You Can Learn To Play By Ear - By Kevin Sinclair
July 31, 2007
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By Kevin Sinclair
Did you know that there are many people who can naturally play by ear? Often they sing by ear as well. Sure, they may be able to follow along as the music moves up and down the scale of the page they are looking at while performing. However, in reality, they never learned the difference between an A flat and a D flat, it is something that comes natural to them and they truly follow their ear when playing an instrument or singing vocals.
It is very possible that these natural ‘by ear’ performers even found themselves puzzled as to why learning to read music was so very difficult for them, some not being able to learn how at all. Even though many of them are awesome performers and many others never discover their secret at all.
On the other hand, there are many learned performers, who know their scales by name and type as well as timing, since they put a great many hours into learning each step there is to take when learning to play and instrument or vocalize. Even though it may take many years to learn to be a master of music, you can learn to play by ear.
It is simple really, to learn to play by ear, since anything that you have ever heard is available to play by ear; you just have to learn how to do it. Then all it takes is practice to be perfect, since the more often you do something, the easier it becomes for you to do. First however, you must understand the theory of teaching your ear to understand the musical structures as they are being played is an age old practice. Actually, it is one that you often experienced as a child; before learning to play by lessons, it is something that most people come by naturally. Very simply, playing by ear is an ability to play a piece of music by listening to it continually. You are then able to play a piece of music simply because you have heard it so many times.
Basically, there are three contributing elements of music.
1. The melody is the tune that moves up and down or higher and lower as the song moves forward. You must first become aware of this as it is the first step in learning to play by ear. By mentally defining the boundary of a songs melody, you begin to improve on playing it on your instrument.
2. The harmony of a song matches closely the melody and is the ability of harmonizing or matching up the chords, which supports the melody. For instance, you can harmonize with a melody of a certain key with other keys on the scale that find harmony in association, such as G and C chords in music.
3. Rhythm is then the third element, which supports the beat or timing of a song. Rhythm is normally easier to learn since most people can feel the beat. Basically, there are two rhythm meters, the duple meter and triple meter, which are combined in a great many ways. The rhythm of a song determines whether a song is very slow or very fast.
Keep in mind that while learning to play by ear, it will require practice. However, there are a few tips and tools available while learning to play by ear.
1. Play around with your instrument. Play the notes and listen to how they sound, this will help you identify how notes and stings, keys and frets relate.
2. Learn the scales, as by doing so; you truly do learn your instrument.
3. Learn music theory as this practice enables you to learn the notes and their names.
4. Begin with simple melodies, this is also a great way to understand your instrument.
5. Transpose the songs you hear, as you will begin to develop your ear as well as becoming able to understand the relationship between the chords.
Some of the tools available while learning to play by ear are ear training videos, software and hardware. You should be able to find DVD and CD aids that help in a number of ways while you learn to play by ear. Some of these aids can remove the lyrics of a song, while letting you listen to the music. As you listen to the changing of the sounds as you change chords, you will find understanding in how the chords change in a song you listen to repeatedly.
Just keep a good outlook and try not to become discouraged, it is just a process of learning. If you are committed to the project, you can learn to play by ear.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development. http://www.musicianhome.com/
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Guitar Tablature Or Sheet Music? By Peter Edvinsson
July 20, 2007
By Peter Edvinsson
Many guitar books available with tablature notation will also have a staff above with the guitar sheet music notation. It is also very common today that classical guitar books also have a guitar tab staff below.
This was not very common a few decades ago. Tablature has by some guitarists been considered cheating. Is it cheating or is it a help to have tabs at your disposal?
Personally I have as a guitar teacher experienced many instances when tablature has been a great help to my pupils. however, I would be very happy if young musicians would put more energy into the endeavor to learn to read sheet music notation.
It is a great advantage to have a working knowledge on how to read and understand music scores and the various symbols pertaining to it.
Let’s take a look at the advantages of being able to read guitar music notation:
1. You will be able to play a piece of music the way the composer has intended without having heard it before. This is possible because music notation consists of descriptions concerning the pitch and also the length of the notes and other symbols telling you how to play the notes and performing the music.
2. You will have an enormous library of sheet music from various time periods at your disposal. It is possible to play music written for other instruments as well as music notation doesn’t describe how to play the notes on a particular instrument but more which notes to play. This makes it possible for a guitarist to play violin exercises and vocal scores and so on.
