10 Guitar Tips for Success (part 3)

You must understand what you play on your guitar if you truly want to always progress no matter what level are you at, because there is always something to learn.

   “No action is wiser than a thought. No thought is wiser than the understanding”.

1. Learn some music theory.
I’m not saying you have to study music professionally, maybe you play guitar just for fun, but there are some basic things that every guitar player should know no matter what his goals are, such as: note values, note names on the fretboard, intervals, chords etc. These will form your musical vocabulary and you will know what to ask for when talking to fellow musicians.

2.Organize your guitar practice sessions.
Focus on the things you can’t do instead of those you can do perfectly.
Ideally every practice session should include some music theory, technique and ear training because all of them are linked and contribute to your development and understanding as a guitarist.

3..Know what you want to do with your guitar playing.
Without knowing what are your goals and what do you want to achieve you will be like a boat that floats randomly on the ocean. Your goals may change along the way, it’s perfectly normal, but set a goal you want to achieve, that’s how I started too, and that’s what is going to give you a direction in your practicing and playing.

4..Play Relaxed.
This is an advice that every great guitar player will give you. Relaxed muscles are fast muscles.
When learning a new technique try to play it slow and be aware of your body as you play it. Developing tension while you play guitar will sabotage you without even knowing what hit you.

5.Develop your ear training constantly.
Having good developed aural skills will put you above many guitar players who focus on speed and techniques, without knowing what to do with them. This also an essential factor when it comes to improvisation and song writing.

6.Teach others how to play.
Imparting your knowledge to others will open a lot of doors and make you think differently about everything! Think you know all there is about a major scale…think again. You’ll be asked questions you never thought of and teach the same concept many different ways, forcing you to look at new ways to view the guitar.

7.Surround yourself with better players.
You will have a lot to learn from those that are more experienced than you are : ask them questions, watch them play and try to emulate everything that they do.

8.Study with a teacher.
A lot of players start by teaching themselves. After a while, their playing hits a wall and they get in a rut. A good teacher can make sure this doesn’t happen while keeping the student inspired,learning proper habits and setting goals to keep the student on the right track.

9.Practice with a metronome.
Without having a steady sense of rhythm nothing will sound good, because music is a mix between melody and rhythm. A metronome is also an indispensable tool for measuring your speed concerning a technique.

10.Listen to different styles of music.
This will improve your creativity and will also make you a versatile player. You will also discover new techniques and guitar effects that you never heard before.

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