What helped you get better at guitar?

[_pH_]

grow an extra hand

 

[Greebo]

grow an extra hand

Would that be so that you can wank and practise intricate guitar bits at the same time?

 

[jcsd]

Personally I went to a crossroad and sold my soul to the devil, but YMMV.

 

[idioteque]

I agree. Fabulous magazine. Buy a copy, study it for hours and play along to the backing tracks. There is never enough to learn on the guitar.

Great isn't it Only problem is I can never find it around where I live now. I keep meaning to get a subscription.

 

[_pH_]

Would that be so that you can wank and practise intricate guitar bits at the same time?

No, so i can do three handed finger tapping

 

[tar1984]

Learn some scales. Pentatonic, major and minor. Oh and learn the E blues scale - it's awesome, and very easy to play quickly so it sounds impressive.

Then you can put on a cd and play along by finding the root note and just mucking about on the relevant scale.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I started at 14 and got stuck in a rut at about 16. I have not since improved.

 

[audiotech]

Form a band.

 

[MooChild]

Practise with other people.

 

[tar1984]

Form a band.

Practise with other people.

These too. Although it's better if the other people can actually write songs/jam/improvise and stuff, rather than just methodically play their instruments, which is what I had to put up with for the short time I was in a band.

 

[ericjarvis]

Personally I went to a crossroad and sold my soul to the devil, but YMMV.

I tried that. Bastard said the bottom had dropped out of the market and he wasn't buying if it wasn't still in the plastic wrapper.

 

[miniGMgoit]

Learn the blues scales, they will help you "widdle" all over the place.

Also you could try retuning your guitar to a different tuning. Something like DADGAD is fun. But dont look up how to play chords in that tuning. Just mess about making your own chords up.
Your at a major turning point in guitar playing. Its a big step to stop playing them chords but its great once you get it.
Have you tried to learn to finger pick yet? That maybe fun for you to have a go at.
Try finding some tabs too. Try something like Castles Made Of Sand by Hendrix. Its not easy but it will give you a crash course in blues scales and ways to not play chords. Also once you've mastered it you will be able to show off to your friends.
Castles Made Of Sand also gets you in to playing chords with a bit of widdle, if you know what I mean.
Good luck and keep it up.

 

[Greebo]

Might be worth trying "walking bass line" once you've got the hang of simple finger picking. It's part of bluegrass but can work well in other styles for bridging chord changes and starting to work out solo bits.

Don't let the technical stuff get in the way of the music.

 

[stupid dogbot]

Lessons from Eddie Van Halen...

 

[Yetman]

Learn to love rythym. Forget the notes and smash out the funk, the notes will come with time.