3. You will as a guitarist be able to write and arrange music for other instruments in your band making it possible to shorten the rehearsal time and facilitating the use of more complicated musical arrangements.
4. Being able to read and use sheet music will help you as a composer to notate all your ideas in a way that you will remember and that you easily can share with your friends and others.
Let’s look at the advantages of using guitar tablature:
1. Being a poor sheet music reader can hinder your from playing on the level of your techniqal skills. It’s a pity that many guitar pupils play just a few boring sheet music melodies when they could really be playing melodies using the entire fretboard just by the use of tablature.
2. It is very easy to describe chords, licks and complicated riffs with the help of tablature especially if you have audio examples of the music.
3. Tablature notation is still as easy to read even when you use alternative tunings as the tab notation still tells you only how to put your fingers. Using sheet music notation with alternative tunings on the guitar is a bit difficult to say the least.
4. Internet is flooded with more or less accurate tablature renditions of popular riffs, songs and more.
Okey, but what is the best alternative, guitar tablature or guitar sheet music?
My opinion is that you can use tablature as much as you want but I recommend you to really learn to read sheet music notation because of the many advantages you will reap from it.
If you start by learning the names of the notes on the frets of the guitar you have already gained an important skill that will help you as you start to learn the notes on a music score staff.
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com
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Guitar Lesson: Fretboard Education - By Peter Edvinsson
July 20, 2007
By Peter Edvinsson
It will really help you as a guitarist if you know the names of the notes on your guitar. Let’s see some of the benefits you reap from learning to know your guitar:
1. It will be much easier to learn to play sheet music notation as you already know where to find the notes on your guitar. The only remaining task is to learn the names of the notes on the sheet music staff.
2. You will find it much easier to understand chords and remember chords as you easily can see where to put your fingers to play the required notes.
3. It will be easier for you to understand guitar lessons on the net or in guitar instructional books as you understand an important part of the language used in guitar instruction.
We will start with something you can learn as your first task if don’t already know this. It is to know the names of the notes on the open strings of your guitar. An open string is a string not pressed down by a left hand finger.
The first string with the highest pitch on your guitar is normally tuned to an E. If you press down the twelfth fret you will find an E one octave higher. I will now give you the names of the open strings beginning with the first string:
E B G D A E
You can practice the names of the strings by playing the strings from the sixt string down to the first and back at the same time saying the names of the strings aloud or in your mind.
An easy and effective exercise to use to learn the notes on the fretboard is to concentrate on one note at a time trying to find the note on all the strings beginning with the sixth string.
Let’s start with the note E. On the sixth string you will find it on the open string. Can you spot the E on the next string? This exercise will also help you develop your ear.
Listen to the E on the sixth string and press down a finger on the fifth string and slide it until you will find an E on this string. As this is not a test but an article I will tell you that you will find an E on fret 7.
On string four you will find an E on fret 2. On string three it’s on fret 8. On string 2 on fret 5 and on string one on the open string.
Now you can practice the E notes by playing one string at a time from the sixth string down to the first and back again until you can do it automatically.
Do the same with the note G for example trying to find the right fret by listening. On the sixth string you will fing G on fret three. Of course the notes will be found in different octaves and this will be a great exercise to hear the notes and recognize them by listening.
There are many more exercises you can use to learn the notes on the fretboard. The message is that you will learn the notes on the guitar fretboard in a short time if you make a conscious effort to learn them.
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com
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Guitar Lesson: Can You Be Your Own Guitar Teacher? - By Peter Edvinsson
July 18, 2007
By Peter Edvinsson
There must be a reason for having a 
guitar teacher! Otherwise, why do so many people pay money to this type of people? Let’s see why it could be a good thing to have a guitar teacher. A good guitar teacher will…
1. … help you set goals that will make you become the type of guitarist you want to be.
2. … give you a decent amount of homework to practice on your level of competence that will help you progress in a sound and solid way.
3. … will give you a deadline to work towards that will help you get on with the work.
4. … will be honest with you and will spot your weaknesses as an aspiring guitarist and give you exercices to work on that really will help you to advance.
5. … will help you progress as a guitarist by learning you to play in a relaxed way and with a correct posture that will not hurt your hands and your body in any way.
6. … will teach you and motivate you by example. It will be a guitarist that loves to play and can arouse enthusiasm in you for the guitar by just being around.
