Beginning Guitar Tips for Music Therapy Students

A Basic Guide to Navigating the Fretboard

Guitar is arguably one of the most useful instruments in music therapy because of its versatility and mobility. With the guitar, one can provide rhythmic/melodic/harmonic accompaniment while walking or sitting. This is different from the piano in the way that you don’t have to be stationary while playing the instrument. Here, I will provide a guide to learn and practice this beautiful instrument.

Finger Form

It is essential to consider physical form when learning the guitar. Developing proper form is what will allow you to play guitar with grace and prowess. Here are a couple of things to consider:

• Check your posture: When picking up the guitar, check your posture. An upright and relaxed posture is something that will help to make it easier to place the fingers and switch chords properly. Form is important to consider because improper form might lead to injuries down the road, such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. Music therapists might also find themselves in awkward positions when working with clients to meet their needs in the moment such as crouching with a hospice patient or hunching over to be at eye level with a child with special needs. 
• Play with your fingertips: When placing fingers, make sure to have the tips of your fingers straight down on the strings. Flat or collapsed fingers are bad form because it will mute strings and make it harder to transition between chords
• Finger Transition exercise: When transitioning between chords, make sure to move the fingers in a slow and deliberate manner. Moving deliberately will help your brain to make the connections with the motor system needed to transition smoothly between chords with greater speed and accuracy. Take this transition exercise for example: 

Spotlight of Attention

• Play between C and A minor chords. 
• When changing chords, place a spotlight of attention on one finger at a time (while still moving all fingers). 
• Pay particular attention to the touch sense and motor movement in each finger. By placing attention on one finger at a time, your brain can establish the required movements, eventually building the connections in your brain needed to make skillful movements. 

This progression from C to A minor is an easy one because you only need to move one finger to make each chord. It is still helpful to place the spotlight of attention on each finger at a time while changing chords. You can do this with any chord progression, and with time you will build a strong foundation with which you can play through any chord progression like an expert. 

• Embrace mistakes: Mistakes are a good thing! When we make mistakes, the brain can recognize the error and recalibrate the movements needed to successfully play the note or chord. If you’re making mistakes, know that you are making progress. It is important to be careful, though, not to solidify mistakes into habits. 
• Play with eyes closed: Have you ever wondered how some guitarists are able to play without looking, and even talking? This is because they have the fine motor movements so well ingrained in their brain and fingers  that they don’t need to think so hard about it anymore. You can do this too (with time, focus, and consistent practice)! The first step is to fade your visual input. This is a great way to develop your tactile (touch) and proprioceptive (your sense of body in space) senses, which is a foundational skill those masterful guitarists have. Here is an exercise:

Look With Your Body

• Let’s take this classic progression for example: C G A- F
• Practice the progression while looking with your eyes
• Once you feel confident (able to finger the chords accurately and swiftly with eyes closed) with playing the progression, try looking away, only looking when you get lost (remember, embrace mistakes!)
• Once you get good at playing while looking away, try playing with your eyes closed. When you make a mistake, try feeling your way with your fingers before looking to correct yourself
• Once you get good at playing with your eyes closed, try talking while playing the progression. This can be random words or gibberish, it doesn’t matter. If you have trouble with this, try speaking in rhythm with the chord changes, then gradually speak out of rhythm as you get more comfortable
• Next, try having a conversation with someone as you play the progression. This is the most challenging task, as it requires you to divide your attention between both the conversation and the guitar. If you have practiced the previous steps sufficiently, you should be able to do it with some practice

When doing music therapy sessions, you will often need to focus your attention on a myriad of things. This exercise will help you to gain independence from your guitar so you can play while devoting your attention to your client. The client is the main focus in music therapy. This practice will help you to develop your guitar skills enough so you can maintain your attention on the client.

In conclusion, like many instruments, the guitar can be a tricky instrument to learn. However, you can reach proficiency with time, effort, and focus. This doesn’t mean you need to practice eight hours a day, though. You can make tremendous progress with moderate and consistent practice. I recommend focusing on one small thing each day. This way, you can achieve a realistic and measurable objective. If you do this everyday, you can make a lot of progress over a week, month, and year. 

