Tired of practicing? Suffering from a lack of discipline? You can improve your guitar playing drastically without all the hassles of practicing
Ok, that was a total lie. There is no way on earth to be a better guitarist without practicing regularly. Let me know when you are finished being annoyed…. done? ok, let’s move on.
If you fell for the bait of this title, you are probably going through a phase where you are putting in some level of effort, but feeling as if there is little or no return. Don’t let this get to you, it happens. They key is to be aware of it when it is happening, and take the right action to rectify the situation.
As I have stated, there is no substitute for practicing. None. But what many don’t realize is that not only can you limit your improvement by practicing wrong, or even too much, you can also do so by ignoring the other aspects of good musicianship. How and when to practice are out of the scope of this article, but let’s tackle a few non-practice methods you can use to improve your playing.
1. Transcribe one song each day
This may seem a little heavy-handed, but trust me, after a few days, you will be banging out songs in about as long as it takes to listen to them twice, in some cases, maybe even only once. Like anything else, if you develop a routine and a method for doing this, it will have a tremendous impact on your musicianship. You will begin to see common patterns in popular music and you will start to work through the issues that often plague you. For example, I used to be terrible when it came to altered chords. Whenever I transcribed a song and heard a flat 5th or sharp 9, I automatically became nervous. They key is to “tag” the difficult chords, finish your transcription as best you can, and then go back and figure out what the “tagged” chords are.
The final payoff here is that your ear will become so much more in-tune with the world. You will notice that many things vibrate at a certain frequency. You will be able to transcribe songs as you hear them in real time. When I studied music in college, I failed ear-training three times. I do not enjoy saying that. But the fact of the matter is, at that time, I did not listen to enough music and did not understand that I needed to start tuning into the world around me. 25 years later, after hundreds, maybe thousands of gigs, I am in-capable of tuning into the sounds around me. My lawn mower is a perfect A440, my dishwasher vibrates in concert Bb when it cleans and F when it dries, etc… sometimes this drives me nuts, but when I am on stage, and someone calls out a song I don’t know, I usually only need to hear the chords one time around and I’m good. When it comes to transcribing songs, no problem. Transcribing music no only does wonders for your general musicality, you will also develop a skill in writing charts (if you so choose) and you will quickly build a chart library that will ensure that no set-list makes you nervous.
Note: I highly recommend that you get yourself some kind of keyboard when you transcribe. It is much easier to figure out difficult chords on a keyboard than a guitar. Any keyboard will do. At the time when I have done the most transcriptions in my life, I was using a $50 Casio keyboard and it was a total piece of crap. This doe not matter, just get a keyboard, any one will do.
2. Sing
Guitarists are probably the worst at this, I am absolutely guilty as charged. Most guitarists focus on technique and speed. When you start singing, you will immediately realize how much more credit vocalists deserve. This is not the point here, but it will certainly help you to better understand what they go through. What is so helpful about making singing a regular point of you life is that you will start to “think vocally”. This will improve your phrasing. An easy way to get started is to start singing backup in your band. If you already do, then target a few easy songs that you can sing lead on. Believe me, it can be done, you just have to get used to it.
Someone wise once told me: “Don’t play anything that you cannot sing” It took me years to really internalize this philosophy, but when I did, man did I see an improvement in my playing. I noticed that I tended to think more expressively and my solos tended to tell more of a “story”, instead of jut being gymnastics.
Now of course, there are many things that you can do with a guitar but cannot do with your voice. Chords are an easy example, as are super fast passages and harmonics, etc… The point is; if you take on this philosophy as a belief system, you will re-tool your playing to be more honest and musical. If you stay on-track, super fast passages and tricky guitar sounds start to become part of your palate, and not the foundation of your playing. When this happens, you will use such techniques as a way to express yourself, not just impress people in the audience.
3. Play a guitar that is very different than your main axe
This may seem easier said than done as most of us only own one or two guitars. So how do you do this? Simple; do it whenever you can. For example, if you are hanging out with a friend’s band and there is some down-time, as the guitarist if you can try their guitar. Find a music store that has a “Sure, no problem” policy when it comes to trying guitars. Don’t make a pest of yourself, but take a minute or two to try a guitar that is really different than anything you are used to. You will notice that when you do, many of the things you play will be drastically different than what you always do when you pick up a guitar. Also, be sure to say Thank You after trying a guitar that you never intended to buy, it will make the Salesperson’s day.
The reason for this is that since some guitars are so different in the way the feel and sound, you are guaranteed to approach that instrument a little differently than usual. For example, if you usually play a Jackson soloist, try to get some time on a Telecaster. If you are a Tele player, try playing an ES335 for 20 minutes. These kinds of experiences can sometimes have a big impact on you. I grew up on a Les Paul, and the first time I played a Strat, I just played completely differently. 25 years later, although I have tried many many different guitars, there are always ones I come across that I have not tried yet.