7. … will like you and help you feel confident in what you are doing and he will also help you like yourself and believe in yourself and your capacity to become a good guitarist and musician.
Will you be able to find this type of guitar teacher and will you be able to afford paying for this for a sufficient time in order to really progress?
My opinion is that nothing compare to having a really good guitar teacher. If you can find such a person and pay for lessons it is my advice that you do this.
Just an example from everyday life…
…I know by own experience that it can be a hard time choosing a hairdresser. This type of person can really change your look in a way that you do like or do not like. But hair will grow and you can find someone else the next time.
But, how do you find a guitar teacher that really will help you. Trial and error? Maybe, but I guess that the best way is to listen to other good guitarists. In other words, recommendations.
Well, if you decide to be your own guitar teacher for now, what can you do? There are a few mistakes I would like you not to make that are very common when you try to teach yourself:
1. Don’t play too fast! When you listen to your guitar heroes you will probably feel inspired to play like they do. However, the best way to really progress to a really fast player and also a good musician is to practice within the bounds of your present technical skills.
2. Don’t change exercises to often. When you give yourself homework to practice on it is important to stick to an exercise long enough to really reap the benefits from it. This will happen when your fingers are programmed to play the exercise without problem and you have committed the musical application to your long-term memory.
It will also help you to read about guitar playing in magazines and on the internet. Another very good aid for you as an aspiring “Teach Yourself To Play” guitarist is to buy some recommended guitar instructional books and instructional DVD’s that will give you some of the benefits of having a good guitar teacher.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed with all the information you can find about guitar playing. The comfort is that you will learn best by giving yourself a few things to work with at a time and focus on this homework with concentration, playing the exercices slowly having patience in your ability to grow.
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tabs, ebooks, music lessons and read his sheet music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com
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Learning to Play Acoustic Guitar For the Beginner
July 17, 2007
The very first step toward 
learning to play acoustic guitaris to develop confidence and to destroy that “I can’t do it” mentality. Your biggest obstacle in your acoustic guitar playing is not going to be money, time, or the absence of a good teacher. The biggest obstacle is going to be you. You are your own worst enemy. Once you learn how to tame the negativity inside, you will be that much closer to becoming a good acoustic guitar player.
Frustration is normal during the learning process. Learning anything new is not meant to be easy. Resistance is what helps us grow. So the next time you are working on a scale, or chord progression, and you find yourself fumbling or messing up, don’t throw down the guitar with frustration, instead welcome the challenge and have patience in it.
YOUR FIRST GUITAR
Buying a first guitar is an important step for the beginner guitarist. You should have a good understanding of the acoustic guitar as a whole as well as a good idea of what your goals are as an acoustic guitar player. By educating yourself in these areas, you will be able to make an intelligent purchase that can provide you with years of enjoyable playing.
There are two kinds of 
acoustic guitars that you can purchase and they are your classic or nylon string guitar and your steel string guitar. One is not necessarily better than the other as it is really a matter of personal taste, but each guitar does have its own unique feel and sound. The classic or nylon guitars produce a round or dull tone, where as the steel string guitars are much different, producing a bright tinny or metallic sound. You will certainly develop your own preference the longer you play, or like many guitarists, you will enjoy using both. Only time will tell.
Another thing you will have to consider is the body style of your acoustic guitar. Acoustic guitars come in a variety of different body sizes from small to jumbo. Each size has its own distinct sound. Smaller body guitars have more treble and midrange sounds and are much easier to hold. Lead guitarists tend to favor smaller body guitars because they tend to have a more balanced sound to them and are easier to make out when playing with other musicians in a band. Your larger body guitars have more bass and are more difficult to hold. The only way to really know what body style is right for you is to try one out for yourself. Your best bet is to find a guitar that you are comfortable holding and playing. Guitar playing is challenging enough in the beginning and you do not need any added difficulties.
Guitar quality will differ depending on the model and brand. Sometimes two instruments of the same make and model can differ as well. It is therefore important to try out as many guitars as possible within your price range. It is also recommended that you bring along an experienced musician when you go guitar shopping. An experienced guitar player will be able to better judge the quality of a guitar.
