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1) Tales from the gig. Monthly feature with a lesson we can all learn from.

2) Readers questions. Answers to your questions concerning guitar related issues.

Tales From The Gig

Recently our regular drummer went on vacation so we had to use subs on a couple of gigs. It's really interesting to have someone different come in and join the band for a couple of nights.

It always amazes me how each player has his own unique feel and approach to playing tunes. All of a sudden, a tune that you have fallen into a rut on, takes on a whole new life. Even an old standby like Mustang Sally is instantly transformed into something different.

Now maybe the rhythm part that you've been playing for months doesn't quite fit anymore. You have to adapt, use your creativity and come up with something new. You actually have to listen to what's going on. There's a novel idea, actually listening to what the other people in the band are playing.

You have to go beyond your comfort zone!

For me, this is really apparent when a song is played at a different tempo, either faster or slower. I often find myself struggling a bit when the tempo is not comfortable, especially when it's on the slow side. Unexpectedly, those old familiar licks and phrases don't fit anymore. I have a tendency to rush and try to push the tempo.

To stretch your comfort zone try the following. When you are practicing at home, play licks and scales at different tempos. As fast as you can play is not always the best. If you find yourself always playing the same things over and over, make a conscious effort to try something different.

If you play in a band try playing your songs at a different tempo on purpose. Try playing really slow or really fast. Notice how this changes the song and maybe stretches your comfort zone. Even if you would never do it that way on a gig, try it in practice to see what you can learn from it.

I hope this helps give you some ideas to improve your playing. Good luck in stretching your comfort zone.

Best wishes,

Bob

Reader Questions

Good question Sean. The answer is no, you do not have to learn how to read music in order to play guitar. With all of the materials available today like videos, dvd's and books full of tablature you do not have to learn how to read music.

It all depends on your goals as a guitar player. Many adults don't have the time to learn to read music. They just want to play a few songs and learn a few chords. That works great for them.

I always encourage all of my students to learn how to read, but if they don't want to then I won't force it. Tablature is a great learning device but it has its shortcomings. If you don't know the song that is tabbed out and you don't know how to read rhythms, it's just a bunch of meaningless numbers on a page.

Also the written note is still the standard form of communication among professional musicians. You won't be able to go to a recording session and find a song in tablature to play. I have been able to get lots of extra work over the years because I can read music.

If you think you want to make a career in music, then by all means learn how to read. Even if you don't intend to become a professional musician, I still encourage you to learn how to read music. It will give you valuable insight into how music is structured, and in the long run that will make you a better guitarist and musician.

Best of all, to learn how to read only takes a few minutes a day. If you devote ten minutes a day to reading you will be surprised at how fast you will learn. The book I recommend is Music Reading For Guitar. You can get at Sheet Music Plus.

Good Playin,

Bob

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I really appreciate any comments both good and bad that you might have.

If you have any comments at all let me have it right between the eyes.

To your guitar playing success.

Best wishes,

Bob