Inspired by the brilliance of my first effort, I continued to pontificate.

I. Think rhythm before lead. Even Eddie Van Halen spends 90-95% of his time playing rhythm (very well, I might add), and you’re not Eddie Van Halen.

II. Don’t play too loud. (If you can’t hear the vocals, no matter what the situation, you are too loud. End of discussion.) Nobody else cares if your amp doesn’t sound right at lower volumes. Bring a smaller amp in the first place if you need to turn it up.

III. The great Greek philosopher Socrates said, “Moderation in all things.” Distortion, reverb, modulation effects, and the treble and presence knobs on guitar amps definitely fall into the category of “all things.”

IV. Have a tuner and use it often, but get it out of your signal path when you’re finished.

V. Don’t step on the singer’s vocals. Wait until you see their mouth close before you play a fill. (If you wait long enough, it will happen. Trust me.) When playing rhythm, make sure the top voice of your chords does not double the vocal melody.

VI. If there are two guitarists, and you find yourself consistently playing the same chord at the same time in the same position, the chances are good that at least one of you is wrong.

VII. If you are playing with a keyboard player, same thing.

VIII. Make sure your stage sound complements everyone else’s sound. What people perceive (and what the sound man has to mix) is the whole band, not just your “tone of death.”

IX. Effects pedals have on/off switches and controls for a reason. Don’t be afraid to use them.

X. When playing rhythm, listen to the drums but phrase with the bass. Time is everyone’s responsibility.