Buy the best guitar that you can afford. Many of the guitars that sell for under $100 are poorly made for the most part. If you cannot afford to spend more, then save up and wait until you can. A well made guitar will be easier to play, more appealing to the eye and more responsive. If you enjoy playing your instrument more, you will then be more inspired to play. You can find a fine beginner acoustic guitar for under $500. Some brands to look into are Seagull, Martin, Yamaha, Fender and Ibanez to name a few. You may also want to look into the used acoustic guitar market. You may be able to find some real gems out there at great prices, but you have to be very careful with used guitars. Make sure you take an experienced guitar player with you if you decide to buy a used guitar.
LEARNING & PRACTICE
There is probably no substitution for a good guitar teacher, but it can be rather expensive over time, so many guitar players are left with no other choice then to learn on their own. For those of you who may not be able to afford a professional instructor right now, below are some guidelines for helping you get the most out of your practice time.
Practice as many days out of the week as you can for at least twenty to thirty minutes, more if possible. The more often you play the faster you will learn. Be careful not to overdo it though and take breaks of course. Your brain can only absorb so much information before it needs a break and your hands and the rest of your body need time to recuperate as well. When you practice do not rush through any of your exercises. Twenty minutes of quality focused practice is much more effective than an hour of sloppy practice
Study Your Instrument
Take some time to learn more about the parts of your acoustic guitar. Learn about how it is constructed and how all the parts work together to produce those beautiful sounds that you hear.
Learn How to Tune Your Guitar
You can find free step by step guides online for tuning your acoustic guitar. Make certain that you spend time learning how to do this. Purchase a guitar tuner at any local music store and practice tuning your guitar with the guitar tuner. When you begin to develop a better ear, try tuning it without the guitar tuner. Then use the guitar tuner to check and see how accurate your ear was. This will help you develop a good ear.
Learn the Right Posture
If you are accustomed to just grabbing your guitar and sitting down to play in any old position, then you are at risk of injuring yourself and developing bad playing habits. Make sure you understand the correct way to sit and hold your instrument for optimal performance.
Learn Your Chords & Scales
Learn as many different chords and variations of the same chord that you can and practice your scales. This will give you a well rounded familiarity with the frets on the guitar and it will build up strength in your fingers and hands.
I hope this article has helped with your acoustic guitar learning. Keep a positive attitude and practice! Before you know you will be playing acoustic guitar like a pro. I wish you well. God Bless.
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Acoustic Guitar Flatpicking Tips for Faster, Cleaner, Crisper Playing - By Lee Griffith
July 15, 2007
Acoustic Guitar Flatpicking Tips for Faster, Cleaner, Crisper Playing
By Lee Griffith
<!–adsense–> Whether you pick bluegrass, fiddle tunes, and old-time music on a guitar like I do, or other styles of music, here are some good basics to learn that will get you on the road to playing fast, clean, crisp lead on an acoustic guitar:
1. The first thing you need to do is start with a pick that is
thick enough! Use at least a medium pick–usually about .73-.81mm.
This may seem difficult at first, but it is absolutely necessary,
so that you’ll get strong, snappy notes that really make a
statement.
2. Be sure to grip the pick firmly so that your thumb and index
finger cover most of the area of the pick. Choke up on that pick!
You don’t want to play little wimpy licks!
3. DO NOT rest the palm or wrist of your picking hand on the bridge
or on the top of your guitar. Your hand needs to float freely so
that you can keep the edge of the pick at pretty much a 90 degree
angle from the strings. Keep your pinky or ring finger (or both)
stiff so that one of these fingers glides LOOSELY over the top as a
reference. This will definitely seem awkward if you are not used to
it, but it is a must if you’re going to be a good acoustic guitar
picker!
4. On the left hand (or the hand that works the fretboard): Keep
those fingernails trimmed well! You need to be able to press the
strings down with the least amount of effort in order to be a good
picker–and long fingernails throw a monkey wrench into the works.
5. When you pick out guitar lead parts in the first position, the
index finger will cover the notes played at the first fret. The
second finger will cover notes in the second fret. The third finger
will finger the notes in the third fret. And, “Mr. Pinkie” will
finger the notes played on the fourth fret. As with most things in
life, there are exceptions. This principle should be regarded
primarily as a guideline. From time to time, you will find it
necessary to break this rule. Many chords, for instance, simply
cannot be played unless the “one finger per fret” rule is violated.
Certain licks will be played more speedily and cleanly by straying
from the principle. But as a general rule, it is best to discipline
yourself to abide by the precept of “every finger has its fret and
every fret has its finger.” Make exceptions only when there is a
definite purpose in doing so.
