Find YOUR Guitar Sound And You May Be The Next Hendrix

I believe an important element of success for any guitarist is establishing your own sound. Whenever you read interviews with high profile guitarists they will inevitable talk about what guitars they use, which pedals, amps, string gauges etc. Each of these elements plays a role in their overall sound and many are very particular about what they will and won't use in their set up.

Why you will always sound like YOU!
Have you ever walked into a guitar shop, set up the same rig as your favorite player and wondered why you don't even get close to the same sound. Sure if you play a Strat in the second position switch with a Marshal, you'll get a similar tone to Hey Joe. But it's never quite right. And if you did manage to get the exact sound of your favorite player, people will be saying, wow that sounds just like....My point here is that they won't be noticing what you are playing if all they can here is the tone of another high profile player.
Stevie Ray Vaughn is an interesting example. He is a fantastic blues player, but it's very difficult to not hear Hendrix in his tone and in his style of playing. Vaughan being an exception as their would be thousands of players who sound like Hendrix, but really, who is interested?

To rise above the pack you need to be original
The greatest players are those that have developed their own sound by concentrating on their own style and their own favored rigs with individuality always at the forefront of their mind set. The greatest greatest guitar players are immediately recognizable, you know who Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Alan Holdsworth, Joe Pass, Mark Knopfler (and so many more) are the minute you hear their sound. Copying and emulating your favorite players in the early stages of your guitar career is a must and there is so much to be gained by this but keep in mind, what will make you stand out?

 You might also like the following blog:

*5 Tips To Getting The Most Out Of Your Practice.

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The Classical Sitting Position - Is it better?

The Classical Sitting Position(on the left) 

as it is known is really the result of hundreds of years of guitar evolution. When sitting in this position it really is the ideal way to play guitar. If you notice in the pic the shoulders are basically even, my back and neck are straight and the guitar is positioned perfectly so both hands can execute their roles. 

The 'Popular' sitting position (on the right)

This means for a right handed guitarist your guitar would be on your right leg. Here are the 4 arrows explained.

1. The right shoulder is elevated which can cause neck problems
2. The left shoulder is lower then the right which means the spine is twisted
3. Because of the positioning the left wrist is bent which can cause carpal tunnel
4. The right arm is pressing down on the guitar often cutting into the nerve which can cut off circulation to the right hand

The severity of problems depends on how much you play guitar but better to be safe than sorry. Everyone is free to choose what suits their personal choice but just for the record many of the elite rock players are now turning to the classical position simply because the difficulty of what they play demands it. A good example is John Petrucci of Dream Theater and G3. Check his video ROCK DISCIPLINE and notice how he sits.

You might also like the following blog:

*The 10 Minute A Day Practice Schedule.

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What do The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Van Halen have in common?

There was a time when I thought rockstars were lucky. I believed they were just born under the right star. As time went by and I read more and more about the path to success for almost every successful band and artist it became quite apparent that their talent and success was actually the result a lot of work. As AC/DC said "Its a long way to the top if you want to Rock n Roll." Author Malcolm Gladwell popularised what is known as the  10,000 hour rule which basically says that it takes 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to become an expert in a given area. While this rule is a little hard to measure let alone prove it would seem that The Beatles, Hendrix and Van Halen all had spent at least 10,000 hours perfecting their craft prior to international success. 

The Beatles: They started out like any other band and to many seemed like an overnight success but the real story prior to Beatlemania shows the enormous amount of hours that went into creating the most successful band of all time. For years the Fab Four slugged it out night after night sometimes for 8 hours at a time in clubs in night clubs in the UK and Hamburg Germany. They would travel from Liverpool sometimes in freezing conditions to perform all night. Some say no band equalled The Beatles in terms of hours spent on stage during that period. Their success only came after thousands of hours of on stage performance. 

Jimi Hendrix: Jimi actually began his guitar playing with a broomstick. When he finally did get a guitar he practiced obsessively and apparently even  slept with his guitar. Jimi lived in Seattle and would go to see every guitarist he could taking his guitar to gigs with him and asking the guitarist to show him his licks and tricks. While a shy kid he was not backward in approaching these guitar players for advice. Jimi always knew he wanted to be on the stage and took every opportunity to play. While shy off stage on stage he would completely transform. At one point he managed to get a gig with Little Richard who at the time was a star but he got fired because he was stealing the spotlight. Eventually Jimi was discovered by Linda Keith (Keith Richard's girlfriend at the time) in a New York club who in turn introduced him to Chas Chandler who took Hendrix to the UK where he met Clapton and others. By that time Jimi had spent thousands of hours developing his guitar playing and was a season performer. He would have done more than 10,000 hours of guitar practice by that time. 