Written by Alec Johnson, Music Therapy Intern

Tips for Music Therapy Interns

Internship is a very exciting time for music therapy students. You get immersed in real-life situations where you get a chance to apply all the things you learned in school. It can be exciting, scary, and heartwarming all at the same time. Here are some valuable things I have learned as an intern and by sharing them I hope that it will help you be prepared and get the most out of your internship.

Go easy on yourself and do your best

You are here to learn. Remember that you will not be perfect when you first start, and that is okay. Making mistakes, stumbling through sessions, or struggling to understand certain concepts is all part of the process. This does not mean you shouldn’t try your best though. 

Thoroughly researching the populations you work with, brainstorming interventions, and asking for feedback from your peers and supervisors will help you to develop your skills as a budding music therapist. 

Another important thing to keep in mind is that session planning is really important. 

It is good to schedule a good chunk of time for session planning and preparation. This includes writing out your session plans and preparing any prompting aids such as visuals. It is also wise to come prepared to sessions ten to fifteen minutes early, as there may be unexpected issues to resolve. 

Seek feedback and constructive criticism

It can sometimes be rather uncomfortable to take feedback, especially when there are a lot of things to improve. However, as stated above, you are not expected to be perfect. Taking constructive criticism with a humble and sincere ear will help you to improve and save you lots of difficulty down the road when you are a professional. 

After every session, make a habit to ask for feedback. Make it clear that you are happy to hear about things you can improve. This will help your supervisor know that they are invited to provide constructive criticism, and you agree to take it in stride so you can grow into the best music therapist you can be. As for applying the feedback, make notes of everything and review the points in future session planning and preparation. 

Confronting your shortcomings is important, and it is also equally important to foster your strengths. Make a habit to ask about things that you did well, or aspects of your work where your supervisor sees potential. 

Throughout your internship, you will have regular supervision meetings. Take advantage of this time! Here, you have the opportunity to glean insight from the experience your supervisor has accumulated. Come prepared with educated questions and a willingness to explore the places they lead you to.

Communication is key

Communication is an essential skill in any profession. A helpful tip regarding communication is that overkill is better than negligence. Always make sure to communicate through multiple methods. For example, when sending a report to a teammate, it doesn’t hurt to send a text along with it to make sure that they received the message.

When you are communicating verbally in a meeting, it is a good habit to take notes and email the notes with whoever you met afterwards. This will help to reinforce the information for yourself, and to make sure you and the person you met with are on the same page. 

Another thing to remember is that disagreements are inevitable. If there is a disagreement, make sure to be humble and practice cordial communication. Always remain calm, as there is a chance that there was a misunderstanding. Making a habit to admit when you’re wrong and to take responsibility for yourself will go a long way for developing your character and building healthy relationships with others. 

Be patient

You’re not going to become a master in a day. To become a competent music therapist takes time. Striving and struggling to better yourself everyday should be balanced by a loving sense of self-regard. Remember to be patient with yourself as you show up everyday and do the work. 

This also applies to your clients/patients and in some cases, their parents or caregiver. Whether you are facilitating education or rehabilitation, know that they will not improve overnight. The therapeutic process is a journey that you embark on with your client/patient. 

Take care of yourself

Anything worthwhile will not be easy to achieve. Taking time to clean your living space, organize your things, get some exercise, and eat healthy food will make your life so much easier when you are going through the day-to-day grind of internship. Equip yourself with coping strategies that will help to handle stress when it inevitably comes your way. Practice breathing, walk in nature, build healthy relationships, watch inspiring movies, and take time to enjoy hobbies that bring you a sense of peace. These small aspects of our life can make a big impact in our work lives. For example, if you don’t maintain a proper sleep schedule, it might be more difficult to be present with and serve your clients.  

Cultivate yourself

Developing your skills as a musician and clinician is very important. The more capable you are, the more you can serve your community. The skillset of a music therapist encompasses a vast range of skills. Here are a couple subjects to consider:

• Music theory/ear training 

Music theory and ear training are coupled in this point because they are virtually inseparable. These are very useful things to know as a music therapist. Understanding music theory means that you can navigate music with ease because you understand the patterns. This means that you can learn music more easily and can improvise with greater fluency. For example, you might start playing a song in a certain key, and find that it is too high or low for the client. Being able to seamlessly transpose a song is a very useful skill in the treatment setting. 

