If you are just starting out, the open mic night will give you a chance to gain experience, try out new material, receive feedback and perhaps, if you are lucky, play a great local gig and start establishing a small fanbase. Here then are some tips on proper etiquette for a successful open mic night.

Bad habits can become ingrained and are sometimes hard to break. Correcting them as soon as they crop up, or better still, avoiding them entirely, is essential if you are to keep on track to becoming the guitarist you've set out to be. Here then are ten common mistakes many beginning guitarists (and some seasoned ones as well) make, and suggestions for how you can overcome them.

Have you ever envied someone who has the ability to listen to a piece of music once and then instantly replicate the tune on the guitar? Chances are your problems are not due to a lack of creativity, but rather an undeveloped ear.

Did you know that playing the guitar is actually good for you? The following are ten reasons why you might want to take up the guitar pronto, none of which involves fame, fortune or the sexy factor.

The guitar acclimates to its environment. Sudden variations can stress it out and cause a host of physical damage such as warping, cracking, and chemical deterioration. When it comes to the guitar and weather, the rule of thumb is not to expose your instrument to any climate conditions that throw you yourself out of whack.

Slide guitar refers to the technique of using a tube on one finger to slide along the strings. With slide guitar you play the strings, not the frets, gliding up and down the fretboard without lifting off the strings, which creates continuous transitions in pitch.

The accepted method of tuning (EADGBE, from lowest to highest string) is known as standard tuning. Alternate tunings are deviations on the tried-and-true standard tuning.