Have you ever wished to become the world's best solo guitarist of all-time? But have you also ever thought that your natural clumsiness might be an obstacle in the fulfillment of your old-time dream? Well I think Air Guitar practice will probably suit your needs. Air guitar consists for a performer to pretend playing a guitar piece. With nothing in hands (no instrument), the performer must reproduce the hand movements (picking and strumming) that a real heavy metal or rock guitarist would do on stage.

Air guitar is a real cheap activity. You don't need an expensive electric guitar to play, nor do you need to take the risk of falling out with your neighbors for having turned your garage into a rehearsal room. You might wonder for what sake do air-guitarists put all their efforts forth in a musical-based activity when eventually not a single music note is heard? Well, Air Guitar success is probably due to our tendency to mimic the attitude of people we do pay admiration for. Indeed, who never tried to sing in playback with a fake mic (a pencil case) in front of a mirror?

We may date back the first air guitar solo in 1969. When performing “with a little help for my friends” at the Woodstock festival, Joe Cocker threw his own air guitar improvisation in front of a gob-smacked audience. But air guitar techniques really became in the fashion in the late 90's, with the success of video hosting websites such as Youtube. These websites allowed ordinary guys to post their own videos, among which videos featuring air guitar really mushroomed.

Since the late 80's, Air guitar contests are held frequently in many countries of the world. The consecration is the Air Guitar World Championship. Contestants' performance is judged on the base of 3 criteria: “technical merit”, “stage presence” and “airness”. Any instruments, bands...are strictly forbidden on stage. It's just them, the music aired and their rock attitude and groupies.

After the success of Guitar Hero, faking music is really into fashion. And it's gonna last: Several dudes just invented a device used to translate the movements performed when air guitarists fake music into musical notes!