Monday, August 19, 2013
New Year New You
The new year has begun and theres always a lot of soul searching, resolution making, and bad habits that are going to be fixed. That usually lasts anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, then its back to the same old, same old. Here are a few suggestions to help you get started.
New Strings.
If your strings have not been changed since last New Years, nows the time. New strings make your guitar sound better and theyre not rusty or caked with gook. While you have them off, clean the fingerboard. I use Gibson Fingerboard conditioner which cleans the wood and adds a little moisture.
New Books or Songs.
Are you still practicing the same songs you were playing months ago? Congratulations, youve found your comfort zone! The bad news is, youre not making any progress. Yes, its fun to play songs you know well, no, you shouldnt forget about them. Think about how excited you were when you first started to play them and how happy you are now that theyre polished up and ready for public consumption. Get yourself a new book, or pick out a new song and challenge yourself a little. Maybe a different genre or something thats more technically challenging to get you to the next level.
New Guitar.
Is your old guitar kind of clunky? Does it make you want to sit down and play it or have you gotten to where you really dont like that make or model any more? If you can afford it, treat yourself to a new one. Or if you do like it, try something different. Maybe a classical guitar, a 12 string, an acoustic if you only play electric, you get the idea.
So have a wonderful New Year and dig back into playing and practicing your guitar!
