Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Robert Cray The Guitar Tone Legend
Robert Cray is one of my favourite guitarists (I have many of them). Hes not too fast, not too aggressive and he has got amazing feeling of his guitar. His tone, as guitarist, is really interesting, very clean and selective (he is also a great vocalist).
Robert Cray is well known as a Stratocaster user (signature model), but sometimes he like to use other guitars also - I sow him somewhere with some custom Tele. Hes using Matchless and Fender Vibro-King amps.
If you dont know Crays music, here is his website: robertcray.com
Robert Cray is well known as a Stratocaster user (signature model), but sometimes he like to use other guitars also - I sow him somewhere with some custom Tele. Hes using Matchless and Fender Vibro-King amps.
If you dont know Crays music, here is his website: robertcray.com
Lets listen to some live gig
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
12 Dominant 7th Guitar Chords Number 10
Our next chord in our series of 12 Guitar Chords every guitarist should know is another G7 chord on the bottom 4 strings of the guitar.
This guitar chord has its root note on the D string and uses the notes of G7 in this order:
Tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord:
This guitar chord has its root note on the D string and uses the notes of G7 in this order:
- B (the 3rd)
- F (the b7th)
- G (the root note)
- D (the 5th)
- Lower the 3rd one fret to make a minor7 chord
- Raise the b7 one fret to make a major7 chord
- Raise the root two frets to make a 9th chord
Tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.
Monday, October 28, 2013
How Often Should I Change Strings and What Kind Do I Get
How long you go between string changes depends on a few factors.
Do your strings look rusty or black? Change them. Have they been on your guitar for more than a year? Change them. Does your guitar keep going out of tune? Change them. When in doubt, its best to replace your strings. The nice thing about guitar strings is that theyre fairly inexpensive, so theres really not much of an excuse for not changing them.
What kind of strings should you use?
Guitar strings are pretty confusing especially to a beginning guitar student. There are multiple thicknesses, brands, materials, and much more to consider. Again, since theyre not very expensive if you find a set you dont like, get rid of them.
There are three basic types of strings, and many variations.
A classical guitar has nylon strings, an acoustic has steel strings, and an electric also has steel strings although theyre usually made of different materials. Nylon strings have 3 or sometimes 4 wound strings which have an inner core of nylon or silk wrapped with very thin wire. The unwound strings are nylon and resemble fishing line.
A steel string, acoustic guitar has strings that are usually made of nickel, bronze or phosphor bronze. The bronze strings have a brighter sound than nickel and project a little better.
Electric guitars have strings that are usually nickel, and theyre generally thinner (lighter) than acoustic guitar strings.
Those are the bare bones basics of guitar strings. In future blogs Ill go into more detail about ways for a beginning guitar student to choose the right strings.
Do your strings look rusty or black? Change them. Have they been on your guitar for more than a year? Change them. Does your guitar keep going out of tune? Change them. When in doubt, its best to replace your strings. The nice thing about guitar strings is that theyre fairly inexpensive, so theres really not much of an excuse for not changing them.
What kind of strings should you use?
Guitar strings are pretty confusing especially to a beginning guitar student. There are multiple thicknesses, brands, materials, and much more to consider. Again, since theyre not very expensive if you find a set you dont like, get rid of them.
There are three basic types of strings, and many variations.
A classical guitar has nylon strings, an acoustic has steel strings, and an electric also has steel strings although theyre usually made of different materials. Nylon strings have 3 or sometimes 4 wound strings which have an inner core of nylon or silk wrapped with very thin wire. The unwound strings are nylon and resemble fishing line.
A steel string, acoustic guitar has strings that are usually made of nickel, bronze or phosphor bronze. The bronze strings have a brighter sound than nickel and project a little better.
Electric guitars have strings that are usually nickel, and theyre generally thinner (lighter) than acoustic guitar strings.
Those are the bare bones basics of guitar strings. In future blogs Ill go into more detail about ways for a beginning guitar student to choose the right strings.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Mark Knopfler The Guitar Tone Legend
Mark Knopfler with the rest of Dire Straits and Eric Clapton - Money for Nothing - live.
BTW, put your attention also on chorus.
Links:
markknopfler.com
ds.mk-guitar.com (about gear)
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BTW, put your attention also on chorus.
Links:
markknopfler.com
ds.mk-guitar.com (about gear)
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Saturday, October 26, 2013
Good Guitar for Modifications and Experiments
I was reading somewhere in the Internet an article about Fender Stratocaster made in Mexico, as a great guitar for making some mods and experimenting with many ways of wiring. Its true.
