Simple Science for How to Trick your Brain into Learning Guitar Faster
You can get the best lessons in the world but if you break the rules for how the brain learns - you won't learn.
Introduction
You practice. You put in the time. But things still aren’t coming together.
The chord changes are clumsy. The rhythm falls apart when you try to speed up. It takes forever to learn new songs and internet "bro" advice of practice more just isn't working.
You've bought courses, hired a private instructor and STILL nothing works for you...
- Is it your age?
- Your hand size?
- Missing the elusive "natural talent?"
Hi, my name is Preston and I have been teaching guitar professionally since 2010 and from over 12,000 hours of teaching in-person lessons I can tell you that It’s not your age, your hand size, or some magical talent you missed out on.
The problem is that you are going against how the brain naturally learns.
There are rules for how the brain learns, how it creates neural connections, and how
your hands and ears develop coordination.
- If you break the rules, you don’t learn. Simple 🙂
- If you kind of follow the rules, you kind of learn.
But if you follow them combined with a killer method you'll progress so fast it's almost unfair.
Over years of teaching, I’ve boiled it down to 5 simple rules of learning guitar. Follow
them, and you’ll get better faster — no matter your age or starting point. Break them,
and you’ll keep spinning your wheels.
⚠ WARNING⚠ These Rules are NON-NEGOTIABLE.
If I have a student who is struggling to learn (or they come to me for lessons because nothing else seems to work) ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of the time they are breaking one or more of these rules.
Rule #1: Memorize Your Materials
If your brain is too distracted by trying to remember what to do, it struggles to learn and retain information. It will struggle to build neural connections, develop muscle memory, coordination. speed, etc etc.
I put this first because if you are trying to get your chord changes faster, learn a song
or anything - if its not memorized you will fail. You are learning the language of music
- can you imagine trying to speak words or even read this page if you didn’t already have the
words memorized?
Memorization frees up mental bandwidth so your brain can focus on other things.
Rule #2: Slow the **** Down
The #1 pitfall guitar players have is they try to play too fast.
For some reason every person who wants to play guitar wants to play fast.. - I get it I do to. However, players often try to play WAY faster than they have skills for and its a train wreck - and no it just doesn't "click" one day.
If you can’t walk should you try to run? No
If you’re kind of a wimp and can’t even bench press 95lb should you go for 225lb? No.
lol just kidding… (you pansy)
But seriously,
One of the best ways to get frustrated, make slow progress, lose motivation, and
develop self doubt it trying to play too fast for your current abilities.
And here’s the kicker, to play fast you have to HEAR fast and FEEL fast.
How do you do that? Well, can you even metronome brah?
Playing with a metronome insures all three skills required to play fast are developing -
your coordination, rhythm and aural skills.
And guess what guitar players love to skip?
That's right! RHYTHM AND TRAINING THEIR EARS 🤦
I know it sounds crazy but there's more to playing guitar than just wiggling your fingers around. You’re going to need to have some musical skills too.
Rule #3: Don’t Skip Steps
You wouldn’t teach calculus to a kindergartner would you?
Or have a 4th grader play college sports just because he could read at a college level.
No.
Well guess what people do when they learn guitar? ☺
They “skip grades” and jump around in their learning.
They’re off to 7th grade math, then to 5th grade science, then they try college sports.
Instead of building ALL their skills from the ground up they jump around and then
they think… My finger size is too small… Must be my age… I wish God loved me and I
too had the special natural talent in my DNA.
Here's a few examples
If you don't have a grasp on what a key is you shouldnt be trying to understand the circle of 5ths (how keys relate)
If you can't play in major and minor keys all over the fretboard and break out of box patterns - you shouldn't be trying to play the modes (that's like struggling with basic math and trying to learn algebra)
If you can't play power chords you shouldn't be learning barre chords.
There are STEPS to the learning process - you skip steps you will struggle
Rule #4: Break It Down
Players often want to play their favorite songs to learn guitar - i get it, I did too as a kid
and teaching cool songs is a fundamental part to my method.
The problem is if your favorite song is not beginner song and calls for you to simultaneously execute skills that are difficult on their own.
For example. Arpeggiating a barre chord while string skips and a tricky rhythm all at 140bpm.
Yes, you are skipping steps if you do this, but you also need to learn how to break
music down to make it more manageable.
Practice tip: Isolate small sections and master them before putting it all together
Just get the chord changes down (no fancy rhythm or arpeggio)
Isolate the rhythm (no chord changes).
Rule #5: Stay Organized
Disorganization is the silent killer of peoples hopes and dreams because it ruins
everything and people don’t realize the cause.
Being disorganized with your time management, your practice area, your practicing
sessions etc etc. Will make or break your learning and enjoyment.
Disorganization create stress, frustration, overwhelm, and confusion — all of which put
your brain into a negative state which blocks learning. Not to mention, it causes
extreme inefficiency in your time.
Keeping your materials, practice space, practice schedule, and goals organized removes mental clutter so you can focus and nail it every time you practice.
Organization tip: Get clear on where your skills are at, and goals and track your
progress.
⭐ Bonus Tip From Jesus
No Man Can Serve Two Masters
People who can’t play very well often say its good to learn from a lot of sources…
However, this is a recipe for disaster.
If one teacher or method is sucky it will undo everything a good teacher is trying to do.
If both teachers are good, mixing their methods will pull you in different directions — causing
confusion, conflict, and slower your progress.
Even Jesus agrees with me on this one… 😇
Admit it - I’m pretty funny. 😅
Commitment tip:
Pick one method or teacher and stick with it long enough to see
results. Like a soldier going on a mission, follow their methods exactly.
If you’re not getting results you need to ask yourself if your teacher isn’t very good at teaching or if YOU are the problem and you’re breaking the rules of learning.
Wrap-Up
These rules are simple — but breaking them will cost you years (or decades) of
progress.
From working with so many players face to face it is SHOCKING how quickly players can progress if they just have the right method and practice the right way - but its equally shocking how slow some players will progress if they break the rules of learning.
Remember, there is no badge of honor for struggling to play guitar.
If you've been progressing slower than you'd like - are you breaking any rules of learning?