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Posted by: Niles W on 2008-05-12, 20:24:16
Rock is a pretty big blanket term, so its hard to say, technique-wise. Every guitar player's focus regardless of style should be tone and accuracy. Don't try to play fast as possible. In fact, you should play slowly with a metronome, only increasing tempo when you are able to play a piece with zero mistakes. Yes, you should definitely practice your chords, as they are the basis of most western music. But again, the focus is tone and accuracy; making sure you play the chord precisely at the right time, letting it ring out for the proper amount of time, and making it sound NICE AND CLEAR. And always nail those changes. Make sure your transition between chords sounds nice and smooth! All too often novice guitarists will release grip on a chord prematurely in anticipation of moving to the next chord. Sure, you should always be anticipating your next note, but not at the expense of musicality. Pay special attention to the tension in your fretting hand. Your hand should stay nice and relaxed. This sounds mundane but its absolutely paramount. Most new guitar players would assume they don't have too much tension in their left hands simply because they are so used to playing with that kind of tension. Check your left hand from time to time while playing and make sure that you are keeping your hand loose and relaxed. It should not take much effort at all to depress a string behind the fret, even if the action on the guitar is kind of high. You shouldn't be squeezing the neck of the guitar. Your wrist should not be bent, and the palm of your hand (most of the time) shouldn't be right against the back of the neck. You should also make sure to always arch your fingers when you play. Only the very tip of your finger should be contacting the string. Also, if you are curious about learning to play lead guitar, learning and practicing your scales, and learning how they relate to progressions is a good idea. |
