Okay, we all know that learning guitar, starting a band, and writing your own music is hard. And it gets exponentially harder as we add more people. The more personalities involved, the more people either want to help or do absolutely nothing, which forces forces some decisions to be made by you, the guitarist or bassist that started it all. This article explains some of the work required to becoming a working professional, and to continually improve our aptitude on guitar, learn about gear, and optimize our tone. Who knew it was going to be this hard? Like anything, if you want to do something well and compete in a world where thousands of players are doing the same thing, we have to get to work. Creative and fun work, yes, but work nonetheless.

Get a Guitar, Start a Band, Make Millions

Blind Blake was one of the pioneers of country blues. He had a lot of time to get really good.

Well, if it were that easy, everyone would do it. About 30 years ago, when MTV still played videos, it seemed like anyone could join successful bands. It was all so easy – learn a few chords, get some leopard-print spandex, a case of hairspray, and Party All the Time. While this was far from the recipe for success, it certainly looked as though that was all you needed. If we go back further, to the jazz age of the 20s to the 50s, guitarists didn’t really worry about their ‘image’ as much as they did in the MTV era. Truth be told, it seemed easier back then. Players were judged on essentially two things: if they were easy to work with, and if they could read the music in front of them. While playing in a band has changed for guitarists and the need to read jazz charts has vanished from popular music, the ability to be easy to work with is probably still the #1 characteristic we look for in any musician. No one wants a difficult personality, much less having to work with someone who has one. If you have been told you have one, you are going to have to have enough money to pay the rest of the band very well, or learn how to play solo. And if you are are a guitarist or bassist playing with someone who is difficult, either get paid a lot or move on. Come to think of it, it is probably good advice for any job, although I admit my experience in the ‘real working’ (non-music) world is limited.

Buy A Guitar To Punish Your Mom

The first electric guitar soloist, Charlie Christian, learned to solo by listening to horn players.

It starts with playing. Or, to be more accurate, it starts with some really bad playing. But we have to go through that to come out on the other side. Yes, I know: we all want to be at the top of the mountain, but there is a distance we must cross first. Learn the trade, and learn the language so you can musically communicate with other musicians. Be open to listening and playing music you don’t know much about, as there is a lot to learn outside of our own experience. Yes, this means time with the guitar. A lot. A lot of solitary time learning how to play this confounded thing. Get a teacher, get books, watch videos, and play with other people. Record all.the.time. Listen to music when you are not playing and try to understand how it was written and arranged. A musician needs every skill  he/she can acquire, and the more we know about the musical world, the better prepared we are to live in it.

Learn About Your Tools

A Quarter Pound humbucker? What does that sound like?

We live in an exciting time for musicians. We have instant access to information which will allow us to make informed decisions about the tools we use. Guitar, amp, and pedal reviews are everywhere. We can ask those who have learned some of these skills before us in user forums. We can read about the gear that our favorite guitarists use in magazines. In our journey to Find Our Own Tone, you will come to decisions about the sound you hear in your head. From choice of guitar, to pickups, to strings, to amps, to guitar pedals – everyone has an opinion, and their opinion may only be what is right for them. It is up to you to decide what will work for you, with the disclaimer that it is usually always a work in progress: The stuff you love in your 20s won’t always be the same as what you like in your 40s. The successful guitarists usually start with copying a famous GuitarStar’s tone, but then evolve to something unique unto them. If we aspire to be like these trailblazers, our job doesn’t end with getting the same gear and learning their licks. It starts there, and then it is up to us to blaze our own trail for the guitarists who come after us.

Fear the Ruler

Tal Farlow had hands so big, that he invented chords only he could play. And he was so fast! Dude!

Yeah, there are tons of websites which proclaim that you could be a Guitar Solo God with only four notes, but there ain’t no shortcuts here, baby. You might buy a hand strengthener, practice visualizing fretting patterns while in the car, and subscribe to every guitar magazine there ever was, but that is no substitute for time with your guitar. It’s like reading about driving: until you’re behind the wheel of a car, you won’t really understand driving, no matter how many books you read or how long you hang around the car dealership. Practicing things like scales, chord progressions, improvisation, applied music theory, writing, recording and performing with other people is the best way to acquire the skills of a pro. Sure, there are examples of successful guitarists who didn’t know much music theory or don’t always improvise …but why limit yourself? In order to be heard in a worldwide sea of YouTube sensations, we need every advantage we can get. This might mean going to a teacher or school to learn, or learning on your own. It is all important, as long as you are learning.

Back in the Day

Big Bill Broonzy refined country blues and had a voice like Nat King Cole.

Guitarists from way back when were good. Terrifyingly good. To most people, this doesn’t make much sense. Today’s guitarists have those ol’ guys to learn from, and we have the internet. We can order tab and sheet music from almost every song, and if not, there is some person on YouTube explaining how to play it. We have tablature now, pedal forums, and guitar magazines. While many guitarists today spend a great deal of time reading and watching videos about guitar, those players back then were playing. In bigger cities, they were playing as many as seven sets a night, and then going to open jams in the wee hours of the morning. They were playing complex music too, and having to learn how to live and travel with other musicians with very different personalities. The were less concerned with being the big star, and more on their individuality and their contributions to music. Of course they didn’t have cell phones or the internet, and life was a lot slower, and probably more boring. So, they played. A lot. They may have specialized in one kind of music, but they knew enough to get buy with many types so they could get more gigs. There are a lot more techniques and tones available today, so our work is harder. We should at least understand them all, rather than dismiss them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IID2JPnGF00
What is your practice regimen like? Did (or do) you take lessons? Are you learning on your own?