GUITARHABITS

10 Essentials On Guitar Improvisation

May 15, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Photo by Simone13 AKA John Pastorello
Besides writing and playing songs I just love improvising.

When I practice improvising I always first pour myself a cup of green tea, I put on some folk music (e.g. Ray La Montagne, Damien Rice, Stephen Fretwell, Glen Hansard, Sheryl Crow, etc.) on Last.fm or Spotify and then I start to improvise over these songs. I get totally caught up in the moment and let my fingers carry me away.

Other times I practice melodic patterns, triads, arpeggios, licks, everything that will spice up my improvisation skills. You can never stop growing. There is always more to learn and explore.

Improvising is one of the most fun and fulfilling aspects of guitar playing, but also something that requires a lot of hard work and dedication. It’s the next step in becoming a better guitar player.

Here are 10 basic essentials that will help you become a better improviser.

1 – Pentatonics / blues

Learn to play the pentatonic/blues scale all over the neck in all five shapes. It will take some time to learn this thoroughly, but if you practice regularly it will really pay off. The pentatonic / blues scale is the corner stone of all soloing in blues, pop, country, rock and metal. Learn not only the scale, but also how to use it for improvisation. See below.Continue Reading

5 Ways How to Practice Without The Guitar

By Klaus Crow 15 Comments

March 29, 2021 by Klaus Crow

There are times when I don’t have my guitar with me or I can’t play for whatever reason and I am really eager to improve my skills and give my playing a boost.

When my kids are watching TV and I can’t interrupt, when I’m sitting or waiting somewhere and I am bored out of my skull I like to use my time wisely practicing without the guitar.

One of my favorite ways doing this is memorizing the notes of the scales, chords and random notes on the fretboard. I have noticed that knowing my way around the fretboard has an amazing impact on my playing.

Besides guitar playing there are a lot of things you can do to improve your playing. These are all things that really matter and make a big difference on you becoming an advanced player.

Here are 5 ways how to practice without the guitar:

1 – Memorize
Memorize all the notes on the fretboard one string at a time. Memorizing the notes on the low E string and A string is a must for every guitar player. Most barre chords, power chords and scales start off on these strings, so the notes on these strings determine what the name of the chords or scale is.Continue Reading

8 Tips How to Wake Up Early That Do Work

By Klaus Crow 19 Comments

May 15, 2019 by Klaus Crow

Sunrise in Machu Picchu by thecsman
Since a year now I have been waking up early. Going from 6 a.m to 5 a.m. My life has changed because of it.

Finally I have the time to do everything that I love to do: practicing guitar, running my business, writing a blog, writing songs, working out, reading, spending a lot of time with my wife and children.

It’s the greatest reward and reminder for waking up early.

I wake up early at least 5 days a week. I like to wake up early two or three days in a row and then one day sleep late. (7.30 a.m.) At night I go to bed at 11 p.m. Not a minute later. If I go to bed at 12 p.m. and try to wake up early it won’t work. I tried many different ways and figured out the one that worked best for me. I think this is different for everyone so you have to experiment with this.

Originally I am a night owl and waking up early is not something that came naturally for me, but it has become a habit and it’s the best thing ever!

Here are the 8 tips that do work:Continue Reading

12 Tips on What Guitar You Should Buy

By Klaus Crow 96 Comments

April 2, 2020 by Klaus Crow

photo by Orin Zebest
It took years for me to find out what guitar really suited my taste. It’s a process that you go through. Your taste changes as you grow.

When I was young I mainly wanted to shred. My world was all about Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Dime Bag Darrel and all the other Shred Gods.

Obviously I bought myself a Joe Satriani Ibanez signature guitar and a Frank Gambale Ibanez signature. I also got myself an Ovation semi acoustic guitar, which sounded great plugged in.

Now 20 years further down the road I am more into singer songwriters like Ryan Adams, Damien Rice, John Mayer, Jack Johnson to name a few. My guitars have also changed. When I’m into acoustic I play my Santa Cruz OMPW Model and when I want to play blues, jazz or rock I prefer my Epiphone Dot, Vintage Sunburst, which I totally love.

It’s difficult to choose the right guitar, because there are so many. Nowadays there are a lot of great guitars for beginners, but then again there’s also a lot of crappy stuff as well. Before you go out and buy a guitar talk to fellow guitar players, your guitar teacher and people with experience. Take your time to listen and observe before you open your wallet.

To help you out on some key issues here are 12 tips on what guitar you should buy:

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