A Question For The Guru - How Do I Find Similar Musicians?

Hi Bob.

I got a question, its not really about my playing abilities, its about what I want to play. I've been playing guitar for about 8 years now, and have always wanted to play with other musicians of the same style or genre of music that im into. The thing is its pretty rare to find people who want to play like this, alot of people around here claim they can, but just happend to not know what their talking about which is a real waste of time for me. I'm a neo-classical/shredder type guitarist, I like playing stuff like Yngwie Malmsteen, Impellitteri, Michael Angelo, Vinnie Moore, Rusty Cooley, Jason Becker,ect. I've played with other bands and people, but get bored really fast because of the style/genre, although playing them is not a problem, I've also tried to find people who don't even know how to play anything at all and teach them, but they always want to learn punk or something along those lines.

Derek

Hey Derek:

You’re not alone. Many a musician has stood in your shoes facing the same dilemma.

“How do I find musicians of my caliber who wish to play the same style of music?”

This question becomes exceptionally difficult to answer when considering your musical influences and the type of music that you find motivating. It’s not like your interests and skills fall along the more simple formats of rock and roll, like cheesy pop punk or basic blues. You happen to be influenced by very skilled players who use their technical ability to its full advantage when creating and playing music.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with this, in fact it is quit admirable, however it does diminish the size of the talent pool considerably. This type of a musicianship is very rare, as you have encountered.

Trying to train relatively unskilled musicians in your style of music is ambitious to say the least.

I’m not surprised it hasn’t really panned out. While your familiarity with this genre is obvious, musicians who are new to their instrument will find this style of music to be very hard to digest. Indeed, they will consider it an almost impossible mountain to climb. Imagine trying to comprehend Rusty or Vinnie’s technique when you were barely crunching out your first pentatonic box. It would be like a three year old trying to comprehend training to run a marathon. The goal would seem so far off in the distance that it would be almost impossible for most people to use as motivation.

The roots of rock and roll were grown in simplicity and that aspect of the music is quit appealing to both musicians and listeners alike. Many a great rock song could be played by a blind man with only two working fingers and a three chord vocabulary, and I love that aspect of rock and roll. New musicians can be almost instantly rewarded by learning simple rock and roll licks and that’s a good thing too. If they find it fun and it motivates them to keep playing, then more power to them. Perhaps one day they will find themselves on a similar path to yours.

So, this leaves us with your predicament. How do you find musicians with your same skill level and interests?

In your case, the answer is almost too easy.

The common denominator amongst the entire list of guitarists you mentioned is their almost insane desire and ability to learn and practice. These are all musicians who are very dedicated to their craft and the musicians who would enjoy playing with them would certainly be of the same mindset. We are talking about hard core students of their instruments; serious practicing musicians.

And where do we find serious practicing musicians?

These guys are hungry for knowledge and they will seek places that can give it to them.

Certainly, they will be hovering around the local music school waiting to take their next lesson.Your local University will have a music department, as will your local junior college, make it a point to go visit, take a lesson, sign up for a class. Remember, learning music isn’t always about studying only your favorite style, it’s about growing musically, and this is done by studying many styles. Practicing musicians might be taking a classical class, or music theory, jazz, improvisation, you name it. You don’t need to be a full-time student to take these classes, you don’t even have to be of college age; you just need the desire to learn.

Another great place to find these guys is at your local music stores in-store event. Often, professional players are required as part of their endorsement deals to tour these local stores and do in-store clinics. Knowledge hungry players of all calibers will flock to these events hoping to catch an eyeful of a new technique or trade secret.

Whatever you do, don’t limit yourself to only guitarists or players who work in your favorite style of music, check out drummers and bass players of all styles and genres.Your next bass player might very well be bellied up to the front starring wide eyed at Billy Sheehan’s amazing techniques, I know I was. Maybe your next drummer is digging the Tamma clinic run by Jason Bittner or Kenny Aronoff.

