Guitar wise......what do you know now that you didn't know 10-15 years ago ?

ESBlonde

Don't play what everyone else is doing, and certainly don't play it the way they are playing it. (I know we all have to do classic tunes in covers bands, just try and pick a few that are interesting/different without offending the sensibilities of the masses.

It's still about the spaces, teach your keys player to not use thier left hand (much) and give everyone some space for the dynamics.

All forms of music are valid, just because someone is immature enough to think thier 'latest' trendy or clique style is the only thing doesn't make it more valid ever ever.

I re - learned that going outside my comfort zone and gigging different genres makes me a better player, a better musician and I get to meet some great people.

I love singing and harmonies, I knew this before but the loss of my singing voice really brought it home to me. The value of any vocal line in a band adds so much dimension.

Use the gear you are comfortable with, but for heavens sake sort it out so that it works and can be reliably set up in very short order.

Danny1969

There are notes between notes ... a sharpened minor third for example .... I honestly never knew that till fairly recently 

Hybrid picking is by far the most efficient way to play the guitar, it should be taught from the start 

Don't fret too much on gear, put all your attention on playing the right notes .... there's an enjoyment in trying different gear but gear is like women .... you fancy something a bit different to the norm, so you have a little dalliance with something and although it's exciting for a short time you soon realise your old bit of gear wasn't half bad and often go back to it 

The only effective form of monitoring on large stages are IEM's

A basic fundamental understanding of music theory is worth a thousand times the small amount of effort it takes to learn it

You can make a living pretty much just giging if you play enough different kinds of music

Every day is a school day ... there's always someone knows the guitar parts better than I do .... luckily a lot of them are on Youtube

Yep Country guitar at the mo is at an insane skill level, not just the speed but the bending precision tone 

crunchman

ESBlonde said:

It's still about the spaces, teach your keys player to not use thier left hand (much) and give everyone some space for the dynamics.

This can be easier said than done.

I remember some training we did on band dynamics with the band at our church years ago.  The guy doing the training was a guy who had been music director at one of London's biggest churches, and before that a concert pianist.  The look on the faces of a couple of our keyboard players when he made them play with their left hand behind their backs was not something I'd want to be on the wrong end of.  I don't think there was any change in their playing afterwards.

Overplaying is huge problem for a lot of musicians.  It affects guitarists just as much as keyboard players.

Trying to record stuff can be a great help.  If you start getting too busy it sounds dreadful, and you've got to start thinking about the whole arrangement, and how the different parts fit.

ChuckManual

1) Baritone guitar is actually a thing - and quite a fun thing at that.

2) Really mega-expensive amps actually can sound that much better, unfortunately ...for my bank balance.

3) I'm never going to master those bastard Holdsworth chords. 

4) Guitar shops are not the totally hateful experience they were in the 80's. (Thank you; Coda, Peach, et al.)

5) Tobacco Sunburst is not a vomit-inducingly awful colour, beloved by old farts, that should be banished from the finish options chart of every manufacturer on the face of the Earth, on pain of death  - it's really rather quite nice ...now that I'm an old fart, myself.

Catthan

A few things..

-In a band and/or studio setting it's good to think a bit as a mixing engineer and arranger in terms of EQ and space
-Good shred-like chops are a nice to have but rarely the most valuable skill in many practical, money-making performance scenarios
-80%s of the time I'll play below my capability and that's ok and often happens to the real pros too
-Play the song, respect the arrangement, show some genre appreciation
-People will likely choose their closest gtr-playing friend over the best player they know for a project and that's ok; need to spend time networking and being part of whatever scene.
IOW, if I don't land projects it's likely (hopefully) not personal or due to skill but 'cause I don't put the effort so that people know that I'm available. 

stratman3142

Not to listen to people that say there's a right or wrong way to pick.

...and there are other electric guitars worth having, in addition to Strats.

midlifecrisis

gibsons, fenders, squires epiphones, peaveys, line 6s, marshalls, to the audience they all sound the same, most cant even tell a bass guitar fom a 6 string.. effects; distortion and delay, anything else is superfluous.

Sassafras

That I'm getting really bored with guitars. I prefer listening to music than playing it.

ourmaninthenorth

That I will continue to love playing them for the rest of my days...which won't be as hard to count as the ones behind me. 

amarok1971

Its the wizard, not the wand

mynamesnotbob

That generally I like playing music that I would probably never listen to - no idea why

aord43

RMJ said:

Buy the best guitar you can afford and stick with it. Love it. 

timhulio said:

Buy many guitars. Buy them cheap and often! They'll stop you getting bored and each brings fresh inspiration.

Hmmm?

clarkefan

1. How to play 90% of Eruption

2. That trying to play the remaining 10% is if anything more fun and educational than playing the 90%

3.  That trying to play what you desperately want to be able to play is a damn sight more important than what any tool tells you is important.

jellybelly

You can gig with 15 watts!!

Rocker

Tune up every time you pick up a guitar to play.

Use those rubber thingies to secure your strap or get larger strap buttons.

Anchor your cable between the guitar body and the strap.

Nobody gives a flying f@@k how you look if you can play the music they like.

And as many others have said, only play what the song needs.

AlexC

Audiences, for the most part, are impressed by the song, not your guitar chops. 

lustycourtier

You only need a 335. 

richardhomer

ourmaninthenorth said:

That I will continue to love playing them for the rest of my days...which won't be as hard to count as the ones behind me. 

That Paul, may well be the most pogniant thing ever written on this forum.

Hats off to you....

bigjon

A good vibrato is the key to playing solos that people will enjoy listening to.

kjdowd

1.  Learn songs. Lots and lots of songs. It's what people want to hear. Not endless widdle
2. Play with other people (as it were...) Preferably in front of other people. 
3. Play with enthusiastic people you like. And be generous and enthusiastic in return. Music should be fun, not competitive. 
4. It's been said elsewhere, but less gain!!! If someone could invent a time machine and tell my 18 year old self this, that'd be great. Thanks. 
5. To sit well in a band mix, mids is where it's at. 
6. The guitar must be f'ing loud. When your band mates beg you to turn down, they're joking, no matter how earnest they seem.