Hi everybody. What works best for you?

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-Kirk

GUITARS
'12 Sonoran Acoustic - black (dated 10/31/12)
'13 Standard Strat
AMP
Vox ac4c1-bl
PEDALS
Compressor
Big Muff
Vox Stomplab 1G
Carbon Copy Delay

I like to use backing tracks. Those are cool. Also, listening to masters BEFORE I play inspires me to do better, I suppose.

Playing with others! without a doubt!

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"I started out with nothing, and still have most of it"

The best way? PLaying with other musicians does help, but taking loads of lessons helps more, whether its from youtube, magazines, books or a tutor. PLaying with others will help if they are better musicians but sometimes it can be limited.

Playin' with others at jams, trading licks and riffs.

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2012 American Vintage Telecaster 1958
09 Fender american deluxe strat.
97 Gibson les paul special P90's double-cut
65 Princeton reverb re-issue
2010 Guild Gad-F40e

When someone you have a crush on enters the room wasn't an option, but thats when I really start to fly.

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-Kc
"Payin' dues."

easy dead straight answer that everyone should think of - playing live. Nothing tightens your playing up as much as regular gigging, no matter how much 'technique' you know. If you can't do it live, you're not good. Believe me, i've learnt that the hard way too.

Absolutely, playing with others is the best way to give your own playing a jumpstart.

For some reason, a half-hour of jamming with my band is worth hours of practicing on my own.

I think you're more conscious of your own playing when you listen to it within the context of a whole band.

The vibe from playing rock and roll in a band is most inspiring. Welcome to the Forum gfk!

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

I'm self taught so i'd have to say playing with others helps me alot. It doesn't hurt too much to catch a few pros playing either to mimick thier moves and playing to add to your own.

Playing with others, hands down................... Mike

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

well playing with a metronome or with cds tightens yours rythm up more than playing with others. And if you have no technique thens there no point in playing in a band as you have no different dimensions to give.
It is good to play in a band dont get me wrong, but learning technique in the first place helps you more, and being in a band helps your confidence to use what you know in the band.
If you can only play chords and your in a three piece for example (bass, guitarist, drummer) you cant be the only guitarist in the band if you require solos, as you wont have the technique for them or to play lead parts.

Playing with jam tracks would be my choice if considering only mastery of a technique. However, for overall elevation, which I'm defining as emotion and feel as well as technical competence ... playing with others by far.

Good sex, for sure!! It improves playing and gives me a lot of inspiration.

+1 on this!
all thumbs, I have ALL of my nothin' yet

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Hey, Boy Blue is back!