Now, depending on where you live, you might need to drive into the larger cities where the bigger in-store clinics happen more often. Get on their mailing lists and check the store flyers for more info. Trust me, they want you to come. Manufacturer websites are often quick to promote these events as well. Check out the “Artists” links. Fall is a great time of year for these clinics as the manufacturers are trying to push products for the holidays.

I’m sure you can see the trend here.

Just go to where the learning is happening, and there you will find serious practicing musicians of all kinds and calibers.

The other important point to all of this that I feel compelled to make is that very often these dedicated practicing musicians are somewhat introverted socially.

(Yes, I know, Yngwie “I’m a major cocky jackass” Malmsteen would definitely be an exception)

They tend to be low key soft spoken guys and will most likely not be running around talking to strangers. I guess that all goes along with the personality type that can sit in their room working new scales or paradiddles for 8 hours every day. You’re going to need to be a little more aggressive in your social skills to engage these players. However, I have yet to meet a skilled player who won’t open right up when talking about what music is motivating them, or what they are studying lately.

These guys/girls are not hard to spot. You’ll see an intense look of concentration on their face when their watching the clinic. You might even see them crack a smile when they are impressed with a musical phrase. They definitely won’t be the posers standing in the back of the crowd talking to their 3 friends about how they could do it better. Avoid those boners like the plague.

Aside from schools, clinics, and the odd online learning forum, another great option for forming a band can be classifieds. A quick search on Google for Musician Classifieds will bring up several popular options like: bandmix.com and jamconnect.com.

Another great option for local classifieds is Craigslist.org.

Many a great band was formed thanks to a crappy classified ad soliciting a new member. It can work, however be ready for lots of posers, losers, wannabees, and slackers.

(Wait, I just described my first high school band)

If all else fails, desperate times call for desperate measures.

When you head off to the next Outworld concert, you could always have a black t-shirt printed up with large neon green letters that say “I need a damn drummer and bass player”. This trick can also work for attracting groupies and sugar mommas; however the quality of the catch is questionable.

Seriously, I can tell from your influences that you are on an excellent musical path. Others are walking similar paths right now and I’m sure they would be very interested to know that you are as well.

The bottom line here is that you need to do a little networking. Put yourself in the position to talk to people with similar interests. Go to the places of learning, place the classified ads, and don’t be afraid to start up a musical conversation or two.

I’m confident that your band is out there right now just waiting to tear the roof off your next gig.

Just remember to hook your ol’ buddy Bob Narley up with a backstage pass.

Oh yeah, and be sure to lie to the groupies when they ask you my age.

An Open Mind to New Music

Someone once said, “Music is life”. While that might seem as a very broad description to rookie players, any veteran would probably nod his head in agreement. Every culture, every generation, every musician, has their own way of interpreting their life, feelings, emotions, pain, and happiness, into their own music. By opening your mind and allowing yourself to listen, to really listen, to the many different styles of music that is available, you are allowing yourself to grow as a musician in ways that a narrower minded musician might never understand.

Whenever I meet a new student for the first time I usually ask them who they are influenced by musically. What kind of music do they like to listen to? Who are their favorite bands and Guitarists? More often than not, I hear a very narrow list, and almost always it’s from the same musical genre. “I like Punk, Blink 182, and Green Day” or “I’m really into System of a Down, Soil, and Disturbed”.

When I ask an accomplished guitarist this same question, more often than not, I will get an answer that covers a much wider range of musical influences. “I’ve been studying Luigi Boccherini lately, and listening to George Benson, Louis Armstrong, and Corrosion of Conformity.”

(Flash back to 6 years old at the dinner table)

“How do you know you don’t like Peas if you never try them?” My mom said while waving her boney finger in my direction.

As much as I hate to admit it, my mom was right. How would I know?

By listening to other writers and musicians and their various approaches to creating their own unique style of music, you are opening your mind up to new ideas and possibilities that you might never have discovered on your own.

