In 2018, the wonderful acoustic guitar player Julian Lage gave us a glimpse into how he approaches acoustic guitar practice.
Pickings:
- Play Quietly and Minimise Tension
- Begin with Music
- Use point 2, to identify what to practice
- Balance your technique development
1. Play Quietly and Minimise Tension
Quote:
“One of the biggest hurdles…is that you think when you play an acoustic guitar, often you have to work harder.”
“What has helped me a lot is to practice playing acoustic guitar extremely quietly, and touching it very gently.”
Notes:
A lot of beginner and intermediate guitar students play with too much tension. They squeeze the neck too tightly. Press the strings too heavily. Grip the pick too intensely. When this happens, playing guitar becomes a lot more difficult than need be.
When we practice and play, we should always be aware of how much tension we’re exerting on the guitar. The goal is to use only the amount of tension necessary, and no more.
There are a couple of ways we can work towards this. One, as Julian points out, is to play quietly.
When you play really quietly, you’ll notice that your grip on the pick starts to relax. Your squeeze on the neck loosens. Everything feels softer. You’re more relaxed and playing feels easier.
2. Begin Each Session by Simply Playing Music
Quote:
“There can be nothing more frustrating than picking up the guitar and feeling like you’re not allowed to play until you practice X, Y, and Z.”
“Start out with just playing something you like…”
Notes:
It’s easy to feel stuck when you think you must complete a rigid set of exercises before you “deserve” to play music. Julian flips this idea: start by playing something you love. This initial spark of enjoyment often leads you naturally into areas you want to improve, giving your practice focus and purpose.
Exploring the guitar musically before drilling techniques transforms a mundane routine into an inspired session. Starting with music reaffirms your connection to the instrument, reminding you that the ultimate goal is artistic expression and fun – not just technical mastery.
3. Use Musical Exploration to Identify What to Practice
Quote:
“Now I can work on whatever felt challenging during the midst of that.”
Notes:
After beginning with music, use what naturally emerges – an interesting phrase or a tricky transition – as a clue to what you should practice. Let the music guide your technical work.
This ensures your practice sessions targets real musical needs, making each exercise meaningful and directly connected to your artistic goals. When practice arises from inspiration, it feels purposeful and keeps your motivation high.
4. Balance Technique Across Both Hands and Your Whole Body
Quote:
“I had a teacher once who told me very wisely, ‘You don’t want to be a one-handed guitar player.’”
“Whenever you’re practicing, if you spend 20 minutes thinking about your right hand, think about your left hand for 20 minutes.”
Don’t forget about your legs. If they’re locked while you’re playing, it often causes an overall sense of tension.”
Notes:
Technique is a very big subject that I like to break it down into three main areas:
- The Visible Guitarist
- The Invisible Guitarist
- The Athletic Guitarist
The Visible Guitarist is everything associated with the things we can clearly see. The position of the thumb, the angle of the fingers, the curl on the knuckles.
The Invisible Guitarist is everything associated with the things that are often hidden – tension and relaxation.
The Athletic Guitarist is everything associated with how athletic your hands and fingers are at making the moves associated with guitar playing.
As guitar players, we need to ensure that we’re developing all areas of our technique across both hands and our entire bodies.
This approach ensures our technique evolves in a unified, integrated way, promoting a more fluid and comfortable playing experience.
Why Julian’s Method Works
Quiet Playing Promotes Relaxation:
By playing quietly and gently, we learn to reduce tension and relax. Relaxation equals an improved playing experience.
Musical Motivation First:
Starting each session by playing music we love inspires us to get going.
Context-Driven Practice:
Working on areas of improvement throughout music we love motivates us to keep going.
Whole-Body Technique:
Our ability to play through guitar is a direct representation of our technique. The better our technique, the more equipped we are to comfortably play our favourite music.