Whether you are learning guitar during this pandemic lockdown or you are simply looking to improve your game when it comes to playing guitar, I’ve got some cool tricks for you to use which can help you to take your guitar playing to the next level. I have to give huge shout out to the brilliant Javier Burillo here, who was instrumental (pun intended) in my own guitar playing and I may or may not have borrowed a few of these tricks from the great man himself. Let’s get on with it then, here is how you can become a better guitar player.
Practice
Right off the bat I just want to make it abundantly clear that you have to practice to get better, it won’t just happen. I like to practice for at least an hour a day and even on those days where I really don’t have much time, I will always get a little 30 minute session in. I cannot stress how important this is if you want to get better at playing.
Learn Tablature
Sheet music can be a little overwhelming and pretty tricky to learn using the guitar alone. This is why it is a great idea to learn what is called tablature, a very easy-to-read method by which you can learn a whole host of songs. The tab sheet is very easy to digest, there are 6 lines on the page which represents the strings, then each string has numbers on it which is the fret you need to be playing. There are hundreds of thousands of tabs online and this is a great way to learn your favorite songs.
Blues Licks
Blues licks and melodies are the basis for so many songs in rock, jazz, hip-hop and even pop, which is why learning them is a great way to improve your dexterity and give you a solid foundation for playing more music. There are a number of scales which you can choose from and I’d recommend starting off with the pentatonic which is simple to play and is featured in many songs. Play the licks fast or slow and you can even mix up the notes to learn how to create some cool sounds and rhythms.
More Than One Hand
When you first pick up the guitar there is a temptation to only work on your fretboard hand but the truth is that your strumming or picking hand needs just as much practice. Some people myself included, just aren’t blessed with natural rhythm and we have to work twice as hard in order to nail finger picking or strumming patterns. On some days when you are practicing focus more on the hand that is playing than the one that is on the fretboard in order to get the results that you are looking for.
Simple tips that, along with practice, will help you to become a better guitar player.
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