The secrets of Air Guitar –
How to be awesome and win

You need the look, you need the moves, you need the attitude and most of all you need the Axe Factor!

1. Play like you mean it

Imagine your idol on stage giving it their all. You need to feel it in your soul and in your air guitar. You need to believe in yourself. You need the belief to be a winner.

Use light and shade to define a variety in your performance, use subtlety and extravagance carefully.

If you look like you’re there for a laugh, the audience will kick your ass off the stage.

2. Be a showman

It's what sorts the men from the boys (or girls from the women!) so remember to chuck in a few moves to show you’re a real air guitarist.

You could practice a routine, but whatever you do, make sure it fits your song.

Get into character; what does your idol do?

Don't forget, as this is a real gig, you need to make sure your air guitar is in tune. There’s nothing worse than an out of tune air guitar! You may wanna make sure it's plugged in too.

3. The audience are your friends

This is a real gig so get the audience to participate.

Like a real gig, the audience will show their appreciation by making noise and it’s the level of this noise that gives you your score. True rockstars interact and bounce things off the audience so make sure you show them a kick ass performance and they will love you for it.

4. Dress to impress

Historically, the best dressed make it through. Fancy dress always goes down well with the audience and for the effort they could push you past the first rounds.

In the past people have dressed up like Gene Simmons from Kiss, Slash, one guy even created an aircraft around his body with cardboard and tin foil just so that he could air guitar the 'Top Gun' theme tune! He made it to the final ...crazy!

5. Choose an awesome tune

Choose a kick ass tune to get the audience in the mood. It can be a classic or more unknown but make sure there is plenty of guitar to play to.

You will only get 90 seconds but you don’t have to start your performance from the start of the track. You could even cut the track up to give you the best opportunity to show off your air guitar moves!

Don't forget…

Air guitar is a high impact performance that requires training...

• Stretch before switching on the stereo
• Warm up to a mild track like Alice cooper
• Remember for key points in a song to pull your best moves
• Remember to get serious, never treat it as a laugh
• Light and shade, use subtlety and extravagance carefully
• Remember to thank the audience… 'thank you wembleydon goodnight'
• Warm down with green tea and radiohead