Accelerate Your Guitar Playing

First, define your objectives and determine your approach. These objectives may change as you progress, but a goal is important before starting to play the guitar.

Begin by forming good study habits. Part of your study will be physical performance and part will be mentally engaged in the study of theory, listening to recordings, tapes and the radio, watching television, Internet and watching live performances. You will be talking to other guitarists, students and professionals, studying in classes and with private teachers and of course via online guitar courses, guitar training software etc. You will also be improvising. All of these activities will give you valuable information and experience, increase your skill, broaden your scope and develop your insights. Keep an open mind and learn something from everyone you meet ...even if it is not what to do!

The following suggestions should help you in your study and practice:
Never practice or study when you are tired or worried. Relax a bit before you begin. If possible study in a quiet place where you can be undisturbed. Have a music stand adjusted to your eye level when you practice, and make sure that you always have good light. Form the habit of studying in a regular place and at a regular time.

Several short study practice periods on successive days are usually better than one lengthy period of study. A little study every day is better than spasmodic, inconsistent study. Use various ways of making yourself think about what you are studying. If you are looking at a printed page of notes, try to imagine them on a guitar finger board and vice versa.

Form the habit of mentally reviewing every page of music you study before going on to the next one. See how much of it you can recall and try to remember it. When you have learned something make use of it as soon as you can. The sooner and more often, the better. If you have learned fingerings for a few new chords so that you can play them even slowly, make up an exercise or song that involves these chords and has you shifting from one chord to another often. It is not enough to learn about something. Unless you utilize this information it does not become a part of you.

When you have completed a reasonable amount of material, take time to summarize what you have covered. You may want to write your summary. Keep a good music dictionary handy, and use it frequently. When you have discovered the meaning of a new word or term, use it yourself.

Self Study

To correct poor study conditions, consider thoughtfully each of the questions below and write specific answers to each one. Then decide what you can do to correct each of the things wrong with your study conditions. Make notes of these and correct them.

1. What can you see on your desk, music stand, or through your window that distracts you?

2. What music, talking or other noises are disturbing your practice and study?

3. What is wrong with your position or posture when you practice or study?

4. Are you sure your lighting is adequate? What is wrong with it?

5. Is your work space large enough and arranged well?

6. What materials do you lack for effect study?

7. What time of day is most difficult to practice or study? Why?

8. What worries or special interests divert you from studying?

Effective methods of practicing or studying, of themselves, will not suffice. Careful planning also is essential. Lay out your work systematically before you begin. Each individual's time, facilities and desires are personal matters. Just be sure to adopt some plan and stick to it as conscientiously as possible.

Mike Hayes is a guitar teacher, author, performing musician and session guitarist with over 30 years of professional experience. Find out more about how to learn guitar fast with his popular free ecourse, available at: => http://www.guitarcoaching.com/

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Learning To Play The Acoustic Guitar Using Tablature

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The acoustic guitar evolved from classic guitars. The strings of an acoustic guitar are typically made from steel rings, as opposed to the nylon or catgut strings used for classical guitars. That is why an acoustic guitar is sometime called a steel-stringed guitar. Acoustic guitars have a clearer and louder sound due to a much stronger construction than other guitars.

A acoustic guitar is usually played using a guitar pick, also called a plectrum (plural plectra), made from plastic, metal, ivory or other materials. The guitarist strums or strikes the guitar strings with the pick, which he will often hold between the index finger and thumb. Other guitarists do not use a pick, but play with their fingernails or bare fingers strumming or plucking individual notes on the guitar.

The type of construction and the materials used influence the price and sound quality of an acoustic guitar. A guitar with solid sides, back and top will be more expensive than one with laminated sides and back. The solid type guitars are generally made using maple, mahogany or Indian rosewood, whereas cheaper guitars are build with laminated woods. The neck and fingerboard are made with denser woods like cedar and ebony. The tone of the guitar is defined by the combination of woods used in the manufacture. To make the guitars a little less expensive, some manufacturers use alternative materials such as graphite and plastic.

