So, starting with the basics…

How Do I Hold the Pick?

Seems simple, right? Yet you’d be surprised how easy this is to get wrong! You hold the plectrum (the fancy word for a pick) between the pad of the thumb and the side of your first finger. It’s best to hold it nearer the tip, as this provides greater control (like when you hold a pencil- it would be difficult to write if you held it at the top, you need to hold it nearer the tip!).

Here is a diagram of what I mean:

You can find more information on picking here.

What is the Best Strumming Technique?

The simple answer would be “up and down”, but there really is no “best” way to strum- just some techniques that are good, and others that are bad. What you want to keep in mind, though, is that picking should be a relaxed motion from the wrist, similar to the motion you would use to wave at someone.

Now, a motion “from the wrist” doesn’t mean your arm is not allowed to move! Trying to hold your arm still will cause it to tense up (which will no longer produce a relaxed action). Your arm is allowed to move, but you should be trying to move your wrist, and not thinking about any arm movement (after all, the two are connected, it would be unnatural to have one move without the other!).

Which Direction Should I Strum In?

Well if we are talking about lead guitar, there are two main schools of thought on this. Either you try to change direction as little as possible (known as “economy picking”)- so that going from, say, the A to D strings would always be a downstroke, and going back would always be an upstroke (so you’re taking the shortest route each time- which is faster); or you change direction on every note regardless (known as “alternate picking”)- so that going from the A to D strings would either be an upstroke followed by a downstroke, or the other way around.

Rhythm guitar strumming is much simpler in many ways, because there are only two (main) rules:

1) Play downstrokes on the beat (or the main, emphasised beats)
and
2) Try to keep your hand alternating between down and up (even if each “strum” doesn’t even hit the strings!)

So, if one beat is divided into two quavers (8th notes), the strumming pattern would be: “Down – Up”. If the beat was divided into four semiquavers (16th notes), the pattern would go: “Down – Up – Down – Up” for that beat. You see,  on the beat (first strum) it’s a downstroke, and you’re constantly alternating?

If the same beat was divided as one quaver and two semiquavers, you would play it: “Down – Down – Up”. After the first downstroke, your hand moves back up without hitting the strings- so it’s moving as if you’re playing four semiquavers without the second note.

Am I Anchoring? Should I be Anchoring?

Anchoring is when you fix your strumming hand or arm on the guitar body. It restricts the movement of your arm and hand, and you shouldn’t be doing it! For more on this, please read my blog post on why anchoring is bad.

How Do I Play Faster?

Guitar speed is a byproduct of good technique and co-ordination. If you keep your muscles relaxed and follow the basic principles outlined in this article you shouldn’t go far wrong. The next step is to head over to the exercises section and work on the co-ordination between both hands.

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Rob.

I have compiled a list of 20 easy songs that all use just three open chords. Most of these songs use chords I, IV and V of a key (known as the primary chords, or primary triads) and so, in the key of G (for example) you would have G (the first chord, chord I), C (the fourth chord- counting “G A B C” is four letters) and D (the fifth chord- “G A B C D”- Five letters). These are the most common chords used in any key, and in a major key they are all major chords.

Sometimes chord V (five) becomes a 7th chord (i.e. D7 in the key of G), but if you like you can ignore the “7″ part of the chord (so you would just play D, instead of D7).

Songs in the Key of G (G, C and D)

• Knocking on Heaven’s Door – Bob Dylan
• Blowing in the Wind – Bob Dylan
• Paperback Writer – The Beatles
• I Feel Fine – The Beatles
• Oh My Darling Clementine – Traditional
• She’ll Be Coming ’round the Mountain – Traditional
• Tush – ZZ Top
• Doo Wah Diddy – Manfred Mann
• Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash

Songs in the key of C (C, F and G)

• Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport – Rolf Harris

Songs in the key of A (A, D and E)

• Wild Thing – The Troggs
• Bye Bye Love- The Everly Brothers
• Stir It Up – Bob Marley
• Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley and the Comets
• Blue Suede Shoes – Elvis Presley
• Row, Row, Row Your Boat – Traditional
• Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
• King of the Road – Roger Miller
• Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum

Other Songs

• Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – Traditional

Happy strumming

Rob.

