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Guitar Practice - How to Break Bad Guitar Habits and Learn Great Technique

When learning to play the guitar it can be very easy to fall into learning bad habits on the guitar.  When learning the guitar you owe it to yourself to learn the best techniques possible on the guitar.  With great technique you will be able to play faster, and more accurately. You can also withhold any possible guitar injuries that some times occur with improper playing technique.

If you believe that you have poor guitar technique, or want to improve the way you play your guitar then let’s take a look at 5 ways you can break bad guitar habits.

1. Video record yourself playing:  A great way to see if you require any technical improvement in your guitar playing is to record yourself playing. A video recording of yourself will demonstrate how you sound and look as you observe your playing technique.  Recording yourself will also allow you to watch what kind of practice habits you tend to lean towards when learning on your instrument. If you don’t have access to a video recorder you can always use a washroom mirror to watch yourself practicing. 

2. Turn the distortion off:  If you play the electric guitar then chances are you have the ability to produce distortion on your guitar.  When learning great technique on the guitar it is Imperative that you practice your guitar without any distortion.  Instead, learn your chords and scales with a nice clean tone.  Playing with a clean tone will allow you to hear any mistakes that have been made allowing you to self correct any bad notes that might be hidden when practicing with distortion.

3.  Actively practice:  Take whatever you already know on the guitar and instead of just playing the way you always play your instrument, begin to actively practice.  Every note that is played, ask yourself: “Is there another way I could be playing this?  Is there a better fingering position?  Should I be playing this scale with four fingers instead of three?”  The questions you ask yourself can go on and on, however, you will begin to re-think how you play your guitar allowing you to break any necessary guitar habits that needs to be changed.

4. Guitar instruction:  Guitar instruction is a great way to break bad habits on the guitar.  You’ll be able to see how your teacher plays the six string, and if your unsure as to how to properly position your instrument the right way you can ask your instructor the right way to play what you are learning on guitar.  You’re instructor will also want to make sure that you’re playing your instrument the right way. Be open for positive feedback from your teacher if the way you are playing something like a chord can be played better.


About the Author:

Do you want to learn more about guitar practice? Click here: FREE Guitar Lessons

Jeremiah La Follette is an experienced guitar instructor who helps guitar players unlock the secrets of learning guitar in a snap



Tags: technical improvement, learning to play the guitar, learning the guitar, four fingers, practice habits

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