How to Get Better at Guitar

Summary

Years ago I watched a video where guitar teacher Justin Sandercoe explained a way to get better at guitar. It has changed my playing, and it might change yours, too. This isn’t my idea; it’s Justin’s. You should watch his video and visit his website. Why am I writing about it, then? Because I think it’s an invaluable idea, and I want to extend its reach and offer my testimony. VIDEO Note: This post is part of April Cools, where writers publish something sincere but different from their usual work. I hope you find it interesting. The Way I Learned Then: Tabs# I grew up with a bunch of kids who played music— guitar, drums, and bass. We were nerds in garages, making noise. This was the 90’s, when magazines like Guitar World were in their heyday. These magazines contained pages of tablature, or tabs, of the latest songs, and we couldn’t wait to get the newest publications. This was pre-widespread internet, so these tabs were hard to find. And yet, once I’d purchased the magazine, did I learn “Eruption”? No, I didn’t. It didn’t translate to mastery. The Way I Learn Now: Listening & Transcribing# When we think about the guitar greats, we might ask, how did they get great? And we know the answer. They didn’t read tabs. They listened to music and imitated what they heard. That’s what you need to do. If you want to learn a song and get better, here’s the plan. Pick an easy song— not “Eruption”. Songs like these: Metal: “Breaking the Law”, Judas Priest Pop: “The Distance”, Cake Rock: “The Ghost of Tom Joad”, Rage Against the Machine These songs have some things in common: simple riffs, mostly using one note at a time, mostly in one part of the guitar neck. Next, get a piece of tab paper. When I started learning this technique, I printed off a couple dozen pages of blank tabs. Hit “play” on the song with your guitar in your hand, tab paper on the table, and a pencil. When you hear the first guitar note, stop the song, find the note on the guitar, and write it down. Hit “play” ...