What is this “miracle” exercise? Well if you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll know how important such things as economy of motion and finger strength are…they should definitely be the “top two” in your list of things to improve (always!). However, there should be a third item on that list- something that is more important than most other techniques…

Legato

That’s right, plain old hammer-ons and pull-offs! You see, with good economy of motion comes playing speed (without any extra tension), and with good strong fingers comes finger independence and agility, but by practicing hammer-ons and pull offs you’re strengthening your fingers at the same time as making them faster. You see, in order to play hammer-ons your fingers need to be able to deliver enough power to get the string vibrating, yet deliver that power quick enough to enable you to play the note on time. Therefore, if you’re practicing hammer-ons and pull-offs, you’re automatically practicing the two main components of great guitar playing technique!

So what does every guitar technique have in common? A combination of finger strength, independence and agility. Of course there are some that require co-ordination between both hands (such as: alternate picking or sweep picking) and they need to be practiced separately aswell- don’t think I’m saying they shouldn’t! The point is that if you include legato into your practice routine you’ll be practicing the main skills- and strengthening the right muscles- for every other fretting hand technique.

Technical Exercises for Legato

So how do you incorporate this essential technique into your practice session? Well, if you go here you’ll find a selection of fretting hand workouts and exercises (including legato techniques and hammer-ons), and if you’ve been following my three point practice plan just add a few of these legato exercises when you warm-up.

Just in case you need a demonstration of how awesome you can be after mastering the hammer-on technique, watch this video of guitarist Joe Satriani playing “The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing”. The first time he does the legato section is at about 1:50 in the video.

…and that’s what you call “pure mastery” of hammer-ons!
Rob.

Say you learnt Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heavens Door” note for note (a song that also been covered by Guns’n'Roses in case you haven’t heard the original). Now, all you’ve done is grab the tab and learn which finger goes where- which is fine for playing that one song…

…but, for the next song you learn, you’ll have to go through the same process again. Learning each note in sequence off by heart- a very long and slow process! Worse than that: when someone asks you a question such as “What can you play?” or even more direct “Play something!”, what can you do?

You’d better be sure you’ve remembered every note in that sequence, and play them back at the right time and in the right order!

Learning the Guitar Chords

A much better plan would be to learn the chords that are played in the song (yes, learning the chords to a song counts as theory!). Then, when you learn the next song, all you have to do is find the chords and you don’t have to re-learn every note. Much better, right?

Well, the same thing applies to your technique. Is it better to learn a set of licks, patterns, or finger movements off by heart, or is it more efficient to learn simply “the best way to fret a note” and then apply that to every note you play? Just like with learning a song, you can learn a set of patterns “off by heart”- but every time you go to play, guess what comes out? That’s right, the same old patterns again and again!

Finger Independence

This links back in with the concept of finger independence. In order to break out of that plateau and get out of the rut of playing the same thing over and over again, you need to focus on the “how” and “why” of what you play (i.e. your guitar technique), and not the “what” (i.e. not just memorising the exact notes).

This is where muscle memory comes in- but the memory is not of certain patterns that you play every day, it’s a memory of doing just the right movement (with good economy of motion and effort etc,).

…oh and in case you’re wondering, the chords for “Knocking on Heavens Door” are: G – D – C…

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Rob.

The question is: do they work?

Guitar Exercise

Well, my first question would be: which muscles are you strengthening with these devices, and are they the same muscles that you use to play guitar? Obviously we want to build up the right muscles for guitar playing- otherwise there would be no point!

Guitar Economy of Motion

Well, when you’re using grip strengtheners, you’re actually strengthening the muscles that help you make a fist, rather than the ones that help your fingers move independently. Again, this comes down to the idea of “economy of motion”, or “economy of effort”. You should only be using the muscles you need for moving your fingers, not the ones that live in your arm and move your whole hand.

