How To Master The Guitar
Once an aspiring guitarist has a good handle on chords, scales, strumming patterns and techniques, and basic rhythms, he or she can usually get by playing most styles of music. But they’ve only reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mastering the guitar.
Mastering the guitar is not achieved simply by being able to emulate the world’s greatest guitarists and play their songs note for note. True mastery is only achieved when a guitarist forms his or her own style, while also being fluent in other styles. It is a combination of technique, knowledge and creativity. The most advanced aspects of playing guitar certainly cannot be covered in one article, but we can at least set up a framework of what work there is to be done and how to go about doing it.
Studying music theory and how it applies to the guitar is one great way to enhance your skills and embellish your guitar playing and songwriting. Sure, you can write a good punk song with three power chords, but learning about suspended and extended chords will come in handy when you want to add some color to your song. Likewise, knowing the theory behind altered and inverted chords will give you an unlimited supply of chords you can use in your own music.
An advanced knowledge of music theory can also help in branching out to play different scales. Mastering the most commonly used scales — major, pentatonic minor, blues, etc. can be all you need to become a good guitar player. But knowing how the scales are constructed and how they can be modified can add depth to your playing. Study diminished and modal scales, which are modified versions of the basic scales.
The basic uses for the right hand, like fingerpicking and strumming are among the first skills a guitarist learns. Using a tremolo, playing advanced strumming patterns, alternate picking and palm muting come next, but that’s not the extent of what the right hand can do in guitar playing. Tapping and sweep picking, while not applicable to all forms of music, require a high level of skill but can be useful in mastering rock and heavy metal.
Familiarity with different rhythms is also important if someone wants to master the guitar. Most songs are played in 4/4, but it’s not uncommon to find songs in 3/4, 5/4, 6/8, 7/8 or any number of other time signatures. Playing in alternate time signatures can be difficult for beginning guitarists, since the human brain tends to be most comfortable with 4/4. But when used appropriately, odd time signatures can give a song a unique feel and can create great variety from song to song or even within a single song.
Beyond learning advanced musical theory and specialized playing techniques, the most important aspect to mastering the guitar is always going to be practice. Guitar virtuosos didn’t master their instrument with natural talent alone. Invariably hours, days, months and years of diligent practice are required if one is to achieve the highest levels of guitar playing.
Comments
« Tips For Playing Heavy Metal On The Guitar | Home | Tools For Learning To Play Guitar »