Van Halen: Eddie and Alex practiced their instruments for hours and hours everyday as kids. When they arrived in the US from Holland they could not speak English so this meant it was difficult to mix with other kids in their neighbourhood. Originally Eddie played drums and Alex guitar but they soon swapped. A close friend said in an interview that they were always inside practicing. When they finally started performing they played mostly parties in and around Pasadena California and were willing to play anywhere and everywhere often risking being arrested due to noise violations. Van Halen became popular and the parties they played sometimes had 2000+ people turning up. They soon landed a gig at a well known venue in Hollywood and their audiences continued to grow. What separated Van Halen from most bands at the time was they amount of time they spent on stage. They played almost every night for years.

Conclusion: The 10,000 hour rule does appear to be a common denominator. While there are never any guarantees determination, persistence and hard work seem to be basic requirements of success. Luck does perhaps play a role but if you are persistence the odds of luck turning up are greatly increased. 

You might also like the following blog:

*5 Tips for Finding Your Own Guitar Sound.

Would You Like A Structured Method For Learning Guitar?

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G4 GUITAR METHOD 

Please follow the link to subscribe to our free online course. 

http://www.g4guitarmethod.com

5 Tips To Finding Your Own Guitar Sound

"How do I find my own sound?" This is a popular question from the more advancing student who has a grip on the fundamentals of guitar playing but wants to discover their own sound:  Here are 5 tips that should help.

1. What do YOU like? Not your friends, neighbours, the masses or critics. Its what you like that counts. Identify what truly excites you. Other people's opinions matter if you are trying to appeal to a particular audience or gain a record deal but ultimately if you are not playing music you are passionate about you will lose motivation. Staying true to the music you love will set you on a clear direct path to discovering your own sound.
2. Focus on the guitar rather than the guitarist. It helps to listen to different guitarists but try not to judge. Some of my favourite guitar solos, licks and riffs have appeared on the records of artists of would not normally have listened to. Also just because a guitarist is famous and respected doesn't mean every note they play has to appeal to you. Pick out what you like about their playing and avoid copying everything they do. Brian May of Queen is one of my favourite guitar players but I only like certain elements of his playing.
3. DO NOT try to be good at everything. Recognise your personal strengths and run with them. The key to success they say is focusing on your strengths and minimising your weaknesses. This doesn't mean you avoid working on your weaknesses. Just don't sweat on them too much and invest most of your time in to your strengths. BB King for example doesn't know chords but boy he can do a sweet bend. Eddie Van Halen master tapping but the odds are he is not much of a jazz guitarist but hey I could be wrong.
4. Pay attention to your sound. The quality of your sound can make all the difference. When I say your sound I am referring firstly to the way you actually play. For example the way you attack notes and hold them. How does it sound? Try playing just one note. Next is the equipment you are using. The guitar itself, the amp and also the guitar/amp combinations. Don't compromise. Keep searching for 'that' sound.
5. Jam whenever with whoever. Playing with other musicians is like a good conversation. When you are in good company chances are you will lift your game and pick up ideas from other players. Plus its a lot more fun.

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5 Tips to Get the Most Out Of Your Guitar Practice

1. Stay organised. Keep everything you need in one place so you it can easily be found. You want to be able to get into a rhythm (pun intended) with your practice. Spend a few minutes before you start guitar practice organising your space and checking you have everything at arms length.
2. Set time limits. I work in 10 minute blocks. For example I will start with one picking exercise for 10 mins and then perhaps one scale for 10 mins followed by another skill for 10 minutes and so on. I will do the same with a song working on a small section of a song for 10 mins. This stops me from wasting time and drifting from one thing to the next.
3. Track and log your practice. Be aware of exactly how much time you are practicing and what you are practicing.  When you track your practice you become more aware of your progress. Its actually hard to explain but this raised awareness will make you feel more confident about achieving your goals.
4. Prioritize. Like most of us there are probably thousands of songs you want to play and you are anxious to learn them all but will they make you a better player? Learn to put what matters first. What is the one thing that you most want to be able to do on guitar in a year or 5 years from now? Put on top of your list.
5. The big picture. Knowing your ultimate goal gives your practice meaning. I recommend all students write out an Ultimate Song List of no more than 25 songs they hope to one day play. This gives students a clear direction.

You might also like the following blog:

*WHY MEASURING YOUR PRACTICE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE.

Would You Like A Structured Method For Learning Guitar?

