Guitar Tips

Use a capo and save yourself a lot of trouble. A guitar capo is especially helpful to singers who wish to sing in a different key. The capo allows you to immediately play in a different chord without learning the whole song over again.

GUITAR GIFTS - Guitar T-shirts, Stickers, Hats, Keychains, etc.

Guitar Tabs - Take the time to learn guitar tablature. There are thousands of guitar tabs on the net to thousands of songs. Check out 411tabs.com, a portal that links to all the major guitar tab sites.

Keep your fingernails trimmed so that you can play clearer notes on the guitar.

Strumming Tips - First and foremost, think like a drummer when strumming. Ultimately, you have to keep good time. Practice with a pick on a corrugated piece of cardboard. Listen to the rhythm and make sure you have that down before transferring this over to a guitar.

Having trouble hearing a chord of a song? Listen to the bass line. Often the bass line is the root note of the chord you're trying to figure out.

Spice up your guitar playing with special effects units, slides, and the like. Use creative micing techniques, and practice being a showman. Are you exciting to watch on stage?

Practice good form. Don't play with your guitar hung down near your knees. This serves to do nothing but hinder your ability to perform at an optimum level.

How often do you change your strings? Did you know that this is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make your guitar sound better? Be sure to change your guitar strings way ahead of the gig so that they have time to stretch in.

Dedication is key to learning to play the guitar. It takes a lot of time and practice to learn to play. The more determined you are the better guitar player you will end up being.

There are lots of ways to learn how to play the guitar. You can learn with the help of books and DVDs. Or you can enroll in a guitar-playing class at a local music shop.

It is beneficial when learning to play the guitar to gain knowledge of guitar concepts and proper playing techniques.

Start with learning the basics – basic cords C, A, G, E and D - strumming patterns – terminology - which string is which. These are the things that you will build on to get to playing songs.

When you go to concerts of your favorite musicians, watch how they play. If you can, and are close enough, watch their fingers as they move across the fret board.

Consider using an amp that uses tubes at some level if you can afford one. The maintenance is more costly, but the payoff in sound quality is worth the cost over a solid-state amplifier.

The easiest way to tune your guitar is to use an electronic tuner. You simply plug your guitar into the tuner and then read the gauge to know when each string is in tune. They are a relatively inexpensive but invaluable tool for any guitarist.

E, A, D, G, B, E. If you're a guitarist, you know that those are the notes that a guitar's open strings are customarily tuned to from low to high. Don't be afraid, however, to experiment with alternative tunings.

Whether you like jazz or not, you'd do well to give a listen to Stanley Jordan. He has taken the methods of Wes Montgomery and George Benson to a whole new level, and increased the vocabulary of the guitar in general. Not only is he amazing technically, but he is incredible musically.

When playing, jazz, experiment with the volume knobs. Many jazz guitarists playing a solid-body electrical like to turn the guitar all the way up and then turn the amplifier down to a low volume in an effort to sound more like a hollow-body electric guitar.

Think that a new guitar is the way to go? Think again. Unlike many things, a good guitar will only get better with age if it is cared for well. This is why the instruments of professional classical guitarists and string players are often hundreds of years old. The wood becomes more resonant over time. So, for the same price you may pay for a sub-standard brand new guitar, you can likely find an older one that is a much better instrument.

Pedals. They're cool. They're fun! They're like having toys to play with. Just don't let it get out of hand. It can be distracting if a guitarist is always messing with a board of pedals. Rule of thumb - only use a pedal if the sound it creates is serving the music.

A digital pedal board can be a lot of fun - it almost turns your guitar into a synthesizer, and you can get many sounds for a low price. However, sound quality is the tradeoff. You will rarely see a professional guitarist use one of these all-in-one units. Consider finding 2 or 3 analog pedals you can really get some good use out of before buying a digital board. Digital doesn't always mean better in sound reproduction, especially on stage.

