Mr. Schafer,
Hi, I am a freshman at Naperville North High School teaching myself to play the guitar for an English project. Part of this project requires me to interview a professional guitarist and as I was searching for someone, I came across your website. If it's not too much of a hassle, I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me through this email. Also, I'd like to let you know that I will be quoting some of this interview in my paper, so if there's anything you'd like to remain off the record, please indicate that portion as such. Any length of reply would be greatly appreciated!
1. How long have you been playing guitar? How did you get started?
2. What is the most important technique/skill that you have learned on the guitar?
3. How do you usually start lessons for a beginner?
4. Are there certain aspects of the guitar that are particularly difficult? Which technique/aspect took the longest for you to achieve?
Any additional comments:
Thank you so much!
SP, EPOC class
Hi, S. I would be happy to answer the questions.
1. I've been playing for over 40 years. I got started because I was trying to impress a girl. She was a music major at Ball State and I was going to Purdue. I would hitchhike to Muncie to see her on weekends. During the week I borrowed a guitar and started learning some songs. I would play the guitar for her but she was never impressed. Every week I'd learn a new song and play it for her. We later broke up; I got more from the relationship, I learned to play guitar.
2.It's hard to say what is the most important technique or skill since it takes several skills on several levels. But, I would have to say that probably coordinating the fretting (LH) hand and picking (RH) was very important. I wasn't able to do much, especially sing and play, until I got that down.
3. First lesson for a student usually starts by learning the string names, names of some of the guitar parts, how to hold the guitar, how to hold the pick, how hard to press down, where to press with the left (fretting ) hand, hand position, intro to reading tab, some simple song, a simple finger exercise and I give them a questionnaire to fill out that gives me an idea of what they want to learn on the guitar and what type of music they want to play on the guitar. (How's that for a run-on sentence?) People want to learn to play an instrument because they want to be part of the music they like.
4. The most difficult thing to learn about playing guitar is the picking, both flatpick and finger-picking. Most people worry about the fretting hand, how to play chords or what notes to play for that hot lick or cool solo. That's easy, just look up the tab or music and memorize it. But , if the pick or finger doesn't make a string vibrate you don't have sound , let-a-lone music. The real finesse is the rhythm , what the RH ( in my case I'm right handed) does. That's why Collide , Hey Soul Sister, and other songs that share similar chord progressions sound so different; the picking/strumming hand is what creates most of the rhythm. I have had people that have been playing for many years come to me to learn how to finger pick, flat pick or learn new strumming techniques. Learning to use a pick most effectively took the longest time. I continue to refine my pick technique even now, 40+ years later.
Additional : The resources available today are incredible. 40 yrs ago we didn't have the Web ( however in the early 70's I got a glimpse of the ARPANET), videos, Skype / iChat, or even a good reliable source of tab/music. I really love and embrace the technology. But , with all the ways to learn how to play an instrument some people still need that face-to-face contact with a teacher. I am grateful of that and that I am able to make my full time living helping others learn to play guitar. And I love every minute of it.
I hope that helps. Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you. Good luck playing the guitar.
Terry
Terry Schafer
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