Its a good peace of wood for a good price, with three pickups, three pots and a plastic pick-guard, which is easy to drill in some next holes, for next elements.
From my side, I would like to recommend the Epiphone G-400, which is also good value for its price. It can be a good choice for those of you, who like mahogany guitars. This axe has got two humbuckers and four pots (its just a copy of Gibson SG). The in-body space for electronics is quite big, so its possible to mount in some active electronics with battery, like on-board preamp or buffer.
This is the guitar that Im using for playing with electronics. As a mahogany fan, Im pretty happy with this stuff.
Friday, October 25, 2013
Guitar Wiring for Metal Maniacs
There are some electric guitars on the market, designed especially for metal music. This guitars, very often, have just one, high output pickup and just one potentiometer – 500K volume. This kind of simple wiring is not smoothing the sound, so it's a perfect distinct, distorted tone maker.
Here, i would like to present my mod of it. This wiring will allow you to make the tone more crisp and percussive, just by one click. It's something useful for fast palm-muting, or screaming solo play.
All you need to make it, is push-pull 500K potentiometer and some resistor.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
How to Practice More Efficiently
Do you have trouble learning a complete piece of music?
When learning a new song do you always start at the beginning? If you make a mistake do you go back to the beginning? You may be spinning your wheels! Once youve got a good start at playing a song, the next step is to isolate trouble spots. It seems like every song has one. Playing the whole song over and over will make that spot better, the problem is it will never catch up to the rest of the song. Practicing the passage that gives you trouble in a methodical way is how to overcome the problem. Go slow, watch your fingering, and practice with a metronome or a program to slow the piece down if youre working with a recording. In my studio I use RiffMaster Pro (affiliate link) to work with my students. With that program or a metronome, the idea is to go very slowly at first. Beginning guitar students tend to play too fast and if they have a trouble spot, tend to ignore it. When learning guitar you want to remember if you cant play it slow, you cant play it fast. Slowing down is the way to go because you dont want to practice mistakes. Whether youre playing the correct notes or the wrong ones, your fingers will remember and go there again.
Listen to yourself play.
I know it sounds funny, but beginning guitar students sometimes get so caught up in their playing that they actually dont hear their playing. The mind wanders, they get distracted, and so they think theyre practicing efficiently but they really arent.
Set goals and make note of your progress.
When practicing, dont just go through the motions. Know what youre trying to accomplish and write down what youve achieved when you get there. Have a difficult passage youve now mastered? Write it down. That pesky C chord finally sounds good? Write it down. You get the idea. Instead of just going through every song you know without thinking about it, zero in on what still needs work and then make a conscious effort to improve it. You and your guitar teacher will both be much happier come lesson time.
When learning a new song do you always start at the beginning? If you make a mistake do you go back to the beginning? You may be spinning your wheels! Once youve got a good start at playing a song, the next step is to isolate trouble spots. It seems like every song has one. Playing the whole song over and over will make that spot better, the problem is it will never catch up to the rest of the song. Practicing the passage that gives you trouble in a methodical way is how to overcome the problem. Go slow, watch your fingering, and practice with a metronome or a program to slow the piece down if youre working with a recording. In my studio I use RiffMaster Pro (affiliate link) to work with my students. With that program or a metronome, the idea is to go very slowly at first. Beginning guitar students tend to play too fast and if they have a trouble spot, tend to ignore it. When learning guitar you want to remember if you cant play it slow, you cant play it fast. Slowing down is the way to go because you dont want to practice mistakes. Whether youre playing the correct notes or the wrong ones, your fingers will remember and go there again.
Listen to yourself play.
I know it sounds funny, but beginning guitar students sometimes get so caught up in their playing that they actually dont hear their playing. The mind wanders, they get distracted, and so they think theyre practicing efficiently but they really arent.
Set goals and make note of your progress.
When practicing, dont just go through the motions. Know what youre trying to accomplish and write down what youve achieved when you get there. Have a difficult passage youve now mastered? Write it down. That pesky C chord finally sounds good? Write it down. You get the idea. Instead of just going through every song you know without thinking about it, zero in on what still needs work and then make a conscious effort to improve it. You and your guitar teacher will both be much happier come lesson time.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
12 Major Triads guitar inversion 2
Continuing our series of triads, todays Guitar Chord of the Day is the next inversion of our G Major triad.
