In this months Total Guitar magazine to help celebrate their 200th issue they have 200 bite sized tips and lessons strewn throughout the magazine. I thought it would be cool to make a list from our very own and very capable forum members. They have everything from recording tips to playing tips to random theories about playing. We have people from professional musicians to people who have just picked up a guitar for the first time so we have quite a range of knowledge that may be able to help another member out. What is one thing that you would like to share that works for you? I'll give it a shot with something that has worked for me.

When playing guitar use your eyes to outline your next step. Instead of focusing on what your fret hand is currently doing look at where it needs to go next. If you are strumming a C chord and need to switch to G don't stare at your fingers in the C position until it's time to switch. Instead use your eyes to show them where to go next. Watch to make sure that you hit your target and then move to the next step. This helps for playing notes as well.

That was a very good tip, Hoeycow. Didnt realize I was working against desired movement.

My tip: Never spend too much time playing an electric guitar unplugged.
You arent getting the true picture of what is happening. Muting, dynamics
and consistency can suffer.

good tip and I have used this strategy alot actually, I try to envision my fingers moving to the next position...this has helped me a lot with using barre chords!

BRAD! Any chance we can get a section dedicated to playing/lessons/techniques/licks.etc??

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Here's my tip... a shaving kit bag makes for a great guitar tool bag.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

I've found a laptop bag works great for a couple cords, basic tools, my Line 6 floor pedal, cheat sheets for gigs.

But my tip, from day one try and learn to "count" while you play...tap your right foot, or tap your left and count out loud if you have to to get your foot tapping along.

Because no matter how flashy your skills and the number of notes you play, you won't have any luck playing with others in a band situation without good tempo.

I think that one of the best things I ever learned about playing bass was that I played drums for 15 years first. My "tempo awareness" was there from day one picking up the bass.

Stone's Monkey Man lesson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd8WHvT- ... re=related A favorite of mine, this guy's a good starting place........... Mike

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

I use a metronome (a number of ways to do that but I have an inexpensive quartz one). If you normally don't have others to jam with, it's important not to let your timing get sloppy.

By the same token, I tune with a tuner rather than just the guitar with itself. Practicing alone there's no absolute need to be tuned "to" standard pitch. Still, it's good ear training to hear the notes and chords as they will sound when you are with others.

Play with others as often as you can, no matter how good you think you sound when you're pickin' alone.

n.

Use strict alternate picking as much as you can.