Today it seems that everyone is trying to be the next best guitarist. So many people dream of playing in a legendary band or being the next Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen, and have the innate desire to learn the instrument inside and out and be able to express their own style and play many different types of music.

No matter what any advertisement for a guitar course or private instructor states, there are no shortcuts to mastering the guitar, and no guarantee of stardom even after mastery. There are basic skills that must be learned in order to get the most out of the instrument that memorably fantastic guitarists have achieved through hard work and many years in the business of accruing various types of musical knowledge.

There are seven major abilities that are critical to the development of any player that truly wants to become not only an excellent guitarist, but also an excellent musician:

1. TECHNIQUE

The greatest guitarists put an effort into fully understanding the underlying techniques of guitar playing. Too many people try to mimic a great guitar sound, merely doing whatever it takes to copy it, rather than getting to know the underlying technical applications that go into making the sound.

2. TUNING

Playing in tune and keeping the instrument in tune is critical to good guitar playing. Everyone has heard a band play live or even on a recording that doesn