The G Major triad uses these note G, B and D
This guitar chord is a 2nd inversion as it has the 5th of the chord (D) as the lowest note.
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord:
The G Major triad uses these note G, B and D
This guitar chord is a 2nd inversion as it has the 5th of the chord (D) as the lowest note.
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Listen to Your Teacher!
How to overcome being a "non-compliant" student.
Do you take your guitar teachers advice? Have you gotten into the habit of agreeing with what he or she says but not following up? Over the years Ive had many students who want to improve, ask for advice, and then totally ignore what I tell them. Its like going to the doctor and selectively hearing the diagnosis. Why pay your doctor or your teacher good money if youre going to ignore what youre told? I help students set goals, work on difficult passages, try to get ready for a gig or a contest, learn to play in front of an audience, and a lot of times it falls on deaf ears. The next time youre at your guitar lesson, listen to what your teacher says, write it down, and then go home and try it out. Its so crazy it just might work!
Do you take your guitar teachers advice? Have you gotten into the habit of agreeing with what he or she says but not following up? Over the years Ive had many students who want to improve, ask for advice, and then totally ignore what I tell them. Its like going to the doctor and selectively hearing the diagnosis. Why pay your doctor or your teacher good money if youre going to ignore what youre told? I help students set goals, work on difficult passages, try to get ready for a gig or a contest, learn to play in front of an audience, and a lot of times it falls on deaf ears. The next time youre at your guitar lesson, listen to what your teacher says, write it down, and then go home and try it out. Its so crazy it just might work!
Ibanez is Still Got New Ideas
Ibanez got new guitar models for 2011. Like always, there are some well known RG shapes with new finishes. They have new Prestige models and also RG Premium.
Premium line guitars are called by them - "ultimate workhorses" :) Theyve got pretty nice finishes, new pickup models and rounded frets - link. These axes have very good presence, especially if you are looking on details.
Ibanez made also a guitar, based on completely new ideas. The new showcase model - called RG Extreme Shredding Machine - has got 30 Jumbo frets (what?) and a neck pickup simulator. Just take a look at it: RG2011SC
Monday, October 21, 2013
A Major 9
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is A Major 9. This guitar chord has its root note on the guitars D string.
Major 9 guitar chords can be replace major 7th chords, and can often be played in place of major chords. It can replace I and IV chords in major keys
Major 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
A Major 9 uses the notes: A, C#, E, G#, B
Our A Major 9 chord uses the notes in this order: C#, A, B, E, G#
As this chord has a C# as its lowest note, this guitar chord is known as a first inversion chord:
Dont forget you can look up different guitar inversions and chord types on Guitar Chord Of The Day by using the labels and tags. Learn a new guitar chord every day by subscribing to the RSS feed and tuning in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Major 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
A Major 9 uses the notes: A, C#, E, G#, B
Our A Major 9 chord uses the notes in this order: C#, A, B, E, G#
As this chord has a C# as its lowest note, this guitar chord is known as a first inversion chord:
- Root note lowest - root position
- 3rd lowest - first inversion
- 5th lowest - second inversion
Dont forget you can look up different guitar inversions and chord types on Guitar Chord Of The Day by using the labels and tags. Learn a new guitar chord every day by subscribing to the RSS feed and tuning in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Solo technic Vibrato
In such way vibrato, is giving a better sound of our guitar solo. Making our playing so charecteristic and dynamic. It sounds so alive and being since the classical era to rock and heavy metal. Its critical to do the correct technic of doing it, sometimes, by overdoing it will make you playing sound offpitch.
Generally for me I use 3 kinds of vibrato. Depends on which situation is the best. I call it:
1. Conventional vibrato
2. Classical Vibrato
3. Tremolo Vibrato.
The conventional vibrato is widely use by the electric guitarist, no matter what are the genres their playing, in rock, metal, pop, fusion, jazz, even blues and alternatives. The technic it to press on tight over the note and make the bends movement repeatedly. ANd make sure everytimes you bend the string it will return back to its normal position or else it will be offpitch. The keyword her is bending it up and down. Of course continously
The classical vibrato, normally played on the classical guitar. But I saw BB King is always does it. Meaning to say it can be done using the electric guitar. It sounds nice and totally awesome. For me it give more attitude. The technics is to hold the note tight and make the movement back and forward repeatedly. The keyword is back and forward movement.
