The 1 tip that made you a better player...

[aloha]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

My dad's college buddy, who has a collection of guitars that would make Segovia salivate, told me once that the secret to excellent guitar playing isn't in your fretting hand, it's in your picking hand.

Good luck digging into that one. Twenty years later, I'm still working on that one.

Z

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

I've recently been amazed at how much better you become after practicing on the touch involved in your pickin technique.

 

[Soujurn]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

The best tip I ever got was from a teacher long ago.
"When you sit down to play, after you've warmed up your hands, don't start playing your favorite stuff. Make the effort to work on those things that are hard or that you are trying to learn from sheet music, tab, or a song tape. If you always start out playing your favorite pieces, you'll waste the best part of your practice time."
He was right, and that is very true.

The 2nd best piece of advice was, "When learning a new song, learn it clean first, without effects. Once you can play it properly clean, then add the effects."

 

[Amateur]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

Use your pinky.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

Use your pinky.

Can you believe people got away with using three fingers for years? Check out Clapton; he rarely uses his pinky. I always feel like I should be able to do more with just those first three fingers, then go way beyond by increasing my finger capability by 33% (that's by adding the pinky, for all you fractionally challenged).

I agree, this is a great tip.

 

[ErikH]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

Wait a minute. If you're using your first 3 fingers out of the 4 that you "could be", isn't that 25% when adding in the pinky? Guess it depends if you look it as playing with only 75% of your fingers at the get go.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

If I'm using three fingers and add a fourth, I've increased finger usage by 33%, because 33% of three fingers is one whole finger. (Don't forget to carry the nail.)

 

[ErikH]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

Yes, that is true, if you don't acknowledge the 4th being there while using only 3. I'm just looking at it from a different angle. The total potential to reach 100% is 4, so using 3 of the 4 is 75% and adding the 4th is the additional 25%. But if you see 3 as 100% and then add the 4th, then yeah, that's 33% (or 34%).

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

Yeah, I'm considering the first three fingers as the base. The fourth finger is a bonus. It's like buying the regular 15 oz. bottle of shampoo and finding they've added 5 oz. at no extra cost the next time you go shopping. (This happens occasionally with the shampoo I buy, which has a name, but I couldn't for the life of me tell you what it is. It says "shampoo" on the bottle, and it smells like fake apples.)

 

[tone4days]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

learn theory ... no sense limiting yourself to being functionally illiterate in the language of your instrument

 

[loudriver23]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

When reading your melody lines think of how a wind instrument or vocalist would play or sing it. This works especially well for jazz melodies, think of how Coltrane would play that part, where his breaths might occur?

 

[greco]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

Indirectly, if you are not a professional guitarist, a tip that might be worth considering (in addition to all the fantastic tips already contributed) is not to pressure yourself constantly to get better at a unreasonable pace, and not to punish yourself if you are not progressing as fast as you think you should. Try to keep playing guitar an enjoyable experience. Enjoy the friendships that you develop through it.

Too philisophical?...so be it.

Dave

 

[JaeSwift]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

Dimebag Darrel telling me ''play from your heart'', when I asked him how he developed his style.

It sounds kinda cliché, dramatic, maybe even cryptic, but what it really means is that you should just play what you want to play.For example:
If you want to play ''metal'', dont just stick to chugging power chords, but try shoving some Jazz intervals inbetween (if jazz is also what you like), and see how you like it, if it works for you etc.

Guitar is arguably the most expressive instrument on the planet, expressive kinda means you should not limit yourself in any way.

EDIT: I also agree with learning theory/learning how to read notes, so you actually know what your playing, instead of a fret number on the 2nd string >.>

 

[Wattage]

Re: The 1 tip that made you a better player...

Slow down