All of us want to get better---right? Well, knowledge is power my friend! Knowing WHAT to practice is half of the battle. The other half is exercising the discipline to actually practice it! In this article I'm going to share some pointers that will help you a) become more proficient at picking, and b) become a better "practicer" (I know that's not a real word---but you get the point).

FOUR THINGS YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE YOUR GUITAR PLAYING

FIRST: Take a little time and research these picking/playing styles:

1. Legato - a technique that involves very little picking and relies heavily upon hammer-ons and pull-offs. When mastered it will infuse a very fluid quality to your lead playing. George Lynch and Randy Rhoads are great examples of a players who uses legato very well.

2. Alternate Picking - a technique that calls the player to be very diligent in straight down/up picking. This technique adds a sense of "aggession" and edge" to your playing. Zakk Wylde is a great example of a player who has mastered this technique.

3. Economy Picking - a technique that involves elements of both alternate and sweep picking. sweep The sweep picking elements - once mastered will allows you to play a flurry of notes at a speed that would be very difficult to match using just alternate picking. This technique is used a lot by neo-classical shredders. Yngwie Malmsteen is an example of a player who uses this technique to the max.

These three techniques are among the most popular and each will add a new dimension to your playing. As you research these out on the web you'll discover a lot of exercises you can do that will help you master each technique.

SECOND: Get a metronome. You can download free metronomes all over the web -- just do a search for "free metronome". Or you can purchase a nice one at your local music store for $15-$20. Using a metronome will help you improve your playing speed. And it will also force you to play "in time" -- an essential skill for any musician.

THIRD: Apply the "Pareto principle" (also known as the 80/20 rule) to your practices. This is an incredible principle. You can look it up on the web to learn more--but, here's how it applies to your guitar playing: You should spend 80 jamming on the things you can already do well. This kind of discipline will vastly increase the effectiveness of your practice time! Even if you only have 20 minutes on some days--if you concentrate on the things you want

to improve on for 80% of your time you will experience positive results much faster.

FOURTH: Find a good guitar teacher and learn all you can from them. Reading guitar-oriented articles and watching free guitar-lesson video lessons is all great. And you can pick up lots of really helpful tips and tricks. But if you ever really want to "put it all together" and truly develop your playing to a high level-you need to sit under the tutelage of a professional teacher who will take the time to analyze your playing and work out a systematic plan to get you where you want to be as a guitarist.

Hope that helps---happy practicing!

Rock on Dude!