While the Tremolo vibrato is COOL!!! But to do this your guitar must have tremolo on the bridge. Make sure it is properly attached. The technics is just slightly wham the tremolo up and down continously. If you are the rock guitar player you will be looking and sound like PRO. Just be careful, make sure the tremolo back to its original tension before doing another wham. Even, you can explore and do some experiment to make a nice vibrato with your tremolo. I ll tell you later on this.
My advise is listen to what you play. Make it a good sound. Because listening the good sound is what the music is all about.
UPDATE: Discover a brand new way to learn
the electric / acoustic guitar online without
attending guitar lessons. Click here now
Generally for me I use 3 kinds of vibrato. Depends on which situation is the best. I call it:
1. Conventional vibrato
2. Classical Vibrato
3. Tremolo Vibrato.
The conventional vibrato is widely use by the electric guitarist, no matter what are the genres their playing, in rock, metal, pop, fusion, jazz, even blues and alternatives. The technic it to press on tight over the note and make the bends movement repeatedly. ANd make sure everytimes you bend the string it will return back to its normal position or else it will be offpitch. The keyword her is bending it up and down. Of course continously
The classical vibrato, normally played on the classical guitar. But I saw BB King is always does it. Meaning to say it can be done using the electric guitar. It sounds nice and totally awesome. For me it give more attitude. The technics is to hold the note tight and make the movement back and forward repeatedly. The keyword is back and forward movement.
While the Tremolo vibrato is COOL!!! But to do this your guitar must have tremolo on the bridge. Make sure it is properly attached. The technics is just slightly wham the tremolo up and down continously. If you are the rock guitar player you will be looking and sound like PRO. Just be careful, make sure the tremolo back to its original tension before doing another wham. Even, you can explore and do some experiment to make a nice vibrato with your tremolo. I ll tell you later on this.
My advise is listen to what you play. Make it a good sound. Because listening the good sound is what the music is all about.
UPDATE: Discover a brand new way to learn
the electric / acoustic guitar online without
attending guitar lessons. Click here now
Saturday, October 19, 2013
12 Dominant 7th Guitar Chords Number 4
We carry on our series of Dominant 7th Guitar Chords today with the last of our dominant 7th inversions on the D, G, B and E strings.
Weve featured other dominant 7th guitar chords on the top 4 guitar strings here, here and here.
This 7th chord has its root on the G string and uses the notes of G7 in this order:
Check back tomorrow, well be continuing our series of 12 Dominant 7th chords you should know and moving on to inversions on the A, D, G and B strings.
Weve featured other dominant 7th guitar chords on the top 4 guitar strings here, here and here.
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord:
This 7th chord has its root on the G string and uses the notes of G7 in this order:
- D (the 5th)
- G (the root note)
- B (the 3rd)
- F (the b7th)
Check back tomorrow, well be continuing our series of 12 Dominant 7th chords you should know and moving on to inversions on the A, D, G and B strings.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Buying your guitars
Hey guys! How are u doing?
I got a question from a guy withnick name Stephen of Ibelin:
"Dude , where to get a cheap and reasonable electric guitar, been wanting to jam for along time but dont know how much or what kind of electric guitar need to get , thnx,"
So, i like to answer the question here hence hoping it also helping you guys.
Actually there are a lot of music store that sells a lot of guitar at a lot of price range. I totally believe that as normal people like us we want something cheap and but with good quality of making and sound.
Before we start going to buy a guitar I suggest you need to know what guitar specification that u need.
I m more talking about to choose electric guitar. Let say you are more playing ryhthm guitar with less solo and less playing the tremolo. THen, u dont need the floating bridge and locknut. Also, 3 single coil pickup will do. I believe u dont need 24 frets fingerboard. Just get the 21 or 22 frets will be sufficient. This kind of guitar normally suits u if u play sone kind of light and easy type of song.
But if you play some rock, or heavy metal, or do some critical solo from top to bottom neck, with bone crushing power chords, and whack the tremolo like hell. I believe u need a 24 frets fingerboard with floating bridge doesnt matter it is floydrose underlicensed with lock nut. The pick up might have humbucker. this is my choice too. with humbucker-single-humbucher types of pickup..
The brand?
There are a lot of brand. I believe different brand has different characteristic with with different value. Also with the brand we know the average price.
But if, talking about cheap guitar with reasonable brand and quality. I suggest Ibanez. coz there are also made in CHina. The price is cheaper due to currency rate and also cheap labour cost, also due to less transportation charges etc etc. may be in malaysia we can go to Bentley for easy reference. Or CK Music for Craftman guitar. or BCRICH and Samick at DOREMI. or YAMAHA for YAMAHA guitar, they sells others though.
