Guitarophile.com

Tag: improving

  • How My Favorite Pedal Can Make You a Better Guitarist

    How My Favorite Pedal Can Make You a Better Guitarist

    I admit it: I have more guitars than I need.

    I’ve got a bit of a hobby — perhaps an obsession — with collecting them. I’m holding steady at about a dozen instruments these days, which seems to be enough to keep me from wanting any more…for now.

    But strangely enough, my GAS (that’s Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) doesn’t extend to amps or pedals. I am actually quite minimalistic in this regard.

    I have one amp, for example — a cheap Chinese clone of a Fender Blues Jr. It sounds fantastic, so I don’t need anything else.

    And when it comes to my pedal board, I only have the bare minimum: overdrive, chorus, and delay.

    Actually, I have one more pedal on my board, too, and it’s my favorite one — because it’s the one that helps me become a better musician.

    Enter the looping pedal

    I’m talking about my looper.

    I have the most basic of loopers on the market: the TC Electronics Ditto Looper. With one footswitch and one knob, it’s extremely simple, but it does the job.

    If you’re not familiar with looping pedals, they allow you to record yourself playing for a period of time and then replay the recording on a loop. Once you’ve laid down the basic loop, you can add on new layers to form the backdrop of a song.

    In essence, a looper allows you to accompany yourself.

    Looping stations can get quite complicated, and some musicians can do amazing things with them. If you want to see an example of this, go no further than the great Phil Keaggy.

    Geez, Phil! Leave some talent for the rest of us!

    I’m not Phil Keaggy. My playing is not even in the same universe as his. I don’t craft intricate songs with my pedal or bring in egg shakers.

    I use my looping pedal to help me practice and grow as a musician.

    But I do use my looping pedal to help me practice and grow as a musician. In fact, here are three ways that help me and hopefully can help you too.

    Be your own metronome

    I have a bad practice habit. I hardly ever use a metronome. (Don’t be like me, kids!)

    But with my looper, I can lay down my own tracks to practice things like scales or solos. And in order to lay down a good backing track, I have to have the tempo and the beat dialed in. Otherwise, the track will be off and I won’t be able to play over it.

    I have to practice playing at a consistent tempo and getting the timing down pat in order to lay down a usable loop.

    Thus I have to practice playing at a consistent tempo and getting the timing down pat in order to lay down a usable loop, and I can then use that loop as a makeshift metronome to work on other aspects of my playing.

    Learn to think like a composer

    When you want to lay down a more complicated track with multiple layers, you have to think like a composer.

    I usually start with thinking about what chord progression I want and then I have to come up with a “bass” line on my guitar that has the tempo, style, and feel that I’m going for. Once I’ve recorded that, I have to add in a suitable rhythm guitar part (or two). Next, I might have to think about how to mimic a keyboard or perhaps come up with some short guitar riffs to add a little more flavor.

    So for each part, not only do I have to find an idea that works well with the rest of the tracks, but I have to consider sonic textures as well. How can I switch effects or pickups — or occasionally even guitars — to get a different enough sound for each part? Where on the neck does each line need to be played? Can I make use of harmonics or muted strumming for a percussive effect? The possibilities are endless.

    All of these decisions help you to better understand how all the layers of a song should work together.

    All of these decisions help you to learn how to break down or build up a song and better understand how all the layers of a song should work together, because you are actually composing and arranging in that moment.

    Be your own personal practice buddy

    I don’t exactly have a lot of other guitarists living with me at my house.

    My teenage son is just starting to learn the instrument (which is pretty cool!) but he’s not much help yet if I need to practice a song for church or something.

    My looping pedal allows me to practice whatever riff, fill, or solo I need without having to wait until band practice.

    So when I need to work on a lead riff or something similar, the looper yet again comes to the rescue. For this, it’s usually good enough to just lay down a basic chord progression, but it allows me to practice whatever riff, fill, or solo I need without having to wait until band practice.

    A fun and useful tool

    All of these benefits (and more) of a looping pedal make it a fun and useful tool. Even a simple looper like the Ditto can expand your musical horizons and abilities if you know how to use it.

    If you don’t own a looper — or maybe you do and are afraid or don’t know how to use it — I’d encourage you to jump in and start. It doesn’t take long to figure out the basics, and once you do you’ll find that there are a lot of potential applications like the three I mentioned above.

    If you use a looper, I’d love to hear the cool things you’ve discovered it can do.

