George Avouris:My Top 6 Tips For Guitarists

1. Practice Every Day
   If you love playing guitar you must practice constantly. It does not matter if your internet guitar videos are being viewed by thousand people or if you have managed to make money as a musician. You must always be focused in music and in things that you do not know very well. Your practice time depends from you. Personally, I would suggest 3 hours but if you can work carefully for 1 hour eventually you will do something useful.
2. Always Ask
   let’s assume that you rehearse with a group as a session musician. Won’t you start making questions in order to understand what do they need or what they do not? If you cannot play specific music parts won’t you ask them to repeat those again? Questions are vital and important to any job that we do as humans. If you don’t ask you will always be lost in space. So dare to ask. The more questions you make the more respect you will receive.
3. Never Mix Business With Flirt
   If your bandmate is a woman and you like her do not flirt with her. You play with her because she wants you to write music, to jam, to record and to play live. If she wanted a boyfriend, she would have shown you different signs in that case. So never mix business with flirt. Never.
4. Look After Your Equipment
   If you are working hard for a studio recording or leaving for a tour look after your equipment. An unstable sounding guitar will be obvious to everyone while you play. If your strings are weak while you play change them. If your pedal board has a serious error or your pedals do not work as they used to go to your technician immediately. If you play with a certain 100watt amp and you need it for the tour but something is wrong about it take it to the service. Imagine your gear as your car that you often take it to the garage to change the oil, to check the brakes, to check the suspension, to check the a/c etc.
5. Do Not Think When You Play
   Whatever you do leave yourself free and play loose with no use of great strength. Do not fear the mistakes no matter if you gawk while you listen them. For example, let’s assume that you have not used a jazz melodic scale in a jazz standard cover through your improvisation. Do not worry about it. Play it again and challenge yourself. Even the greatest musician can make a mistake while he plays a solo.
6. Never Miss The Big Picture
   Whatever you record or you rehearse with your bandmates one thing is certain. The Big Picture. Never lose the view of it. The final result of your work lies to this fact. Think of all the combined positive elements of the instruments that participate in your music and try to be honest with yourself and then with the listeners. If you do not, you will miss the train.

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