Practice Archives - Page 20 of 32

You Need to Keep Time and Lock In With The Beat

Keeping time comes naturally for one musician, and can be a challenge for the other. While a lot of musicians think they can keep time, a lot of them might not be as tight on the beat as they would like to think. The tips in this post will get the job done.

If you’re sure and confident you can keep time, you still might want to read on. For many guitar players this skill can still be improved and perfected.

Whether you are playing with a fellow guitar player as a duo, accompanying a singer or playing in a band, it is really important to keep a steady beat.

It’s not the first time a guitar player joins a (new) band, and will be confronted with his or her lack of timing when playing with more experienced musicians. The guitar player will have a hard time locking in with the groove and keeping things tight. To avoid such an undesirable scene, it is wise to master this skill while we’re at it.

Let’s dive in.
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10 Best Tools to Figure Out Guitar Songs and Solos

By Klaus Crow 20 Comments

Being able to transcribe a song or guitar solo is a great skill that anyone can learn. One of the things that is really helpful developing and applying this skill, is to have some good solid tools that make this process as effortless as possible.

Back when I was 15 I had a cassette recorder with a slow down function, so I could figure out the notes of a guitar solo. The only problem was the slow down function also lowered the pitch when you’d slow down the song.

So when I had to deal with a fast blazing solo I set the pitch exactly an octave lower than the original key so I could transcribe the solo by ear. The downside was that some notes were so low they became undefinable and I couldn’t tell what notes they were playing anymore. :)

The tools we have today are something I could only have dreamed of back then. I’m not complaining, because I learned a lot from those limitations, but I also enjoy the benefits of the technology today. And oh, what makes it transcribing fun and easy!

Working out a song by ear is an important skill that is often overlooked. It takes your guitar playing to a higher level and gives you a deeper understanding and insight in many aspects of guitar playing. So, try to develop the skill of transcribing and use the appropriate tools to improve your skill and take it to the next step.

I created a list with the best tools that make the process of transcribing and learning a song or solo going as smooth as possible. These tools will help both guitar players who can already transcribe and guitar players who can you use some extra help.

Enjoy!

How to Play Guitar With a Band or Group

By Klaus Crow 6 Comments

Playing guitar with a band or group requires certain skills, knowledge and attitude for things to work properly and make the overall sound coherent, rocking, and above all, a joy to listen to.

Depending on who and what instruments you are playing with, you’ve got a role to fill and really need to look for the right ingredients to make a difference and be part of something great.

Let’s take a look at some of the most important things you need to work and focus on when playing with others.

Be cohesive
Be a part and value to the band or group. Don’t try to stand out by outplaying everyone in the band. To make a band sound great you want to make it a whole, not four musicians and an ego-maniac.

Make sure your amp volume is appropriate and levels with the other instruments. Try to find the right balance.

Don’t fill every second with riffs, fills and solos, leave space for your fellow-musicians and let the music breath now and then. Be a team player.

Listen carefully to what others have to say. Talk about it. Learn from constructive critism. It can be tough to swallow, but these are the moments when you grow the most as a musician. Respect the opinion of your fellow musicians. Keep things cool. Be supportive and appreciative. Continue Reading

The 1 Minute Guitar Practice Session – Seriously!

By Klaus Crow 3 Comments

Photo by Joshua Wells

Most of us lead busy lives and struggle to find time to practice. That’s why I regularly aim for short guitar workouts. These simple and easy-to-do practice sessions will get you charged and back in the saddle before you know it.

There are times when you’re really into the habit of practicing. You keep it up for days, weeks or maybe even months and then suddenly something comes in between and you have to skip a few days.

Now you pick up where you left off and get back to your guitar habit, but then another thing comes along that needs to be taken care off and again you skip a few days.

Strike number three and all your best intentions are flushed down the toilet. Weeks go by without serious practice. It almost looks like you forgot how great it felt to improve on your guitar and surrendered to daily life of getting stuff done. So it seems.Continue Reading

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