The Step B Trap!

It’s a trap!

Well, ok, it’s not really a proper trap, waiting to catch you. But there is a trap that many Step B students fall into…

You see, a large part of Step B is learning chords and playing them along with songs. This usually requires LOTS of practice which can take up an entire guitar lesson, meaning that there is little time to work on anything else.

So, many Step B students end up just playing chords. Only chords. No picking or anything else. It’s all they practice and soon they completely forget all of the picking they have previously learnt. THEY’RE CAUGHT IN THE TRAP!

If you become a guitarist who only learns chords, then you’re limiting your own ability and may never improve your picking skills.

So how can you avoid the trap?

1. Make sure you practice your picking EVERY time you play guitar at home. It doesn’t have to be hours and hours of picking songs, it could just be one or two of your most recent picking songs. Play them five times each and you’re picking skills will be safe!
2. Learn new picking songs. They don’t have to be long and complicated – you could just choose some simple riffs and melodies, like Hot Cross Buns. Learning new songs will help keep your skills up to scratch and maintain interest in picking. Plus, it’s some picking for you to practice at home.
3. Play at least one picking song at each lesson. If you find that you’re exhausted and your fingers are all worn out at the end of your guitar lesson, you can just practice a simple riff like Eye Of The Tiger. Playing it along with the song will only take about a minute, yet it will help retain your picking ability.