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The power of musical memory

Musical memory is the ability to remember musical passages whether it be a melody, a chord progression, a rhythm pattern or a song arrangement. According to research our musical memory is encoded in a different part of our brain to language so needs to be developed. They also found that both sides (left and right hemispheres) of our brain are used when storing musical memories but it seems the left side is of greater importance as discovered by Wilson & Sailing in 2008. One interesting finding was left-handers were found to have better short term musical memory. Did Hendrix have an advantage?

How a good memory makes you a better musician

Memory plays a critical role mostly because it frees up the musician to be more expressive. If you are putting all your energy into trying to remember what the next note, bar or phrase should be there is little left for expression. A good memory also allows you to learn at a faster rate. For example if you memorise scales learning melodies becomes easier because most melodies revolve around scales. The same can be said for chord patterns, song arrangements, cadences and so on.  

The secret to a better musical memory

Musical memory is mostly about pattern recognition. When I was a teenager I learned 12 bar blues for the first time. At the time I had no idea what I was learning but it soon became apparent that it was a template to most blues and early rock n roll. Once I understood this pattern I was able to easily recognise a song that matched this pattern. When you learn a new song look for the patterns. You will be surprised how many so called original songs are based on well known songs. Pop songs almost always match a familiar pattern.

Develop your memory

Here is a website where you can do some musical memory training but its best to work with a teacher as they will be able to quickly identify the areas you need to develop.

The G4 GUITAR METHOD.

A structured proven method of learning guitar.  

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Don't Give Up Your Day Job...

Perhaps your parents, friends, neighbours or even the TV told you to get a real job. "You will never earn a living playing guitar". Well I am here to say they are WRONG! Very wrong. Playing guitar has pretty much supported me for over 20 years and will continue to do so probably for the rest of my life. So give up your day job and focus on the guitar but at the same time make sure you have a plan. A BUSINESS PLAN. Becoming a successful artist in any arena of art is a long and winding road. Some get lucky early, some work hard and eventually find success and most never get there but usually because they simply were not committed. A business plan means ensuring you have an income while you develop your art. It also means having a plan B. You may aspire to be a rock star now but you may very well change. Being a rock star is glamorous when you are 21yo but the gloss fades and new priorities emerge. So if you love guitar my suggestion is build a great teaching business and work at your art. That way you are doing what you love but also securing yourself a future via a business.

Here is a great article called 10 REASONS WHY YOU NEVER GET A JOB.

David Hart

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Are you progressing too slowly?

A student recently ask me a question about their progress. They were concerned that they were not progressing quick enough after comments from someone who said they thought their progress was slow. Here was my response;

Your progress. Ultimately we (G4GUITAR) can only guide you. Your personal progress will depend on many factors and is always personal. Some people pick up a guitar and within months play like they have been at it for years others take several years. The main factors are as follows;

Musical history - Did you learn music as a child?
Family - Music is like a language. If other family members played music chances are you will have a better start. Tommy Emmanuel, Van Halen and even Mozart are/were all children of professional musicians.
Innate ability - Some people just seem to have a gift. Same as anything really.
Discipline - Practicing daily and working on the skills will make all the difference.
Confidence - Not all great players are skillful. Being a confident player is important. Eric Clapton (slow hand) is an example. He does not even come close to today's shredders yet he is still known as a Guitar God. When you play always try and imagine the feeling you are trying to portray. Its not just about the notes. Feel is vitally important.
Social - Play with other players. Music is like a language. If you don't practice playing with others you won't progress very quickly. Mixing it up with other players will also help you to evaluate where you are at. You will get to know your own style.

Remember that learning guitar is not a competition. If it were it would be an Olympic event. The skills you learn with G4GUITAR can be applied to most styles but if your goal is to be a great player you need to practice like one and listen to the great players. We can't do that for you but we do provide the content of your practice via the G4GUITAR METHOD and combined with our online advice (blogs, TWITTER etc) you will find most of what you need.

Don't forget to grab a free copy of the G4 GUITAR METHOD.

DOWNLOAD FREE COPY of G4GUITAR METHOD.

Do the ONLINE TOUR once you have downloaded your copy.

If you have any questions please email: david@g4guitar.com.au

To find a guitar teacher near you checkout our LOCATIONS page.

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How do Rockstars become Rockstars?

Watching an episode of Law & Order about desperate young hopefuls in New York City made me realise that many of our students are probably asking the question 'How do Rockstars actually make it?' The lead detective describes how by his estimates 50,000 guitarists every year give up everything on a quest to become the next big thing yet only about 10 (if that) will make the big time. They are very long odds. So why do so many go after the prize? Is it really worth it? Are they just setting themselves up for years of disappointment?

