Originally Posted by: Bonafan1
Maybe this is like asking how to play like Tiger Woods with only using a video game...
Bona

I would say that you can definitely become a pretty decent guitar player from just practicing at home, if you set the right goals and have really good self-discipline.

That being said, playing and jamming with others (preferrably much better than you) will develop your playing MUCH faster. They will tell you things you would never think of, and you will notice the difference between your own playing and theirs.

I thought I was a pretty good player before I went to music school, but the first day, after seeing some of the teachers play at school, I realized I knew little about being a true musician. I had been playing a lot for 10 years then!

But at school, I was forced to play with people who were much, much better than I was, and I was put into situations that were far outside my guitar comfort zone, which forced me to develop at a rate so much faster than when I was just practicing at home.

Of course, I realize not everyone can go join bands or go to music school etc., and that's why Guitar Tricks is great! But try to find someone to jam with just every now and then, and try to record yourself playing.

These are some useful tips for practicing at home:

• Try to always use something to help you keep time - a metronome, drum machine...
• Learn things by ear - try to learn a song (or lick) just by listening, not looking at any tabs at all. This will connect your playing to the sounds it produces much better.
• Record yourself and listen back - when you just play, your mind is so occupied with where to put your fingers etc. that you think everything sounds pretty good. If you record yourself, and listen back, you'll most likely notice many things you can improve.

/Ben