I had developed an interest in the guitar last year and had been wanting to improve the skill to the maximum extent, I have already got the basics knowledge of the guitar, for example, reading tablature and identifying chords, I want to further brush up on these skills to become a better artist, So I decided that from now on I shall practice at least half an hour a day, during that half an hour I shall do a variety of different exercises, along with that i would also practice playing along with backing tracks so musically I’m more in sync with other instruments and can adjust the texture and the way the song is presented as the music plays in the background.
Over the course of these few months, I learned that just because the music sounds like the way it is being played on the track doesn’t necessarily mean its being played correctly. I learned that some skills need to be refined and used in places in order to truly get the perfect tone out of the performance.
Overall throughout the course of this activity, I underwent the following learning outcomes:
L1. Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth
At first when I sat down to do a self assessment I automatically got to know what was lacking when I compared my playing to the playing of guitar legends such as Slash, Steve Vai, John Petrucci and so on, I mean the fact that their hands moved like butter over the fret board and I was having trouble finding which fret to go to and how to get there really scared me. Although there was one thing positive in all this and that was that at least I had the basics down, like i wasn’t completely oblivious as to how to play, hold and use a guitar, so that meant that there was hope and I could improve without spending half as much money as I would on guitar classes. Another fact was that I was a quick learner, I could absorb things and practices really quickly (If they were on the practical side of things :p) and so I thought that this was gonna be my savior and superhero. So after a self assessment I finally got started with the long, tedious, painful, but fun journey towards faster butter like fingers!
L2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills
Challenges that I undertook? The list when it starts wouldn’t end! The first challenge came up 5 seconds into me starting the practices, which was to find a practice schedule, what time of day, what kind of practice, basically making a flow of practice, also how would i inculcate performances as practice of playing in public locations, getting rid of stage fear, the list went on and on! then came the challenge of find my kind of practice videos online, I couldn’t stand 1 hour long videos with a bunch of theory in them, neither did I like really short videos which were full of nothing and didn’t even provide any tips. Although these challenges sort of helped me grow patience and helped me to filter out stuff that is the best for me. Another thing that this helped me accomplish was that It helped me to find new genres in the process and learn how to inculcate them in my practices.
L4. Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience
In the field of music a person must show one factor in himself in order to succeed, and that is perseverance, if one cannot stay committed to his or her art, if a person gives up on one bad performance or a bad practice, then he can never be successful, and this whole learning process helped me to understand that and overcome any sort of negativity that came my way, I would never let anything pull me down or demotivate me to not continue, I would take the bad practices as a push so that I can find that inert motivation and activate it so the next day im more free flowing and productive than the last, and I feel that perseverance and commitment to an instrument really binds you to that instrument, sooner or later you start feeling that it is a part of you, I personally, throughout this learning curve have grown so close to the guitar (Especially my own guitars) than I am close to any human being.
After the end of this journey that was learning this beautiful 6-string wonder of human invention, I feel that at times when im alone or feel a strong rush of emotions, I can express them on my guitar, and I have grown a personal connection to the art and to the instrument. So much so that I have started posting covers on my Instagram page of famous solos on the guitar. This whole journey has been enriching and the most amazing one so far, I will never let go of this drive in this art and in the future try and make it a profession as well if i am fortunate to ever get the chance!
