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PHIL KEAGGY - Grammy nominated and seven-time Dove Award winner, is one of the world’s great guitar players and a pioneer in contemporary Christian music.
- December 5, 2016
- Guitar Lessons
There’s nothing wrong with going it alone when it comes to learning guitar. It’s easier than ever to study online and, if you’re disciplined enough, you can develop into a great guitarist. Many guitarists have taught themselves to play, but the great Chet Atkins once said the best way to become a professional is to remain an apprentice a long while. Taking lessons is the most viable way to learn, but you can align yourself with great guitarist and learn a lot just by hanging around and watching. It just seems to rub off on you. If you’re going to teach yourself guitar, let’s look at some of the tips and tricks that might speed you along.
The Religious and Vigorous Discipline Of Rehearsing
Whether you are self-taught or study with a teacher, you must maintain a daily rehearsal schedule. At first, a beginner might only practice 15 minutes at a time until his strength and calluses are built up. Then 30 minutes at a time, building up to an hour or more until he or she can play as long as possible without tiring. The important thing is putting in the time. If you can do this, you’ll make leaps and bounds on the instrument. Most great players put in about 2 hours a day to keep their chops up. So set your goals on putting at least this much time in each day. There are super pickers that put in as much as 8-10 hours a day. You may not be able to spend that much time each day on practice, but you’ll teach yourself guitar much faster if you put in the time.
Get Enough Positive Exposure
For many people, there may not be another option than to teach yourself guitar. You may live in a rural place or there may not be anyone to encourage you, much less mentor you. A local music store may offer some inspiration. Local guitarists frequent the hometown store and many of them sit around playing the best guitars in the store. Many of these local warriors are pretty amazing on their instruments. You can pick up cool tips and tricks from these guys or gals. You might just find yourself jamming with one of them.
This will likely expose you to musicianship better than your own. That’s the goal. Never be afraid to put yourself in front of a better player. Be willing to accept instruction and even criticism. It’s better to be the weakest player in any room so long as you take advantage of the opportunity. Be at peace and play your best, but surround yourself with greatness.
Be A Better Listener
Some of the best music you’ll ever make is when your hands aren’t touching the fretboard. Listening is a secret art to making great music. You can doodle all you want to and play every lick you know in 60 seconds but that won’t impress many. A note or tasteful guitar string conversation is much more desirable. Pick your notes wisely and play something meaningful and memorable. Melody is your best friend. Learn the melody of the song and then you can learn to manipulate it. Listen to every note being played around you.
If you’re in a band situation, listen to the drummer, especially the hi-hat. A good drummer will make you a better guitarist. His or her rhythms can hold you to few notes or fuel you for mayhem. Funky hi- hat patterns or simple 8th notes, the hat is your best friend if you sync up your playing. When everything is working in unison, each band member sounds better.
Don’t Just Be A Solo Man
With all the wood-shedding, scale-running, and endless doodling, it’s easy to overlook the chords and the groove. We all love to burn it up and tastelessly overplay. One of the pitfalls of being self taught is only playing the lead or soloing. Some never make into a band because they can’t just play a solid groove or hold down the chords. A big tip would be to challenge yourself to learn the chords and rhythm parts to every song you want to play. This gives you a solid foundation for how the solo or melodic stuff sits or is in agreement.
Knowing the chords will help you rule out unwanted notes like a major 3rd in a minor chord. You might argue that “it’s tension, man, and that’s my sound.” Yes, we get it, but if you're not getting a decent gig, it might be because you don’t play very well. Let that soak in.
No offense, but playing notes out of the scale or chord might work for effect or passing tones, but not every gig requires tension. Most artists, especially modern western pop or country bands, want the music pleasant and theoretically sound even if it’s not stated. The guys who get the best gigs are the ones who 1. Look the part, 2. Are fun to hang with, and 3. Can play the right notes. Playing skillfully is the oldest musician’s commandment in the “good book.” Yes, the Bible says in Psalms 33:3, “Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.” Are you glad it doesn’t just say “Play with a loud noise?” Playing skillfully with the best of your ability is what every guitarist should strive for. Feel free to teach yourself guitar, but do it in a way that makes you the best musician possible.
Last Tip - Teach Yourself Guitar
First of all, save your ears. Maybe you’ve spent a lot of time in the basement with a Marshall half stack cranked to 10. Well, when you come out into the real world, you’re simply gonna turn it down to a reasonable volume. Whether it’s a church or a club or wedding or any other venue, you will need to be smart and sensitive to the environment. It’s better to be asked to turn the music up a little than to be asked to turn it down. Trust us, you will do your best to control the volume and still be asked to turn it down. You might want to turn your amp back toward you, or away from the audience, to ensure a positive experience.
There is no shame in the decision to teach yourself guitar. Plenty of famous guitarists have gone done that path and there’s a certain feeling of accomplishment when things work out. No matter what your method is, be teachable, even if you never pay $30 for a half-hour guitar lesson. Stubbornness will only get you so far.
One of the best ways to become a better guitar player is to take lessons. Even if you want to teach yourself guitar, there’s a good chance that you’ll use online guitar lessons to supplement your training. For all of your guitar needs, we hope you’ll turn to the guitar instructors at Pro Lessons. These are the pros who play in many of the popular bands out on the road today. To find out how you can learn from professional guitarists at an affordable rate, click on the link below.