A guitar tablature is a diagram of the strings with finger positions indicated by numerals corresponding to the appropriate frets. Tablature is sometime referred to in the short form "tab". Learning to play the acoustic guitar can be greatly eased by using tablature it corresponds more to how you actually play the guitar than standard musical notation.

Vertical lines on the tab represent the strings, horizontal lines represent the frets and the dots show the finger positions. For an acoustic guitar it is a six line staff with the lines numbered. Take note that the tablature is written "upside down" with the higher notes at the top and lower ones at the bottom to correspond to standard music notation. The numbers indicate which fret should be used.

Guitar tabs are standardized, but various publishers of sheet music may use different styles writing guitar music. Guitar magazines, songbooks and journals will provide a legend to specify the style they are using.

The six line guitar tab has several advantages over standard musical notifaction that use a five line staff for learning to play acoustic guitar. It is much easier to interpret guitar tab and new players can pick it up quickly. So go ahead, get some of your favourite songs in tab format and play away!

Get more Learn guitar music tips and resources at http://www.guitarmusicinfo.com/, including How To Start To Learn Lead Guitar

How to Take Advantage of Free Guitar Lessons Online

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Do you want free guitar lessons? You've come to the right place. I'll give you a quick guide to all the free guitar lessons you can get.

The internet has given great opportunities that never existed before. You can now find information on virtually anything you need. The publishers who give away such useful information free do so because they've found another way of monetizing their efforts. It's just like TV. You get free programming while they sell advert placements.

Net result: You win; they win too.

So what has that got to do with my free guitar lessons you ask? That's where I was heading. Just give me a minute and it will become so clear to you.

At least you know about Google. People do a lot to rank high for search terms. That guarantees them a lot of visitors whom they can convert to cash. They achieve this with high value content. So, in the music niche and guitar niche in particular, they know that giving away useful guitar playing tips and lessons will make you, a guitar enthusiast, come to their site.

So here's what you'll do...

Go to Google or any other search engine and type in any of these following keywords...

"Free guitar tutor"

"Free guitar software"

"guitar playing tips"

"guitar playing guide"

"guitar online lesson"

These should get you loaded with free guitar lessons. But, what do you do when you have questions about your playing? A number of things:

You can go to gig around you and ask the guys there how. Musicians are very liberal people. They will be glad to show you how to go about your guitar lessons. If you don't have a good guitarist around you, here's an online option...

Search for "guitar player's forum." This will give you a number of guitar help-and-be-helped communities online. If you do these you'll get the most out of your free guitar lessons.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Guitar Warehouse the best place to Buy Guitar and learn Guitar Playing Techniques. Visit our site for over 60 Free Guitar Lessons and Information about playing Guitar.

How To Play Fast Guitar-7 Tips To Improve Your Skill In 7 Days

1-Practice-It’s obvious but many people claim they want to learn how to play fast guitar but don’t put the time in. You get out what you put in! Even if you don’t have much time to spare, half an hour a day is enough to help you improve.

2-Focus your practice-You can increase the benefits of your guitar practice exponentially by practicing the same stuff each time. A good way to start this is to choose 4 licks or scales or parts of scales (anything except chords will work just fine), and play through each lick in a loop for 15 minutes. By the end of the FIRST WEEK you’ll be two or three times as fast as you were with those licks to begin with.

3-Think long term. Focused practice everyday is great, but it’s even better to have a goal in mind. for example if you want to learn a particular piece, gear your practice toward licks and techniques used in the piece and then dedicate the last 15-20 minutes(depending on how much time you have) to practicing the actual piece. Nothing helps you learn how to play fast guitar and stay motivated more than being able to see your daily progress.

4-Work on legato-Legato actually means smooth, or flowing, but in guitar circles it is the term given to fretting notes with your left hand and making them sound without actually picking anything with your right hand. It could also be called the art of hammering on and pulling off. Excellent practice as it will strengthen your left hand, not only making you faster and smooth, but will improve your vibrato and chord changes too. It just makes your hand fitter! A great way to practice this is to run up and down some scales, but only pick the first note on each string, so you will be hammering on going up and pulling off on the way down. It’s tough at first but persevere and you will get rewards!

