How To Play Guitar Like a Pro!

Having taught the guitar for many years, I see the majority of beginners experiencing the same problems and making the same mistakes over and over again in their quest to learn how to play guitar. It's my job to steer them through these problem areas.

These "mistakes" are basic errors that most beginners naturally tend to make. But these mistakes can cause major problems if you allow them to become habits in your playing. Unfortunately, 90% of guitarists have done just that!

Avoid These 3 Mistakes Like The plague

The three main mistakes MOST people make when learning how to play guitar are:

1: Trying to play too fast too soon.

Don't be in such a rush. Trying to go too fast too soon causes serious problems. Sloppy playing and mistakes will become your trademark.

Learn to practice slowly and perfectly. The reason for this, is, what you program your brain and fingers with while practicing, is what you'll get as a habitual and subconscious end result.

The GIGO computer term describes it best. Garbage In = Garbage Out. If you program a computer with faulty data, your results will be faulty too. It's exactly the same with learning how to play guitar.

So practice everything very slowly and perfectly. Do this, and your playing will be to a higher standard than 90% of all other guitarists. Yes - even those that have been playing for years!

2: Too much body and hand tension.

Have you ever noticed how the top professionals make it all look so easy and effortless? How relaxed they are?

Take a lesson from that.

When learning how to play guitar, and in all practice sessions, you need to be as relaxed as possible at all times.

Unnecessary tension anywhere in the body when playing will stop you like a brick wall. Any "excess" tension in your fingers, hands, arms, elbows, wrists, shoulders, neck, chest, stomach, thighs, legs is extremely hazardous to learning how to play guitar properly.

Practicing the right things in the right way will give you amazing results - even if you practice only 10 - 20 minutes a day.

3: Learn the difference between practice time and noodling time.

Basically, you learn how to play guitar in two ways:- 1: when you practice, and, 2: when you noodle and try out new ideas.

Practice Time is SERIOUS Time!

It's when you are specifically and very deliberately teaching your body and brain new motor and muscle-memory skills. This is all done very slowly, with great care and meticulous attention to detail. Never practice fast.

Practice time is where you develop muscle-memory and train your body to act in the most beneficial way for playing guitar. Remember - GIGO!

This is the foundation building time.. where you lay the foundation for learning HOW to play guitar the best way you can - without imposing limitations upon yourself through bad practice habits.

Noodling Time.

Noodling Time is where you learn how to play guitar by putting into practice what you study during your practice time. It's where you to steal licks, chords and solos off records. It's where you hunch over your cd player or computer with your guitar trying to hear and learn that tricky chord or lick.

It's where good habits can easily become undone!

Better to do this... Once you learn a lick, sit down in your chair in the proper position and play that lick over and over at a slow speed while focusing on being as relaxed as possible and with absolute minimal finger movement. Program that lick, your physical movements and relaxation "perfectly" into your brain. Only when it becomes 2nd nature to you, and you "own" that lick, should you start speeding up.

But... always focus on being as relaxed as possible.

Noodling is fun, and a necessary part of learning how to play guitar. Do as much as you can. But.. don't mistake it for real practice time. Don't noodle with bad habits either.

Next... you need to ensure you are practicing the correct things in the correct way too. But that's another story.

John Bilderbeck has taught guitar for 30 years. To claim your FREE "Master the Basics" eBook course now, visit his Free Guitar Chords Site now.

In The News:


Google News
Updated : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:48:34 GMT

Angelina Jolie Debuts New Movie and New Ink - Actress Archives


MTV UK
Angelina Jolie Debuts New Movie and New Ink
Actress Archives - 39 minutes ago
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt recently attended the movie premiere for Jolie’s new film “The Changeling” directed by Clint Eastwood, and the film wasn’t the only thing on display.
Video: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at Premiere AssociatedPress
Angelina Jolie’s New Tattoo MTV UK
eFluxMedia - First Coast News - ChattahBox - hecklerspray
all 402 news articles

Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:09:31 GMT

For Some Animals, There's No Place at Home - U.S. News & World Report


Canada.com
For Some Animals, There's No Place at Home
U.S. News & World Report - 1 hour ago
By Amanda Gardner MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Exposing your children to the joys of pet ownership may, in some cases, also mean exposing them to infections and injuries.
Keep Kids From Exotic Animals, Docs Say NewsNet5.com
Doctors: No hamsters or exotic pets for young kids The Associated Press
WRCB-TV - Reuters South Africa - The Press Association
all 291 news articles

Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:06:44 GMT

PGA -- 2008 Turning Point Championship Recap - Pro Fantasy Sports


SkySports
PGA -- 2008 Turning Point Championship Recap
Pro Fantasy Sports - 41 minutes ago
Hello in the second of the “Fall Finish” series, a unknown rookie birdied the 72 nd hole to earn a hefty paycheck and a spot on the PGA tour for the next two years.
Johnson earns first win at Turning Stone Sports Network
Rookie posts first victory San Francisco Chronicle
WFIE-TV - Chicago Tribune - PGA Tour
all 293 news articles

Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:07:14 GMT

Mammals facing extinction threat - BBC News


Canada.com
Mammals facing extinction threat
BBC News - 2 hours ago
By Richard Black At least 25% of the world's mammal species are at risk of extinction, according to the first assessment of their status for a decade.
Many, many mammals face extinction Los Angeles Times
One Quarter of World's Mammals Face Extinction Scientific American
Washington Post - Daily Green - eFluxMedia - Boston Globe
all 194 news articles

Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:37:47 GMT

Ask.com Sails into Semantic Search to Differentiate from Google - eWeek


BBC News
Ask.com Sails into Semantic Search to Differentiate from Google
eWeek - 1 hour ago
By Clint Boulton Ask.com's search engine market share is minimal at best, but the company keeps on plugging away in application development to keep from being extinguished by Google, Yahoo and Microsoft.
Ask.com Amps Up Search Again Wired News
Ask.com, now with more answers CNET News
BBC News - Search Engine Land - Computerworld - Profy
all 21 news articles

Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:04:07 GMT

Obama accuses McCain of looking for distractions - CNN


Los Angeles Times
Obama accuses McCain of looking for distractions
CNN - 19 hours ago
(CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday charged that Sen. John McCain's campaign is launching "Swift boat-style attacks" on him instead of addressing the country's problems.
Health Care: Coverage -- But at What Price? WIS
Health Care Destruction New York Times
Los Angeles Times - BlueRidgeNow.com - Chicago Tribune - Wall Street Journal Blogs
all 1,314 news articles

Publ.Date : Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:30:50 GMT

Postseason ace Beckett shelled as Angels win 5-4 - The Associated Press


The Associated Press
Postseason ace Beckett shelled as Angels win 5-4
The Associated Press - 37 minutes ago
BOSTON (AP) - Josh Beckett waited four extra days for a chance to show his postseason brilliance. That shine wore off with his very first pitch.
Video: Angels, White Sox Each Force a Game 4 AssociatedPress
Red Sox's injuries could prove costly vs. Angels FOXSports.com
Boston Globe - MLB.com - Newsday - Boston Herald
all 2,381 news articles

Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:11:21 GMT

RSStoBlog
RSS to HTML


PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

The Various Countries - A Rant About Country Music

It is no secret that over the past couple decades... Read More

Sheet Music ? Violin and Other String Instruments

The violin is a bowed stringed instrument and is the... Read More

Who?s Playing What? A Guide To The Guitars Of The Pros

Eric Clapton performs his slow-handed magic on his. Even with... Read More

How To Change Your Guitar Strings

Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litte... Read More

Radio - What?s Happened To It?

Remember when radio stations played great music?OK, before you accuse... Read More

Art of the Recording Engineer: From Michael Jackson to Mutant Radio, Matt Forger Speaks Out

Interviewed by Scott G (The G-Man)G-Man: When people think of... Read More

10 Ways for Unknown Musicians to Get the Word Out

When Clear Channel controls the radio and the monopoly newspaper... Read More

Living Life Loud

Change is good. Just ask the millions of unsigned artists... Read More

Copyright Basics for Songwriters

Should you copyright your song? If you're a songwriter, sooner... Read More

The Joy of Spontaneous Expression

Do you remember finger-painting as a child? How fun it... Read More

Adults Can Learn to Play the Piano Too

Are you well past puberty and have always had a... Read More

Singing: The Tonic of Life

Most people these days would associate singing with the popular... Read More

The Ostinato - What It is and How to Use It

Ostinato means "repeating pattern" and is used frequently in all... Read More

Musicians Injuries: OUCH, It Hurts When I Play (But Please Dont Tell Me To Stop!)

This article takes a look at musicians' injuries. For an... Read More

Guitar Performance - Make The Most of It!

Getting ready for any type of guitar performance can be... Read More

Taps; Piping Military Honors: A Ceremonial Guide for Highland Bagpipers

It has become increasingly popular for U.S. military veterans and... Read More

History of the Clarinet From the 19th Century

While composers had already begun to write music for the... Read More

The King of the Delta Blues Singers - Robert Johnson Still Stands at the Crossroads

Probably the most enigmatic Singer and Guitarist of the twentieth... Read More

Is it Possible to Download Music Legally Anymore?

Throughout the past few years downloading music on the internet... Read More

How to Create Hip, Mature, and Lush Harmonies [correction]

Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in... Read More

Learning the Piano and Playing the Piano

Many piano students spend much time learning how to play... Read More

How I Learned How To Play The Guitar After Giving Up In Disgust

I was 17 at the time (the Beatles era), and... Read More

Jazzing Up Your Leadership Style

I met New York jazzman Tim Armacost in college almost... Read More

How Piano Lessons Benefit Young Children

Piano lessons provide a wide range of benefits to young... Read More

Performing, Whats the Big Deal?

Performance anxiety is not something that only happens to musicians,... Read More