Want to be a guitar legend but don’t have the skills to play the real thing? No worries! Playing air guitar can bring with it all of the thrills of playing your favourite songs at the biggest gigs without the need to even tune your axe. Air guitar has taken off big time, thanks in part to the world air guitar championships that held each year in celebration of the most entertaining personal hobby that everyone does at some point in their lives.

If you want to be the best air guitarist in the world, there are a few useful steps you can take to ensure that you are fully immersed into the air guitar experience, and are taking it seriously like the professionals.

Be Authentic

If you really want to play like the pros, you need nothing to play on except your supreme dancing skills, classic windmilling arm action and effective timing to make it look as though you are truly playing like a pro! Many air guitarists that are on the pro tour take authentic strumming techniques used by well-known guitarists to get them started, and add in custom moves to make their name.

Timing is one of the most important aspects of playing the air guitar, with many newcomers failing to get the proper synching of movement and audio. If you want to become a pro, choose a series of songs that you enjoy, but also know very well. Learn the intro, the melody and listen to the actual guitar parts to which you will be performing too.

Free your inner rock star

Air guitar gives you the chance to play along with your favourite tunes without having home recording gear, wherever you are and with whatever song takes your fancy. Becoming good at it means you will be simulating playing the guitar, with added emphasis on stage presence, as well as technical abilities.

The idea is to use your body to show the excitement and energy you feel when you listen to your favourite tracks and to show others that you don’t need to play a real musical instrument to have fun and party on!

Dance, jump and riff your way to success with a few classic guitarist dance moves that will blow the audience away. Don’t just strum your air guitar like a shoe-stare guitarist, learn those big licks from Jimi Hendrix, Pete Townshend and all.

Take inspiration from air guitar heroes

The air guitar world championships have been going on for an astounding 20 years now, with the 2015 finals held in Finland, the Russian Kereel “Your Daddy” Blumenkrants being crowed world air guitar champion. Over the years the championship has spawned regional championships and with the last Australian Air Guitar Championship finals crowning Juzzy Truman its latest rock king.

As a form of movement and dance, the emphasis is on stage presence with an added ability to simulate playing a real guitar. Strumming techniques are employed when the big riffs of the soundtrack songs are played, whilst picking and fingerstyle technique are applauded for their authenticity during a performance.

Not only does playing the air guitar allow you to feel the music as it is intended to be heard and performed, it also frees you up of purchasing expensive guitars or guitar amps to collect. Participation is usually free for tournaments, with knock-out stages held to narrow down the field of contestants.

If you really love your guitar songs and you perform a little air guitar in the shower anyway, then this lifestyle may be the route to success for you. Try out your skills the next time your favourite song comes on the radio and even try entering the tournaments when they come to your hometown. You never know, you could be touring with your own air band in the not too distant future!