Here’s a list of 10 improvement tips I put together that you can start implementing right away.

At the bottom of this post, you’ll find two audio files summarizing everything in depth too!

1. Practice Everyday
2. Learn theory and how chords and scales are built instead of just knowing them!
3. Find patterns to help you learn chords and how they change relations and roles in other keys.
4. Learn all major, natural minor, melodic minor, harmonic minor, blues, and pentatonic scales.
5. Take the scales and learn all major, minor, diminished, augmented, and seventh chords. Once you know your scales, you will find it quite easy to convert them into chords.
6. Practice speed (play exercises increasing in speed as you progress!)
7. When listening to songs, try figuring out the chord progressions in your head. Once you have an idea of how the song is played, start transferring your thoughts to the piano. It works!
8. Try to learn as many songs, standards, and hymns as possible (especially, if you’re a jazz or gospel musician). Jazz musicians should know as many jazz standards as possible. Gospel musicians must know as many hymnals because you never know when someone wants you to accompany them!
9. Exercise your gift - Show your gift off! Play at church, jazz clubs, festivals, gigs, and more!
10. Never think you know too much. In music, there is never “too much” to learn. Keep your mind and ears open to new techniques!

Here are two audio files summarizing the 10 tips. They come from an e-mail series I send out regularly to new students:

http://www.hearandplay.com/audio-message/10tips1
http://www.hearandplay.com/audio-message/10tips2

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If you want to develop a great sound when you play, having a guitar that is properly tuned is an absolute MUST. Now, there are a few simple instructions that need to be followed so that the guitar can be tuned the correctly. The guitar tuning basics of an open string guitar are listed below:

1. E : this is the thickest string, it is also the lowest sounding string and is the sixth string on the fret board.

2. A : this is the fifth string

3. D : this is the fourth string

4. G : this is the third string

5. B : this is the second string

6. E : this is the first string and it is
also the thinnest

Tuning a guitar ensures that the strings provide the right note and pitch each and every time. I know you’re probably asking, what do you use to do the actual tuning.

Well, the part of the guitar that you use to do the actual tuning are called the tuning pegs. And these “tuning pegs” have to be altered to provide the right note.

3 Types of Tuning:

a. Reference Tuning (tune the guitar’s strings to another source)

b. Relative Tuning (must have at least one of your strings in tune
with a reliable external source)

c. Electronic Tuning (have a more precise pitch than a pitch pipe)

There is a basic tuning standard that all guitarists need to follow; this can be used for all guitar tunings. But on the other hand, some guitarists use an alternative style and hence tune their guitars with that particular sound in mind. For example, blues guitarists and finger stylists use altered tunings. It can be used irrespective whether the guitarist is a novice or experienced.

The other source here can be any musical instrument, like a piano or even another guitar. The pitch of the reference instrument is played and then it is followed the guitar is tuned accordingly.

The hardest form of tuning is relative tuning. This is done without the help of any reference. Hence it becomes extremely difficult for a new guitar player to be able to tune his guitar.

Lastly, it is electronic tuning. This is the easiest and most simple way to tune your guitar. If you have an electronic guitar then you can use the electronic tuner. It is even better if you have a good or the best electronic guitar.

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