The Art of Practice

This book is a manual for the teacher or student to use in learning how to play the guitar. It is a "desert island" type of book, meaning it is all you need to learn how to play by yourself if you cannot find a teacher. The focus of the book is how to practice and the most effective way to practice the guitar.

There are many books on the subject of guitar playing, but none like this book. I have focused on how to mentally and physically practice. Practicing is generally just approached by saying, "practice makes perfect", suggesting the more you practice the better you get, which is not true if you practice the wrong way. Time alone will not make a good player and most people will simply give up when they do not make significant improvement. Learning to play and understand the instrument is difficult and when not given the necessary diagrams and the information to use them, the student is left to merely learn songs and other basic pieces of music in order to improve, which leaves most people with nothing more than playing their favorite music very poorly. My book gives the student all the necessary information to improve for a life time of playing. It is my intention to help players who want to teach their friends and family. This happens more frequently than taking lessons at a store or school. What players need is a "manual" to simply show others what to know in order to improve and understand the instrument. I give guidance and reasons for each level of development; Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. By studying my book the teacher and student have a tried and proven method of study and proficiency. I have taught this method for over 30 years and it is the best method I or my students have ever found.

I have been a musician for most of my life. I have played guitar for more than 40 years and have taught the guitar for the last 30 years. I am a performer and teacher with a recording studio and extensive experience in all phases of my professional musical career. I have toured and recorded throughout my career. I began playing in the orchestra at the age of eight, playing the clarinet. In my teens I began to study the guitar and piano, which led to performing and touring. I also play the saxophone, flute, harmonica, and voice. I have extensively studied musical theory and the history of music. World music has been a major influence in my studies, but I have studied most popular styles and performed in classical, jazz, and rock ensembles. Today I have a busy schedule, performing, teaching and recording.