5 Tips on How to Improve Your Guitar Playing

1. Start actively listening to different kinds of music

It's easy to get stuck in the bubble of a genre you love, but by doing so you close the door to new approaches. Try listening to music you don't normally listen to – jazz, flamenco, African rhythms or even electronica. Focus on guitar parts or rhythm and harmony in general. Notice how the players phrase, what chords they use, how they work with dynamics. You can often take something from a completely different genre to freshen up your playing.

2. Try open tuning – use your ears, don't drill your fingers

Open tuning can completely change the way you approach your guitar. That's why it is so inspiring to players like Keith Richards and Ben Howard. You no longer follow the learned fingerings, but you have to engage your ears and find new ways to play. Try DADGAD, open G or open C. It might be confusing at first, but it's that moment of not knowing what you're doing that makes you want to explore something new.

3. Play with random playlists and invent your own parts to songs

Try putting on a random playlist (maybe from a different genre than you normally play) and play along to it. Feel the chords, melodies, and rhythm, and try to think of something that might work – accompaniments, licks, or solos. This way of playing will teach you to respond to unfamiliar music and improvise in different styles. Plus, it will prepare you for situations where you have to come up with something new quickly – like in a jam session or the studio.

4. Try new techniques – take old lines and play them differently

Do you have your favourite licks and chord progressions? Try playing them differently. Move them to a different part of the fingerboard, use different fingerings, add more legato, try hybrid picking or slide technique. If you play a lot with a pick, try a finger technique – and vice versa. Even old stuff can sound brand new if you approach it differently.

5. Learn another instrument's part – for example, a trumpet or saxophone solo

Guitarists often pick up lines from other guitarists, but what if you tried something different? Listen to a saxophone solo by Coltrane, a trumpet line by Miles Davis or a piano part by Herbie Hancock and learn how to play it on guitar. A different instrument means a different approach to phrasing, melody and dynamics. You can learn new melodic licks and bring something unique to your playing.

The biggest shift often comes the moment you step out of your comfort zone. Don't be afraid to experiment, combine different approaches and, most importantly, enjoy playing the guitar. Maybe these tips will lead you to something that will surprise you and push you further.

So which one will you try first? Let us know in the comments below the article on Facebook.