Any sincere and talented guitarist will tell you that if you pick that instrument with the sole intention of looking cool, you're never quite going to make the cut.
Dedication, sincerity, creativity and the willingness to endure pain for the greater good are the qualities that separate the masters from the wannabes.
That and five of these basic yet very important skills.
1) Tune it
This is the most fundamental aspect of playing the guitar. And it is best for all parties involved, to master this skill as soon as you buy the guitar.
Given the amazing technological innovations, it shouldn't be a very difficult task either. Unlike the olden days where it was all eyes and fingers and the guitar, now you have tuner pedals, in-built tuners, iPhones, etc. So, prepping the guitar is barely a minute-long affair.
Moreover, learning to tune niftily comes in handy before or during a gig, where you may have to deviate from the current track on public demand. Save your guitar and your audience's ears from damage, use the tools and learn to tune!
2) Vibrato
Ever heard that emotionally powerful waver in a voice, sax, and piano or in our case, the guitar? Yep. That's vibrato. Many may consider vibrato to be a wee bit too old school to be used in modern day guitar-playing. But it is one of those beautiful things that infuse soul into the music.
Vibrato is what adds character to a tone. It is what sets one guitarist apart from others. One listen to the Guitar Gods like Jimi Hendrix and Van Halen, and you'll know what I'm talking about.
3) Openness to variety
One of the key qualities of a brilliant musician is his ability to appreciate good music across any genre or language. As is the willingness to dabble in whatever intrigues the mind.
As a beginner, though it may be more important to first fully grasp the basic handling and playing, it is absolutely necessary to listen to as much relevant music as you can. Diversify. And, allow yourself to be inspired. This will help you constantly challenge yourself and innovate and evolve as a musician and as a creative.
4) Balance
It plays an important especially when you're a part of a band. First off, you have to learn to play WITH the band, which means, you have to listen to every instrument involved, find the right beat, the right note and work as one cohesive unit.
Second off, find the right volume. Of course, your instrument may sound too loud to your ears. But is it good enough for the whole band? Similarly, make sure you're not playing too loud to drown out the vocals and every other instrument.
Listening and expressing is the key to maintaining balance, which in turn is the key to some awesome creative explosion.
5) Save the solo…
… for the last. If you think about it, there isn’t much of a difference between a magician and a musician. Both find immense pleasure in enthralling the crowds, leaving them begging for encore upon encore.
Both also know the magic that lies in saving the best for the last. The ultimate ace of spades for every guitarist is that epic guitar solo. Always save the best for the last. Unless you have something better up your sleeve.
Your entire work should be a metaphorical crescendo. Start with simple; create the buildup and then take the audience to an all new high from where they'll never want to return. Four minutes of buildup for ten seconds of glory? Totally worth it.
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
- License: Creative Commons image source
Today's guest author, Don Galecki, is an avid reader and enjoys reading mystery novels in his spare time.
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