5-Use a metronome. Other musicians seem to use metronomes with no trouble, but guitarists are allergic to them, or at least seem to be! I’ll spell it out - An hour with a metronome does A LOT more good than an hour without. It’s simply the best tool for highlighting the weak areas and inefficiencies in your technique. There is a learning curve but stick with it-your playing will change for the better, permanently! Buy one!

6-Use a hard pick. Controversial? I know that people should use whatever pick they want to, but a softer pick WILL slow you down, and a harder one won’t. It’s simple physics. Most picks have a degree of flexibility, so after picking a note we have to wait for it to return to its proper shape before we pick again, or the note is not picked cleanly. Put it this way-trying to learn how to play fast guitar while using soft picks is like putting bicycle wheels on a Ferrari and then trying to drive fast. Not going to happen!

7- Start slow-Work on something until you can play it with no mistakes at all before you crank up the speed. This will do more for your all round musical skills than just pushing the metronome up a few beats every few minutes. If you move forward before your skills are ready your playing will be very very sloppy, and that will be a real hard habit to get out of!

Hopefully those tips will help you break out of a rut and get your fretboard burning!

Steve Higgins is an accomplished guitarist who enjoys seeing others improve their skill. To check out more tips visit his blog.

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Acoustic Guitar Tips for the Beginner

So you want to learn how to play acoustic guitar? Do you have hopes and dreams of one day becoming a professional guitarist in a popular band? Perhaps you just want to play for the purpose of entertaining yourself, family, and friends. Whatever the case may be, I do hope the following article will help you achieve your goals as an acoustic guitar player.

The very first step in learning how to play the acoustic guitar, is of course to get a guitar. For the sake of argument, I am assuming you already own a guitar and are ready to start playing. If not, you may find it easier to purchase a second hand guitar in the beginning while you are practicing and learning the basics. You will also save some cash. When you get better you can always upgrade.

Whether you are buying a new or used acoustic guitar, you will save a lot of headaches if you do your research first. Visit free newsgroups and forums online to see what other guitar players have to say. If you are buying a used guitar make sure you are able to physically see and check out the guitar before buying. You will need to examine the entire guitar for any visible damage or other imperfections. You want your guitar to have the correct action, intonation, and pitch. Your best bet, if you are that lucky, is to find an experienced guitar player to take along with you before you buy.

Once you found your guitar, it's time to start practicing. Learning the correct way to practice is probably the most important part of your acoustic guitar playing success. It is better to practice 10 minutes of quality focused exercises then to spend an hour on the couch messing around trying to learn a complicated song. The environment that you learn in is equally important. You will need complete silence and privacy. You should not have any interruptions at all if possible.
You will need to recognize the learning method that works best for you because everyone is different. The last thing you want to happen is for your guitar learning to become boring and monotonous. I think every one has come to that point at one time or another. You appear to hit a dead end where your guitar playing doesn't seem to get any better. No matter how long you practice, no matter how many finger exercises or chords you learn, you cant seem to get over that hump. Your brain is not responding as well because it isn't being stimulated. Definitely do not become discouraged by your lack of progress. Put down the guitar and take a break. Stimulate your brain by doing something else for a while, then come back to your guitar practice.

Don't give yourself super challenging tasks to complete in the beginning. You are setting yourself up for some major disappointment. Start off slow and easy. Learn the easy stuff first then tackle the more difficult stuff later on.

Set easier goals for yourself. When you set easier goals that you know you are capable of doing, you are building confidence and you are making progress.

Think about the growing stages of a newborn baby. The baby does not come right out of the mothers womb and instantly knows how to run marathons. No, he learns to crawl first, then walk, then run. The baby has to develop his muscles first in order to support his body. The same holds true for guitar playing. If you want to be able to produce clean sounding chords or play complicated solos, you have to develop your muscles, and this only happens when you are patient in your practicing. Over time, you will begin to develop what is known as “muscle memory”. This refers to the body's ability to remember, or automatically perform, a well practiced motion. If you ever watch a professional guitar player, you will see this in action as the guitar player plays complicated chords and solos without looking or even thinking about it.
Be persistent. I don't care if takes you 6 months to learn two chords. Never stop trying. If you have the desire to become a good acoustic guitar player, then you will succeed. It is simply a matter of time.