A good habit to form is to look up the chords from your list of repertoire songs every day. An even better exercise is to feel through the song with your ear and look up the chords after. This will help to develop your instrumental, ear training, and music theory skills through a regular and quick activity. 

• Instrumentation

Music therapists are trained in guitar, drums, piano, and vocals because they typically use each of these every day. This can be overwhelming, although it doesn’t have to be. Give yourself a SMART goal for the day. Focus on one instrument at a time, and devote a short time to practice a small thing in that instrument. For example, if you choose to focus on guitar today, a SMART goal might be to practice transitioning from the C chord to A minor chord for 10 minutes. While it might not feel like you’ve made  tremendous progress, it will surely accumulate as days go by. This is much more effective than exhausting yourself by spinning your wheels trying to learn everything at once and getting nothing done. 

• Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence refers to one’s ability to understand one’s own emotions and to recognize and empathize with the emotions of others. This is a very useful skill when working with clients/patients. When you are more emotionally in touch with the people around you, you are better able to navigate any situation and help people to learn or rehabilitate themselves. Here is an article for more information on emotional intelligence. 

In conclusion, your internship is an exciting time where you get an opportunity to develop yourself as a person and future music therapist. You don’t have to be perfect, and simply showing up every day is a big step in the right direction. Be humble, tenacious, patient, and strive to improve everyday. Know that if you feel intimidated or nervous, that is exactly where you should be. We can only grow when we journey outside of our current zone of knowledge and competence. The process of growth involves a little bit of discomfort and uncertainty, but it is always a worthwhile venture.

Finally, remember to stop and take the time to appreciate the moment and people around you. In hindsight, this time will pass quickly and you will likely be left with fond memories of the experiences and people you interacted with. 

Enjoy the journey!

Written by Alec Johnson, Music Therapy Intern

Self-Care Practice for Music Therapists

Music therapists have very demanding jobs. No matter what population a music therapist works with, it requires tremendous mental, emotional, and physical energy. This is why it is very important for one to make sure they are taking care of themselves. Here is an exercise that may help to relax your body after a long day’s work or provide a mental reset during your day.

The following exercise is adapted from Eckhart Tolle’s exercise he calls “Inhabiting the Body”. It is meant to help you practice sensory awareness which may help you to relax and be more in touch with your body. This exercise will focus on the touch or tactile sense. This exercise can ground your thoughts and body in the present space. We’re going to use the analogy of light to help guide our awareness to various parts of our body. This can help to maintain attention to the tactile awareness. You can find a guided practice here.

Set up:

• Get comfortable. You can stand, sit, or lie down for this exercise
• You can have your eyes open or closed, although closed eyes are recommended so you can focus on the tactile sense

Sensory Awareness Script:

• Imagine that your attention is a spotlight. Where your attention goes, the spotlight follows
• As the light passes through each part of the body, imagine it warming each part and helping to release any tension each part might be holding
• Place your spotlight on the bottom of your feet, simply feeling the touch of skin in your shoes, on the floor, or carpet. What does it feel like?
• Now, while keeping the light on your feet, expand the light up to your ankle
• As the light passes through each body part, take note of any tension that might be held in each area
• Slowly spread the light to the knees, to the hips, to the chest
• If you have thoughts going through your mind, that is totally okay. Simply let them pass without judgment and continue holding your attention to the body parts we have placed the light in
• Slowly expand the spotlight to your shoulders, to your elbows, to your hands
• Slowly expand up to your neck to the top of your head
• Now the entire body is filled up with the light. Take note of your sensory experience. What sensations do you feel? Are you experiencing any pain? Tension? Stiffness?
• Whether the sensations are considered “good” or “bad”, simply be aware of it without placing judgment. 
• Wiggle your fingers and toes and come back whenever you are ready

This is a very simple exercise, although it can be very effective in helping you in your selfcare journey. Please note that this is not medical advice. Please contact a healthcare professional if you have persistent anxiety or concerns about your health. 

