Seated young man with guitar — Photo by Alina Perekatenkova on Unsplash

What makes an “advanced” player? Do you really need to be one?

Playing music might be a physical activity, but should never be like an athletic competition. Levels and rankings are pointless and ultimately damaging to a student’s morale. Years ago I judged strings for the New York State middle and high school NYSSMA competitions (they called it an evaluation festival, but let’s be real). More kids than I care to remember were so scared they could hardly play for their shaking hands. More than one burst into tears. And far too often, it was because they were playing music that was too difficult for them to play well.

NYSSMA has an approved repertoire list organized into six levels or grades. I’m sure it was a point of pride for many teachers to say how many of their students were playing level 5 and 6 pieces. From my perspective, probably most of them weren’t really able to handle it. Kids can be competitive and I’m sure many would aim for the highest level they can. But if you’re aiming for a score, it helps for your punch to be appropriate to your weight class.

In other words: while you can learn a lot from working on music that’s way beyond your skill level, there’s not much to be gained from trying to perform it in front of others. You might not be playing for a grade, but in a way you are. So when it counts, onstage, you want to be solidly within your comfort zone.

What that looks like depends on your goals and your role. Excellence doesn’t have one sound, but it does have a look and a feel. If you’re playing “advanced” music badly, it’s obvious to everyone. The stress of preparing for the performance can suck the life out you. Those that aren’t stressing in that situation are just happily playing badly.

On the other hand, we’ve all seen performers up there strumming away, playing things that a committed 12-year-old would find easy, but laying down the law with unmistakable authority. That authority is your goal, and if you don’t have it, your performances will suffer.

So when a strummer comes to me and says, I don’t need to be a good player, my response is, yes you do. You need to be good at what you do in order to make the music you want to. If you can’t tell the difference between an authoritative, dynamic performance with pocket and feel and a casual “that’ll do”, I don’t know what you’re doing onstage.

I’m a skilled player by any measure and I’ve been as guilty as anyone else of letting things slide sometimes. It doesn’t matter how deftly I can move my fingers if the end result is uninspiring and flat. It doesn’t matter how well you can sing if your guitar playing is clunky, because the music won’t feel right. The reality that a segment of your audience might not notice or care as long as they like you or the song is beside the point.

We hear the same things about so many successful performers: they are driven, focused, and attentive to detail. So what are the musical details you deal with in your playing? Could you find something to improve on if you were asked? Or is it all just fine? (Hint: there’s ALWAYS something to improve).

It doesn’t matter if the music is “easy”. There’s more to playing well than just landing your fingers in the right spot at the right moment. The good news is, all most people need to do is start paying closer attention. Once you know what you’re listening for, it’s impossible to miss.

My group classes include players at different skill levels, because everyone can be challenged within an appropriate skill level. I’m happy to report that there are far fewer tears than I saw at NYSSMA.

So, here’s my question: what easy thing could you do better today?

The simple truth about “advanced” music.