Photo by Brian
Being able to perform anytime, anywhere in any situation is one the greatest tools for a musician to acquire, maintain and to carry around in the backpocket.

A lot of guitar players have a hard time when it comes to playing or performing an entire song (let alone a couple of songs) on the spot if someone will ask them spontaneously.

They could show you some cool riffs or a nice intro, but to perform an entire song out of the blue is for many guitar players something they are not prepared for.

Some might actually be able to play an entire song but only with the backup of a band because they are used to perform like that. But dude, you got to be ready as a solo musician as well.

I’ve been there. Having played guitar for years and then people would ask me out to play and sing on the spot and I’d go like ‘Uhh what do you want me to play?, ‘I don’t know that song’ or ‘I can’t come up with anything right now.’ or some other lousy excuse. It’s just because I wasn’t prepared.

But you know what, you should be prepared. It rocks! Being prepared makes you feel confident and in control. It allows you to show who you are and what you sound like as a musician. It’s the way of being a professional.Continue Reading

Photo by Niklas Hellerstedt
As is our confidence, so is our capacity. ~ William Hazlitt

When I first started out playing on stage I was quite a shy person.

Sometimes I could be totally the opposite but many times I was just a wreck because of a lack of confidence.

I usually wasn’t at ease.

Through the years I discovered with trial and error why I always felt this nerve racking. I eventually learned to be totally happy, at ease and enjoying the experience on stage. So can you.

Here are the keys to find solid confidence on stage:

Know your material
Make sure you know your songs by heart. Know your chords, progressions, keys, scales and solos thoroughly, from top to bottom, inside out, 110%. Practice as much as possible. Get it down! If you really know your stuff you are half way there. Continue Reading

Photo by Ashley Webb
When you learn to play guitar there are moments when you’ll feel insecure or frustrated about your playing one way or another.

You might doubt if your ever gonna learn a particular piece as well as you would like to. You may feel hopeless about your technique or you might be disappointed about your overall results.

I had many doubts, I guess I was as much insecure about my playing as I was confident.

One way I overcame most of these insecurities is when I started reading and learning about how the mind works. The wisdom obtained from Zen and Taoism can make a huge difference in your playing. The other way to find solid self asteem has to do with how you practice.

Let ‘s take a look at the keys to becoming a true confident guitar player:

As you are so is the world ~ Ramana Maharshi

What does this quote teach you about guitar playing? Continue Reading