The Six Ts to Becoming a Good Guitar Player
03/07/09 00:39 Filed in: Playing Better
Many students use the term “good” to describe a guitar player. Some will even ask what does it take to become “good.” Others want to make sure that they are on the road to being considered “good” by their peers. So for this article I wanted to address: what makes a guitar player good?
It’s a simple enough question that is often asked and I finally found a guideline that provides a succinct point of view that I humbly attribute to the great studio guitarist Michael Thompson. These are the six Ts:
Tone is not only sounding good but making proper gear choices. Our gear speaks volumes (pardon the pun) about us as players. From the way we maintain our guitars, amps and effects to how quickly we dial in the appropriate settings for the situation we happen to be playing in. Also, there is a maturity in the way that we play the notes that goes beyond our gear that is the trademark of any good player.
Touch is how well we manipulate the sound out of our instruments. From digging into that single-note funk groove to muscling that slide guitar riff to lightening the touch for fast, silky passages, all with the proper use of dynamics, it all comes down to how well we know our instruments so that we can get what we need out of them when the music calls for it.
Taste is not only knowing when to play and what to play and how to play it but also knowing when not to play. Too many amateur players can’t stop playing once they start.
Time is the ability to make the band sound good by playing with a metronomically even feel. It’s also important to be sensitive enough to the rhythm that we can play “ahead of the beat” or “behind the beat” if the music calls for it. Being a solid rhythm guitar player will also win over bass players and drummers—and these are the musicians that you want to impress. If the bass player and drummer agree that you’re a good guitar player then you’re a good guitar player.
Technique is not simply the ability to play fast, but the ability to play a part articulately and with the perfect expression. Speed is a byproduct of playing something correctly not simply regurgitating something memorized. The confidence that also occurs from playing something cleanly with expression is something that every “good” guitarist possesses.
‘Tude refers to the emphasis and accents that we put into the music. Some parts require more aggression while others need a more subtle and sensitive interpretation. ‘Tude also has another meaning: positive attitude. Remember nobody likes to spend their time around us if we’re constantly stressing or continuously negative.
I suggest that you young guns print this out and focus on one point at a time. By simply doing this you’ll be working on point 6. Old lions should take a personal assessment and see where they’ve been falling short. Just putting this list together has certainly helped me out a great deal.
Till next time
\m/
It’s a simple enough question that is often asked and I finally found a guideline that provides a succinct point of view that I humbly attribute to the great studio guitarist Michael Thompson. These are the six Ts:
1. Tone
Tone is not only sounding good but making proper gear choices. Our gear speaks volumes (pardon the pun) about us as players. From the way we maintain our guitars, amps and effects to how quickly we dial in the appropriate settings for the situation we happen to be playing in. Also, there is a maturity in the way that we play the notes that goes beyond our gear that is the trademark of any good player.
2. Touch
Touch is how well we manipulate the sound out of our instruments. From digging into that single-note funk groove to muscling that slide guitar riff to lightening the touch for fast, silky passages, all with the proper use of dynamics, it all comes down to how well we know our instruments so that we can get what we need out of them when the music calls for it.
3. Taste
Taste is not only knowing when to play and what to play and how to play it but also knowing when not to play. Too many amateur players can’t stop playing once they start.
4. Time
Time is the ability to make the band sound good by playing with a metronomically even feel. It’s also important to be sensitive enough to the rhythm that we can play “ahead of the beat” or “behind the beat” if the music calls for it. Being a solid rhythm guitar player will also win over bass players and drummers—and these are the musicians that you want to impress. If the bass player and drummer agree that you’re a good guitar player then you’re a good guitar player.
5. Technique
Technique is not simply the ability to play fast, but the ability to play a part articulately and with the perfect expression. Speed is a byproduct of playing something correctly not simply regurgitating something memorized. The confidence that also occurs from playing something cleanly with expression is something that every “good” guitarist possesses.
6. ‘Tude
‘Tude refers to the emphasis and accents that we put into the music. Some parts require more aggression while others need a more subtle and sensitive interpretation. ‘Tude also has another meaning: positive attitude. Remember nobody likes to spend their time around us if we’re constantly stressing or continuously negative.
I suggest that you young guns print this out and focus on one point at a time. By simply doing this you’ll be working on point 6. Old lions should take a personal assessment and see where they’ve been falling short. Just putting this list together has certainly helped me out a great deal.
Till next time
\m/
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