4 Signs that You Might Be a Bad Guitar Player (and Solutions!)

1. Looking to become the next Yngwie Malmsteen right away. Ok, so you’ve been worshipping all these great guitarists since so long. Now that you have a guitar, you can do what you’ve always wanted to do: play just like them! However the fact of the matter is that if you overreach, you are almost guaranteed to crash and burn! The reason for this is that it is important to start off steadily, and start with the basics. Like any structure or a building, the foundation is the most important thing!  When you pick up the guitar, you need to lay a strong foundation before moving on to the advanced stuff which might be too high for your level. For a beginner to be paying the solo from ‘Fear of the Dark’, not a good idea.

2. After listening to all those musicians kill it with their guitars on stage, now you have the chance to do it yourself! Lack of patience obviously comes with the package, like trying to play advanced pieces of music note-for-note at the recorded tempo, instead of slowing them down to make them more easily playable by beginners or intermediate players. Needless to say, this is a big mistake to make. And trust me when I say this, you will make a tremendous amount of errors if you take this route. It might even result in you going on to become an error-prone guitar player. The solution is to slow down or simplify the advanced pieces of music, and practice as much as you can that way, making sure that you commit as less errors as possible.

3. Doing the above will not only make you a sloppy guitar-player, your sloppiness and the fact that you’ve become error prone will lead to an increased amount of frustration. Frustration is easily one of the worst things that could happen to a guitar player, for two reason: (1) your frustration will most certainly cause you to become even more error-prone and sloppier, and (2) frustration is THE biggest reason why most guitar player pack up shop and quit. If you’ve reached a point where you’ve become frustrated with your guitar playing exploits, maybe it’s time to start afresh. Quitting is for quitters, you still have a shot at this. Start from scratch, take it one step at a time and enjoy the process of learning how to play the guitar the right way.

4. Admitting that you have problems is the first step towards correcting yourself. However most frustrated guitar players fail to do this; they simply do not want to admit that they have problems which need to be fixed, instead coming up with ridiculous reasons why being sloppy is okay. Knowing or admitting that you have a problem is the first step towards correcting it. Being arrogant about it won’t do you any good. Instead, be more humble about it – admit that you’re doing this wrong, your approach is wrong and continuing like this will get you nowhere as a musician. Remember that Slash didn’t become Slash as soon as he picked up the guitar. It took him years before he became the musical phenom that he is today!

Now that you've admitted that you might be a terrible guitar player, why not do something about it?  You could take a guitar course like Guitar Tricks or JamPlay for example which teach you how to play guitar for a small monthly fee.  Of course, you maybe worried about what kind of value you would get from guitar lessons such as these.  But read any JamPlay review or Guitar Tricks review and you will be able to determine which of these courses will help you grow into a better guitar player.

Fender Telecaster: A Brief History

Introduction

Fender needs absolutely no introduction. Known as the company behind the ultra-popular Stratocaster, as well the company who built the first solidbody electric guitar ever, the undisputed king of electric G’s - the Telecaster! If you’re a guitarist, or just a musician, there is no way you wouldn’t know about Fender Music Instruments Corporation, and the guitars that they make!

The Fender Telecaster is one of the most iconic, legendary and well-known pieces of musical equipment out there. It is generally known to be the first ever production solid-body guitar, and hence it is the granddaddy of all modern electric guitars today!

The Telecaster was first introduced in 1952 and has since then become one of the most popular and widely used guitars in the world, along the likes of Gibson’s Les Paul, and Fender’s Stratocaster. It is used by millions all across the glob – from beginners to celebrities.

It is also one of the few guitars in the world which has a playing style associated with it. Telling someone that you are a Telecaster player, and it will most likely mean that you play either country, blues, jazz, rock n’ roll or a mixture of those genres.

History

Some of the first Telecaster ever produced – some of which that are still in existence now fetch millions of dollars! – had a yellow color, commonly referred to as ‘butterscotch blonde’. They also featured ‘blackguards’ or black pick-guards on their bodies. Their unique color, along with the pickguard, made them some of the most instantly recognizable guitars in the world.

The design was extremely simple, and remains so to this day. The design does a good job of demonstrating the genius that was Leo Fender, and it is one of the main reasons that the Telecaster has sold, and remained in production over the past six decades now!