It’s a fact, we are all influenced by that which we are exposed to, and these influences will always manifest themselves in our music. It’s a good thing, even if the influences begin to border on obsessions, it’s all good. Just remember, there is a whole huge world full of different sounds and styles, tones and tempos, grooves and guidelines, all combined in the most unusual and creative ways. Expose yourself to as much as you can, soak it all up, take a great big swallow and you will be rewarded handsomely, I promise.

The Metronome is Your Friend

Ah, the Metronome. The name itself reminds me of a 2 foot high, cross-dressing hair stylist from Scotland, who sports a long white beard and goes by the name of Chris.
(Note to self: call china and begin production of The Metro-Gnome, these are going to sell like hotcakes.)

Actually, a Metronome is a portable device that is used to provide an audible click, or tone, at a set BPM, or Beats per Minute. They all have the option to adjust the tempo, or BMP, from very slow (40 BPM), to very fast (Over 208 BPM). Different models offer higher degrees of tempo adjustment, and some even offer tuning and volume adjustments. They range in price from around $14 all the way to over $150.

As musicians, we use Metronome’s to practice our songs and exercises at precise tempos in order to help build rhythm and perfect the performance or exercise.

To some, the Metronome is a haunting device that brings fear and panic to even the most seasoned players. Guitarists looking for the quickest possible path to glory often sidestep practices involving a Metronome. BIG MISTAKE. The result is poor meter and huge cost overruns at the recording studio as they wrestle with laying their parts down to a click track for the first time. Trust me, I know, I have tried to record drummers who have had this problem. Not only are they fully embarrassed by their obvious lack of tempo but they also become frustrated and tired as the continuously attempt what they should have already learned.

Please, don’t be the musician that ends up standing alone in the recording booth with his headphones on shrugging his shoulders as they enter the 5 hour of trying to lay down his simple 3 minute guitar track. (ca-ching). The recording studio is a very expensive place for learning how to play to a Metronome or Click-Track.

Performance Tip: Before going into a recording studio, learn to play all of your parts with a Metronome. You technique will improve as will your confidence to perform with a constant click tempo playing in the background. In fact, bring a metronome to your next band practice and have your band mates prove to you that they can play their parts to a click-track, especially your drummer. This little piece of advice can save you thousands of dollars.

(Climbing back down off the soap box)

O.k., besides saving you from looking like a jackass in the recording studio, the Metronome has a useful purpose in your daily practice. Let’s go over some ways that we can incorporate the Metronome into our practices. By now, you should have a series of daily exercises incorporated into your practice. If not, check out my post “Finger Exercise for Strength and Speed”.

A Free Metronome - http://www.metronomeonline.com/

Slow it down – The idea is to set the Metronome to its slowest setting, usually around 40 BPM, and practice your exercise at this speed until you can play it perfectly. Play 1 note to each click. Your note and the click should sound off at the exact same time.

Practice Tip: One of the hardest parts to playing with a metronome, or click-track, is over listening. If you are playing in perfect time, you will not hear the click; it will blend perfectly into your notes and almost disappear. When this happens, some guitarists will panic thinking that they are now OFF TIME and wait to hear the click. Many musicians focus so hard on the click that they end up playing their part a microsecond too late. It’s like they wait for the click and then play, worried that if they don’t hear the click than their timing will be off. Don’t panic if you don’t hear the click, it most likely means your playing perfectly, and that’s a good thing.

Speed it up – Once you have perfected your performance at the slowest setting, it’s now time to start speeding it up, but only a little bit at a time. Move the metronome up to the next setting, maybe 42 or 44 BPM. Play it again. Once you have it perfect, speed it up again.

Use this technique for practicing exercises, songs, scales, and even your coolest licks. Every single top guitarist has written that this is the technique that they HAD to use in order to develop their excellent picking techniques and playing ability. IT WORKS!

Speed Kills – Anybody can play fast. Big deal! Speed is never an indicator of skill, often it is just the opposite. It’s very easy to hide slop and flubs in fast playing. Even tempo fluctuations are easily hidden in fast playing.

Be the Turtle – Go Slow! Take your time! Slow and steady is key. By going slow, you can focus on perfect technique, hand position, picking style. DON”T PRACTICE MAKING MISTAKES.



Homework:

Beginners: From now on, all of your exercises should be performed to a Metronome. Always start on the slowest setting and work you way faster only after you can perform it PERFECTLY. Concentrate on good technique. Your goal is to take an exercise from 40 BPM to 60 BPM. I know you can do it.

Intermediate: Have you been using a metronome? I bet not. Well, it’s time you started and not a minute too late. Your homework is to prove that you can slow it down. Take a song you know by heart, and slow it down to 50 BPM. Can you still play it perfectly? Are you in time? If not, practice it until you can play it perfectly at 50 BPM, then move it up to 60 BPM, and so on, and so on.

Like the beginners, I want you to start all of your exercises at 40 BPM, however you should be able to advance them, 10 BPM at a time, up to 100 BPM. Concentrate on your picking technique and hand placement. You are surely going to start to see some bad habits by using this technique. The rule of thumb is, if you make a mistake, you finish the exercise; however you must do it again at the same tempo until you get it perfect. It’s not easy, but you can do it.

Advanced: I would hope that most advanced guitarists have already mastered the metronome and its use; however that is often NOT the case. Prove to yourself that you have mastered the metronome. You should be able to do any exercise from 40 BPM up to at least 160 BPM or higher. Most likely, the very slow tempos are going to cause you the most problems. Imagine that? Don’t skimp on this, try everything at 40 BPM and see what happens. PROVE that you can do it slow, as that is the mark of a truly advanced guitarist.

Practice advanced rhythm patterns at the various tempos. Triplets and sixteenth notes sound different and have a different feel at the different tempos. Once again, I guarantee that the slower speeds are going to throw you. Try counting the advanced tempos out loud as you perform. 1 te ta and a two te ta. Etc.

I wasn’t kidding when I said that all of the top rated guitarist contribute metronome work as THE KEY to proper picking technique and lick speed. Try your favorite licks at normal speed, and then try them slower. What do you see? Try to play as fast as you can, with no metronome. How are you holding your pick? How are you striking the string? Is it different that when you play slow? Both hands techniques should be consistent across all tempos. If not, then you know what your homework is.

Finally:

Hard work, especially on the more boring of exercises and techniques, really pays off in the long run. Unfortunately, many guitarists choose to skimp on these sorts of things, and end up paying the price later on. The end result can be embarrassment, as in the case of the jackass in the recording studio, or extreme frustration, as is most often the case with seasoned musicians who try to overcome bad habits acquired early in their practices. By using steady proven learning methods, such as regularly working with a metronome, you will build a stronger foundation of skill that will allow you to progress faster and learn at a higher rate than those musicians who decided to skimp on the basics.

Be the smart musician, you’ll be thankful for it 5 years down the road.

Share the Music!

One of the most important concepts for any aspiring guitarist to learn is too “Share the Music”.

There are many cool perks that come along the title of Musician, or in our case the label of Guitarist. Sure, many a stone-washed long hair in the local cover band has downed a few free pitchers of beer while talking the hot waitress into a steamy late night rendezvous back at his bachelor pad, but that’s not the perk I’m talking about (Well, at least not while my wife is reading this). The perk that I’m talking about is the wealth of free information that is available to you from other musicians. From the moment that you picked up the guitar and played your first C chord, you became a life member in one of the oldest, yet most dysfunctional family’s on Earth, The Musicians.

(Cue Brady Bunch Theme)

Thousands of years, and countless generations of musicians have preceded you down the musical evolutionary scale, and the collective experience gained from this journey is invaluable. Inside each individual player is a library of amazing knowledge combined with their own unique perspective, and it’s available to you, right now, for the sharing.

