How to improve your playing in 30 days

In my quest to get my playing back up to where it was, I have gone back to an old faithful. This book WILL MAKE YOU TECHNICALLY BETTER. that doesn't mean you will be a better musician, but anyways....

30-Day Guitar Workout

This is not an affiliate review type thing. I genuinely think that all guitarists should own this book. It will not teach you a thing about theory or and chops or licks, but it will make you change the way you look at what your hands do. I've used this book to great success in the past and hopefully I will again.

Basically, it's an exercise program for you hands. It will help you with your hand strength, stamina, and best of all, a thing they call "finger independence". Right from the first warm up exercise you will begin to use your left hand differently, and trust me, for most of us that is a good thing.

So see if you can get yourself a copy of this book. You will not regret it.

Instructional videos thought.

I am definitely the sort of person that can pick up how to do almost anything very quickly if you show me. So you would think that I would love instructional guitar DVD's and be the worlds best guitarist. But alas no, and I'll explain why. The clip below is from the upcoming Robert Johnson DVD from Note4Note.

I just can't following it. When each note is played individually I get lost, musically, on where I am up to. For some reason with guitar I work best with the tab and the licks and phrases separated, rather than note for note. I get much more out of a lesson when I'm "why" something is played a certain way. See this clip below of the great Stevie Ray Vaughan:

I get much more out of video like that. What about you?

Diesel Instructional DVD

Diesel has always been one of my favourite guitarists. Even back in the "Injectors" days, I found myself rocking out to the blues rock styling of the man in question. So the news that he was bringing out an instructional DVD had me salivating profusely. Diesel is without a doubt one of the most underrated guitarists/singers in the world today. His solo performances are something not to be missed.

Diesel is currently touring around Australia with the following dates.

FRI. 16/11
MAROOCHYDORE SANDS TAVERN - MAROOCHYDORE (QLD)
BAND - TIX (07) 5443-7944

SAT. 17/11
THE GLOBE THEATRE - FORTITUDE VALLEY (QLD)
BAND - TIX (07) 3844-4751 or www.globetheatre.com.au

SUN. 18/11
THE AIRPORT TAVERN - COOLANGATTA AIRPORT (QLD)
BAND - TIX (07) 5536-8650

THU. 29/11
ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL - FESTIVAL THEATRE, ADELAIDE
SOLO - TIX www.adelaideguitarfestival.com.au

DECEMBER

SUN. 2/12
ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL - ELDER PARK
SOLO - TIX www.adelaideguitarfestival.com.au

SAT. 8/12
ANNANDALE HOTEL - ANNANDALE (NSW)
BAND - TIX (02) 9550-1078 or www.annandalehotel.com

WED. 12/12
WOOL EXCHANGE - GEELONG (VIC)
BAND - TIX (03) 5224-2400 or www.woolexchange.com.au

FRI. 14/12
MILANO'S - BRIGHTON (VIC)
BAND - TIX (03) 9592-3555 or www.milanos.com.au

SAT. 15/12
PALAIS HEPBURN SPRINGS - HEPBURN SPRINGS (VIC)
SOLO - TIX (03) 5348-4849 or www.thepalais.com.au

SUN. 16/12
THE NEW CAPERS - HAWTHORN (VIC)
SOLO - TIX (03) 9819-1797 or www.newcapers.com.au

THU. 20/12, FRI. 21/12, SAT. 22/12 & SUN. 23/12 - SOLD OUT
LIZOTTES RESTAURANT - KINCUMBER (NSW)
BAND - TIX (02) 4368-2017 OR www.lizottes.com.au

TUE. 25/12
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE - PEACE & SAFE TRAVELS!!!

2008 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

JANUARY

THU. 10/1, FRI. 11/1, SAT. 12/1 & SUN. 13/1
BRASS MONKEY - CRONULLA (NSW)
SOLO - TIX (02) 9544-3844 or www.brassmonkey.com.au

THU. 17/1 & FRI. 18/1
LIZOTTES RESTAURANT - KINCUMBER (NSW)
BAND - TIX (02) 4368-2017 OR www.lizottes.com.au

SAT. 19/1
ANNIE'S LANE WINERY - CLARE VALLEY (SA)
BAND - TIX www.adayonthegreen.com.au
A/A HOODOO GURUS, THIRSTY MERC

THU. 24/1
MANNUM RIVER LOCAL COMMUNITY FESTIVAL - MARY ANN RESERVE (SA)
BAND - TIX www.tourdownunder.com.au

FEBRUARY

SAT. 2/2
ALL SAINTS ESTATE - RUTHERGLEN (VIC)
BAND - TIX www.adayonthegreen.com.au
A/A HOODOO GURUS, THIRSTY MERC

How to fake being a better guitarist in five simple steps PART 2 of 2

Last time I talked about looking the part with good equipment to come across professionally, and ways to get up to speed on your singing. This week, I’m going to share some simple but often ignored pieces of information that can really push the impression you make from just a guitar player, to a fully fledged musician.
3. Be in tune

This is possible the most obvious tip but you would be surprised how many people don't follow it. NEVER EVER trust your ears for tuning when you are playing with or in front of people. You may think you sound perfectly in tune and at the same time you are sending someone (most likely me) up the wall. A floor tuner like the Boss TU-2 is a necessity. And don't skimp on a cheap one. They usually have little to no shielding and introduce noise into your rig.

There is more to tuning though than the open strings. Your guitar's intonation needs to be accurate as well. There is no point being in tune until you solo and then you are out of tune up the neck because your guitar's intonation is shot. Check it now. Hit a string open, and then do the harmonic at the 12th fret. Is it the exact same note (only an octave higher)? Chances are it's not and it will be noticed. There are plenty of guides on line that show you how to intonate your guitars, but it is worth getting it done properly (something that even I still do). Read more

How to fake being a better guitarist in five simple steps PART 1 of 2

You spend five hours a day playing your guitar. You run your scales, master your legato, your two hand tapping would make EVH blush. So why is it that every time you see a band playing at a bar with a guitarist with only a smidgen of your technical ability he is the centre of attention, garnering the praise of all the punters in the crowd?

Wait a minute. Isn't that the band that you tried out for the other week? The same band that said "don't call us, we'll call you"? The same band that was witness to your smoking 32nd note Lydian masterpiece solo?

Yeah it is, and you got smoked because the guitarist on stage knows how to fake being better than they actually are.

It's not a hard thing to do. I should know, I've done it for years. I'm the first to admit to being an "average" guitarist (actually, I've been practicing a lot lately and now would call myself an "above average" player, but that is another column in the works). Despite being average, I would get a lot of people, drunken punters, other musicians, women, all approach me after shows proclaiming how good I am. Like most of my ex-girlfriends, I've been faking it all along. And now I am going to teach you how to do the same.

Over the next two weeks, I will share with you my five secret tips to help you Fake Being A Better Guitarist. We’ll start today with tip #1 an #2. Read more