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Guest Column: Guitar Tips For The Aspiring Shaman
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Guitar Tips For The Aspiring Shaman
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by Jeff Sanders
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Page added in
April, 2003
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About the Author
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Guitarist Jeff Sanders plays psychedelic, experimental, progressive zen guitar rock with a strong emphasis on paranormal phenomena, spiritual expression, ethereality and trippiness.
His discography includes "Voices" and "Improvisations From A Void".
Visit his site Mountain Mirrors: Psychotropic Zen Guitar Rock.
Send comments or questions to Jeff Sanders.
© Jeff Sanders
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Over the years, I've been asked for tips on playing the guitar by a few people.
I don't consider myself to be a shaman
by any stretch of the imagination. I'm a messed
up cat like everyone else. But I realize and
embrace the healing power of music...
- Breathe deeply when you play! - You need to release tension.
If you watch any great guitarist jam - Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen,
Carlos Santana, etc. - you'll notice their strong
focus on breath! Besides opening up channels
to invisible forces and vibes, it actually guides your
phrazing in a beautiful way. Breath in: ease off. Breath out: Release. Try it...
- Phrase your solos! - A phrased solo always
sounds better than a frantic stream of consciousness.
Think of your solos as verbal communication. Stop for air.
Pause between sentences. People connect better with that human element.
- Embrace the ritual! - Try this: Say a prayer, wash your hands or wipe off your strings(it's symbolic of a fresh connection) every time before you practice, or light a candle.
Smoke a doobie, if that's what you're into, but always create a new beginning and an opened state of mind before you pick up your axe. Show it that it's a holy instument to you. It'll reward you for it.
- Jam along with the radio! - OK, so you won't
dig every song. It's all about versatility! Just crank the radio up and play with every song.
Don't play their lines - compliment them. Jam your ass off and make that song kick even more ass than it already does. Solo like a maniac!
- Can you whistle it? - I don't care how
billy-joe-badass you are. Don't matter if you can whittle the balls off a charging rhino. If you can't leave your guitar and whistle or hum your lines, FuGgedabout people digging it for long!
So get off your ass and pick up that guitar!
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Additional Guitar Technique Columns
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- And 285 more in the Guest Columnists category, view the index
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