Sitting down and playing with another musician is probably one of the most efficient ways to learn your instrument, even if they aren’t as experienced as you. What? Huh? Seriously, there have been many times during the course of a lesson, or jam session with a friend, that I have picked up on something that I haven’t thought of before, or even seen an idea in a whole new light. Remember this young Jedi, there is always a lesson to be learned, even from a student or less skilled player.

O.K., now you noticed that I said “Share the Music”, and not “Steal the Music”. Even though our musical family is as dysfunctional as any family could possibly be, we still have a code that we live by. Think of it as your family responsibilities. Just as big brothers teach their little brothers to tie their shoes correctly, or how to hold a baseball bat, you have the responsibility, or duty, to Share your knowledge with those around you. Trust me when I tell you that it is an honor more than a duty. Just as you share your sound with the rest of the band, you should share your abilities with other guitarists around you. The whole idea of music is to share your sound, in a positive way, and contribute to the sound of the whole.

Let me now give you an example of what I’m NOT talking about. Everybody has seen these guys; two guys, standing in the back of the audience at the local bar. They have their arms crossed in front of their chest and are staring blankly at the band, every so often they lean over to comment to each other on how they could do it better, or how this sucked, or how the band sucks. They exist in the crowd like a big black hole of negative energy, confident that they are the superior musicians in the room, and it’s only a matter of time until the great mystical record label fairy will be drawn to their obvious talent and sign them on the spot to a lifelong record contract. They stare at the fingers of the guitarist on stage, trying to grab any little trick or scale that they can figure out and add it to their secret little black book of guitar knowledge.

These poor guys are the ones who will never share their knowledge with anybody. Truly, they have no idea what it’s all about. They consider the collective skills that they have learned as a golden goose that should never be shown to anybody else, in the fear that they might give the other guitarist an advantage over them, thus loosing their self imposed rank, and with it their imaginary status in our family. You know what? These are the guys who placed the ad in your local newspaper looking for a new guitarist saying “Must have look and attitude”. If you ever see that ad, run!

(In my best Yoda voice) Remember, there is always another who has more knowledge and skills than you. It is the wise guitarist who understands that there is always more to learn, and shares what they have learned with those around them. There is knowledge in the sharing.

All right! I think you have point. I’ll climb off my soap box now.

Today’s homework! Go share the music! Show your buddy a different way to play an E7 chord, or how to tie the strings on his new guitar. Sit in with a group of blue grass players out in the parking lot of your local festival and you will really learn something about sharing. Applaud the skills of those around you, and never be too proud to ask for advice or an explanation. And the next time your at your local music store, and that same young kid is sitting there in the corner, with a guitar that he can’t afford, struggling through a choppy version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, instead of laughing as you walk away, walk on over, pat him on the back, and tell him “Man, that’s starting to really come along, good job.” We are all on the same musical journey and we could all use a little help.

The gifts that you share today will echo through the generations of musicians that have yet still to come. You’re a member of our family now, and I’m counting on you to do your part.

Now go get me a beer, it’s your turn to mow the lawn.

Finger Exercise for Strength and Speed.

Here is a great exercise that will develop both your finger strength and speed. It’s also great for helping create the independence of movement between the different fingers.

This exercise was taught too me by a popular classical guitar instructor. I don’t remember the story exactly, however it goes something like this. A classical guitarist was falsely imprisoned long ago. He was unable to bring a guitar with him into the prison, and not wanting to loose his skills he needed a way to practice. He developed this simple technique using only a small plank of wood. According to the story, when the man was finally released from prison 8 years later, he bragged that this exercise allowed him to actually gain strength and skill. He actually came out a better guitarist than when he went in. Or so they say.

I have mentioned this exercise before, but in case you missed it, I highly recommend that every guitarist use this for their warm up or as part of their daily practice.