The muscles of your arm are great big, powerful muscles- and you don’t need all that strength to fret a string on guitar! The motion of holding down a guitar string is almost the same that you would use to tap the top of a table when you’re bored- not the ones you would use to punch someone! So therefore, I would be careful about using grip strengtheners for guitar playing.

Guitar Finger Weights

These are little weights that you strap on your fingers when actually playing the guitar. If you choose to use these, you must remember that correct guitar technique is more important than guitar speed, or force! Finger weights won’t improve your guitar technique, only the strength you have in your hand/fingers.

Again, it comes down to whether or not you’re using the correct muscles in the first place. Obviously, if you’re using the muscles of your arm to move your fingers, then finger weights will just make bad technique alot worse! Whereas, if you’re already using the muscles of your hand, then you will obviously strengthen them- but neither of these things will improve your actual technique.

Correct Guitar Technique

How do you know which muscles you’re using? Well, when you play something -legato (hammer ons) is best-, is your hand having to move along with your fingers? I mean, when you actually fret a note where does the power come from? Look closely. If you’re using a hand movement to fret the note then the action is coming from your arm, but if your hand stays still and only your finger moves, the motion is coming from where it should.

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Rob.

I though it would be good to share these videos as they give a real insight into his technique. I hope you find these videos as informative and usefull as I have!

How to Play the “Dimebag Squeal”

click here if you can’t see the video

Dime’s “Fake Echo” Technique

As heard on the solo to “Walk” by Pantera.

click here if you can’t see the video

Dime talks about His Guitar Effects Pedals

click here if you can’t see the video

If you like my blog, please don’t forget to subscribe.
Rob.

Legato Technique

Trust me, bad technique habits are very easy to pick up, and nearly impossible to break out of! So what I’ve done this week is: started with a legato exercise and set my metronome on about 80bpm. Then- instead of slowly speeding up- I’m going to gradually slow the exercise down to about 60bpm…and maybe even slower…

…and to make things even slower, I’m only going to be playing one note per click!

Finger Strength

Because- just like lifting weights at the gym- form (or, in this case, the position of your hand and fingers) is everything. It doesn’t require more power to play slower! Think about it: your fingers aren’t doing any more work, they’re only hitting the string against the fret enough to cause it to ring out. If you slow down this process, then your fingers are only working more slowly- but (importantly!) it’s exactly the same action at a different speed.

So why slow down? Well, you might notice when you try this that it actually becomes more difficult the slower you try to play. If this happens then it means that you’re relying on momentum (or even the movement of your hand) at higher speeds. You shouldn’t be.

That’s right: all the power needed for hammer-on’s should come from your fingers- NOT your hands or arm! Also: all the “pulling” strength from pull-offs should come from your fingers- NOT from pulling your hand away!

Guitar Form and Technique Challenge

The idea is, by slowing down it forces you to pay more attention to the way your fingers are moving- and helps you to build up just the right muscles. If you see that your hand is physically “pulling” away from the string when you do a pull-off, then it needs correcting!

The challenge is: how slow can you go without resorting to moving your hand? Also (as if that wasn’t hard enough), you’re not allowed to get more tense as you slow down because- just as I explained before- you’re still applying the same force, but slower. Why add extra tension and stress when you (logically) don’t need it?

As I said, this is what I’m working on (or- technically- revising) at the moment, because it’s never a bad thing to go back and “iron out” your technique. Of course, once I’m happy with my hand position and technique at the slowest speed, I’m going to go back to practicing normally (and you can too!).

So, why not try it? No matter how good a guitar player you are, you’re never “above the law” (that is, the law of having perfect guitar technique! ). A bit of “revision” now and then can’t hurt, you might even surprise yourself!

If you like my blog, please don’t forget to subscribe…oh and keep practicing!
Rob.

