I'm 68 and still rockin in a band (small town in Wyoming) and still lovin it. These are all good ideas...especially don't give up. We all go through stages where we don't think we're playing well and we're our own worst critics. I get discouraged once in a while and sometimes I feel like I'm a hero and sometimes I feel like a zero. Keep rockin because a mistake (even on stage) will only be noticed by you and you'll get past it. Thanks dude..rock on
I always play standing up. In the studio, on stage, at rehearsal and even at home. I find it the most relaxing way to play. (Plus we are already sitting too much.. so it is also benefitial for your health). At home I also close my eyed while playing and dream away.
I would even say that having fun on guitar may not even involve playing guitar. One of the things that motivates me to practice is buying guitars. It may not be right for everyone, but having a wide selection of guitars helps me. I can play flat fretboards like my Jackson or Ibanez or round fretboards like my Fender. I can get totally different tones with different pickups, and even just looking at my collection growing can make me smile and want to play them. Others might get more fun out of modding or maintaining their guitars. Give a poor guitar a fret job and feel the satisfaction of having a great playing guitar, not because you paid someone to do it, but because you did it yourself. Polish some gritty frets, adjust the truss rod, lower the action, replace the pick ups or tuners. Even build your own from a kit, or even from scratch. Fun doesn't have to just be about playing guitar to keep you motivated.
My bad habit is I started on guitar, switched to bass because our bass player quit, then trying to play guitar again 20 years later. Press down way too hard on the strings.
I'm a newer guitarist and I agree with getting a rig that suits you. You don't need a guitar because of the brand on the headstock. Pick up the guitar and see how it feels to you because you are the one playing. Does it feel good in your hands? Is is easier to play chords or move your hand up and down the neck? Does it have the sound you want? Also, a decent amp makes a big difference. This is what I have learned in my short time playing.
OMG #7 REALLY hit home for me. I had quite a few guitars over the years, but none of them were ever the Les Paul I missed out on when I was in HS. I fell in love with that guitar in the store and before I could convince my mom to let me get it, someone else had bought it. So I ended up with a Strat copy. Which was great, and I loved it...but there was always this nagging feeling in the back of my mind every time I'd see an LP. In 2019, I finally got my legit Gibson LP Studio and I've been playing more than I ever did before since. It turned from a weekly or a "few times a month" thing in to at least an every other day thing and has stayed that way. I feel at home with that guitar, despite it quirks that we all know LPs have. Don't just buy any guitar or amp, buy YOUR guitar or amp. Don't take the first thing you see and don't settle for something "good enough." If you have to save up for awhile and get THE guitar that made you want to play. Mow lawns, deliver papers, simply budget your paycheck so that you are putting $5 towards your chosen gear every week. You'll get there faster than you think if you have a plan, and you won't look back after you finally reach you goal.
I have been playing guitar on and off for over 10 years, but I have never progressed as much as I did when I started taking lessons. I find that leaving my guitar out on a stand where I can see it makes me want to pick it up and practice, but taking lessons gives me the motivation and the format of what to practice. Once the guitar is in my hand I usually play until my fingers hurt. This also helps build up my hand strength and eventually my practice sessions get longer and longer.
I’ve recently got back into guitar after 20 years of not touching it. Dagan’s videos have been wonderful . He always looks like he’s having a great time and it helps me keep a positive attitude when trying to get familiar with the instrument again. Thanks Dagan!
Just make music that makes you happy. When I'm on a run...a mistake gives me a whole new Avenue to approach my ideas. Often the improv from said mistakes introduces a whole new attack.
I spent 5 years playing electric guitar, then 3 years ago I bought my first acoustic. OMG! what a game changer that was. Not only did it show up my sloppy style, but made me a better player and took me to more bluesy type music from rock and fingerpicking style, and learning slide. My tip? Buy an acoustic.
I don't think this is going to be new for most people, but just in case: It's more effective to play for only 15 minutes four days a week, than to play for an hour once a week.
Number 4 is very similar to what I tell people who are starting out. Don't put your guitar in a case in the closet, keep it out on a stand! Especially when starting out after the initial excitement wears off having the guitar at hand means you will play it more often. There's plenty of times when you might want to just play a riff for a couple of minutes, or be bored and see it there and pick it up and start strumming that would never happen if it's out of sight, or if you start to think about the effort in going to get it, taking it out of the case etc. For such a small change of habit of where you keep your instrument it makes a significant change in how often you practice and play, which just pays dividends into how much you WANT to play it
Im definitely not that good at guitar, but as a drummer, a good habit I picked up is, learned multiple genres, or as muchas you can to "fake it till you make it", even the ones you don't like, and adapt them, and make your own style of them.
SING! Not lead singer or anything, just practice la-la-las that hit the notes you want. When you're trying to figure out a song, actually being able to reproduce and hear the note you're looking for on the fretboard aloud instead of just in your head can GREATLY accelerate how quickly you crack that nut.
One thing I've learned is... always try and demo a guitar before buying it if possible in a music store. Taking a leap of faith is a risky proposition not knowing how the guitars neck feels and it's action, the guitar weight, the sound of the pickups etc...
My tip is learn the full song, then write it on a list and scramble it around with other songs like 6 or 7 and practice playthroughs and start the song over if you didn't quite get a part right.
Playing other instruments is a great idea. I played acoustic guitar and harmonica my entire adult life and when I got a telecaster, I already had a firm knowledge of the music theory behind blues music so I had a big head start. Then I got a lap steel guitar and my familiarity with triads is skyrocketing.
Some great tips there Dagan. I bought a Boss Katana ii from you guys in Newcastle a few months ago and I’m loving it. It made me want to play my strat more and more and put down the acoustic. What a difference in terms of just wanting to pick it up and mess about. I’ve still got a long way to go though haha
My tip always have a A4 notepad and pen in guitar case. Always when watching RU-vid videos write down any tips most teachers will give you little inside tricks and if you watch a pentatonic scale video by one person watch another by someone else it may be bordomish but some tips may be valuable. This saves time when explaining to others also if you jot down a progreion say 41251 progression. I cannot emphase this enough on paper and pen. I busk and sometimes someone will say can you play this and you cannot. Write the artist and song down. And then look at it later on when you are looking for something new to yourself if not you will forget. You may see this person again and you can catch there ear I absolutely hate wonderwall for example but it brings the pennies in guaranteed. If I don't get asked this at least half a dozen times a busking season. Sometimes you have to play stuff you don't want to but once a teacher said to us the audience is who you are entertaining.remember learn 3 songs from each 10 year period starting from the 50s that's 24 songs up to present. Add some classics like Greensleeves. And nursery tunes. In psychology terms playing a nursery rime or a jingle from a nursery rime in you progressions prices this is one inspiring trick that most producers do. For example Humpty Dumpty beat hip hop RnB rap is there every time in the top ten billboard charts hence why they use it 3 blind mice great for learning to solo with the runs. But my No1 tip is defo have paper and pen at hand always Write down your settings amp pedals etc keep notes it wasn't that long ago when you have little presets than the latest tech from 3 to 99. Anotherb1 I thought of but wasn't discussed different thickness of plectrums give off different attacks or depths of notes. Great tips on both videos 😂
A good habit I've found is change your own guitar strings don't get someone else to do it everytime you will learn so much more about the guitar doing it yourself and after you've changed your own strings you normally feel more comfortable with the instrument
Even if you are going to, or already have played at Wembley, still have fun sometimes. Otherwise you're just going to have a job you dislike that also ruins your hobby.
I’ve been practicing standing up for a while now but I remember the first time I did it after always being sat down. It was like I forgot where the strings and how to do chords. It was like trying to start over again.
