Want to learn to sight read better? Try practicing music that is not originally for the guitar. This will force you out of your comfort zone. There will be no fingerings to help you, and things won’t fit neatly the way guitar music would. You will have to read in keys other than c major and a minor. This is good. Really. It will force you to make music not just wiggle your fingers. Try some flute music, some saxaphone, or if you really want a challenge try reading a piano score (both hands at the same time!) Also, transcribed Jazz solos can be really good. Here are a few good places to start.

Free Bach Scores- I love Bach. It is perhaps the most difficult and rewarding music there is.
Selected Studies for Flute, Rubank Educational Library No. 140- great collection of flute music in all 12 keys that I use to practice sight reading.
And my favorite: Bach’s Inventions- great reading material and fun, beautiful music.

This tip is for fingerstyle and classical guitarists. When it comes to plucking the strings with your fingers you want to avoid the claw. What is the claw? When you move your fingers from the inside knuckles of the finger rather than the big knuckle of the hand. Why? Two reasons.

1. The muscles used to control the large knuckle are located higher up in the arm and therefore have more seperation and endurance.

2. The tone produced by moving the fingers in towards the palm of the hand is far better than the tone produced by moving the finger up away from the strings. See the following video:

For more on this I highly recommend William Kannegiser’s Video Effortless Classical Guitar. Click on the link below for more info.

Using a metronome is crucial to developing as a guitarist for a number of reasons:

1. It forces you to keep a steady pulse. Okay, duh, but really you would be surprised how many people can’t or don’t keep a steady pace. They are racing through a tough song until BLAM, it gets tough and they slow down. You should only play a song as fast as its weakest spot allows. Use a metronome to keep you honest

2. Chart your progress. When you have been playing long enough you start to feel like you are not making any progress, like you have “hit a wall.” Use a metronome to keep track of speeds and you can chart your progress better and see small improvements. That will encourage you and contribute to your success.
There are a lot of good metronomes these days. Here are some of my favorites:

Korg MA 30 - it has a volume control (very handy) as well as the ability to sub-divide the beat or emphasize a specific time signature (e.g. 3/4 clicks BEEP-beep-beep-BEEP-beep-beep to show its in three)

Wittner Wood Metronome. I use one in my teaching studio.

There is also a free computer metronome for Windows called Hammer Head. Although I can’t say I use it since it doesn’t work for Mac. Let me know if you have tried it and it works for you.

Ever wonder why we classical guitarists sit with one foot on a foot-stool? Ever notice that the great electric guitar players (i.e. Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, and Steve Vai) assume a similar position when they are playing their most difficult material? Maybe there is something to that. Such as allowing your body weight and gravity to do a lot of work for you, therefore decreasing tension in your hands and freeing you up to play better. Look into it. For more classically inspired tips check out Sharon Isbin’s great book: