We’re back with a third installment of the Rutbuster series. For the first two posts in this series, see here and here.

The idea here is to emulate other instruments with your guitar.

And no, I’m not suggesting you buy a MIDI guitar to trigger virtual instruments (although that’s a cool thing). Rather, listen to how great players of other instruments play, then work to incorporate those concepts into your guitar playing.

Here are some questions to get you started with this rutbuster…

• Piano – How does a pianist voice chords? How does a pianist voice lead through chord changes? How does a pianist employ groove when playing a rhythmic role?
• Drums – Can you emulate the high hat or ride cymbal on guitar? How does a drummer mark transitions between sections of a song?
• Saxophone – Can you pick up on any melodic or rhythmic cliches employed by sax players? How does a sax player phrase a melody?

Any instrument is fair game to learn from. Go out and see some live music…but this time, hone in on someone other than the guitarist.