Listen to as much music from as many different artists as possible. Do not limit yourself to only your favorite artists. There are a multitude of acoustic guitar players out there in a number of different genres including classical, folk, jazz, rock, etc. If you limit yourself to only one particular area, you are depriving yourself of some beautiful music. You never know what artist can influence your playing style. So be open to new styles of music.

I hope this article has gotten you excited to start learning the acoustic guitar. Remember to keep practicing and to never give up, no matter how long it takes.

Do you want to get a HUGE head start on your acoustic guitar learning? You can right now with a FREE 8 Part Ecourse on beginner acoustic guitar. This Ecourse includes audio and video examples as well as a fun music theory game. You can get your first lesson right away by heading over to: http://www.learn-acoustic-guitar.com/.

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Learning The Guitar

In this world with all kinds of styles of music and bands, finding someone to teach you what you really dream of playing is kind of tough. The problem is finding a teacher who’ll give you a good guitar lesson that doesn’t include all the stuff that really doesn’t matter when it comes down to just playing a song.

You can practice for many hours to replicate your favorite guitar player playing style, but when you have the proper instruction you have the path to get to the point of playing fluently you will be able to copy the style and get it down.

Some play fast and narrow and others play wide and slow, this is how you learn how to use different vibrato techniques, practice and more practice. Once you’ve achieved a basic understanding of the correct notes and sounds you are ready to start learning how to tune by ear. The traditional way of learning guitar is by taking private lessons from a guitar teacher. The number of choices is overwhelming, ranging from distance instruction learning or online lessons. Today there are many options to learn how to play instruments whether you like rock, jazz, rock or classical music, these are just a few of the many types of music.

The key to mastering the guitar successfully is in making the chord changes which will help in playing the instrument. They are the C major chord, G major chord, and the D major chord. You should spend hours practicing chords and scales forms and all the while making sure that each note sounds perfect.

But you will find that if you use these simple scale forms in conjunction with an appropriate chord progression this will sound good more often. A chord progression based on the A minor chord will sound good with A minor pentatonic and a C major chord will sound good with C major scale.

When learning how to play the guitar, often many people form and create bad habits which does not help with the playing of the guitar, they need to work twice as hard to switch to good habits and get back on track.. These bad habits are easy to overcome once the person realizes that he has them and becomes familiar with the proper way to play the guitar.

You know the saying, practice makes perfect. But it is something you should try to incorporate into your practice as regularly as possible if you want to see a real improvement in the solos and melodies you make on guitar.

David Marc Fishman is the owner of tipsquad.com. The new how to via video

Guitar Lessons For DUmmy

How Yo Learn Any Song In Under 30 Minutes With Your Guitar

I remember when I got my first guitar. My mother came strolling in to the house with a guitar case, smiled, and sat it down about 15 feet away from me. I instantly ran over to find my very first Washburn guitar. I quickly began to "play" my new baby...

Just for reference, my version of playing the guitar was laying the body flat on it's back like a slide guitar so I could see what I was doing... Oh man those were the days!

My first adventure in to a song was Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. I went to the search engine and had no idea what a tab was or even how to begin searching for one.

Finally I began to put two and two together and found a version of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were here from MXTabs.net way back before they got shut down =(

To make a long story short, I broke a sweat out of frustration in less than 5 minutes, put my guitar back in it's case and went back to playing my video games. That was back then...

This is now...

Guitar tabs look like perfect english to me now, but at the time when I was starting out I couldn't make sense of anything. It looked like another foreign language to me! My friends laughed when they watched my fingers try to play a song in the most ridiculous way imaginable. I was just trying to do what the tab told me to do, but the tab didn't tell me what finger position to play in, or if there were any helpful tricks to make it easier on my hands! I was getting tired of this dead end approach to improve my skills.

Here is my point: Guitar tab sucked then and it sucks now. I'm still waiting for the pioneer that fixes this problem for the masses...

Dane Maxwell & Paul Johnson produce guitar video tabs for popular songs and artists.

Developed out of a need to help their students, the idea is still in its infancy and has yet to prove itself as a viable solution to guitar players around the world.

Tabs Cause Confusion.

Eliminate the guess work, welcome to the revolution of guitar lessons on your time
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Guitar Speed Picking Techniques

Have you ever wondered how guitarists play so clean and fast with articulate picking control? This is an issue that has many of us scratching our heads, and some of us flat out stumped!!

There is a solution that works for everyone, if you want it bad enough.

The formula is simply this:

Right and left hand synchronization + Practice = Fast smooth playing!

I know, I know, it may sound obvious, but it's only when you really start to analyze this process slowly, that you will begin to see the issues that can cause serious long-term problems. Ultimately the goal is to achieve un-interrupted flow.

You must pay close attention to what's happening with your left and right hand, if you want to gain real speed in the end. There is a difference between playing fast, and just flat out ripping! I think you know what I mean. It's much like turning on the water faucet. Free flowing with no restriction.

Friends, I'm here to tell you this does not have to be an issue for you any longer, once you fully understand how to practice properly. You see, whether it's rock and roll, country, jazz, or blues guitar etc…the pro's all have one thing in common, their left and right hands are in perfect sync with each other on command.

This means they're able to use their Speed Picking Techniques when desired, including many other types of techniques as well.

Note:

Always view your techniques as tools. This is critical. Tools are needed to complete any kind of project. Guitar playing is no different. Tools, or (techniques), are needed to complete a guitar solo or guitar lead structure within a song. Speed Picking is only one of many tools used. Having said this, let's look at some problem issues that you might be facing when speed picking.

Examples:

1. Is one of your hands faster than the other, such as your picking hand picking faster than your fretting hand can fret, or your fretting hand fretting faster than your picking hand can pick??

2. Do you find yourself restricted to going up and down scales for speed purposes?

3. Do you sometimes stumble when trying to play fast.

4. Do you feel out of control when you play fast?

5. Do you feel like you're in a rut at times?

All of these things are very common for guitar players; it's a part of natural growth as a guitarist.

However, there comes a time in every guitar players learning path when they discover how to practice properly, and where to focus your efforts for maximum results.

The first thing I recommend is getting a metronome. This is something you'll use forever. The metronome is the key to your success. It's how you'll monitor your progress as well as pinpointing where you are right now.

Play a fast repetitive style guitar lick that you are comfortable with, and find out where you max out on the metronome. For example, you might play a lick that matches up on the metronome at 128 beats per minute. Once you have that number in mind, begin to work on the same lick by reverse engineering it. Start playing it slower and slower and slower until it's almost stopping. Make this last for several minutes.

While you're doing this focus extremely hard on exactly what the left and right hand are doing together at the same time. Each little mechanical movement your fingers make, you want to try and register in your brain. The flow, and sensation of what it feels like to mechanically work both hands together. Do this for several minutes very slow.

It will take some getting use to when trying to concentrate that hard, but you need to do it. It's critical. This is where all the speed and guitar tone come from, the lick needs to be embedded clearly in the brain, as to what the left and right hand are doing EXACTLY.

Once you feel you have control over that, at a slow speed, start playing a little faster and then a little faster until you get back to the original (max out) number you started with on the metronome.

Continue playing the lick for 2 full minutes, going up one increment at a time on the metronome. Do Not Cheat! Again, this is crucial. 2 full minutes per increment. No less.

As you continue to climb, be sure to stop when you know your getting over your head. It needs to be in perfect sync or just stop on that number. That is the number you are going to try and beat every day.

You must practice the same exact way every time, for this to work properly. If done correctly, you'll see amazing results in days!!

If you want to achieve guitar star/rock star status, this is the path you'll be taking. There are several other points of interest that should be addressed that will also help increase your speed picking, such as…

* Alternate picking only
* Picking on the very tip of the pick
* Having a pivot point to work from
* Equal picking attack on up and down strokes
* Where to actually place the pick on the string for tone purposes
* What type of picks to use
* Etc…

I hope this helps take your playing to the next level.