6. Play the G Chord, not as it is commonly played, but like this:
Put my THIRD finger behind the third fret of the sixth string, you
SECOND finger behind the second fret of the fifth string, and MR.
PINKIE behind the third fret of the first string. THE FIRST FINGER
WILL NOT EVEN BE USED IN THE CHORD! This will allow you to switch
to the C chord with much more speed that ever before. And when you
switch to the C chord, you have the option of leaving your pinkie
behind the third fret of the high E string, which gives the C chord
an entirely new dimension. Then leave it on the same way and go
right back to G. Most importantly, playing the G this way leaves
your first finger and other fingers in an ideal position to go
quickly into lead licks. It may seem difficult to learn, but once
you learn, you’ll never go back!
7. If you want to be a fast and clean flatpicker, one of the
smartest things you can do is to practice using a metronome. You
might say, “I don’t have a metronome.” Well, I will not allow you
to use that as an excuse–because you can now go to an online
metronome any time you wish, and it doesn’t cost you a cent! Just
go to:
http://www.metronomeonline.com/
These are, I believe, the most important basics. If you would like
to read more details about these techniques and other valuable
acoustic guitar information, plus some danged good recipes, read my
articles at:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lee_Griffith
Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith is an avid acoustic guitar player and a vintage instrument enthusiast. He invites you to receive a FREE REPORT on a revolutionary acoustic guitar lesson kit, along with his weekly newsletter via email. just click on http://optin.flatpickpost.com
Check out Lee’s blog, “The Flatpick Post” at http://flatpickpost.com
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Acoustic Guitar Video Lessons:Learn Simple Chords
July 12, 2007
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Acoustic Guitars - Is Bigger Better?
July 6, 2007
By Lee Griffith
bluegrass and fiddle tunes on an acoustic guitar, every bluegrass
player I knew would settle for nothing less than a Dreadnought. The
Dreadnought is a style of guitar created in 1916 in a collaboration
between the guitar manufacturer, the C.F. Martin Co. and the Oliver
Ditson Co., a retailer.
The body of the Dreadnought was larger and
deeper than most guitars. The name was coined from the huge British
battleship, “HMS Dreadnought.” Dreadnoughts were known for their
bass response and projection. They produced greater volume than the
smaller guitars of the day and appealed to singers who wanted the
accompaniment of a guitar. Though poorly received at first, this
style of guitar became Martin’s best seller in the 1930’s. Of
course the rest of the industry followed, and today the Dreadnought
is one of the most popular styles of acoustic guitar on the market
and is produced by many manufacturers. So, as I was saying, among
the bluegrass guitar players (and the would-be bluegrass guitar
players) I knew, everybody had to have a Dreadnought. Or, if not a
Dreadnought, one of those big, gaudy Gibson J-220’s that were just
too “cowboyish” for my taste (yes, I guess I care how a guitar
looks as well as how it sounds).
What I wound up playing was a 1955 Gibson J-45, Gibson’s version of the Dreadnought. I bought it in 1978. It was a wonderful instrument, had a really sweet sound, excellent bass response–but sometimes it seemed to me that some of the notes I picked kind of got lost in the body of the guitar. If I wanted my notes to be
crisp and punchy, I would have to pick way too hard, and that was
just too much work for me. About 10 years ago I played some smaller
bodied guitars and was amazed at their projection and the clarity
of each individual note. I was also impressed by the perfect
balance between the high end notes and the bass notes. I decided to
take the plunge: I sold my J-45 and purchased a Gibson-made
depression era Kalamazoo KG-11 (much smaller than Dreadnought). I
had to have a lot of repair work done to make the guitar playable,
but still wound up with a lot of change left over from my J-45
sale. Eventually I sold the Kalamazoo (I got into buying and
selling on eBay), and bought a pristine Carson J. Robison (also by
Gibson–same era) which is identical to the Kalamazoo KG-11, the
only difference being the name on the headstock. I also bought a
Gibson LC “Century,” a small-bodied (00 size) guitar that Gibson
designed for the 1933 Chicago exposition. This is my favorite
guitar. It has all the volume and punch I need–even with silk and
steel strings!
