By: Steve Higgins
How to play fast guitar-7 tips to improve your skill in 7 days
Playing fast guitar is something that eludes many guitarists,
yet is something which all of us aspire to at some point. I'm
here to bust open the myths and the "secrets" which people seem
to think hold the key to playing fast. Implement this stuff and
you will be faster in seven days. I guarantee it.
1-Practice-It's obvious but many people claim they want
to be a great guitarist yet 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 stay focused and
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 to pick fast 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!
About the author:
Steve Higgins has been a guitarist/musician for over 20 years,
both playing and teaching in his local area. If you find these
tips useful and would like to learn more please click here
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Monday, February 05, 2007
David Lee Roth back as Van Halen singer
This is hilarious. Check out the story and then read the comments. LOL.
LOS ANGELES -- The rumors were true. Van Halen will reunite with original singer David Lee Roth for a summer tour of North America.
"I am very excited to get back to the core of what made Van Halen," guitarist Eddie Van Halen said in a statement posted Friday on the band's Web site announcing a 40 city tour. No specific dates have been named.
It will be the first time that Roth performs live with the band since 1984, when he was replaced by Sammy Hagar. A brief reunion with Roth in 1996 resulted in two new songs but no tour.
Original bassist Michael Anthony will not be a part of the reunion. Late last year he was replaced by Eddie Van Halen's 15-year-old son Wolfgang.
More: Van Halen Reunion
LOS ANGELES -- The rumors were true. Van Halen will reunite with original singer David Lee Roth for a summer tour of North America.
"I am very excited to get back to the core of what made Van Halen," guitarist Eddie Van Halen said in a statement posted Friday on the band's Web site announcing a 40 city tour. No specific dates have been named.
It will be the first time that Roth performs live with the band since 1984, when he was replaced by Sammy Hagar. A brief reunion with Roth in 1996 resulted in two new songs but no tour.
Original bassist Michael Anthony will not be a part of the reunion. Late last year he was replaced by Eddie Van Halen's 15-year-old son Wolfgang.
More: Van Halen Reunion
Sunday, January 07, 2007
The Modern Way of Playing the Guitar
Parents always want their child to excel in life and studies have shown that letting the child learn to play an instrument helps in their development. The two most common instruments that parents let children learn are the piano and the guitar.
Learning how to play the guitar in years past and now isn’t that different. The first thing needed is to obtain one; if there is already an instrument available then learning can begin. If one needs to purchase one, then going to the music store with somebody who is familiar with guitars will really helping the selection
The most important thing to know before playing any musical instrument was learning how to read the notes, but today this is not considered to be enough. The person needs to listen as he is playing to know whether or not he is producing the correct notes.
In the past, an instructor had to be found before lessons could begin; but now a person can simply start by learning from friends and then practicing. After some time, the assistance of a professional can help advance your knowledge of playing the guitar.
There are also books that teach a person how to play the guitar. By reading and studying the latest techniques of the popular musicians, one will be able to learn a trick or two when playing.
The internet can also help improve one’s skill with the guitar. There are many websites available that give tips from a beginner’s stage to the more advanced lessons.
Instructional videos are also available. Some were produced by rock stars and each of these individuals have or use a different technique.
The best technique that can be used to check your progress is by playing the guitar at the same time as the same song is playing in the background. That way, if you are playing “off key”, adjustments can be made until it is perfected.
Technology and the publication of books have really helped change the way people can learn how to play the guitar. With the many options available, anyone who has the desire can start at any age and at any time. But learning the basics first before moving on to other things is essential.
Guitar playing should be fun. It is not just about learning how to play the instrument but enjoying it as well. Not everyone is born to do play it well. So if after some time, it’s really not working for you, then giving it up for another musical instrument might be the answer.
Learning how to play the guitar in years past and now isn’t that different. The first thing needed is to obtain one; if there is already an instrument available then learning can begin. If one needs to purchase one, then going to the music store with somebody who is familiar with guitars will really helping the selection
The most important thing to know before playing any musical instrument was learning how to read the notes, but today this is not considered to be enough. The person needs to listen as he is playing to know whether or not he is producing the correct notes.
In the past, an instructor had to be found before lessons could begin; but now a person can simply start by learning from friends and then practicing. After some time, the assistance of a professional can help advance your knowledge of playing the guitar.
There are also books that teach a person how to play the guitar. By reading and studying the latest techniques of the popular musicians, one will be able to learn a trick or two when playing.
The internet can also help improve one’s skill with the guitar. There are many websites available that give tips from a beginner’s stage to the more advanced lessons.
Instructional videos are also available. Some were produced by rock stars and each of these individuals have or use a different technique.
The best technique that can be used to check your progress is by playing the guitar at the same time as the same song is playing in the background. That way, if you are playing “off key”, adjustments can be made until it is perfected.
Technology and the publication of books have really helped change the way people can learn how to play the guitar. With the many options available, anyone who has the desire can start at any age and at any time. But learning the basics first before moving on to other things is essential.
Guitar playing should be fun. It is not just about learning how to play the instrument but enjoying it as well. Not everyone is born to do play it well. So if after some time, it’s really not working for you, then giving it up for another musical instrument might be the answer.
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