This article was taken from the April 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Want to learn to play guitar like a god? Gary Marcus, director of the New York University (NYU) Center for Language and Music, professor of psychology at NYU, and author of Guitar Zero: The Science of Learning to be Musical, gives his tips to set you on the road to filling The O2 arena.
Practice is everything
Robert Fripp is right when he says discipline is "never an end in itself, only a means to an end". Computers can install new software, but our neurons get rewired incrementally, which is why there is no substitute for intense, dedicated daily practice.
Trick yourself into having fun
Your brain will wander if you do the same thing over and over, so mix up your regime. Practising with a metronome every time you play would be tedious, so practise with a drum machine instead.
As you vary the rhythms, you'll keep your head in the game
Hire a troubleshooter
If you keep doing the wrong thing, your synapses will learn bad habits. Hire a well-regarded teacher, who watches you closely and tells you when you mess up. And keep practising -- until scientists can build brain implants, it's all you've got.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
