The Three Golden Rules

There are three golden rules that I think are very important to adhere to if you are going to start developing your chops (guitarist slang word for technique).

• Practice the right thing.

Do not let yourself make any mistakes while working on technique. Do things very carefully, because there is no point in working a lot on developing a bad habit into a perfect bad habit!

• Start new things very slowly and only speed up when it's perfect.

Speed comes with time and a little help from a metronome, but fast runs must be played smoothly, accurately and clearly or they sound rubbish. The amazing thing about the really technical guitarists like Steve Vai or Eric Johnson is not just how fast they play but how cleanly they play. Slow it down to half or quarter speed and you can hear every note clearly - that is what you should be aiming for. Clarity.

• Keep all movements to an absolute minimum.

Try and keep all movements as small and accurate as possible. Try not to let your fingers fly too far away from the fingerboard, or to 'point away'. Also try and keep your picking under control using only the tip of the pick and mot moving it too far from the string.

About technique development...

Pretty much everyone needs to develop their technique in order to execute the music that they wish to perform. It is no good having a great idea in your head and not be able to get it out, and you will probably find that there are many songs that you want to play but are not physically capable of yet.

Technique development is the physical development of your hands (and to some extent you body) so that you can play things that you want to play.

For demanding styles (like jazz and fast metal) it is essential to develop your technique to a high level, and then maintain it. Even if this is not your thing, it is a good idea to get you technical ability higher than you need it - so that it will sound easy and smooth when you play.