ive been playing for about 5 years and i consider my self fairley good at it but im always looking for tips i enjoy all aspects of musical i d not discriminate unless its rap but thats different subject

What kind of ''tips'' you are looking for?
I might be able to help you

find a teacher
play with other musicians
scales scales scales scales

follow these 3 tips and youll be amazing at guitar

I can't express how important it is to play with others. You can't do everything on your own, and sense of rhythm and where you belong in a group, to me, are the most important aspects of being a performer.

But hey, you can do whatever you want musically.

learn your intervals and how to build n name chords without a book, never stop pushin and looking for weakness to improve in your own playing. learn to talk with your guitar, zappa it up. memerize scales/patterns but also in context/imply it more then a runs up or down.

had a few ideas tab out but it fails to show properly, srcew it.



-download a bpm counter and see where your tech are at, keep track and over time u can tell where your improving and what needs help.
-pick a song as a goal to play or a skill to pick up, jason becker serrana for sweeping, tommy emmanueal in general lol jk
-check out paul gilbert video lessons on youtube. theirs a bunch of cool idea and concepts for playing and lookin at music. you'll def learn something new or redefine your terms or understanding towards music n ryth
or you could sign up for his online course for $90 per 3 months n ask him for opinions/advise. Vai's course is still at berklee but hes no longer a part of it im sure but thats alot more money. tom hess articles. chops from hell. rick music theory.com, so meny sites out their for online free thoery tests and flash learn, imply what you learn and "shut up and play your guitar" lol jk zappa

This post was edited by hellshred on Jun 25 2012 10:36am

Sorry to add another question, or perhaps this needs its own thread. How crucial is a guitar teacher to learning the guitar?

It is not crucial or required - it is however a 6 month shortcut as your typical teacher will have a 3 month plan or something, clear goals to achieve in the first 6 months which will be hand position, chord fingerings and changes, picking technique etc

Just remember, some of the best players in the world have never had a lesson in their life, and some of the other best players in the world studied guitar from the beginning - so it's really upto you

Most instructors will teach you the basics, nothing you couldn't learn on your own. Music theory and chord structure.
But the most important aspect an instructor can bring to you is passion and relativity.
I have never taken a single lesson for guitar, but I did have a teacher who taught me more than that.
Relate the sounds you hear and play to life, making your playing feel like a rippling ocean, something that just pours out of you.
The relationship you build with the music you play, the small subtleties that are found in the greatest performers, that is a connection to music which is far beyond theory.
Like a great painter given a brush for the first time, you have to practice, practice, and practice.
Then when you have mastered the tools, what you create is a part of you, not just some mathematical formula built from scales.
A piece of music that can make the listeners feel, bring out emotions which overwhelm, and connect them in that moment.