Today I don’t own a guitar today larger than a 000 size. What I
have discovered is that there are ways to get volume and bass
response out of a small guitar, and small guitars have some
benefits that are quite appealing: specifically, they are easier to
handle than larger guitars, and you don’t have to work so hard to
make them bark. Norman Blake, in an article on
http://www.acousticguitar.com, tells why he has changed from
Dreadnoughts to smaller guitars: “I’m not the world’s largest
person in stature, and I sit down to play, so a dreadnought got to
seeming like overkill. Plus I got tired of the lack of snap. It’s
kind of like stringing up the kitchen table and playing that. I got
tired of reaching a little further for everything–having to punch
it real hard to get anything out of it.”
I have discovered that a smaller guitar is much more responsive and
sensitive to the flatpick than a Dreadnought is, so you can make
your licks ring out with a much wider range of dynamics. I also
prefer a shorter scale, specifically the Gibson 24.75″ scale as
opposed to Martin’s 25.25″ scale. The shorter scale means a little
less distance from fret to fret, so the fingers don’t have to reach
quite as far. It also allows the strings to be a tad more flexible,
inviting a greater dynamics. Another preference of mine is a guitar
that has 12 frets from the nut to the body instead of 14. This
means you don’t have to reach as far, plus, it causes the bridge to
be a little further from the soundhole, down in the middle of the
widest area of the lower bout, so there is a bigger sound and more
bass. I also think that there is something about the body meeting
the neck at the 12th fret (the octave) that actually makes the
guitar sound better. I love something that is found on many of the
12-frets-to-the-body guitars: a slotted headstock. Guitars with
slotted headstocks stay in tune better, and I think the over all
sound is enhanced.
So, when it comes to acoustic guitars, is bigger better? I don’t
think so, but that’s just me. Go to your local guitar shop,
experiment with different sizes of guitars, and see what YOU think!
Copyright © 2007 Lee Griffith. All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lee Griffith is an avid acoustic guitar player and a vintage instrument enthusiast. He invites you to receive a FREE REPORT on a revolutionary acoustic guitar lesson kit, along with his weekly newsletter via email. just click on http://optin.flatpickpost.com
Check out Lee’s blog, “The Flatpick Post” at http://flatpickpost.com
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http://EzineArticles.com/?Acoustic-Guitars—Is-Bigger-Better?&id=614739
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Musicians - Overcome Your Stagefright - By Kevin Sinclair
July 5, 2007
By Kevin Sinclair
The lights go dim and there is a hush in the room. You hear your name, and your hearts does that familiar big thump. Then you feel it, your heart as it drops down into the depth of your stomach. You take a breath, and remember to exhale, eventually. Its time. You take a step, but can’t feel your legs, you urge another step forward and will your funny legs just to hold you up and take you there.
Somehow you make it to the center of the stage. You have to say something, but your mouth is bone dry, your palms slippery and sweaty. You open your mouth and there is a lump in your throat that doesn’t seem to want to make the words come out. Sometimes you even feel like crying. Stage fright - you know what I mean.
Causes of Stage fright
Before we look at some of the ways that we can manage stage fright better we will consider what causes it. Stage fright is most commonly an anxiety attack, a reaction to an uncomfortable situation. Other factors may also contribute to these feelings also. Stage fright may be triggered by a release of pent up energy. Performing is an exciting business, and mostly we have to control these feelings.
The good news is that you are not suffering from some strange mental or emotional breakdown when you experience stage fright. In fact, it’s a very human response, one of our most basic instincts of survival. “fight or flight” in light that we are a placid people now fighting your audience might not be the best option, so your instinct says “flight”, run far far away. Now consider that running might not be the brightest choice either. This is stage fright.
Stage fright may even be the result of a sudden disappearance of confidence and self-esteem.
Tips to overcome stage fright
Allow yourself just one last thought before you go out there and give it your all, a reflection. Pause for a moment and remember why you play anyway. You’re there because you love it! You worked your best to master your instrument, your guitar or your voice for the love of it. This is what matters the most.
There is something else that you forgot to remind yourself also, you’re good. You’re not just good at it, you’re great. You have practiced and trained, and know every note. You know the gig, and probably even done it before. Perhaps now you should take a moment to ask yourself to consider the logic in thinking that it is even possible that you should not play well after the work you have given already. When you realize that this really doesn’t make any sense you can take the time to congratulate yourself, and head on out there to claim your reward.
