Starting Fresh: A Guide to Rebuilding Your Playing
Let’s go back to square one, resetting your playing to its original state, and giving it a fresh start. While we cover a wide range of lessons on GW, this time we’re focusing on the basics – a checklist before you dive into playing the electric guitar for some serious practicing.
Instead of diving headfirst into advanced techniques like sweep picking, here are the key areas you need to master and keep honing. And the first one is crucial, with no room for negotiation.
1. Focus on Your Timing
Select a simple piece of music that you are familiar with and try playing along with a metronome. Strive to align your notes with the beats. If you notice any discrepancies, it may indicate timing issues. Slow down and focus on feeling the rhythmic pulse more accurately.
2. Clean Up Your Chords
Proper finger placement is essential to avoid unwanted fret buzz. Aim to position your fingers at the tips, as close to the frets as possible when playing chords. For barre chords, maintain a flat finger position. Keep your thumb aligned with your fingers for better stability.
3. Slow Down Your Pace
You don’t have to be a speed demon to aim for faster playing. Rushing through a song can lead to mistakes in chord changes and disjointed solo lines. Practice slowly with a metronome or drum beat, gradually increasing your speed each day.
4. Master Lead Techniques
When playing lead guitar, it’s crucial to find the optimal hand position. Make sure you have the following techniques down:
String Bends
For most bending techniques with the first, second, and third fingers, place your thumb on the top side of the neck in a ‘baseball bat grip’ for better strength. Adjust your hand position accordingly for fourth-finger bends.
Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs
Practice the proper technique for hammer-ons and pull-offs to ensure seamless transitions between notes. 