The idea is to work every finger on every fret. Remember that your fingers are numbered 1 through 4 with 1 being your pointer and 4 being your pinky.

Start on the 6th string, 1st fret, with your 1st finger. Play the note
While keeping the 1st finger pressed, press your 2nd finger down on the 2nd fret. Play the note.
Keep both fingers pressed, now 3rd finger 3rd fret. Play note.
Keep all 3 fingers pressed, now 4th finger 4th fret. Play note
Keep all 4 fingers pressed, release 4th finger. Play note

Here’s the pattern. Continue playing just like I have written. Make sure to keep your fingers pressed even though they are behind the fretted note.

1 2 3 4
4 3 2 1
1 4 3 4 2 4 3 4

repeat this on every string, moving starting with the 6 string and working your way to high E, or the first string. Then, move up one fret, and repeat.

This exercise should be repeated on every string, on every fret, up and down the neck.

You’ll be amazed at how much you will improve after just one week of incorporating this exercise into your regular practice routine.

Want to take it to the next level?
After you do a run while picking each individual note. Try a run while just picking the first note and using hammer on’s and pull off’s to play the rest without picking any more notes. This will really cause you to increase speed.

I have posted the tab for this excersie below. Good luck.

Track 1

E------------------------------------------------------------------
B------------------------------------------------------------------
G------------------------------------------------------------------
D------------------------------------------------------------------
A------------------------------------------------------------------
E--1----2----3----4------4----3----2----1------1----4----3----4----



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------1----2----3----4------4----3----2----1----
--2----4----3----4------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------1----2----3----4----
--1----4----3----4------2----4----3----4--------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--4----3----2----1------1----4----3----4------2----4----3----4----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--1----2----3----4------4----3----2----1------1----4----3----4----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------1----2----3----4------4----3----2----1----
--2----4----3----4------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



----------------------------------------------1----2----3----4----
--1----4----3----4------2----4----3----4--------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



--4----3----2----1------1----4----3----4------2----4----3----4----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



--2----3----4----5------5----4----3----2------2----5----4----5----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



--3----5----4----5------------------------------------------------
------------------------2----3----4----5------5----4----4----2----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
--2----5----4----5------3----5----4----5--------------------------
----------------------------------------------2----3----4----5----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--5----4----3----2------2----5----4----5------3----5----4----5----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--2----3----4----5------5----4----3----2------2----5----4----5----
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--3----5----4----5------------------------------------------------
------------------------2----3----4----5------5----4----3----2----
------------------------------------------------------------------



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--2----5----4----5------3----5----4----5--------------------------
----------------------------------------------2----3----4----5----



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--5----4----3----2------2----5----4----5------3----5----4----5----



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
--3----4----5----6------6----5----4----3------3----6----5----6----



------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------3----4----5----6------6----5----4----3----
--4----6----5----6------------------------------------------------



--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
--3----6----5----6------4----6----5----6----------
--------------------------------------------------


Follow the pattern and continue up the whole neck and then back again.

Guitar Camp at UWGB

Hey Midwest Guitar Freaks….

I just got some great information from Gibson about an awesome guitar camp going on at University of Wisconsin- Green Bay. Work on your chops and eat some cheese while enjoying the great state of Wisconsin...


The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) has opened registration for the UWGB Summer Guitar Camp, where they'll give away an ES-333 in Worn Brown to one lucky camper during the week. The camp is headed up by camp director Bob Balsley, also a recording and guitar instructor at UW, and offers instruction for music genres including jazz, pop, rock, R&B, classical and many others. Beginning to advanced guitar students from 8th to 12th grade will attend clinics taught by professional clinicians as well as performances and jam sessions with camp faculty and special guests.

Stop looking at your guitar!

Let go young Jedi.. trust the.. guitar.

