Last Updated on February 7, 2023 by Ben Fields

Dear fellow guitarist,

If you’re an intermediate or advanced guitar player who wants to get your playing abilities 

to higher levels and master the guitar, this post is for you.

Here’s a question:

What is the number one skill every legendary guitar player has mastered?

Well, there may be many answers to this question, but here’s one idea that can awaken your thoughts:

They can all absolutely express themselves effortlessly.

The no 1 skill every guitar legend possesses is mind to ear to hands connection.

Connection is the keyword

Well, the three skills, when developed enough, form a new and higher skill called “perfect executing”.

Can you imagine yourself playing this way?

Almost no barriers to your expression, perfect execution of musical pieces one by one?

How can you achieve this connection between the three?

I think we should start practicing this connection from the first day we pick up a guitar in our hands, although that’s tough to do because when we start, we’re eager to play chords and solos like our idols do.

This causes us to invest most of our practice time in developing our hands, teaching our hands: shapes, melodies, solos, and so on.

Our hands! Not our ears!

The mistake is that if you play only what your hands let you, it becomes meaningless after a while.

See, how high can your ideas get this way?

On the other hand, when you imagine a great solo in your mind and want to play it, it would be difficult to do it if you don’t possess good ear ability and excellent technique.

Here’s how you can become better

• Set some practice time to develop each of the three skills separately.
• Set some practice time to develop the connection between them.
• After a while, all three connect, and you’re on a different level of guitar playing.

These key skills will get you there faster:

• Mind = mostly imagination but not just. Also, the ability to quieten your thoughts while playing (meditation-like) and control them.
• Ear = the ability to play what you hear and the sensitivity to respond to other musicians you play with or to the environment.
  A well-developed ear differs the master guitar players from the averages.

• Hands = the ability to execute what you imagine and hear in your mind.

The more technique you possess, the better you can deliver higher and more emotional ideas found in your head.

By the way, under the technique category, I put expression and intonation, not just speed.

What’s the fastest way to achieve these skills?

Here are some books, software, and lessons I’ve tried along the way that worked miracles on my playing and skills.
Of course, the technique development videos presented below are genre-based (rock, in my case).
If you play a different style, look for technique development books or videos that will fit your style. 

Anyway, explore some of the resources that helped me and see if they’re valuable to you too.

Disclosure: We are a professional review site that receives compensation from the companies whose products we review or recommend.

Technique improvement:

Mind development:

Ear improvement: