In Summary

SOME CONCLUSIONS THAT COULD SHAPE HOW AND WHAT YOU PRACTISE FROM NOW ON…

The ability to read music notation is the single biggest regret raised by our celebrity panel of guitarists. So many either wish they could read, had started earlier or could do it better. It’s a skill set that, once acquired, has countless benefits. If you can’t read at all then it’s a wise musician that puts it high on the ‘to-do’ agenda.

A versatile picking technique is an admirable quality that many wish they had developed more at an earlier stage. It’s a guitarist’s most important source of dynamics and time keeping so make sure your practice covers this as extensively as possible. That said, it’s often championed as a more ‘hardcore’ technique than legato (“I couldn’t pick that well or fast, so I used legato instead”). While it can require more practice than legato, it should not be considered as ‘better’ – Joe Bonamassa’s reply is proof of that.

Theory is not a dirty word but rather a means to improving creativity and options for a given musical scenario. Being naive of the notes in a chord, fundamental modes such as Mixolydian and Dorian, knowing relevant notes to use over a chord progression and how to harmonise the major scale is not elitist knowledge. It means you’re well positioned to play better and are ready more promptly for any music scenario.

Styles can dictate direction. Classical and jazz music requires a strong base level of technique and theory ability (classical more about interpretation, jazz more about improvisation). Other contemporary styles such as blues and rock have, at times, been culturally dismissive about academic-based skills. In this day and age, all styles feature countless musicians that do know and want to know about what they are doing.

Slow practice allows you time to critique what you’re doing, adjust accordingly and play in time; playing fast can be euphoric, but you don’t have time to clock what you’re really doing and you haven’t built up a strong enough technique foundation.

Never lose the ability and the will to just ‘go for it’ – because the results can sometimes be wonderful!

Good timing is imperative, so work with a metronome, a drum machine or, even better still, a drummer. Focus on your picking hand’s technique. Many of our artists told us this.

Be wary of being a ‘back of the book’ learner. At the back of guitar tuition books there tends to reside the harder material such as eight-finger tapping licks – the flashy, showy stuff. If you have holes in the fundamentals (can you play five voicings of a C chord, imply the three chords in a blues when single-note soloing, know the note names in F major, maintain a 4/4 rhythmic groove for five minutes, and so on?), you’re better served improving those to become a rounded musician than spending time on flash music-shop licks that get you zero gigs or work.

Learning about classical music or classical guitar technique can be a good source of improvement, as Mike Stern was quick to point out.

Learn another instrument. The sound and the physical interaction can create new scenarios. Some musicians talk about the guitar being a warm instrument that we physically embrace to make music on; the piano is more aloof, our hands pushing the music outwards onto the keys. Mike Stern regrets not learning piano, while John McLaughlin said drums.

If you’ve got the material and a drive to get established, don’t hesitate and make your move, because several guitarists here regret not getting out and being an artist at an earlier age.

I WISH I’D HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE ARDENT PRACTISER. I PLAYED ALL THE TIME BUT I WASN’T ALWAYS PRACTISING. BIG DIFFERENCE! Andy Timmons