I don't care if your a seasoned player, or if you have just picked up the guitar for the first time, one of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to stop watching yourself play guitar. Sure, it's hard, and your going to make some really horrible sounding mistakes at first, but if you stop looking at your fingers and the fret board, you'll free yourself and play better. I know, it sounds like some crazy Jedi training, or metaphysical mumbo jumbo, but it's not. If you practice your guitar without looking at it, your fingers will eventually find the right place, you'll hear what your playing better, and you will become a better guitarist.

Think about it, Ray Charles, Jeff Healey, and so many other great musicians are all blind. They are unencumbered by watching themselves play their instruments, and they are all excellent players. Why? Because your eye will lie to you. Your eyes will talk to your brain and say things like "Hey man, there is no way I can make my fingers stretch that far!", or "There is no way I can play that fast!". Freeing yourself from watching your instrument allows your brain to concentrate on more important matters, like your tone, or tempo, the overall sound of the band, or the hotty in the front row. Looking at your hands while you play can actually become a crutch that will hold you back.

Seriously, it's all about freeing your mind.

It is easier to do than you think. The hardest part is believing that you can do it.

Your muscles have memory, and they will remember where to go, even better than if your eyes try to show them. Once the muscles in your fingers and arms know where they should be, they will go right back to it, every single time, without even thinking about it. Now, that's when you will really start to play.

Here are some ideas for you to try at home.

Beginners Homework:

Beginning guitarists should start with a very easy chord progression. ex. G A D
I know that playing chords can be very hard at first, and you probably don't have the shape memorized just yet. Here's what I want you to do. Use your chord chart, or song book, whatever it is that you like, and lay it out in front of you. Play it through the chord progression once while looking, only if you have to. Now, this time, don't look and play the first chord. GO SLOW. Stare at the wall in front of you, or close your eyes. If your having a hard time finding the right notes with your fingers, keep trying without looking, until you find it. Imagine the chord shape in your head. Look at your chord chart if you need to. You will notice that you can feel the fret board better. It will seem different, out of proportion somehow, but it isn't different. Try pressing down on the strings lighter, see how soft you can press before you can't hear the note

• Learn to play these major chords, in the first position, without looking. C, D, E, F, G, A
• Play 3 chord progression, all without looking. ex. G, C, D
• The Chromatic Scale - Play each note, on every string, with every finger, all without looking. ex.. on the low E.. play frets 1,2,3,4 with fingers 1,2,3,4. repeat on all 6 strings. then do it backwards, on every string.

Intermediate Homework:

• Learn to play an entire song without looking, from beginning to end, no mistakes. Any song, but make it a simple song.
• Play the pentatonic scale, in all positions(boxes), up and down, without looking.
  Move between the positions without looking.

Advanced Homework:

• As an advanced guitarist who has not yet learned to play without looking, you will find this to be a very difficult task for some things and quit easy for others. You have a bad habit, and now you will have a hard time breaking it. The hardest part for you will be hearing yourself play bad and knowing that if you just look you will sound better. You will be tempted to give up because you will hate the fact that you are sucking. DON'T GIVE UP! If/when you make a mistake, just keep trying to find the right note, without looking. I have seen advanced guitarists make huge progress by learning to play without looking, it's a great way to get out of a playing rut. You will learn faster, play faster, smoother, and begin to play on a whole new advanced level. It's worth the effort.
• start by doing the chromatic scale up and down the neck, one position at a time. No looking, ever.
• Play an entire song without looking. Play it until you play it perfect, and only then move on to another song.
• Learn to play every scale, in every key, in every position, without looking. Start with the pentatonic, move on from there.

One of my favorite guitarists is Jimi Hendrix. Jimi could play the guitar behind his head, under his leg, all without looking. I heard Stevie Ray Vaughan comment on that very thing, saying that it was the key to playing Hendrix correctly. Notice that Stevie Ray didn't need to look either.

Once you learn how to do this, you will play so much better. Beginners will learn faster and progress faster, and advanced guitarists will quickly jump to a whole new amazing level. The hardest part is to not get discouraged.

You can do this. I know you can. Good Luck!