Play Better Guitar By Practicing For Your Audience

Practice, of course, is the key. Just as your practice helps you play guitar better it will also make your audience skills better, too.

Have you ever seen someone play guitar and admired the easy stage presence of the performer? Some performers seem naturally relaxed and engaged with their audience right from the start of the concert.

Is this how your performances begin? Or are you one of those guitarists that annoys the audience as you fiddle with your equipment before you begin to play?

This routine will also make you better prepared. When you "introduce yourself" in this way you must be ready to play. This will soon get you into the habit of tuning your guitar, setting your amplifier and deciding what you're going to play in advance of every performance.

You might be someone who does not find it easy to relax and banter with the audience. But that doesn't have to spoil your performances. You can improve your audience skills in the same way that you improve your guitar playing.

From Player to Performer

Copyright (c) 2008, Gary Fletcher

Remember that musical performance is about communication between the players and the audience. The guitar is just a tool, and not the end of the experience in itself. If you get that idea then you are well on the way to creating engaging musical experiences that people will enjoy participating in.

Play Better Guitar By Practicing For Your Audience

When you start to practice, imagine that you're stepping up in front of an audience. Take the time to "look them in the eye", say "hello" and introduce yourself, and then begin playing.

A really simple way to include performance practice in your routine is to treat each guitar practice as a performance.

Practice Makes Perfect

Conclusion

You might feel a little silly at first, but it takes only a few moments. Repeat your introduction each time you practice guitar. You will develop a habit that you won't forget when you're trembling with nerves in front of a real audience.

Improving your audience skills will increase not only your enjoyment as well as your audience's. Your playing will also benefit as you'll feel more relaxed when you perform. This article has shown you one simple and very effective technique that will let you build your own. Now, as usual, it's up to you to practice and improve.

Starting your practice session by thinking of your audience will also help you become a better performer. You're playing for people and not just the piece of wood with strings in your hands. If you practice to play for people then your performances will be for people.