4. Be someone else’s guitar roadie for a day (or a week)
This one will be tough on the ego for many, but it is a great way to get your head cleaned out. Years ago, I was broke, without a gig, and pretty depressed about my playing. I spent many months just sitting around feeling sorry for myself and blaming all my woes on the universe and whatever un-fair gods governed it. A good fried of mine stopped by to say hello and I immediately assaulted him with my whining and complaining about the sorry state of my musical career. He said his band had a one-week road trip coming up and they need a roadie. He asked me if I would be interested in going on the road with them, but they could only pay me $25 per day. I was offended. “Me? a roadie?… are you nuts?” Of course I said yes as I really needed the money. What happened was that for that week, I had so much time on my hands, I could not help but watch what was going on around me. I started to notice things about this band that were very inspiring. The lead singer typically played mostly rhythm and left most of the solo work to the lead guitarist, but when he did solo, he had a real natural and effortless style. He seemed to only know mixolydian mode, but he did so much with that scale, it was a real pleasure to listen to him night after night. I also learned a few great tips about touring from these guys as they really had a great system for everything and were very organized.
Shortly after this experience, in a burst of excitement and inspiration, I started my first band as a band-leader. That group when on to become one of my most cherished experiences and we had a lot of fun. None of this was a coincidence; I was transformed from a state of depression and self-pity to one of motivation and inspiration. I took as many positive things from the experience that I could and applied them to my own musical life. I can promise you that if you drop your own ego, and immerse yourself in another band’s world for a short while, it can be a very rewarding experience.
5. Change your pickups
Quite often using different pickups can have dramatic affect on your playing. Use ones that can simply drop into place and require no modifications to your guitar so that you can always put your original pickups back in. If you are thinking: “But I use a really expensive guitar that is highly collectible and should not be altered in any way.. blah blah blah..” don’t freak out, just leave your baby as-is and try this with a guitar that is not so friggin’ precious.
Once you try this, try another kind of pickup, and then another, keep experimenting. You are likely to find that simply trying some new pickups will not only change your tone, but it can often change the way you interract with your instrument.
6. Get a gig in a cover band
If you are already in a cover band, great, skip to #7.
Relax, this will not kill you. Playing in a cover band, even if just for a while, gives you an opportunity to see first hand how many musical concepts affect people. Making people dance is an obvious one, but there are many dynamics to entertaining a crowd for 3+ hours. When doing cover gigs, you will not only gain an appreciation for many songs and genres that you may otherwise hate, you will learn how to be a better entertainer, instead of just a lead guitarist. I’ve done many cover gigs in my life and I only wish I could do more. I always learn something when I do cover gigs.
7. Try a different amplifier
This is pretty much the same concept as # 3, but a bit different. The variation here is that you are playing your guitar, which is familiar to you, but through a different amp. Many times, you will be inspired by what you hear as some sounds that one amp makes, may not be so inherent in anther. Granted, if you really like another amp, you would have to deal with the realities of this (i.e. cost, or the logistical challenges of moving that amp if it is larger than what you are used to), but in the end, isn’t is more fun to be inspired by some new sounds than to just wallow in a state of non-excitement?
8. Take someone to lunch
If you sit back and really think, there are probably a few people in your life who you envy or maybe they have things that you wish you had. Well, take ‘em to lunch!
Everyone loves flattery, everyone. Call that person up, and invite them to lunch, your treat. Maybe you want to phrase it as “Let me buy you a few beers…” Do whatever fits your comfort zone. When you get together, explain to them that you think they are a terrific guitarist, singer, band leader, etc… and you would like to just “pick their brain” a little.
No one, and I mean no one will be offended by this. The only person who will need to get their head around this might be you. Let’s face it; we all want to believe that we know best and are the best at things. The truth is, we are not. What is likely is that you are probably very talented, but there are a few areas that you feel are not working for you in your career. So, think of someone you know who is having success in that area and… Take ‘em out to lunch! You will be surprised what a rewarding experience this can be, and can often re-fortify or initiate a friendship.
9. Watch a Marx Brothers Movie
…or whatever equally silly movie suits your fancy. Point here is that sometimes, when we get into a slump, we start to take ourselves and our problems too seriously. Sometimes when you step back, and remove yourself from the whole situation, you may realize that it is not as bad as it seems and a good laugh can shake you out of it. I highly recommend early Woody Allen, but that is my personal taste.
10. Practice
C’mon, # 1 – # 9 should have given you more than enough non-practice techniques for breathing some fresh air into your playing and general state of mind. Now that you are refreshed, inspired, excited and laughing…. practice! At the end of the day, you must, but hopfully after trying a few of these techniques, you are in a better place and able to practice more efficiently than every before.
Good Luck!