New to the guitar? Be sure you know what kind it is before you put new strings on it. There is nothing that sounds worse than steel strings on a classical guitar that calls for nylon strings.

Have a chord book handy in your case, especially if you play any jazz. It can really help you to find a good voicing for a new type of chord you haven't played a lot. Faug7b9#11 anyone?

Tablature is great for guitarists. Once you can read tab, start reading a plain music staff as soon as you can. It will open up a new world of possibilities for you, such as reading a melody in a piano score, solos transcribed for other instruments, etc.

For some new sounds and a different feel to your playing, try experimenting with different picks. They come in various widths and materials. There are even steel picks for a harsh, metallic sound.

Be aware that if you play guitar consistently, you will get calluses on your fingertips over time. Most guitarists, however, carry a kind of demented pride in them. I still remember a high school friend showing me how he could stick thumbtacks in the tips of all his fingers without feeling any pain.

One way to build calluses quicker is to take rubbing alcohol and rub it into your fingertips a few times a day. This helps dry them out and the calluses build more quickly. Just be sure that it doesn't split the skin.

One technique that many non-classical guitarists forget about is vibrato, or making the pitch pulsate quickly by repeatedly going sharp and then back to the actual pitch over and over very quickly, as a singer's voice does. This can be done in two ways. For a more tight vibrato, rock your finger on the headboard between the guitar body and the headstock as you are holding the note, pulling the string slightly over and over. The other way is to use a tremolo bar.

Help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. It has cut the careers of many guitarists short, and interrupted many as well. Make sure that you hold the guitar properly, not gripping the fretboard tightly, wrapping your thumb around the back to play low notes, etc. It is also a good idea to stretch your hands and arm muscles before and after playing.

Doesn't is sound great when a blues guitarist like B.B. King, Albert King, or Robert Cray bend a note? It's a great technique of used correctly. Just push the string toward the center of the fretboard while holding the note. Generally, play a note that is a half step below the third or fifth of the chord and bend the note up.

If you play an acoustic or hollow body, take a look inside sometime. See any dust bunnies? Best to vacuum them out - they can hold damaging moisture in the instrument.

If you buy a used acoustic guitar, do have an experienced guitarist look over it. A guitar's neck will bend forward over time from the tension of the strings. There are ways to fix it, but you want to make sure it is not close to a costly repair called a "neck reset".

Wash and dry your hands before playing to lengthen the life of your strings.

Carrying your guitar from place to place? Put it in a case. Period.

If you play an acoustic, be aware that direct sunlight can soften the glue that holds the guitar together. Be careful not to store it in open sunlight.

The key of E. It's the old standby for any guitarist - kind of like the key of C for a piano player, or the key of Bb for a tenor sax player. That's just the point - different instruments are acclimated to different keys. So, as tempting as it is, try to veer away from playing in E, A, D, and G. Try to play in keys with flats, too - not just sharps. You'll be a better band member for it.

Want to be extra versatile for paying gigs? Learn to play from a "fake book". They are simple charts or "lead sheets" with chord symbols and melodies for hundreds of songs in a single book. While they used to be primarily jazz, you can now find rock, country, and blues fake books.

Electronic tuners are great. Get one. Use it often. But only after you attempt to tune it by ear. This exercise will work wonders for your musicianship and you will see improvement over time.

Have a small guitar for a child? The tuning may be different - some start on A, for example, instead of the customary E. Check the manual or take it to a shop with a good reputation.

Guitarists are NOTORIOUS for playing "in the breaks". What I mean by that is playing when everyone else has stopped, both in rehearsal and even ON GIGS!!! What are you thinking?!?!? Please, have some respect for your bandmates (they don't play in the breaks) and the music (it does not call for your annoying doodling) and be SILENT when the music stops or the bandleader cuts the song short in rehearsal! Sorry, I know that was put in a bit of a negative light, but it just "irks" many of us. And, I know - not all guitarists do this.