Decrescendo

I'm hearing a good amount of song submissions where the last note of a phrase is held and then stopped abruptly... this is not very musical sounding. As you hold your last long note of a phrase allow it to decrease in volume (decrescendo) until it disappears. Add a tremolo/vibrato to that and you're golden. This also helps in our breathing... as soon as the note has "disappeared into the mist" you can take a breath and be ready for the next phrase. This little element will make your playing sound much smoother.