Another important point that is a big part of the Telecaster’s history is how easy it was to produce and service. Most of the guitars during the time with hand-crafted, in a n artist-like manner, and the production of electric guitars back then was quite labor-intensive – with the use of different wood types used to make different parts of the guitar, glued-in necks and hollow bodies. The Telecasters on the other hand, had necks constructed from a single piece of maple wood, swamp-ash or alder wood was used to construct the bodies of these guitars, and maple was used to construct the Telecaster’s neck which was then bolted on to its body. All of this meant that the guitar was not only extremely simple and straightforward to use, it was also easy to use and service.

Furthermore, the Telecasters features a single-coil pickup setup, which produced an extremely unique and almost instantly-recognizable, trebly sound, which also had a lot of sustain to it – two features which have been the symbol of all Telecasters ever since their inception.

Throughout the years, the Telecasters underwent many changes and design modifications. At one point in the 50s, the Telecaster features a white-transparent-blonde body, with a white pickguard.

It is important to note that at one point, the Telecaster decided to abandon its trademark design of anchoring the strings through the guitar body (a design feature which has been responsible for Fender’s sound), and instead opted to go with a top-mounted bridge, but Fender soon decided to revert back to the original design and has stuck with it since!

The 50s also saw Fender upgrade the Telecaster’s neck rosewood fingerboard. This two-piece neck design is something which gave the guitar a much more ‘darker’ tone.

Fender also introduced the Telecaster Custom, which was a more expensive, custom-built version of the vanilla model. This custom model featured rosewood fingerboard (similar to traditional models), however it had a beautiful sunburnt-orange-yellow finish. Along with its top and back edges, this made for an attractive-looking guitar. Telecasters with maple fingerboards (with the fingerboard being a separate piece of wood this time) were also introduced in the 60s.

Another model, the Telecaster Thinline was introduced in the 60s, and featured a mahogany semi-hollow body (which understandably gave it a warmer tone), with an F-hole – design changes aimed at making the guitar lighter than its predecessor.

The 70s saw the second iteration of the Custom see the light of the day, a guitar which featured a humbucking pickup in the neck. Another new model, the Teelcaster Deluxe, featured dual humbuckers and a four-knob layout. And finally, the Telecaster Thinline with two humbuckers was also introduced. All three guitars were monumentally popular upon release, and have remained so to date.

In the 80s, after a change in ownership and there being a demand for old ‘retro’ styled guitars, Fender started producing them once again, as vintage reissue guitars – the first among them being the ’52 Telecaster. Now, anyone looking for a retro-styled Telecaster can easily get one, and many ‘reissue’ guitars (including Strats) are available out there. The reissue Telecasters include Squier models, cheaper instruments which are made in Mexico to high-end stuff like the models from the Custom Shop!

Reasons behind the Telecaster’s Popularity

The Telecaster remains one of the most highest-selling guitars of the modern era, and easily Fender’s best-selling guitar alongside Fender’s ‘Stratocaster’ line of guitars.

The Telecaster is one of the main reasons why the word ‘Fender’ is so widely-known and highly respected in the music industry.

The reasons why the Telecaster has been so popular ever since it first saw the light of day in the 50, till date, is mainly because of the simplicity of the guitar, and of course, its tone.

But perhaps the reason why the Telecaster has become an iconic piece of musical instrument, is the fact that like other great guitars of its time (the Stratocaster and the Les Paul, most notably), it was able to change and adapt according to the music that was popular at each point of time in history.

This is the reason why Telecasters have been used to play all genres ranging from Rock, Metal, Pop, Jazz, Country, Blues, Reggae and Funk, to name just a few. And used by names such as Jimmy Page, Chet Atkins, Bruce Springsteen, Deryck Whibley, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and Eddie Vedder!

Truly, an evergreen piece of instrument in the world of music!

Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Guitar Playing

If you’re looking to refine and improve your guitar-playing skills, you’ve certainly come to the right place!

Your desire to improve guitar-playing skills could have perhaps stemmed from the desire to see yourself become a better guitarist, generally speaking. Or you might want to focus your efforts on a specific problem – which could be something that you might have identified, such as remove sloppy playing, eliminate string noise and/or play the guitar more cleanly.