Written by Alec Johnson, Music Therapy Intern

Intersections of Music Performance and Music Therapy

Musical performance is an artistic expression and aesthetic experience for an audience, whereas music therapy is a clinical modality to help develop or rehabilitate speech/language, cognition, motor functions, etc. There are many skill sets one must have to function effectively in both professions, and some of these skill sets intersect. Here, we will lay out a few of these skills and reflect on how they relate to both professions. 

Technical Proficiency

Performance: Technical proficiency in a performer’s respective instrument allows a performer to play their instrument with excellence and grace. Without technical proficiency, a musician is less able to provide a compelling performance to their audience. Technical performance is not enough to be an effective performer, although it is a foundational skill. For example, if a singer asks a performer to play a song in a different key, the performer must be able to transpose on the spot. This requires an understanding of music theory and the ability to play the chord progression in any key.

Music Therapist: As with performance, technical proficiency is a crucial skill for music therapists, although not the only skill. A key difference here is that a music therapist needs to have a well-rounded understanding of more than one instrument. Music therapists need to be technically proficient in guitar, piano, drums, and percussion because they will be working with many different people in a myriad of settings. The primary focus of music therapy work is on the client’s non-musical needs (speech, cognition, social skills, etc). These needs can be addressed through an intelligently designed clinical intervention that involves structured musical activity. This requires the music therapist to have at least a basic understanding of many different instruments. Technical proficiency in instrumentation is a foundational skill in music therapy because they need to focus their attention on the client/patient. This requires technical proficiency to be second nature. For example, when working with a client in a hospice setting, a music therapist must be able to play a preferred song while constantly assessing the emotional expression and affect of the client. If a music therapist is unable to play chords on the guitar without looking at the fretboard, they might not be able to observe the expressions of the client and adjust accordingly. In this situation, technical proficiency is a crucial skill for providing effective music therapy interventions. 

Emotional Intelligence and Storytelling

Performance: Emotional intelligence refers to one’s ability to understand and navigate one’s own emotions, as well as recognizing and empathizing the emotions of others. A major part of what can make a musical performance so compelling is the performer’s capacity for emotional articulation through musical expression. This requires the performer to be keenly aware of their own emotions. This also helps the performer to convey emotions in an intentional manner. Proficient emotional expression (through the way lyrics are sung and through the non-verbal expression in the instrumentation) is one essential component in the art of storytelling which is the skill of conveying information in an engaging manner. Musicians can convey musical information in an engaging manner by expressing various emotions and situations in musical representation. Proficient emotional expression is one essential component in the art of storytelling, which is the skill of conveying information in an engaging manner. Musicians can convey musical information in an engaging manner by expressing various emotions and situations in musical representation. For example, one can use musical elements such as melody, harmony, timbre to convey information. An effective storyteller is able to capture the imagination, emotions, and attention of the audience by using musical elements (rhythm, harmony, melody, etc.) to convey emotion and information. Again, emotion can be expressed both verbally (through delivery of lyrics) or non-verbally (through instrumentation). In addition, the listener can also interpret the music in their own way. The performer doesn’t necessarily have to be aware of the emotional response of the listener.

Music Therapist: Emotional intelligence and expression is a fundamental skill for music therapists. Recognizing and empathizing the emotions of others can be considered an important skill for any social engagement, although it is especially crucial for the therapeutic setting. For example, let’s say a music therapist is conducting an intervention designed to help an individual in a mental health in-patient clinic to make sense of and express their emotional experience. To be aware of the client’s emotional response to the music is crucial so the therapist can recognize the emotional response and help the client to process the experience. 

Another example is in hospice care. If a music therapist is playing a patient-preferred song and notices an emotional response in the patient, the music therapist can take this as an opportunity to help the patient process the experience. If the music therapist is unable to recognize the emotional response, then they are unable to help the patient process it. 

Oftentimes, music therapists work with individuals or groups who are emotionally distressed or need help processing difficult emotional experiences. This requires the ability to manage their own emotions as well as help others to do the same. 

