Guitars are among the most popular instruments in the world. They are very versatile, generating many unique sounds. Guitars can be incorporated into a variety of music genres, making them the essence of any song. They can adapt to alternating tunings, as well as tone variations. You will realize that you can technically play any song on the guitar once you get the basics down.
Besides making music, acquiring a new skill, and learning a new hobby, playing the guitar comes with endless benefits. For one, it serves as an awesome mental exercise and as a means to refine your motor skills. Playing the guitar is also an outlet for emotional release and can be a great way to expand your social circle. The more you practice, the more you’ll realize that there are still many things to learn. When you play an instrument, there’s always room for development. Read through this article for 6 pro tips that will help you get your guitar skills to the next level.
Always Learn
If you want to become a better guitar player, make sure to learn something new related to guitars every day and execute it. It doesn’t matter if it’s a melody, a lick, scale, chord, riff, exercise, or even an entire song. You can practice the transitions to a song you know all the riffs to, a strum pattern, or an altered tuning. Learning something that you never knew about guitars every single day will surely help you become a better player. It’s all about the dedication and discipline that you put into your guitar practice; if you don’t make attempts to move forward, you’ll eventually get bored. Feeding into your knowledge will allow you to acquire a sense of musical instinct. It will also help boost your muscle memory and allow you to express yourself on the guitar more effortlessly.
Know Your Cs and Feel the Bs
There are endless ways in which you can play the C major chord. While not many people may know most of them, you need to be familiar with at least 5 places on the fretboard where you can play it to be a good guitarist, at the discretion of the “CAGED” system. You can start by practicing only 4 of the chord bars. Then, try the chord on a different area on the neck with each different measure. Keep in mind that this does not strictly apply to the C major chord; you can do the same with A9, B7, or E chord. Though, it is always best, to begin with, C.
Check the Reviews
Technology is always evolving; new amplifier models come out every day, novel guitar shapes are always in the making, and so on. Purchasing new equipment can be a headache, especially if you want something that you won’t outgrow and can adapt to your alternating needs. The guitar enthusiasts at reallysimpleguitar.com suggest that you check professional reviews before purchasing any equipment. Guitars and their accessories are generally very expensive; following expert advice can help you avoid wasting money on the wrong choices.
Major Scale Intervals
The major scale is the stepping stone for the countless scales and chords that you’ll stumble across throughout your journey. Once you get a hold of the major scale’s structure, you will begin to learn the infinite ways in which you can harmonize it. There are seven intervals in the major scale, with a specific distance between each of them. This intervallic distance creates the pattern W-W-H-W-W-W-H, where the H is a half step and the W is a full one.
Verbatim Learning
Most renowned musicians learned their instruments by trying to match the sounds they make to original musical pieces. Playing your guitar to your desired guitar solos can help you grow your skills and elevate your delivery. Practicing several professional pieces and aiming to play them exactly how they sound is also a great way to improve your stylistic awareness and feel.
Progress Tracking
Learning is a long journey that comes with its ups and downs, making it very easy to forget where we came from. You can get bored and lose interest when you lose sight of your progress. Keeping a diary that highlights your tiniest achievements and improvements will not only push you forward but will also help you pinpoint the areas in which you can use a little practice.
Playing the guitar is a very rewarding hobby. It comes with a wide array of mental and physical benefits. It also serves as a prospective tool for self-discipline and development. To help you become a better guitarist, we collected 6 pro tips that will help you out.