I asked AI to list 15 common beginner guitar problems that a strong ear-to-guitar connection can solve.
Here is what ChatGPT came up with:
1. Struggling to Find the Right Notes
2. Difficulty Recognizing Chord Changes
3. Inconsistent Timing and Rhythm
4. Not Hearing Mistakes While Playing
5. Relying Too Much on Visual Cues (Tabs/Chords)
6. Difficulty Learning Songs by Ear
7. Playing Mechanically Without Expression
8. Struggling with Improvisation
9. Difficulty Matching Pitch When Singing and Playing
10. Playing Out of Key Without Realizing It
11. Uncertain About Which Scale to Use in Solos
12. Inability to Play Along with Others
13. Struggling to Tune by Ear
14. Difficulty Recognizing Melodies in Songs
15. Challenges with Harmonic Awareness (Playing Over Chords)
The list could easily be twice as long.
But you don’t need a longer list from me. You need the solution, right?
In this week’s lesson, I’ll give you an appetizer to get started on building a strong ear-to-guitar connection.
It’s important!
You can download the tabs by clicking here (search for ‘HG29 – Stop Overthinking Guitar: Build a Strong Ear-To-Guitar Connection for Next-Level Playing’).
Download it. Print it. Use it.
In this video, you can listen to it, you can watch me play it, and I’ll teach you through it:
And here is everything else you need to know. Enjoy!
📈 Difficulty
2/10 (This gives you a rough idea of how difficult it is. If you feel it’s actually easier, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
⏰ Time Estimation
15 Minutes (This is a rough estimation that can vary widely. If you’re faster, great. If not, don’t feel bad.)
💪 Action Steps
- Understand that a melody can only move up or down. (Barry White sings low. Mariah Carey sings high.)
- Understand that a melody can only move in steps (= 1 or 2 frets on the guitar) or in leaps (= more than 2 frets on the guitar).
- Understand that notes can be repeated in a melody. (Examples: rap music, The Killers – Mr. Brightside, One Note Samba, C-Jam Blues)
- Using only your guitar, figure out the melodies I play in the video.
- Compare what you played with the tabs.
- Figure out 1 song per day from this list: Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (starts on note 1 of the D major scale), Row, Row, Row Your Boat (starts on note 1 of the D major scale), Oh! Susanna (starts on note 1 of the D major scale), Three Blind Mice (starts on note 3 of the D major scale), Mary Had a Little Lamb (starts on note 3 of the D major scale), London Bridge (starts on note 5 of the D major scale), The Alphabet Song (starts on note 1 of the D major scale)
- Come back to me and I’ll tell you what’s next.
✏️ Extra Tips
- This ear training doesn’t come equally naturally to everyone. It’s ok if you don’t hear it yet. Keep working on a strong ear-to-guitar connection.
🎯 Encouragement
If you want to stop overthinking the guitar and let your fingers lead the way, this is for you. A strong connection form ears to fingers is worth a lot. Go for it! You can do it!
Talk soon,
Florian at Hi Guitar