Storytelling is also a useful skill as a music therapist, although the storytelling is meant to provide informative instruction or to teach a functional skill. For example, when working with a child with autism who has social skills deficits, the therapist  may sing or write a song about what it means to have a conversation and how to initiate/maintain a conversation. The act of writing the steps out of the steps or the skills needed is called a social story. The addition of music creates a social song story. 

Repertoire

Performance: Performers benefit greatly from having an extensive repertoire of songs that span a wide range of styles and genres. Some performers are in a specific niche such as jazz, classical, rock, etc. So, they may only need to focus on the repertoire within their genre/style. Of course, it is helpful to have a vast repertoire that spans across many genres and eras, as patrons often make requests for songs. If they are performing in set program, they only need to know the repertoire that is needed for the program.

Music Therapist: Having an extensive repertoire is important for music therapists. One key difference between music therapists and performers is that music therapists must know a wide range of genres and styles that is tailored toward each client/population they work with. This is a necessary skill because the music is administered as a clinical treatment and the music must be formed and delivered in a manner that addresses the therapeutic goals and objectives. Providing client-preferred music is very important, as it can help to relate with the client. For example, when working with a elderly individual in hospice, it is most appropriate to provide music from their era (music they listened to when they were younger (e.g. teens through early 20’s). A child might enjoy music from Disney movies. It is important to tailor the repertoire to the music that the client prefers and is motivated by.

Below is a table of how various musical elements are used in performance vs music therapy sessions. 

Musical Element	Musician/Performer	Music Therapist
Lyrics	A performer sings the lyrics of the composed song to tell the story and convey the emotions as intended by the composer.	A music therapist uses lyrics to:Teach concepts (e.g. how to have a conversation)To facilitate discussion or to process, self-insight, growth and learning through lyric analysisTo reminisce and bring back memoriesTo help orient a patient with dementia to
Mood of the song	The performer might use the mood of a song to convey a message from the composer in order to entertain or engage with the audience	A music therapy may play a song to change mood: Calm a client with dementia who may be agitated. To help regulate a child with autism whose sensory system is out of syncTo activate, coordinate and time functional motor movements (like walking, lifting arms, etc.) for someone recovering from a stroke.To utilize the iso principle to match the mood of the music to the client’s current emotional state and to modulate the mood accordingly
Song selection	The performer, band or conductor selects the set list or program. They may take requests from the audience.	A music therapist intentionally selects a song with purpose to meet the needs of the clients depending upon the goal of the intervention. Song choice includes client preferred music and client choice where possible.  For example, when working with a hospice patient, if they are unable to communicate their preferences, a music therapist looks at a list of the patient’s favorite songs provided by the patient’s family to influence musical selection.
Tempo	If playing a cover song, the performer remembers and plays to the tempo of the original song. Of course there is room for interpretation and modulation, although it is not necessary to change the tempo necessarily	The music therapist plays to tempos that are appropriate for the client’s preferences and needs.For example, if a client is overstimulated as indicated by bouncing and jumping, the music therapists might utilize the iso principle to match the clients energy level and speed movements in order to gradually modulate the energy level of the client. However, if the client is working on motor skills in a rehab setting
Dynamics (ie. loud vs soft)	The performer might use dynamics to meet the aesthetic goal of the composition.	The music therapist might use dynamic to:Match the energy level or emotional state of the clientEmphasize a word or concept (for example, to emphasize a part of a word that the client is struggling to enunciate)To gain client attention
Harmonic structure	The performer will provide the harmonic structure as dictated by the composer.	The music therapist might:Adapt the harmonic structure to meet the emotional needs of a clientSimplify a chord progression to make a song more simple and understandable

In conclusion, the skill sets of performance and music therapy intersect in many ways. It might be accurate to note that the skills required to be an effective performer are fundamental to the skillset of a music therapist, although performance skills alone do not suffice for being an effective music therapist. The goals for a music therapist involve clinical outcomes, whereas a performer’s goals involve goals related to entertainment. This requires a different mindset. 

Written by Alec Johnson, Music Therapy Intern