This following write-up is aimed towards enabling just about anyone to become a better guitar player:

1. Take a Solution-Oriented Approach: It is important to be fully aware of every aspect of your guitar-play. This includes being aware of imperfections in your technique, being able to pin-point what exactly is wrong and where those imperfections lie, and then look for solutions.

Without the ability to pin-point the problem area(s), there is absolutely no way to correct the problem or find the solution. There are two main ways of pin-pointing a problem: (a) When you play, record yourself. Especially when you play the guitar technique you want to improve upon. After the session, play it back and listen to it at a slowed-down speed. Provided that you have a good ear, you will be able to identify any inconsistencies, unclear notes, string (and other) noises between notes, and the like. It is also likely that you may or maybe not be able to hear everything or correctly, or identify your problem areas on your own. Either way, that bring us to (b) Working with a trained professional, an experienced guitarist or quite simply, a teacher. Have them evaluate your playing technique. Make sure that both – you and your instructor – are on the same page as far as identification of the problem is concerned. Once done, ask for feedback; a good instructor or a seasoned professional will not only tell you what to do, he or she will also be able to point out problems in your guitar-play that you yourself might be unaware of! I personally recommend working with experienced and trained teachers and professionals; you can learn a lot, work on your problems and improve your general guitar-play. Look for local  guitar teachers in your area, or better yet sign up for an online guitar course such as GuitarTricks.com, who have a ton (no, seriously!) of instructors to choose from.

2. Articulation: In addition to adopting a solution-oriented approach, it is also essential improve your ‘articulation’ – the first half of two-hand synchronization.

In order to be able to play the guitar cleanly, your hands should fret and pick each note at exactly the same time. This is known as synchronization. In order to improve your articulation, first off, play with a clean guitar tone during your next practice sessions, sans any distortion or effects. A clean tone will allow you to spot any imperfections easily. Secondly, play as loud as possible, so you can really ‘hear’ what happens as you play. And lastly, practice slowly and do the exact same way as you would if you were playing fast – this includes not playing with a lighter/stronger touch, weaker/strong pick attack, using the same angle and hand position as well. Using the same technique when you play fast or slow will truly allow you to enhance your guitar-play because the sound that comes out of the guitar will be the same, hence allowing you to spot any imperfections and/or problems easily.

3. Release: The ‘release’ is the second half of the two-hand synchronization, and the third-step in your journey towards cleaner guitar-play.

For many-a-guitar-players, this is hands down the hardest problems to correct – because after articulation of the note, most players tend to ignore the noise in between the notes which comes immediately after articulation. It almost never happens when you play without distortion/effects, which is why players think their guitar playing sounds clean when playing without effects, only to discover that something is wrong when they practice later on with effects and are unsure what the problem is.

Here’s the solution: first off, play with distortion but minus the effects. In addition, as described above, make sure that you play loud enough in order to be able to hear what is coming out of your amp, and play slowly without changing anything. Try picking up subtle sounds and noises in between the notes (such as ‘scratchy’ sounds). Still having a hard time picking them up? Record yourself, and play it back at one-fourth the speed (or even slower). Once you’re able to hear the scratchy sound in between the notes, and once you know what it sounds like, you’ll be able to notice it every time you practice from now on. Which of course, will allow you to fix the problem! In almost all instances, release problems are caused by making a sudden upward motion away from the string you just played after releasing a note. Your finger should instead relax and allow it to release the note, instead of pulling away from the strings abruptly or suddenly – something which is certain to cause tiredness, sloppiness during play, or ‘premature finger movement’, a major reason of scratchy sounds.

Adopting a solution-oriented approach, and working on your articulation + release will improve certain aspects of your guitar-play. You will most certainly feel like an improved player.


Here are a few articles on guitar techniques, courtesy Ultimate Guitar. Worth checking out.

In addition, if you’re committed to become a better player, believe in your ability, set goals and objectives (and measure the success or failure of those goals and objectives!), and last but most certainly not the least by any means, practice! Practicing, experimenting, working with a someone who knows his guitars (such as the instructors on GuitarTricks) and pushing your boundaries constantly will almost always make you a better guitar player!