Be Like A. Einstein

What makes a musician different from any other profession is an intuition to hear harmony and melody. I am sure as a child you heard music that inspired you and wondered how the composer did their job. How did they achieve such an excellent phrase or melody?

The answer is revealed with a look back at Einstein’s biography.

Einstein did not succeed in school, he was a very slow learner. Most biographies about Einstein suggest that school teachers even thougt he was retarded. The reason for his success lied in his ability to question everything, with less memorization, and more relying on his own thoughts and intuition. Albert himself wrote, "An intuitive mind is way more important than a schooled one."

Well, we know now how important Einstein is for our present day, or in fact, for many future generations to come.

So, how does Einstein’s intuition helps you to become a better guitarist?

As I stated in the beginning of the article, you are a musician because of an intuition of being able to hear melodies and harmonies. Thus it is important to remember that your unique intuition is the most important asset you possess.

Now we have to learn the math. We call it: Music Theory. I know, I know... boring... But consider this: it will help you to quickly navigate through notes to express that intuition you were longing for years to put into music. In other words, the more theoretical knowledge you have, the less notes you need to go through, since your intuition forms into a cohesive thought, which help you when choosing the exact notes to express your intuitive idea.

And, let's not forget another very important asset - your body language. In other words, technique. Your body needs to learn how to listen to your thought process and use the muscles to finally create a product. Your fingers will learn the guitar notes, expressing them as as quickly, or as slowly, as you desire - focusing on a single goal - chosen notes played in melody, your own melody!

Let’s imagine you have one major chord: Fmaj. You can play countless ideas over it, and it is just a one chord. And what if I feel like playing the following notes over that chord: F, C, D - all up the perfect fifth. And then create melody using an octave higher flat5, min3rd? Try it. Check out the video below as an example.

This is an original thought I was seeking, and now it's the time to practice it. However, it takes your love for guitar and music to practice to become Einstein on a guitar!

Born in Ukraine, American guitarist Vlad has carved his way in the jungle of music by bringing new hits, new sound and new music to the scene. An alumni of the Berklee College of Music, and taught by Mike Stern and John Abercrombie, Vlad was very well equipped for his first performances.

His debut album "Vladosphere" (Orpheus, EMI) went to the top of the charts, while his brilliant acoustic guitar album "Sun In Capricorn" earned a Grammy nomination.

In 2014 Vlad became an ambassador of the Berklee College of Music, and established the American Music Academy (AMA) to bring the legendary music education to Eastern Europe.

Vlad De Briansky

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