23 Guitar Tricks & Secrets Every Guitarist Should Know

Guitar Tricks #8 Natural Harmonics

Natural harmonics are a fun and easy way to make your guitar sound like a harp.

You can play natural harmonics on the 5th, 7th and 12th frets on any string.

• To play a natural harmonic, hover your fretting hand directly over the fret. You should be lightly touching the string.
• Don’t add too much pressure as this will dampen the note.
• Finally, pick the string which you’re hovering over.

You can do this technique on ANY string. Just make sure you over the 5th, 7th or 12th fret.

Guitar Tricks #9 Behind The Nut Bends

This quick and easy guitar trick is SO cool.

• Play your low E string. As it rings out, push this string down behind the nut.
• Do this technique with your left hand.
• You should hear the string change in pitch.

This guitar trick sounds fantastic with loads of distortion and can be heard in Black Sabbath’s song ‘Iron Man’, watch it here:

Guitar Tricks #10 Creating Percussive Sounds On Your Acoustic

A great way of adding variety to your guitar playing is to treat your acoustic as a drum.

Watch Andy Mckee master this technique in this video:

The idea behind this is that you can use certain parts of your guitar to emulate specific drums.

• Firstly, clench your fist and use the heel of your hand to tap the lower body of your guitar.
• If done correctly, it will make a loud booming sound, similar to a bass drum
• After your comfortable with this, tap the rest of the body with your finger tips, this can emulate a snare drum.

To get used to this technique, try playing a famous drum beat on your guitar.

‘We Will Rock You’ by Queen would be great fun.

Guitar Tricks #11 Descending Harmonics

This technique is very similar to playing ‘Natural Harmonics’. However this time, instead of focusing on a specific fret, you’re going to:

• Hover over any string. (Make sure you’re lightly the string.)
• Pick the note.
• Then gradually slide your fretting hand down the length of the guitar string as you pick.

This works particularly well when you use the technique on the low E strin, make sure you use loads of distortion on your amp.

As you move down the string you should hear a range of different harmonics ring out.

Guitar Tricks #12 Guitar Slides

Guitar slides add maturity to your guitar playing. Sliding technique consists of striking a note, and then immediately sliding into the next one.

Watch this video to find out how to play this exciting lead guitar technique:

For more lead guitar techniques go here: How To Play Lead Guitar

Guitar Tricks #13 Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are a great way of adding dynamics to your playing.

To play a hammer-on:

• Pick a note, and then hammer your finger down onto the next note.

To play a pull of on the guitar:

•  Pick a note, but instead of hammering on to the next, you pull off instead.

Check out this video to learn more about this essential lead guitar technique:

For more lead guitar techniques go here: How To Play Lead Guitar

Guitar Tricks #14 Create Feedback

Warning! This one will annoy the neighbours!

Creating feedback can be tricky, however with the right amp settings it is possible.

Here are some amp settings which will get you into feedback heaven:

Here are some cool tips to help you create awesome feed back:

• Dime the mids on your amp.

This frequency is where your guitar lives, so if you have plenty of ‘mids’ on your amp, your guitar will feedback naturally.

• Add more volume than gain.

To create awesome feedback, you need to have more volume than gain. Sometimes if you have too much gain your sound get mushy. Creating feedback is about being LOUD!

• Use your neck pickup  and hit a strong note and try and sustain for it as long as possible!

You can use your bridge pick up or your neck up, however the neck pick up is better for long sustaining notes.

Guitar Tricks #15 Palm Muting Techniques

A fantastic way to add low end chug to your guitar playing is to palm mute your guitar strings.

This technique is used ALL the time in rock and metal music and sounds fantastic.

• Firstly, pick a chord.
• When you pick this chord, place the side of your picking hand towards the bridge of your guitar.
• Finally, pick your chord whilst muting it with your palm.

Hopefully your chord should now sound slightly muted and chunky.

Check out the beginning of ‘All My Life’ by the Foo Fighters. This is a great example of palm muting.

To learn more about palm muting, go here: Palm Muting: An Essential Guide

Guitar Tricks #16 Creating A Kill Switch

This technique is used to create a ‘stutter’ effect.

This works great on a Gibson style guitar as they have volume controls for both pickups.

To do this:

• Roll your bridge pickup volume control completely off.
• Play a chord.
• Flick your pick up switch between the bridge pick and the neck pick up.

This creates a cool stutter effect which can be used to great effect!

Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine takes this technique to the extremes in ‘Know Your Enemy’.

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Guitar Tricks #17 Experiment With Different Pickup Selections

Experimenting with different pick up combinations can have a fantastic effect on your guitar sound.

Playing on the bridge pick up on your guitar adds extra aggression to your sound where as using the neck pick up creates a smooth, velvet like tone!

Using different pick ups can inspire you in different ways.

Guitar Tricks #18 String Bending

A great way of adding extra character to your playing is to use string bending! String bending is when you bend the string up or down with your fretting hand. This raises the pitch of the note.

Here are a few tips for string bending:

• Make sure you bend from your wrist, NOT from your fingers.
• Use more than one finger to bend. The more fingers the better.
• Play the note you want to bend up to before attempting to bend up to it. (It’s important to get the sound of the required note in your ears first.)
• Once you’re ready then try and bend your strings!

Check out this video to learn more about string bending:

For more lead guitar techniques go here: How To Play Lead Guitar

Guitar Tricks #19 Alternate Picking

Alternate picking is the easiest way to play fast on guitar

The idea behind alternate picking is to do a down and up stroke on each string. Here are a few tips which will turn you into a alternate picking monster:

• When you alternate pick, try and use small movements from your wrist. The smaller the movement the faster you can go.
• Be nice and relaxed, there should be no tension in your picking hand.
• As you pick the note, try and push through the string as you do a down stroke, and the pull the pick back over as you do an up stroke.

For more guidance on alternate picking, watch this video:

Want to learn more about alternate picking? Check out this lesson: Alternate Picking

Guitar Tricks #20 Use Strap Locks

If you’re a gigging guitarist, it’s vital that you use guitar strap locks.

There’s nothing more embarrassing than playing a live concert, and having your guitar fall right off of your shoulders. Make sure you get some decent strap locks.

We recommend schaller strap locks, check them out here.

Guitar Tricks # 21 Hook Your Lead Through Your Strap

We’ve all been there, you’re about to take a killer solo, then just as the moment comes your guitar lead falls out of its socket.

It’s embarrassing, and not much fun for the audience to watch.

Here’s a simple tip you can use to stop this happening.

Hook your lead through your strap. Your lead should come through your strap, right past your strap button and then into your guitar input.

Guitar Tricks #22 Make Sure Your Tuner Mutes Your Guitar

One of the worst things you can do at a gig, is tune your guitar out loud. There’s nothing less rock and roll than tuning with your amp on full blast.

Make sure you get a tuner pedal which completely mutes your guitar.

For more info on guitar tuners, go here: How To Tune A Guitar: A Guide For Beginners

Guitar Tricks #23 Don’t Tune When Getting On Stage

Tune up before you go on stage.

It can be so anti-climatic for an audience member when they see a band come on stage and then it takes them five minutes for them to tune up.

Tune up before you go on and be ready to rock.