Playing By Chillaxing

…er…that’s both “Chilling out” and “Relaxing”, but why so much talk about removing tension? Well, I came across an equation the other day that should help explain it. Don’t worry, this isn’t a maths lesson! What it is, is a way for you to use the minimum effort to create the maximum results. You know how some guitarists seem to be able to play quickly and cleanly all over the neck with no real effort? How do they do that?

It may, at first, seem like brain science, but when you break it down, it’s really not rocket surgery! The equation goes something like this:

Your Potential = Your Potential – Interference

Now, lets look at each of those factors individually.

Your Potential

This is something that everyone starts out with. If you’ve been reading my other posts on this site, you’ll already know that I don’t believe in “talent”. Anyone can learn how to become a great guitarist (this also goes for other things in your life too).

I like to think of your potential more like “potential energy” in physics. I don’t want to give a physics lesson either, so I’ll simplify things a bit. “Potential Energy” is what a toy car has at the top of a ramp- when you let go of the car it uses this energy to “drive” down the ramp (does a toy car “drive”?!). It’s like stored energy in a spring that gets released when you let go of the spring.

Your potential energy (for guitar playing) is stored in you like a coiled spring. Everyone has it, you just need to know how to unlock this energy and power your own improvement on the instrument. This is where having guitar teacher can help.

Even when it’s been unleashed, your potential energy in this case only means how fast you can progress, not how far you will go.

Interference

So, lets go back to our car at the top of the ramp. You let go of the car…

…what happens? The car runs down the ramp. Now, the only thing that is really stopping that car and affecting how far (or how fast) it will go is the smoothness of the ramp/surface the car runs on. That’s it. If there was no friction slowing the car down, it would travel on and on forever. So this “friction” is the interference.

The same applies to guitar playing. Each distraction you add slows your progress, whether that be a mental distraction (like when you’re worrying about stage fright) or a physical one (like when you have bad posture). This is why posture and hand position are so important.

So, remember:

Your Overall Potential = Your True Potential – Any Interference You Introduce

…and don’t forget to keep updated on this blog with more tips on guitar playing
Rob.

I’m constantly trying to emphasise how vital these devices are when working on your timing, yet I still find people who refuse to use them! Are you one?

Common complaints about metronomes include:

• “The constant clicking “throws me off” when I try to play in time!”
• “I have great timing when playing on my own, but I can’t play with others!”
• “The clicking is so annoying, I would rather not have listen to it!”
• “I don’t understand how to use the thing!”
• If you feel there is anything I’ve missed off this list, there is a comment section below…

Well, I’ve already answered the last point in my previous post “How to Use a Metronome”, so if you haven’t read that yet I suggest you do that first. Now, lets tackle each complaint individually.

The Constant Clicking “throws me off”

While I would agree that the clicking on it’s own can get pretty annoying -but that’s on it’s own! What you should realise is: the metronome isn’t just some random, inane click; the metronome is keeping a constant beat- which means you’re playing WITH it, not just at the same time with the click in the background!

Try this as an exercise: put the metronome on and count the clicks. You should be counting like this “1…2…3…4…1…2…3…4…etc…”, each number is a click. Can you keep in time? When you say each number it should be at the same time as each click- just as if you were counting beats. Is the metronome click just something happening “in the background”?

Your answer should be: “No, the click is the thing I’m counting”. It’s actually a part of what you’re doing. In fact, to take this further, when playing your guitar to a metronome and you’re perfectly in time, you won’t actually hear the click at all!

I cannot play with others

Have you ever thought this? You feel fine and “in time” when you play just by yourself, but when you try to play with others you can’t seem to fit in with them? Well, I’ll give you a clue…it’s never the case that “everyone else in the whole world must be wrong!”.

If you find that you have trouble staying in time with others then it’s more likely that you’re timing isn’t so great. Of course, it could also be their fault…but- guess what? It’s never going to be the metronome going out of time. A metronome can’t have a bad sense of time (by design). So, when you play with that metronome and “one of you” is out…it’s you…sorry

I can only play in a musical situation

Ha! Now, this one is interesting. Many people believe they can’t play in time to a metronome because it’s “unmusical” or “unnatural”. Well, did you ever think that when you play with others, they are actually also playing to you?

