The Shearer Method - Learning How to Learn

Hey everyone, Ashley here!

When I was an undergraduate music major I developed some hand and arm pain that prevented me from playing. By the time my sophomore recital was due, I hadn’t practiced in 2 years and only had months to learn and memorize 30 minutes of brand new music. I had to learn FAST!

This is where Aaron Shearer comes into play: my teacher at the time, composer and guitarist Matthew Dunne, was a student of Shearer’s and experienced teacher of his method. He had me learning simple Shearer/Hurst studies through solfegge and visualization without the guitar in hand, just as Shearer would have taught me himself. Through these exercises I learned “how to learn” and I was able to pick up new music quickly enough to play a successful sophomore recital including works by Brouwer, Torroba, Sor, myself, and Bach!

In this stream we’ll take an in-depth look at Aaron Shearer’s method books “Learning the Classic Guitar” volumes 1 and 2 to better understand the great benefits of true concentration and focus through extremely simple steps. These skills are meant to aid you in learning music more efficiently, the evasion of confusion and error which cause the development of bad habits, faster memorization skills, better performance skills, get rid of memory slips, and building a healthy technique in both your hands.

I swear my career as a classical guitarist on this method, so won’t you come learn how to learn?