How-To "Play With Feeling"

Question 1

How-To Practice “Vibrato” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 1

How-To Practice “Vibrato” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Vibrato involves slightly bending and releasing the string repeatedly, creating a fluctuation in pitch. It adds emotion and expressiveness to sustained notes.
• Instructions: Apply gentle pressure to bend the string, and use your wrist or fingers to create a smooth, controlled oscillation.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 2

How-To Practice “Bending” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 2

How-To Practice “Bending” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Bending involves pushing or pulling the string to raise its pitch, often to a target note. This technique can express tension and release.
• Instructions: Use your fingers to bend the string upward or downward while keeping the note in tune. Practice bending to specific pitch intervals, like a full step or half step.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 3

How-To Practice “Slides” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 3

How-To Practice “Slides” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Sliding smoothly between two notes on the same string adds a fluid, connected feel to your playing.
• Instructions: Start by playing a note and, without lifting your finger, slide up or down to the next note, maintaining contact with the string.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 4

How-To Practice “Legato (Hammer-ons and Pull-offs)” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 4

How-To Practice “Legato (Hammer-ons and Pull-offs)” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Legato playing connects notes smoothly, creating a flowing sound. Hammer-ons and pull-offs are key techniques for legato.
• Instructions: For hammer-ons, firmly press a higher note with a fretting finger after plucking a lower note. For pull-offs, pluck the string with a fretting finger and then quickly release it to sound a lower note.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 5

How-To Practice “Dynamics” To Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 5

How-To Practice “Dynamics” To Play With Feeling

• Description: Varying the volume of your playing (from soft to loud) can evoke different emotions and add depth to your music.
• Instructions: Use lighter or heavier picking or plucking, and adjust the intensity of your fretting hand to control dynamics.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 6

How-To Practice “Palm Muting” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 6

How-To Practice “Palm Muting” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Palm muting dampens the strings with the side of your picking hand, creating a percussive, muffled sound. It can convey a sense of tension or control.
• Instructions: Rest the side of your palm lightly on the strings near the bridge and pick the strings. Adjust the pressure for the desired muting effect.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 7

How-To Practice “Raking” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 7

How-To Practice “Raking” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Raking involves muting all but the target note and dragging the pick across the strings, creating a percussive buildup.
• Instructions: Mute the strings with your fretting hand, except for the target note, and rake the pick across the strings toward the target note.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 8

How-To Practice “Harmonics” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 8

How-To Practice “Harmonics” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Harmonics produce bell-like tones by lightly touching the string at specific points, dividing the string into segments.
• Instructions: Gently touch the string at the 12th, 7th, or 5th fret without pressing down, and pick the string to produce a harmonic.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 9

How-To Practice “Pinch Harmonics” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 9

How-To Practice “Pinch Harmonics” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Pinch harmonics create a high-pitched, squealing sound by striking the string with both the pick and thumb.
• Instructions: After picking a note, quickly brush the string with your thumb to produce the harmonic. Experiment with different picking hand positions for various harmonics.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 10

How-To Practice “Phrasing” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 10

How-To Practice “Phrasing” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Phrasing is the way you structure and articulate your musical ideas. It’s essential for conveying emotion and storytelling in your solos and melodies.
• Instructions: Focus on the rhythm, timing, and dynamics of your playing. Use pauses, bends, and vibrato to shape your phrases.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 11

How-To Practice “Expression through Note Length” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 11

How-To Practice “Expression through Note Length” to Play With Feeling

• Description: The duration of each note can convey different emotions. Short, staccato notes can feel sharp and aggressive, while longer notes can feel more contemplative or intense.
• Instructions: Experiment with holding notes longer or cutting them short to match the emotion you want to express.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 12

How-To Practice “Melodic Embellishments” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 12

How-To Practice “Melodic Embellishments” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Adding grace notes, trills, and other melodic ornaments can enhance the expressiveness of your playing.
• Instructions: Incorporate quick slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, or grace notes into your melodies to add texture and emotion.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 13

How-To Practice “Arpeggios” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 13

How-To Practice “Arpeggios” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Arpeggios break up chords into individual notes, creating a flowing and lyrical sound that can be very expressive.
• Instructions: Pick each note of a chord in sequence, either ascending or descending, while maintaining a smooth, connected sound.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 14

How-To Practice “Fingerpicking” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 14

How-To Practice “Fingerpicking” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Fingerpicking allows for a more nuanced and dynamic control over the guitar strings, often used in softer, more intimate music.
• Instructions: Use your thumb for bass notes and your fingers for the higher strings. Practice different fingerpicking patterns to develop control and fluidity.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 15

How-To Practice “String Skipping” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 15

How-To Practice “String Skipping” to Play With Feeling

• Description: String skipping adds unpredictability and variety to your playing by jumping over strings, creating a wider intervallic leap.
• Instructions: Practice scales or arpeggios while skipping strings, focusing on accuracy and timing to keep the melody flowing.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 16

How-To Practice “Double Stops” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 16

How-To Practice “Double Stops” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Double stops involve playing two notes simultaneously, often adding harmony and richness to your playing.
• Instructions: Practice playing intervals (like thirds or sixths) on adjacent strings, ensuring both notes are in tune and well-balanced.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 17

How-To Practice “Chromatic Passing Notes” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 17

How-To Practice “Chromatic Passing Notes” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Chromatic notes that don’t belong to the key can add tension and release, enhancing the emotional impact of your playing.
• Instructions: Incorporate chromatic notes between scale tones in your melodies or solos, resolving them back to a diatonic note for a smooth finish.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 18

How-To Practice “Sustain” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 18

How-To Practice “Sustain” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Holding a note longer can emphasize its emotional weight, especially in solos or lead lines.
• Instructions: Focus on maintaining pressure on the fret and applying vibrato as needed to let the note ring out with full resonance.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 19

How-To Practice “Pedal Tones” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 19

How-To Practice “Pedal Tones” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Pedal tones involve sustaining or repeating a single note while other notes or chords change around it, adding tension or a droning effect.
• Instructions: Choose a note to sustain and play it while moving other notes or chords, creating a dynamic contrast between the moving parts and the static pedal tone.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.

Question 20

How-To Practice “Rhythmic Variation” to Play With Feeling
An essential method & technique for “Playing With Feeling”. How do you practice to master this technique and create a rich and emotionally resonant guitar playing style?

Answer 20

How-To Practice “Rhythmic Variation” to Play With Feeling

• Description: Changing the rhythm within a phrase can bring new life to a melody and express different emotions.
• Instructions: Experiment with syncopation, changing the timing of notes, or varying the pace within your phrases to add interest and emotion.

Integrating this technique into your practice routine will help you make considerable progress in mastering the guitar. By mastering this technique, you will be able to convey a wide range of feelings and connect deeply with the music and instrument, and with your listener.