Guitar world

Guitarists, 7 Ways to Improve While Not Playing Guitar

This article gives you seven useful ways to improve your guitar skills when you don't have your guitar handy. Most hobby guitarists with a day job or studies can't practice guitar for hours each day. Wouldn't it be useful if you could improve your guitar skills by working on them when you don't have your guitar? Find out how with this list of 7 ways to build your skills when you are not playing guitar.

The activities in this list will develop your playing skills, your ears and your musical knowledge. So, here's what you can do when you're not playing guitar...

Memorize the fretboard.Learn music theory.Practice reading music or tab.Visualize your guitar playing.Compose music.Memorize songs.Try to recognize intervals, notes or chords.
Let's take a look at those in more detail.

Memorize the fretboard
I don't promise you that memorizing the notes on your fretboard will turn you into Jimmy Hendrix overnight. I do tell you, though, that good knowledge of your guitar fretboard will help you to play and understand the guitar better. You can easily use mental exercises or a fretboard chart to learn the fretboard anytime, anywhere.

Learn music theory
Although guitar is essentially a practical activity, you can always benefit from some theory. Use some of your time away from the guitar to study it.

Practice reading music or tab
Guitarists have a very poor reputation when it comes to reading music. Help to combat this by learning to read music, tab, or both. Simply carry a page or a book of music and practice reading the notes when you have some spare time.

You can also carry empty tab or music paper and write down scales, chords, or licks. Who knows, you might even compose your own symphony.

Visualize your guitar playing
Visualization can help you work on many of your guitar skills and solve problems. Next time you're standing in a queue imagine a mental film of your current guitar...

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