When you take the next step it is time to clear your mind and focus on what you are doing. Learning a few relaxation and focus techniques are an ideal method for dealing with this step. More precisely learning these techniques will give you the confidence to know that you can stay focused on the goal of entertaining. Know yourself enough to know that the hardest critique you will ever face is you. An audience will forgive you for being you, that’s what they paid their money for. You should do the same for yourself.
Be personal with your audience. If you are going to have a deeply intimate moment, as performing is, you might find that you are more comfortable with just one person. Consider that the audience is one, or a small group of your nearest and dearest. I have been assured that this is an ideal way to approach all performances and even musicians who do not seem to suffer stage fright greatly enhance their performance and audience appreciation. Its one thing to know the songs, but real music is sharing the emotion.
Now pretend you’re a superstar. Soon enough, the moment you start to play, you’re not pretending anymore because you are a superstar. There might only be 500 people out there in the audience, there might be 5000 or more. It doesn’t really matter, you’re a superstar to them.
When it’s happening to you it feels like you’re the only one. But you’re not the only one. Many successful accomplished musicians actually face the same fears you do. I have often watch interviews with famous musicians and have always been surprised when one of them confesses to experiencing stage fright. No-one could ever guess it by the way they play or the millions of dollars they make doing it. Always after these interviews I have liked them more than I did before. It’s nice to meet them as the person they are and know they have the same vulnerabilities and fears as the rest of us do. Relax and remember why your there. Go out and accept your reward your worth ever moment of it.
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development. http://www.musicianhome.com/
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Guitar Lesson: The Art Of Playing Slowly - By Peter Edvinsson
July 4, 2007
By Peter Edvinsson
What benefits will you reap from playing slowly? Surprisingly enough you might become a faster guitar player and more important, you will become a better musician and guitarist!
How is this possible?
Life is full of surprises. Many people have experienced that they somehow have run away from life by hurrying all the time. Well, what has this to do with you as a guitarist!
First of all I would like to state that from personal experience I have found that many guitarists practice scales and licks faster than they should.
What do I mean with that?
Our present technical skill as a guitar player sets a limit as to how fast we can play scales and licks without doing damage to ourselves in various ways. What can happen if you play too fast?
Here is a list of things that can happen when you practice scales and other exercices or solos too fast:
1. If you 
play guitar in a speed that is above your technical skill level you will probably build up tensions in the muscles controlling your finger movements and also in other muscles that should not be used. You are also exposed to muscle injuries that might take a long time to cure.
The muscle tensions that is present when you practice on your guitar will tend to be there when you perform also. The way you practice is reflected in how you perform.
2. Always playing fast on your guitar deprive you of the opportunity to find out new things all by yourself on the guitar. I remember that one of my guitar pupils once came to me and said that he experienced a “dearth of licks” in his guitar playing.
One way to develop more interesting solos is to practice slowly. This will give your fingers and brain time to take other paths on the guitar frets. This will help you find your own style and help you play in a more innovative way.
3. The risk of making mistakes on your guitar increases the faster you play. If you want to learn a lick as fast as possible, the most effective way is to practice slowly without mistakes. Every mistake you make as you practice slows down your progression as you confuse your muscle memory with things that shouldn’t be there.
How can you start to play slower?
1. Use a metronome. If you don’t have one already you can buy a cheap digital metronome. You can adjust the volume so not to disturb your friends around you. I don’t recommend that you use a metronome all the time but part of your practice time and especially when you want to play slowly and when you practice new material.
Some players feel like the metronome slows down when they play. Actually these players of course speed up unconsciously. It really is an art to keep a steady pace playing slowly.
2. Use part of your practice time to play extremely slowly with your concentration on playing as relaxed as possible in your whole body. Focus on pressing down the frets with minimal force and holding your pick with as little force as possible.
3. Learn to be aware of tensions in your entire body and especially in your hands. Be careful never to play faster on your guitar than your technical skills allows you to without building up tensions in your hands and the rest of your body. The way your body reacts when you practice is the way it will react when your perform.
In order to understand and be aware of tensions in your body I recommend that you learn muscle stretching and apply these exercises before, during and after your guitar practice sessions. Also learn muscle relaxation exercises.
The more relaxed you are as you play the better you will play on your guitar and the faster you will learn new guitar exercises. You will enjoy your guitar playing more and even your audience will feel the difference.
Peter Edvinsson invites you to download your free sheet music, guitar tablature, ebooks, music lessons and read his sheet music blog at http://www.capotastomusic.com
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