Getting better at playing guitar requires you to learn new techniques and tricks while letting go of habits that slow you down or stunt your growth. To make you a better guitarist than you are now, here are five tips you must follow.
Make use of the internet
The internet is such a big blessing for guitarists starting their practice now because they have access to many great resources that would only increase their learning efficiency.
If you’re just starting, you could either explore the internet or find what you’re specifically looking for to learn. You can make use of blogs and websites that give you written instructions and tips, chords, and tabs or could even make use of the content on YouTube.
There are many great guitarists online to follow and learn from. But if you’ve decided to learn to play guitar online depending on your needs you may consider finding online tutorials on Skillshare and Youtube or in case you want to have a more professional approach from the beginning you should consider joining online classes that will provide you with a rich resource of essential material.
Learn, practice, and revise
There’s no way to go about it. Practicing as much as possible is going to make you a better guitarist, but your practice must have a system to make it super-efficient. While many guitarists end up playing the same melodies or chord progressions, that makes them great at only playing those particular pieces.
What you need to have is a practice that divides time between learning something new, practicing this new piece, and revising what was learned before.
Every time you sit to practice, do a warm-up with something you’ve already learned before. Then you can either try revising a piece previously learned but not perfected or start something new. Whichever you choose must be followed by the other.
This way, you’re spending your time learning a new piece, practicing it, and revising what was learned before. You’ll find this a much more efficient way to get better.
Strengthen your grip
For those who have just started playing the guitar and are looking for ways to get better at playing faster and cleaner, strengthening your grip should be a priority. The reason for this is that most beginners have what is called a “death grip.”
When playing chords, you might place your thumb on top of the fretboard to get a better grip on the neck. This grip certainly helps press other fingers down much harder. However, it can lead to muscle cramps and bad playing.
Instead, try placing your thumb at the back of the wrist and press towards the neck to get a better grip. It might initially hurt you, but with time you’ll be habituated to this grip. Not only will it enable you to play for much longer, but you’ll also be able to avoid muted or buzzing chords, making your chords sound much cleaner.
Be patient with lead
Chords are great to play, but the basics are always important. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is run through their lead training and jump to chords. Not giving enough time to learn how to play lead will only stunt your growth as a guitarist. Start with your favorite songs, find lead tabs, and practice as much as you can. Picking takes time to master, but it’s definitely one of the best ways to get better at guitar.
Spend time everyday learning and practicing different lead parts. Browse through the different rock classics and pick any to learn and perfect. When you are able to run your fingers over the fretboard seamlessly, playing minimal or no muted or buzzing notes, progress to chords. And even when you’re learning chords, keep practicing picking to never go out of touch.
Learn alternate picking
Alternate picking is the next step for those looking to be the absolute best at picking and leads. This style of picking makes you twice as efficient and fast as before. And it won’t even take you long to get used to. Here’s the difference between normal picking and alternate picking.
In the former, you pick only in downstrokes. So, if you play three notes, you pick the same string thrice by playing downwards.
In alternate picking, you’ll play in a downstroke-upstroke-downstroke pattern. This change completely removes time wastage and it helps to bring your hand back at the resting point before you play the next note. This way, you’ll grow faster and more efficient at playing complex leads.
Conclusion
Following these five tips will help you massively at getting better at guitar. As we mentioned at the start, getting better will require you to learn some things and let off some things. Continue practicing and you’ll be able to create quality music in no time.