Is it possible to beat the odds and become a rockstar? I have witness thousands of wannbes try yet fail but I have also always had a fascination for those who are successful. What makes the difference? What do the Eric Claptons and the Jimi Hendrixs, the B.B.Kings or Eddie Van Halens of the world have that us mere mortals do not? Were they truly born with a gift or just lucky? While it would be naive of me to say there is one simple answer there are definately clues.

One thing that I have notice amongst not only successful guitarists but anyone from Hollywood actors to famous politicians is they network. The quickest way to get noticed is to stand next to someone famous. This will not make you a great guitar player but people will listen. You will get a chance to be heard. Jimi Hendrix got his break after Keith Richard's girlfriend of the time saw him playing to an empty room in the USA. Notably impressed she introduced Jimi to the right people and the rest is history.

You do need to have something worthy of an audience but you don't have to be the greatest guitarist ever. When you start mixing with the right people you will learn from them. You will rise to the occasion. One of my favourite guitarists of the 80s was Neal Schon. Neal got to play with Santana as a teenager. Naturally he got noticed but he also picked up a few tricks from Santana.

Finally if I were a teen and embarking on a career of becoming a rockstar I would move to Hollywood and spend as much time making contacts as I would practicing guitar. Bottom line is you need to be good at both or at least a master of one to have a chance.

That's my take on it...

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Count the minutes

There is a saying that says "What you can measure you can multiply". By measuring how much practice you actually do in theory you can improve on your score. I can say with complete confidence that in 99% of cases the students who use a practice log to measure their practice are the ones who improve the quickest and rarely give up. But why?
There are several reasons. The analogy I like to use it what I call the 'Bart Simpson analogy'. His classic phrase "Are we there yet?" is one that if you are a parent have heard many times I am sure. This comes as a result of not knowing how long the journey will take. When we learn guitar frustration sets in because we want to be able to play our favourite songs and we want to know "WHEN?". Our teachers tell us to be patient and keep practicing but gradually our confidence fades and finally we throw in the towel.
If on the other hand I was able to say to you that with 1000 minutes of practice you should be able to play Smoke on the Water and with 10,000 mins the intro to 'Stairway to Heaven' chances are you are going to be more patient. It is not exact science because everyone is different and it also depends on where you put that practice time. But if you measure your practice habitually you start to get a good idea of how much practice equals how much progress.
There are also other benefits. E.g. Most people are naturally self competitive. In other words we like to improve on our scores. One of the reasons computer games are so highly addictive is because we want to beat our high score. Imagine if these games had no scores. Would they be as addictive? When you measure your practice I can assure you that in no time you will be trying to out do your high scores. First month you might do 1000 minutes of practice but in the second month you will be looking to exceed that amount. After 1 year you will be doing 5000+ a month and on your way to guitar legend status.

So start measuring. You can downlod a practice log from our STUDENT WEBSITE on the DOWNLOADS page.

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Rock Star Success Tips - Image

Image: A lot of guitarists have trouble with this because they feel they are being fake. It is not about being fake. It's about playing a role. When you are on stage you need to entertain. Playing guitar well is of course important but if you can add more to the performance via a unique image you are more likely to be remembered.

Create a remarkable image for yourself. Even have some kind of signature on stage act. Hendrix actually made his name originally from setting his guitar on fire on stage. Angus Young (AC/DC) dressed up as a school boy and strutted the stage which he basically copied from Chuck Berry. Eddie Van Halen would jump in the air and do a scissor kick. Kiss wore face make up. The Beatles had unusual haircuts. I think you get the idea....

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Improving your guitar skills advice

Improving your guitar playing is not just about practice. Jamming with others is an important an often underrated part of any guitar player's program. When you jam with other guitarists and musicians you are putting what you know to the test. You will quickly determine your level of proficiency. E.g. If your timing is not spot on it will be obvious, if not to you others will notice.

Jamming also gives you a chance to learn new licks and tricks from other guitarists. Always be humble and ready to learn. If someone does something you like ask them to show you how.

Jamming is also the precursor to forming a band. You will learn teamwork, how to play your role and what makes a bank actually work. You will begin to get an idea of what you are looking for in other band members.

Jams are also a great way to network and meet even more musicians. I often hear guitarists complaining that they can't find anyone to jam with yet at the same time they make little or no effort to get out there and meet other musicians. Post a sign at a local music shop. Get a teacher (join a music school) and ask them to introduce you to other students. Just speak to people about what you do and in no time at all you will be connecting with musicians everywhere.

So get out there and jam. It's the best way to improve and stay motivated. Jump on the phone and call some one now.

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