When it comes to building perfect licks and riffs, there are a few mistakes and disadvantages that are common occurrence for students in their practice routine. These problems make it less fun to play guitar, and in the long run they just add more frustration. The system outlined in this lesson will help solve these issues and add more fun to your playing in no time at all...






In this video, I start things off by teaching a simple lick and I go on to show you exactly what those disadvantages and mistakes are that lead to making your daily guitar practice frustrating.

In the lesson I explain a step-by-step process that demonstrates how to address practicing licks in a way that will create smooth perfect ideas every time. These guitar lick workout mistakes are not limited to licks only.

They can be used to help correct and build better rhythm guitar playing too. In fact, I think anyone will be able to take something away from this video that will help them instantly start having more fun playing the guitar.

WATCH THE VIDEO:




RE-DEVELOP THOSE "BAD" LICKS:
In this lesson I’m going to talk about ways you can apply to help rid yourself of the frustration that comes from playing licks badly.

I’ve had the unique experience of spending years sitting in front of hundreds of guitar students who’ve come through the doors of Creative Guitar Studio and if there’s one consistent problem that all of them have had it’s being able to clean up their guitar licks and get them up to a level of perfection.

Now, the good news is that it’s a lot easier to do this than you might think. And, to prove that to you, we’re going to run through four things in this lesson.

First we’re going to establish a guitar lick for you to learn. Then, we’re going to run through mastering the way that you would fret and finger the idea on the guitar.

Then, we’ll discuss how to master the rhythmic flow of the part in your guitar playing. And, finally, we’ll break down how to take the lick up to a much "higher" level of control.




THIS LESSONS' EXAMPLE:
First of all, let’s run through the guitar lick that we’re going to use throughout this lesson.

Lick Example:

 
ORGANIZE YOUR FINGERINGS:
One of the first things to realize (with any idea that you’re trying to master on the guitar), is that as you’re trying to reach more perfected levels of playing, the fingerings that you go with early on will be the ultimate decider of how fluid the part evolves.

When it comes down to correcting anything to do with bad playing and technical problems - your number 1 solution will come out of learning the best and most well balanced fingerings.

The bottom line is that; with poor fingerings, you’ll almost always suffer with having awkward clumsy playing. But, with well-designed (well thought out) fingerings, your execution of any guitar idea will end up feeling much easier, more flowing and more balanced.

Designing the most economical fingering might not always feel like the easiest way to play a line, but it will tend to always lead to an increase in speed along with the ability to have a lick or riff sound far more natural in the long run.

When we explore what the most efficient fretting hand fingerings would be for our guitar lick, we need to take several things into consideration.




The first confirmation of fingering organization needs to be the overall position of the melodic line. In our case, the example lick is located in the 7th position.

However, the first idea is a grace note slide. So we need to think about the position of how we begin with how we will end up after our grace note.

In other words, how will you work to attain the slide and then after playing the slide, how will you be ready for the upcoming notes?

Another idea to consider is the bend that occurs near the end of this lick. Bends (like this one that head up a whole-step), require multiple fingers on the same string and they are best approached with the ring finger.

When we approach the bend like that, the bend becomes easier, more directed, with greater note accuracy and better control. So, this means that we need a position shift. And, in order to achieve that bend with the ring finger, we’ll have to move into the 8th position.

Once we’re out of the bend and we’ve completed the arch of the whole step, the remainder of the licks notes can still be performed in the 8th position.

Here’s how everything comes together:
Take notice of the Left Hand fingerings notated under the TAB.



RHYTHMIC FEEL:
The next area I want to move onto has to do with getting a lot more rhythmic “Feel” from your guitar parts, and it all comes down to groove and mastering the level of control that you have over the technique for what it is that you’re playing.

Once you have the technique, and the rhythmic control, you’ve really moved up to a new level. And, one of the best things to consider starting with is using a drum machine over the use of a metronome.





DRUM MACHINES:
One of the best things about working with a drum loop is feeling the time and developing the sense of being able to come into the beat at the correct pulse.

A drum machine will work the best to be able to train you to count in and feel groove, plus it also allows you to speed up the beat and get more technically proficient at every idea you practice.

In the video I demonstrate this using the drum machine here in the studio so you can fully understand how all of this can come together.

I also mention a popular online drum-machine web app called "Drumbit." And, a free drum loops download available over at "Goran Grooves."

Plus, I also discuss the value in owning a table-top (studio) drum machine and I break down a few popular types like the highly functional, "Alesis SR-16," as well as, the more complex "SR-18," and the "Boss Dr. Rhythm," as well as the, "Beat Buddy," pedal. 





RECORD EVERY IDEA:
The final area I want to discuss has to do with recording yourself. There’s something amazing that happens when you set up any sort of recording device, and then hit that record button - and that red light comes on.

Once that happens and the record process is in effect, you’ll find that you get a little more nervous, your heart-rate jumps up a little bit more and the level of focus that you have over what it is you want to play shifts into a much more serious light.

When you line up all of these things, what you end up with is a far more serious environment that you have to do some of your best playing of the day within.

So, keep this in mind, and always take your guitar parts up to the next level of skill through doing the recording process.

The benefits of recording yourself are well worth the extra time it takes to set-up in your practice day. And, getting started with home recording is a lot easier than you might have thought.

You can purchase something as simple as the Focusrite Scarlett Solo Studio Kit Bundle.

It contains:

• (1) Focusrite Scarlett Solo Interface
• The CM25 Condenser Microphone
• A pair of HP60 Studio Headphones
• All Necessary Cables

With a home studio kit like this one, (above), you'll be able to record in seconds. And, the benefits of having a daily recording routine will be incredible for your skill development.