| Last night, whilst lounging on my sofa with a | | | | until you never get it wrong. The same applies for |
| friend watching the television, I flicked through the | | | | any profession or hobby; this includes people in |
| channels to stumble across a woman playing the | | | | sporting events or even in the entertainment |
| piano as if it was as easy as a simple stroll in the | | | | industry. To truly master playing a musical |
| park. The sound that came out of her carefree | | | | instrument, one will need to make more than just |
| fast-motioned fingers, made me wonder how it is | | | | a few visits to the music or guitar shop buying |
| possible to have both of your hands work on two | | | | books and accessories. |
| different chords at different ends of the piano. | | | | A lot of this should be mirrored by the dedication |
| This then made me realise that it is exactly what | | | | to practising and actually playing the instrument. |
| I do when I play my bass guitar. | | | | The first time I had begun playing my bass was |
| When watching this woman play, I found myself | | | | not that long ago, but I remember picking it up all |
| in a deep discussion with my friend about whether | | | | excited and eager to play only to find that I had |
| it is a natural talent towards playing music or | | | | no idea what I was doing. The first thing I wanted |
| whether it truly is a long time of practising to | | | | to do was learn a few bass tunes to some |
| make perfection. I refuse to believe that every | | | | popular rock music. Whilst doing this I decided to |
| time I walk into a guitar shop that every single | | | | learn a few impressive tricks and techniques that |
| person in there looking at guitars are 'naturally' | | | | would help me to play better. |
| gifted in music or have a 'natural' talent to music. | | | | Those wanting to learn to play an instrument will |
| Similar to the woman playing the piano, it would | | | | need to begin finding their feet in learning to play |
| have taken many years of practise to be as | | | | and try to play a song that interests them. This |
| good as that. | | | | will mean plenty of time alone going over the |
| On my last visit to my local guitar shop, to pick | | | | same tune again and again. It will be frustrating, |
| up a tabs book, I found myself talking to | | | | painful and even laborious at time, but you will |
| someone else about how they had never played | | | | very quickly adjust to this and once you see the |
| a piece of music by 'The Doors'. It just so | | | | improvements in your playing you will never want |
| happened this said shop supplied a tabs book for | | | | to stop. Often, you will find when playing the |
| that and this person blew me away. He simple | | | | guitar, you may improvise and create your own |
| perched the book against the wall, sat down with | | | | tunes, this is a good sign of progress and it is |
| his guitar and started to play like true professional | | | | worth recording these if you can. |
| no problems, just from reading the tablatures. | | | | When playing in front of people, your nerves will |
| Amazing I thought, but then when I think about | | | | be playing topsy-turvy in the pit of your stomach, |
| this more logically, this man has had twenty years | | | | even if the audience is your family members! To |
| more experience in playing the guitar than I had | | | | people who do not know how to play a musical |
| playing my bass. Therefore, after years of | | | | instrument, you will appear a musical genius with a |
| experience he was able to play anything for the | | | | 'natural' flair for music. |
| first almost perfectly. It would appear that this | | | | Whether it is something that you are born with or |
| man could play any piece of music set down upon | | | | have a keen interest in, nothing can rule out that |
| him; therefore, his dedication to playing the guitar | | | | practise is the key. It is true that some people |
| was made prominent through his performance in | | | | are gifted in being able to learn faster than others |
| the guitar shop. | | | | are able to, but whatever the rate of learning |
| Musicians, artists, writers, performers, dancers | | | | power you have with practise comes familiarity, |
| and people within the creative industry will know | | | | clarity and perfection. Therefore, the key to |
| all too well that to become good at something | | | | becoming a good musician is to practise, practise |
| you have to practise to perfection, or practise | | | | and practise some more. |