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Looper's Delight
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Here's some things that worked for me:
1. You're playing guitar, not rowing a boat. Switch to .009s, not .010s
from .011s or .12s. Play with a VERY LIGHT TOUCH and let your amp and
processors do the work. If you were used to fighting the instrument
to get a sound out of it, stop that approach and use a very light
touch with light gauge strings and let your gear do the amplification.
This helped me a lot. This also allows you to play with controlled
dynamics more.
2. Wear your guitar higher on the strap, like a bib almost. You might
not get the coveted "junkie swagger" look so many have adopted, but
everything is right there and you will not only have a more efficient
position for both right and left hands, but your playing will be
better as a result.
3. Position your left hand so your thumb is against the back of the
neck of the instrument. This lets your left hand fingers make a
more efficient position for contact with the fretboard. Do NOT
hook your left hand thumb over the low-e string, it makes for a
much less efficient position and is actually much more awkward.
If you're playing certain Jimi chords, though, you will have to
switch back and forth.
4. If you find that you are nervous when playing, you're probably
clenching your teeth and pressing down on the fretboad with too
much pressure. STOP IT. Find a way to relax, you need to if
you are going to play correctly.
5. Stop wearing a wristwatch while playing. If you absolutely must
know the time of day, put a tiny digital clock on the surface of
your guitar or add a digital alarm clock to your rack (it will
look even more impressive that way).
6. Make sure you warm up slowly and carefully before playing.
Finally, one thing that really helped me loosen up was washing the
dishes. I'm not kidding. I'd have a basin of warm, soapy water
and after washing the dishes I'd be all warmed up to play due to
the heat in the water. Try it!
Good luck!
-Todd