As the old joke goes “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? … practice, practice, practice.” While I won’t deny that it is hard to improve without practice, I find that many casual players get intimidated by the process. Most students, young and old, understand the benefits of good practicing but often find it hard to do on a regular basis.

A recent Harris Poll revealed that 93 percent of Americans agree that the arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education for children. Let’s work together to strengthen our commitment to quality music education for all children.

In the past I have written about the importance of ensemble playing for classical guitarists. This recording from the UNC Classical Guitar Ensemble of Debussy’s La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin (The girl with the Flaxen Hair), is a wonderful example of how to apply good ensemble practices. This piece is arranged as a quartet and my ensemble is doubling each part except guitar 1.

I hear this a lot from my “Shredder” students. Show me the best exercise in the world for improving my speed and dexterity with scale passages. I certainly understand this desire! It would be great to have one “all encompassing” exercise to work on in order to play faster and cleaner. In truth, however, there is no such thing.