1 CHECK YOU ARE PLAYING IN TIME
Choose a simple piece of music you know well and try playing in time with a metronome. Aim to synchronise onbeat notes with the click. If it doesn't seem fully aligned, you may need to work on your timing. Slow down a little and try to feel the rhythmic pulse more tightly.
2 HOW CLEAN ARE YOUR CHORDS?
Put your fingers in the wrong position and you'll end up with annoying fret buzz, so aim to play most chords using the very tips of your fingers as close to each fret as possible. Barre chords, of course, need a flat finger. Keep your thumb roughly opposite your fingers for maximum strength.
3 ARE YOU PLAYING TOO FAST?
You don't have to be a shredder to want to play fast. We've all tried to play a song at full speed before we've fully learnt it, usually resulting in fluffed chord changes and solo lines that don't quite link together. Play slowly to a metronome or drum beat and try to improve your speed by a small amount every day.
ASSESS YOUR PLAYING SKILLS
You'll get more out of any practice routine if you know which areas of your playing need most attention. Get started by taking an honest look...
DAY 2 CHECK YOUR LEAD TECHNIQUES
There's always an optimum position for your hands to be in when you're playing lead guitar. Make sure you've got the techniques sorted...
STRING BENDS
For most first-, second- and third-finger bends place your thumb on the top side of the neck (sometimes called a 'baseball bat grip') for maximum strength. You may need to adjust position for fourth finger bends.
HAMMER-ONS AND PULL-OFFS
Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Total Guitar.
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Denne historien er fra February 2024-utgaven av Total Guitar.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
POSITIVE GRID SPARK 2
The sequel to the world's most popular smart guitar amp is here
JACKSON PRO PLUS XT SOLOIST SLAT HT6 BARITONE
We get low with this fast-playing, all-black modern metal machine
GUILD POLARA DELUXE
A’70s staple gets a bit of are-jig, o4 years after it was introduced
NEURAL DSP NANO CORTEX
Neural DSP's second pedal might be the ultimate compact all-in-one rig
EPIPHONE JIMI HENDRIX LOVE DROPS FLYING V
Prepare to kiss the sky with Epiphone's latest 'Inspired By...' model
JIMMY PAGE
\"I was using what was really meaty!\"
EDDIE VAN HALEN
“You either capture the vibe or you don't!”
MYTH BUSTERS: THE CABLE DESTRUCTION TEST
Need to know whether gear is worth your cash? Who you gonna call...
JOHN FRUSCIANTE'S LETTER FROM AMERICA
Our July 2006 issue featured none other than John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the cover, with a line of text promising discussion of meditation, drugs, Hendrix and some chat about the band’s then-latest album, Stadium Arcadium.
CHALLENGE CHARLIE
Ata time when TC's staff were getting, frankly, rather silly, one man stood up to take on the daftest of all our challenges...