Until Next time,


Bob Molton - Guitar Instructional Product Development TopFuelGuitar
If you're interested in seeing speed picking techniques demonstrated, you'll be very pleased with the Speed Picking Instructional DVD from Top Fuel Guitar, Titled: Speed Picking Techniques. This DVD explains many of the crucial elements involved in accurate speed picking. Though it's used to develop amazing speed, keep in mind it will clean up your guitar picking overall, not just fast playing.

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You Can Learn to Play the Guitar

Do You Suck at Lead guitar and want to improve your Skills? Jamorama Lead Guitar Program is the answer. It is one of the best selling guitar lessons online.

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In high school, did you ever dream about starting your own rock band? Want to duplicate the soothing sounds of folk tunes for family and friends? Does your favorite musician work magic with a Gibson ES 335? Is Jimi Hendrix your idol? It doesn’t matter the reason why you want to play the guitar - a seed has been planted and now it is time to nurture the desire.

Where to begin? Playing guitar (whether for fun or professionally) takes patience and determination. By following a few tips, you can harness your passion or interest for the instrument. You will also find that fueling your creativity and developing this new form of expression will take time. Great guitar players do not blossom overnight.

Purchasing a Guitar

Before you start learning the ropes of guitar playing, you’re going to need an instrument to carry out your lessons. The type of music you wish to play will determine the kind of guitar you require. For example, an acoustic guitar is used to generate the sounds of country, ragtime or folk. The body of the guitar is large and hollow, creating a sound that many deem “natural.” Rock music often utilizes an electric guitar, which offers a rather distinctive amplified sound. Additional guitars to look into include the steel, solid body, archtop, resonator, bass and twelve-string guitar.

With the purchase of a guitar, there are other necessary pieces of basic equipment. A guitar pick is required to help play the chords of your instrument. The size of guitar pick is quite small, prompting easy breakage and it can also be easily misplaced. This is why beginners should have a good number of guitar picks on hand. When purchasing picks, the medium gauge varieties are suggested because they are less apt to break. You should also invest in a comfortable chair.

Getting Lessons

While some guitar players are able to naturally experiment with chords by ear and strum along with less guidance, others require the assistance of structured lessons. There are numerous ways to learn how to play the guitar. If you are able to afford a private tutor, you can take advantage of one-on-one instruction, which may speed up the learning process. Sometimes, beginners benefit from group learning, which provides a wealth of constructive criticism. The Internet also offers a way for beginners to privately learn online. Some websites offer a computer keyboard lesson on learning scales, which some beginners find quite easy.
Whichever approach you take in learning to play guitar, you should know that setting goals for yourself makes the process more rewarding. Achieving personal milestones further motivates your desire to find a common ground with the instrument and who knows how far your lessons will take you.

Recognizing why you want to play guitar in the first place will also help you to better accomplish your goals. Some people want to learn to play for fun, peaking with a performance in front of family and friends. Others would like to share their talents with a slightly larger crowd, probably visiting a few coffee shops or open-mic nights. Then there are the masses of learners who have bigger dreams of taking to a stage in front of thousands. No matter what the goal is, you can’t get there without loads of practice.

What You Will Learn

Guitar lessons usually start with building a basic foundation, such as how to properly hold the guitar and establishing correct posture when playing. There is a wide range of techniques involved in playing the guitar and after a few lessons, you may start to find your niche.
One of the most important things to focus on when playing a guitar is understanding and mastering the chords. There are books and charts to help you along this important part of the process. There are many different chords to familiarize yourself with and taking them one at a time will lead to better results.

Additional areas of guitar instruction may include learning how to properly hold a pick, memorizing scales, tackling music theory and selecting a music style. Instrument maintenance, such as tuning and caring for your guitar is also of importance.

Sticking With It

Staying motivated is one of the best things you can do when learning to play the guitar. It is easy to become frustrated with a new project and abandon it before truly experiencing any benefits. On some days, you may have to dig deep to reclaim your passion and dedication. Other days, you could be composing the next pop hit. Give the process a chance and remember that it takes time to get the hang of this instrument. The best thing you can do is continue to practice and soon, you will reap the rewards of hard work and focus.

Kevin is the publisher and editor of musicianhome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development. Download a free introductory guitar course also.