That’s right! When you play with someone else, they are also adjusting to your timing- therefore it’s much easier to keep in time with each other. One of you speeds up slightly, the other speeds up also; one of you slows down, so does the other. The metronome, however, cannot and will not adjust to you- it can only stay perfectly in time.

Listening to the Sound of a Kit…

Usually, this is a great sound to hear, because it means something (you or anyone) is about to rock! For practice purposes, however, it’s not so useful.

For one, the sound of a kit ads in a natural resonance (which can cover up any slight mistakes). When you’re playing to a click you only have the one “click”- no reverb, no tone, nothing else, just a “click” exactly on the beat. This is why, when you play exactly on each click you don’t actually hear the noise from the metronome at all. This is known as “burying the click” (kind of a funny expression that…)

Learning to Count

So, as I’ve explained: metronomes are a great tool to help your timing, and (if you get the ones with just a simple “click”) you have to actually count in your head (rather than just relying on the snare/high hat/bass drum that’s being played on the beat you’re listening for…). I’m sure you’re able to count, right?

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Rob.

Guitarists- Don’t do Guitar Solos on Bass!

Sadly, this is how many guitarists attempt to “play” the bass- they think that if they just widdle away (with a pick!) on the bass with a few guitar solo licks everyone will worship them and hail them as the next Cliff Burton or Jaco Pastorious…which, to be honest is what some guitarists try to do with the guitar alot of the time…( replace Cliff Burton etc… with Steve Vai etc…).

Firstly, I have to point out that when I say it will help your guitar playing, what I really mean is it will help your guitar technique- you won’t get anything remotely musical from using a pick and transferring your guitar solos on to the bass. Its just not the same instrument.

Strengthen Your Hands

So how can playing the bass improve your guitar playing? Because to play the bass you use the same muscles in your hand, but it uses more strength. If you play the bass it will strengthen your hands and fingers, so that when you go back to playing the guitar it will feel even more effortless! Just think about it, you will be able to play larger stretches and faster lead lines than before, all with almost no effort or tension in your hands! You could play seemingly difficult songs while looking totally calm- and no doubt “wowing” whichever audience you choose!

Lets Forget Elitism

So that’s great, but I can still hear you bassists screaming out “…but guitarists can’t play bass, that’s our job!”. Now, I want you to think about this: its also beneficial for you bassists to learn the guitar. That’s right, you heard me. Why? How can that be the case? See this is where the heart of the problem is, we get so caught up in “I’m a bassist” or “I’m a guitarist”, that we can never fully appreciate what the other instrument is doing. I’m suggesting that we forget this “instrumentalist elitism” that seems to plague many of us, and take the change to learn what exactly the other instruments are doing.

Imagine this: A group of mates decide they’re into all the same styles of music. One of them happens to be a bassist, another a guitarist, and another is a drummer (we’ll talk about vocalists another time…). Now, put yourself in the position of one of the band members (depending on which instrument you play). You’ve been working on your craft for years, practicing for hours, even days at a time- and this is going to be your chance to show that off to the world, your chance at fame. The problem is, everyone has arrived with the same mindset- the guitarist is going for a solo every other bar, the drummer is playing 20 notes in the space of 4 quarter notes with a crazy swing feel, and the bassist is flying up and down every scale and arpeggio he knows- because they all want to show off the best of their ability.

How do you think that band now sounds?

Each person is playing a different thing. Imagine being the listener, what do you hear? Trust me, unless you’re a fan of extreme Jazz- not much! Just a mixture of different noises which probably aren’t even in the same key!

Working Together

Lets be serious about this, bands need to work together, and if the guitarist has no idea what everyone else is doing, he is just likely to widdle over the rest of the band. So this is the other main way that playing the bass will help your guitar playing (or even that guitar playing will help your bass playing!),because you will actually learn what it is that a bassist is supposed to play in a band context- and trust me, it has nothing to do with alternate picking at 200bpm…*shock!*

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