A guitar… some play it for passion, some play it to express their feelings, while some just want to look cool and be a part of something bigger.
No matter the intent, everyone who picks up the guitar wishes to be a little better than they are. Getting better at it isn’t rocket science. You just need to do a few things right, and voila… you naturally level up!
Whether you are an aspiring shredder wishing to rip Metallica solos or a finger-stylist trying to be the next Ewan Dobson, we are here to help. Down below are a few tips that’ll up your game with the guitar.
The Perfect Pause
Silence is one thing that’s just as important as sound. While the majority of players neglect it, pauses are really powerful. It engages listeners and always keeps them anticipating what’ll come next.
Pauses are vital if you want to up your guitar game!
Add them between chord transitions, and you’ll feel the magic. You can also give a ‘semi-pause’ by letting the sound of a chord linger instead of muting it completely.
A pause can also serve as a turning point for the song you play. Wanting to shift a natural minor to a harmonic minor? Do it with a pause and leave your listeners in awe!
Hear what you play
There’s time to play, and there’s time to replay. Record yourself and critically analyse your piece.
Revisit what you play to know the areas of improvement and where you are making the wrong moves. Be your own judge.
An added benefit to this… the recordings will allow you to track your progress. For instance, if you’re learning to sweep pick, you’ll see a visible difference if you record yourself a week apart. Recordings allow you to see your progress and keep you motivated to move further.
Learn Something New Every Day
Don’t let yourself fall victim to stagnation. Learn something new every day if you want to become a great guitarist. Also, know the difference between playing something superficially and absorbing it to the point where you play as well as the original.
Be it a chord, a riff, or a picking pattern, add something new to your knowledge bank. Make this a part of your everyday routine, and you’ll see yourself grow in no time.
Befriend the metronome
Eventually, you’ll be getting out of your room and playing the guitar with other fellow musicians. All your efforts will go down the drain if you can’t maintain a rhythm. To overcome this problem, incorporate a metronome into your playing as early as you can.
Eventually, you can move on to backing tracks. This practice will significantly up your game. And you’ll find no problem maintaining a rhythm when hi-hat hits replace metronome clicks.
Listen carefully before you play
This one thing can be a game-changer for you. Many guitarists rush when it comes to playing. All they want to do is listen to something once and play it on their guitar.
To become a better guitarist, you need to develop the patience to be with music even without your guitar. Before you hop on to play something, absorb the melody. Listen to it a dozen times before you try your hands on it.
This practice will set you in the right psychological space that’s required to master something. Often, listening is the only difference between a mediocre and an advanced player. Have patience, and you’ll see that reflect on your guitar in the form of better playing.
Final thoughts
Fortunately (or unfortunately), there’s no concrete plan to master the guitar... all you have to have is the dedication to stick with it until you reach your goal.