Whatever you play - play it well. Listeners will be more impressed by simple clean chord changes than intricate, but sloppy ones.

Develop your own style! One of the best things you can do as a musician is to have you own unique voice.

Try to invent something new! Work on the things that no one else is working on. You may stumble on a new playing style

Play for yourself first. Don't get hung up on trying to impress your listeners. Play what you feel.

Jeff Beck never plays the same song exactly the same way twice. Look for ways to keep your music fresh. You may come up with several versions of the same song - each with a very different mood.

If you are trying to play fast - try to stay loose and keep your hands relaxed. We all have a tendency to stiffen up when we try increase speed. (To test this try to write a sentence as fast as you can.)

The great blues man Albert King once advised an aspiring guitarist to "play every other note."

If you want to take lessons start by interviewing a few teachers. Find one that fits you. Some teachers use a one size fits all approach that may not be what you want.

Practice with a metronome. Whether you plan to play solo or in a group it is a great way to learn to keep a steady beat.

Try to learn every note on the neck. Start with the easy ones like the two E strings and the octaves. Knowing the notes you are playing is the first step to understanding the big picture.

Learn the notes that make up the chords you play and use those notes when you are creating a solo over those chords.

Learn at least a little music theory. It will help you understand what you are doing and can be a great time saver.

I had a chance to ask Coco Montoya, former Guitarist from John Mayall's Blues Breakers, if I should use a particular scale or mode when taking a solo. His advise was " Play what you feel." That's what I love about the Blues.

If you are really in a rut get away from playing for a few days. Listen to music, relax. When you go back to playing it will seem fresh again. Its just like working out - you need a few days off every now and then.

If you are buying a used guitar check for Fret wear. Look for deep grooves in the frets especially on the high strings. You can usually have bad frets replaced, but a guitar tech will charge you about $15.00 for each one.

Learn a few arpeggios and use them when you solo. There are lots of great examples of pros using them. Check out the Diminished arpeggio in the solo from Steely Dan's "Home at Last" from the Aja album.

When you are playing in a band for the first time, remember you are part of the rhythm section. Pay close attention to the Bass and Drums. Those guys really hold the music together and you can work off the foundation they create.

Buy good quality accessories. They will last for years. Get a good Guitar stand, A high quality set of cables and pedals that are rugged enough to be stomped on.

When shopping for a new pedal bring your guitar and try to play the pedal through something that is as close as possible to your amp. Every rig sounds different. That way when you get your new gear home you won't be surprised and/or disappointed.

Try experimenting with different picks. There are almost unlimited sizes and shapes. Try thinner picks for rhythm and heavier ones for solos.

When practicing string bending try to match the note you are bending to, to the same note on an unbent string. For example: if you are bending to A on the second string, try to match the pitch of the A on the first.

Hone your tone!. One of the things that will make you stand out is your tone. Try to develop a tone that fits your musical style then work on refining it until you have your own unique sound. All of the great players have a distinctive sound. It can come from amp choice, guitar, pedals, strings and/or fingers.

Some believe that the largest factor to impact your tone is your fingers. Work on playing clean crisp notes and make sure runs and bends are not slurred - unless that is the sound you are going for.

Practice good armiture. Unless you are playing thumb chords try keeping your thumb pressed lightly against the back of the neck and keep your fingers curved over the strings instead of laying across them. For more detail look at video of a classical guitarist playing. This make work for best when playing extended runs or complex chord forms on the higher strings.

If your guitar won't stay in tune because your tuning keys have a lot of play and can't be adjusted, you may want to upgrade to better tuners. Try installing them yourself. You will need to buy a wood-reem (available at any hardware store) to enlarge to post holes. If this is your first time remember to go slowly and be careful not to make the holes too big!

The entire job should take about 90 minutes. If you can't find the tuners you want at your local music stores there are some great deals online.

When changing strings, change them one at a time so that you don't take all the tension off the neck. As you replace each string, bring the new one up to pitch right away. Also take the opportunity to clean your fret board and lubricate the nut.

On your picking hand - try to develop an independent thumb. It will take a few weeks of effort but you will be able to play a bass-line with your thumb and play chords and partial melody with your fingers. There are some great instructional clips on the internet. For more about this watch Tommy Emmanuel or Keb Mo on You Tube.

Lubricate your nut! If the strings are binding in the nut it can cause tuning issues and also rob you of tone and sustain.

When you re-string lubricate the nut with graphite - available at craft and Hobby stores - or try a product like nut sauce.

When you are playing in a band with another guitarist, don't try to out-do each other, work together. For a great example of this go to You Tube and watch "Further on up the Road" featuring Joe Bonamossa and Eric Clapton. Watch how they begin by trading licks and then intertwine their solos to create a really memorable performance.

Buy or download jam tracks and practice playing along. Play a song once following the rhythm section and learn the chord changes and play it again inserting your solo. Try to develop a well though out solo with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Go out and see live bands whenever you can. During breaks talk to the players - they will give you all kinds of tips and insight.

Find local establishments that have open mic or open jam nights. You will meet new people to exchange ideas with and pick up new licks.

Attend any free workshops offered by local music stores. You should also speak to the owner about other workshops you and your friends would be interested in.

Improvised solos are made up of bits and pieces of music that a player already has in his bag of tricks. Make sure you have plenty of well developed ideas to draw from before you launch into an "off the cuff" break. Even the greatest players are only improvising in the true sense a small percentage of the time.

Try drop D tuning. Tune the 6th string E down to D. You can also experiment with Double Drop D tuning which is tuning both the 1st and 6th string E's down to D.

Any easy and inexpensive way to lubricate the string nut on your guitar is with graphite from a pencil. When you change your strings get a little graphite in the each slot of the nut.

If you find you are breaking a lot of strings you could have a burr on one of your saddles. You may want to have a guitar tech check it out.

You may already know a few scales but if you have not tried to learn modes you should. Start with the Dorian and once you have mastered that move on to the others one by one. You can find modes in most good scale books or just search online.

Be kind to your tubes: If you own a tube amp, may sure it warms up to room temp before you turn it on.

Practice keeping your fingers as close to the fret board as possible. In between notes we can sometimes raise our fingers high off the fretboard. The result is a loss of speed and tendency to slam down on the next note causing a buzz or unintended slur.