  • How to Get Over Your Fear of Playing Guitar in Front of Other People

    How to Get Over Your Fear of Playing Guitar in Front of Other People

    Let’s face it: playing guitar in front of other people can be intimidating.

    Especially if you are fairly new to the instrument or have never been on stage before. It’s incredibly easy and natural to let the nerves get to you. What if I mess up? What if I play the wrong note? What if I sound awful?

    Jerry Seinfeld had a famous standup bit about how public speaking was most people’s worst fear — and death was only second. He made the observation that for most of us, then, we’d rather be in the coffin than doing the eulogy.

    But playing the guitar in front of a crowd can be just as scary as giving a speech. So how can you overcome that fear and get out there on stage? How can you address the negative voices in your head that cause anxiety and fear?

    As someone who has played live more times than I can count, I have a few different tips and methods to help you take a step of faith and perform for others. Or if you already do play to audiences but still struggle with stage anxiety, hopefully these tips can help you be a little less nervous next time.

    Remember that people think you’re amazing

    My main venue for playing in front of people is when I’m on the worship team at church. This is something I’ve been doing regularly since I was in high school.

    When I first started, and for a long time afterward, I would be just fine in practice. But then when Sunday morning came around, I would get nervous and make mistakes. Sometimes I would overplay, strum too hard, or just flat-out bomb (or at least I thought I did) and leave church with my proverbial head hung low. (One time I even played an entire song in the wrong key — that takes some doing.)

    But then six or seven years ago, I began to realize something: almost no one notices — or cares — when you make a mistake.

    I began to realize something: almost no one notices — or cares — when you make a mistake.

    Once I internalized this truth, I began to ease up on myself and enjoy playing live more. I didn’t worry so much about mistakes when I made them. I still sometimes get a little frustrated when I mess up, but I don’t let it ruin my day anymore.

    And I definitely still flub something up literally every time I’m on stage. Yet people still think I’m some amazing guitarist (I’m really average at best). Even when I ask, “Did you hear me mess up in [that song]?” nine times out of ten, the answer is, “No. I thought you sounded great!”

    Remember, most people in the audience don’t play your instrument and are just impressed that you are on the stage making music!

    Remember that most musicians are incredibly supportive

    Yes, there are music snobs out there. And there are also people who want to turn playing the guitar into a pissing contest. Whether you play on the worship team at church or at a club with your band, it’s possible one of these people might hear your playing and judge you and all of your flaws, presumably in a misguided attempt to feel better about themselves.

    But honestly, this is an extremely rare scenario — one I’ve never experienced, in fact.

    Every single musician I have ever met and played with has been extremely supportive. We are all part of a fraternity of people who love making music, and it’s been my experience that there’s a bit of an unspoken rule that we’ve got each others’ backs.

    Every single musician I have ever met and played with has been extremely supportive.

    And here’s another little secret — every musician I’ve played with is also just a little neurotic (including me). We all suffer from the spotlight effect and have the tendency to dissect and dwell on our own perceived mistakes way more than others’. The end result is most of the post-performance conversations I have with my bandmates involve me complimenting the other person while I talk about all the times I messed up — with my bandmates doing the same thing!

    Remember, musicians know what it’s like to perform in front of others and the self-criticism that can entail, so they generally go out of their way to try to be supportive to everyone else — especially those new to live playing.

    Use the “jump in the deep end” method

    Once you realize that no one cares if you make a mistake and most people will be extremely supportive of you even when you do, there’s only one thing left to do.

    The best way to get over the fear of playing in front of other people is to just get out and do it: Give it your best shot, mess up a bunch, and learn.

    It’s what I did, and it’s what every single musician you’ve ever seen on stage did, from the local guy playing at the farmer’s market to bands who sell out stadiums. They all had to step out in faith (and probably fear) that first time.

    Give it your best shot, mess up a bunch, and learn.

    And when you do step out and take that risk, you will find out a few things, like:

    • You can make a mistake and not die or anything.
    • Everyone in the crowd will still have fun even if you don’t nail every last chord change or solo.
    • People will still be impressed with you, even if you aren’t the living embodiment of perfection.

    Making music is about having fun

    In the end, music is about having fun. And getting the chance to be the one making the music for your friends, family, or fans is fun — so you might as well treat it as such.

    If you are holding back in fear from playing in front of other people, I’d encourage you to step out and do it anyway. It may be intimidating at first, but if you can remember these tips, you can get to the place where you will really enjoy playing live music.

    If you’re an experienced musician, what are your tips for overcoming the fear of playing live? Let us know in the comments!