If you’re a guitar player, have you ever looked at yourself and say, “Gee, I’m not that good and don’t know what I’m doing”. I’ve been feeling like that just recently. I look at my own guitar playing and think I could get a lot better than I was before. In the past, I would just use the guitar as a tool to write songs with. Now I want to take the guitar more seriously and become an actual “guitar player”. I started looking at every aspect of my guitar playing. I started taking everything seriously. I started to look at my rhythm playing. In the past, I didn’t know how to tell time when playing rhythm guitar so in the past few years I’ve started studying timing like 8th notes, 16th notes and all that stuff. Started playing with a metronome more often and that helped me.

I started looking at my techniques more seriously like how I could improve my vibrato, string-bending, hammer-ons, pull-offs, etc. I started studying scales and trying to memorize them. I also started taking music theory more seriously and started studying that a lot too. I’m no music theory wiz yet but I’m getting there, though. Learning music theory isn’t really all that hard. In my opinion, every musician should know music theory. You should at least have every note on the fretboard memorized by heart like I do. I’m also trying to get good at ear training and improvisation which I’m also improving on.

You have to look at every aspect in your playing even if it’s the smallest things. I feel that I’m okay at guitar playing but I could get a lot better and trying.

If you’re a guitar player yourself and if you feel that you aren’t any good and don’t know what you’re doing… don’t fret. I have heard from many guitar player who claims they aren’t good and they just too shy to move forward and improve themselves. There is always ways to improve your musicianship. You just gotta believe in yourself and stay dedicated. I’ve even seen some guitar players just give up what they do ’cause they find it boring.

If you wanna become great, you can’t give up. You gotta practice. Practicing is key to getting great, there’s no other way around it. Musicians claim they don’t practice but don’t buy into their lies. I practice guitar everyday. I wanna play fast guitar and shred but I still got long ways to go to even get there. I can play guitar moderately fast but I’m no speed demon yet like Yngwie Malmsteen or Joe Satriani. I can only play around 100 – 105 bpm on the metronome. I can’t play up to 240 bpm yet but I wanna get there. To play fast on the guitar, you gotta start real slow on the metronome and build your way up.

I’m trying all I can to get good. You should keep trying too.

Most musicians ignore the art of ear training and improvisation but not me. I’m really studying that and trying to have a good ear in music. I mean, if you wanna play in a band, you have to have a good ear. I wanna jam and rock out. Like I said, there are always ways to get better and improve yourself musically. The reason I’m trying to improve my musicianship is so I can write better songs. That’s pretty much the only reason. I also want to play some badass and facemelting guitar solos too.

I’m so focused on my guitar playing lately and it’s feeling really good!

Kev