Acoustic Blues Guitar Tips - Reaching The Next Level)
Don't get in a flap - it's normal for your progress to slow down now and again. Every guitarist, no matter what the style, recognizes the feeling. One day you see that you've been playing the same piece for the last eight weeks, and you are not getting better. In addition, you're not trying to learn other things. What's happening? You've hit a full stop, attained your plateau, you're blocked, resigned never to get any better and reach your aim, to become the best guitar player ever to draw breath.
Is there something you can do?
Well, yes there is. That's to say, let me give you some tips and approach that has an effect in my case. As you can probably guess, most of it is in the mind, unless you are just playing so much that you are physically sick of playing! Some master players, such as BB King, don't practice for hours, and just perform. In passing, he's also recounted that he's afraid every single time, thinking that 'this time it won't work' and 'I'm just not good enough'.
Attempt to and leave it alone!
Obviously a difficult thing to do for guitar players. Almost all the best players tell us that they played licks and pieces a million times to be the best (and I'm sure it's true), so you have to play that thing until we are exhausted, don't we? Right and wrong.
We know that we are improving and training the motor skills by placing our fingers in the right places again and again, but if we do this mechanically, without the passion behind it, then it's not productive. Get the mind right first - why are you learning guitar? You play because you love it.
Stay idle for a while. Forget that tricky passage you've been learning. After a week or so away from it, you'll without doubt find that the music just comes naturally.
Its sometimes good to go back to the basic techniques
Sometimes, as we progress in our playing, some simple things that we do can be sometimes taken for granted as our playing becomes more complex. As we progress, we can get a bit slapdash in our basic techniques, which have a beauty all of their own. Return to them and go over them again. Listen to the old masters and hear again how their playing styles were grounded on solid foundations.
Practice very easy stuff for a week or so, but practice with a conscious approach and give attention to every little detail.
Get Comfortable Playing Your Playing.
When you are at ease with the music, then it will flow and appears naturally. Every one can improve, but its true that every one has their boundary of playing ability. Recognition of this and assimilating it, will make you at ease. Talk to "it may be that I can't progress further - let's make the music I do perform the very best it can be." Once you achieve this state of mind, you'll progress! It's almost supernatural!
We all have many levels of expertise, and we can't always be at the top of the tree. As one man put it "if only the best birds were allowed to sing in the forest, it would be a be very quiet place indeed". Recognize your place and be easy with it. Every one of us is unique and can make unique sounds. Eric Clapton is often hailed a super blues guitar player, but when playing the acoustic guitar, Tommy Emmanuel makes him seem just adequate.
We All Know That, It's Mostly To Do With the Way We Think.
I'm not sure where I'm going giving this advice, but let me tell you a little tale. When younger, I played guitar with a friend of mine, who was always less proficient than I was. I think I played much longer than him back then. I loved 'Police Dog Blues' by Blind Blake but for me at that time it was too difficult to tackle.
My friend moved abroad and about 11 months later, while speaking over the telephone, he casually told me that he had learned how to play 'Police Dog'. The fact that a 'less capable' player had taught himself this tune was difficult to take. I picked up the guitar and taught myself the song in about three days. This isn't a testimony to my skills, but rather more a comment on my psychological make up. Good guitarists have a significant amount of arrogance, and often, a sizable ego.
This needs to be accommodated, brought under control and channeled to the good side of the Force!
Jam With Other Guitarists.
It's wonderful to play with other guitarists from a couple of points of view. For one thing, it's fun. There aren't many things more enjoyable than like playing along with other musicians, even when it brings along a feeling of competition. This competition is motivating. Even while playing together, musicians are aware of the other guy's playing level. We all have our strong and weak points, and the wise player counter points your strength with his own. He can also cover your weakness, and the overall music can be a wonderful example of synergy - which indicates that the result is worth more than the sum of all it's parts.
When the guitarists are better than you are, then this will gently stretch you, giving you a new approach and helping you progress.
Move Away Your Normal Style.
I like this idea, as it's great fun. If your normal style is blues, then learn some jazz. If you finger pick, then become a temporary strummer. I think you know what I mean. Now and again we get stuck in one track and say that we are this or that kind of guitarist. All we do is play the guitar and teaching ourselves a variety of musical styles can inevitably help us to play better music.
Relax Into It.
Relax. It's not that important. You won't play fantastic guitar if you are too stressed or too serious. Many present day blues men appear a tad intense and I don't know why this is. Perhaps it's because we want to be the same as the old blues legends and that kind of outlook goes with the style. Don't bother with those thought patterns. You can't be that legendary blues man, because the way we live is completely different. Be who you are, that's all that has to be done - the rest will follow.
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