Introduction from 'Guitar Playing and how it works' © Peter Inglis 2003

Anybody can play music and play it well. That's the way humans have evolved! Birds sing in the trees, whales and dolphins under the sea. Humans sing in the shower and play in orchestras.

In the past, and unfortunately to the present day, some people are still of the opinion that "musical talent" is "in the genes"... and you are either born with it or not! Carl Seashore and others established long ago that "musical talent" is in fact a collection of naturally occuring talents - about 10 in fact - and those who appear naturally talented are performing well in several of these areas.

All the talents necesary for the performance of music can be improved developed and this book aims to show how the basic components of guitar performance can be developed by anyone to a high degree.

As they say - "it's easy when you know how".

This book explores approaches to the guitar that work by following the natural functioning of the body as it interacts with the physics and physicality of the guitar and and the aural demands of music.

In modern times we look at what prevents a person performing well, rather than imposing artificial strictures on their use of the body. Older schools of technique imposed rigorous discipline, which had few answers for those who couldn't make the grade. Systems and techniques of musical performance must surely be judged not by their application to "natural talents", who by definition have already intuited the best way to do things, but by how effectively they can lift the game of those whose talent is in finding the most difficult way to perform!

If I have any talent it is undoubtedly an abundance of the latter described. Luckily I wouldn't take no for an answer and shrugging aside some bad advice, and a lot of good advice with it, set out to discover - to own for myself - the basic principles which make secure and free expression on the guitar possible.

One of the most important 'talents' for a musician is coordination of the body.

The Alexander Technique helps you maximise coordination and remove obstructions to free flowing movement. Throughout the book you will find tips for applying this technique to the guitar. Keyboard technique, for example, has developed from "still body, still hand" and emphasis on "fingerwork" in the 17th and 18th century to the inclusion of the whole body from the Romantic (19th century) period onwards.

With good coordination and flowing movements anything becomes possible, without it everything seems difficult.

READ ON

Please note that...

"Guitar Playing and how it works"

... was superceded in December 2007 by...

"Guitar Playing and How it Works - 3rd Edn."

Back to "Guitar Playing and how it works"