusing on the portions you need for each solo as you choose to focus on it, unless your goal is accurate sight-reading in an
orchestra or other performance group.
(3) I completely agree with Tim that consistency is key when it comes to practicing. My first band teacher said to practice
eight minutes a day (about an hour a week), and that actually got me into the practice habit because it was achievable. I
worked up to two hours a day, but, looking back, I’m not sure that playing past an hour was worth it. I got through more
content (etudes, exercises, solos, etc.) but I don’t think it was necessary based on the 80/20 principle. I’ve also heard of many
serious musicians who develop problems in their hands or other parts of the body, which seems like a huge motivator to
practice smarter, not longer.
(4) A private teacher can be an immensely powerful motivator for practicing and designing a plan for advancement. If you
are looking to do something unconventional, such as following the 80/20 principle, it may take a few teachers before you find
one who supports you. For example, I play with an unusual embouchure (lip placement) and all but one teacher out of five
was determined to have me learn “proper” embouchure if I studied under them. I went with the one who wanted to work with
me as I was, and still found success without undergoing a lengthy re-learning process. To note, a teacher can also serve as a
mentor and a friend, so I recommend scheduling shorter lessons and getting right down to business if you want to get the
most for your money. You can even warm up ahead of time if possible to save a few minutes.
(5) Having the right tools, such as a tuner that can detect notes or a metronome, eliminate guesswork and save you a lot of
time and effort.
(6) When working with other groups, such as small ensembles or piano accompanists, listen to recordings ahead of time, if
available. When you are paying someone like an accompanist per hour, you don’t want to be paying to learn how each part
sounds together. Instead, you should be focusing items such as cues, tuning, and entrances.
Some of these principles may apply to other instruments as well, especially woodwinds.