How to Become a Better Electric Guitarist

electric guitarist
Adobestock #338589391

Share

3. Invest in different pieces of gear.

No serious studio guitarist has just one guitar and one amp. Most have dozens of guitars, at least a half a dozen amps, and a wide variety of effects pedals to pull from. Can great music be made with just one guitar and amp? Absolutely. But when we’re talking about being a serious session player, particularly an electric guitarist, you’ve got to be able to get a lot of different tones. Some of that comes from your fingers, but the gear matters, too. The electric guitar, probably like no other instrument in the band, has the exciting and difficult job of creating interesting sounds and textures that can give very different vibes to different songs. The same two notes, based on what effects you’re playing them through, can set a completely different mood. I always tell people to start slow with your purchases. Experiment with different amps to see what they really sound like. Try different pedals and guitars and find their nuances. Look at what bands of the past have used for gear, and then listen to their albums. Part of becoming a serious studio electric guitarist is getting a ‘tone education.’ Yes, it can be expensive, but you can build your gear list slowly. Buy good used stuff when possible, so that if you don’t love it later on, hopefully you can sell it and not lose money.

4. Finally, work on playing counter-melodies.

A lot of playing electric guitar is the stuff in-between all-out soloing and just chord playing. Think of an amazing symphony where instruments are playing different counter-melodies over each other. I try to think like that as a guitarist, only on a smaller scale. If everyone in the band is just playing the chord changes with each other, the music will start to sound very mechanical and robotic. Look for melodic hooks and riffs that give the listener something more than chords to listen to. But make sure your counter-melodies don’t fight with the main vocal melodies—another important reason to listen to what’s going on around you and not just play as a soloist. It’s helpful to buy a loop sampler pedal so you can record different chord changes and then work on coming up with “parts” over them. It can be a very helpful tool for coming up with different counter-melodic parts, and unless you have a good friend who can comp G, C, and D for you for hours on end, a loop sampler pedal is worth having.

Continue Reading...

bkauflin@churchleaders.com'
Bob Kauflinhttp://www.worshipmatters.com
Bob Kauflin currently has the privilege of serving as the Director of Worship Development for Sovereign Grace Ministries. © Sovereign Grace Ministries. WorshipMatters.com. Used by permission.

Read more

Latest Articles