Posted on 02/28/2026 6:48:34 AM PST by BEJ
I am thinking about doing a podcast on different topics. Here is an example called "Tips on Guitar Playing" that I would address. Are there any points missed that you can add?
Tips On Guitar Playing
1. When you buy a guitar, get one that feels comfortable over one that looks great.
2. When choosing a guitar in a music store, let the guitar choose you. Guitars are like women, and if they like you, they will do everything to help you play the music. If they don’t like you, you will have a hard time trying to play them. Some guitar players can grab any guitar and make it do what they want; they can seduce any guitar like you can seduce a woman. That is a mysterious skill you are born with.
3. When playing a guitar, be sure the size is right and that it feels balanced on your body. You can change certain things, like string size and the action, but other things are outside your control.
4. When jamming with other people, there is only so much you can do with somebody's amp and guitar, if you are using them. Get the best sound you can because a terrible sound can shut your playing down. Clear the area around you so you are comfortable and can move easily. If there is stool with harmonicas on it, move it if you think it can deter your movement. You need to dominate your playing area and feel free that you can move.
5. Always put the cord through the strap because during your movement, it can be pulled out. Always carry an extra pick in your wallet that you like, rather than use another guitarist’s pick. The feel of the pick is important.
6. Try to make practicing enjoyable. Break down what you need to practice into small chunks and practice the chunks. Then, once you mastered the chunks, put the chunks together and practice the whole piece.
7. Some sounds can make your playing fly, and others can shut down your playing. You want to find the sounds that make you feel free.
8. Don’t drink too much before you play because it will mess you up. Have a drink to calm your nerves, but that’s it. You need to be sharp and focused. Do your thing and don’t be overwhelmed by what went before you when jamming.
9. Enjoy yourself when playing. People will enjoy you having a good time. If people compliment you, take it graciously, even if you didn’t think you played well. Others will see things in your playing that you are not aware of. Remember, people are there to love you. Other musicians may be there to be critical and criticize your playing. Don’t worry about them.
10. Don’t feel discouraged if you meet a guitar player who is better than you. You can learn from them if they are not pricks. Some guitarists want to show off and beat you up with their prowess. That can motivate you to become better. There are two types of motivations: the carrot and the stick. The stick is negative motivation in that it uses fear of not being as good as your peers (social pressure) to make you practice to get better. The carrot is the positive motivation of wanting to do a piece that you love. It doesn’t involve other people.
11. Guitarists can be like gunfighters in competing on who is the fastest. It can become a circus of speed, and you can wonder if art is still involved. Competition can permeate music as it can any activity -- you can have grammas competing in a knitting bee. The most important thing is the music. Competition is a secondary thing and has nothing to do with music.
12. Some guitarists can have an incredible natural talent, but that is all they have – they hit a brick wall and won’t go further in developing their talent. They do what they have always done and are happy that way. Others hit a brick wall and try to get over it. They try to get better and improve through hard work. Hard work does pay off, but some people don’t want to do that and coast on their natural talent.
13. Leibniz was a genius who invented calculus. Now, almost every kid in grade 12 can do it with hardly any problems. Jimi Hendrix is considered a guitar genius, and almost any kid guitarist in grade 12 can play his music. I'm just saying some things are not that hard to do. Don't let guitar gods scare you into thinking that you have to be godly to play like them.
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Jim
ping :-)
Reddit comes to mind when I see vanity posts.
The question of playing guitar, especially in public, is to entertain. Not everyone is an entertainer. If you’re an entertainer you look at other people and wonder why they are not because it comes so easy to you as it is in your nature. If you’re not an entertainer, there’s really very little you can do about it. You can try, but you’ll only make yourself, and probably people around you, miserable.
I am not an entertainer, but you might be. I do love to play because it carries me to another place. And I like to watch my fingers move. You have to find that place inside yourself and consider why it is you want to play.
I will cogitate on what you have written.
My own experience is to get a guitar that is resonant (especially acoustics). Determine what ones are comfortable to wear. Determine what fingerboards are preferable. Mine are ebony and maple. Buy the best you can afford.
Good stuff.
“6. Try to make practicing enjoyable. Break down what you need to practice into small chunks and practice the chunks. Then, once you mastered the chunks, put the chunks together and practice the whole piece.”
I try (and often fail) to take a 5 minute break every 20 minutes or so when practicing. Put down the instrument and wander off, go outside, blink at the sun. I find my brain keeps learning what I was just working on while I break, I stay fresh longer and learn faster. After 53 years, practicing hasn’t gotten old, it’s become an old friend.
E,A,D,G,B,E. Get one that feels comfortable.
Excellent wisdom!
I like playing. Dont like the stage. Does every guitarist have to be in a band or gigging, busking?
Occasionally I just go play at a park or somewhere but the joy the sound brings me is quite enough most the time. Just me n God.
😊👍. As far as playing with other players, I don’t, for myself, fall into the “look what I can do, can you?” trap. I play what “I” play and the way “I” play. Worked for me for over 60 years now and still gigging. Oh, and where we are, making the same money. LOL! Guess I didn’t realize I was rich back in high school. Keep learning.
Good point. Definitely need breaks.
People learn by watching and listening. Start by showing them something interesting and simple that makes them want to learn.
Less talk more action.
Nothing wrong with that. I love performing, but I had plenty of stage fright at first. Music can be private, and most of mine is due to practicing. But I also love giving music to people and they enjoy it.
It’s good either way and can change back and forth over time.
“Guitarists can be like gunfighters in competing on who is the fastest. It can become a circus of speed”
*************
Let your solos breath. Playing dynamics can benefit greatly from pauses. Watch how good the pro’s are at ‘milking their notes’ and selecting target notes to land on when chords change. Speed is more effective when it contrasts with slower passages.
I think your tips on choosing a guitar (or letting it choose you) can be used in a variety of different instruments or tools, from cameras to cookware to clothing. Being comfortable with whatever you’re using is an important piece of the “life” puzzle. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Accept your limitations. They’re probably there for a reason.
Tip: No noodling until you have run through the scales.
The key is the ability to remember the lyrics right?
If you want to see something amazing about the power of music, go to Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/USy51h8_NAo
I really want to do this.
I have 50+ years of experience as a music teacher.
1 proper jam is worth 15 sit-down lessons. If possible, learn when you are young. If older, expect some delays due to life.
Pro tip: EADGBE
Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie
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