Sometimes any other brands also quite okay, depends on your preference, the name like Squire, Epihphone, SX, or whatever la... gives u a good choice.
Any other place? yes... I like to go for second hand guitar for some reason, I found some consider good second hand guitar at the place like Cashconverter and Buy,sell&trade. The reason is some times i can find a good guitar with a good sound that i can afford. but the problem is sometimes it has a little defect but still we can do some maintenance to make it better. The good thing is we can bargain, the more problem and defect with that second hand guitar the lower price we can get. If you are lucky u can find the brand like FENDER, Ibanez, GIbson, Kramer, Jackson, Hamer.... and more.
I got a question from a guy withnick name Stephen of Ibelin:
"Dude , where to get a cheap and reasonable electric guitar, been wanting to jam for along time but dont know how much or what kind of electric guitar need to get , thnx,"
So, i like to answer the question here hence hoping it also helping you guys.
Actually there are a lot of music store that sells a lot of guitar at a lot of price range. I totally believe that as normal people like us we want something cheap and but with good quality of making and sound.
Before we start going to buy a guitar I suggest you need to know what guitar specification that u need.
I m more talking about to choose electric guitar. Let say you are more playing ryhthm guitar with less solo and less playing the tremolo. THen, u dont need the floating bridge and locknut. Also, 3 single coil pickup will do. I believe u dont need 24 frets fingerboard. Just get the 21 or 22 frets will be sufficient. This kind of guitar normally suits u if u play sone kind of light and easy type of song.
But if you play some rock, or heavy metal, or do some critical solo from top to bottom neck, with bone crushing power chords, and whack the tremolo like hell. I believe u need a 24 frets fingerboard with floating bridge doesnt matter it is floydrose underlicensed with lock nut. The pick up might have humbucker. this is my choice too. with humbucker-single-humbucher types of pickup..
The brand?
There are a lot of brand. I believe different brand has different characteristic with with different value. Also with the brand we know the average price.
But if, talking about cheap guitar with reasonable brand and quality. I suggest Ibanez. coz there are also made in CHina. The price is cheaper due to currency rate and also cheap labour cost, also due to less transportation charges etc etc. may be in malaysia we can go to Bentley for easy reference. Or CK Music for Craftman guitar. or BCRICH and Samick at DOREMI. or YAMAHA for YAMAHA guitar, they sells others though.
Sometimes any other brands also quite okay, depends on your preference, the name like Squire, Epihphone, SX, or whatever la... gives u a good choice.
Any other place? yes... I like to go for second hand guitar for some reason, I found some consider good second hand guitar at the place like Cashconverter and Buy,sell&trade. The reason is some times i can find a good guitar with a good sound that i can afford. but the problem is sometimes it has a little defect but still we can do some maintenance to make it better. The good thing is we can bargain, the more problem and defect with that second hand guitar the lower price we can get. If you are lucky u can find the brand like FENDER, Ibanez, GIbson, Kramer, Jackson, Hamer.... and more.
For example, this picture: is the guitar I bought second hand, but its consider 
antique. Ibanez Blazer series, Made in Japan in the year 1982 to 1984. Reasonable price and the sound is good.
antique. Ibanez Blazer series, Made in Japan in the year 1982 to 1984. Reasonable price and the sound is good.So, make ur choice. Hope it helps.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Johnny Winter The Guitar Tone Legend
Today I would like to present an another guitarist with a great tone – Johnny Winter.
I know him especially as the great, distinct blues guitar licks maker. He definitely has got his own style of playing and his own, cool tone. His blues is a quite energetic type of music, with a lot of awesome guitar licks and vocal ornaments.
Johnny Winter is known as an user of Gibson Firebird and Erlewine Lazer – very cool, headless peace of wood.
Johnny Winter - Dont Take Advantage Of Me
Im Yours And Im Hers
Links:
Johny Winters official site: www.johnnywinter.net
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Winter
Erlewine guitars: www.erlewineguitars.com
Erlewine Lazer: www.erlewineguitars.com/pgs/lazer.htm (Awesome bridge design)
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Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Pickup Selector Switch Connections 5 way
How 5-way guitar pickup selector switches works:
The diagram shows pin-out and terminal connections, according to toggle or lever positions. There are three examples of popular 5-way pickup selectors. They are frequently used in Stratocaster style and HSH pickup set guitars.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
On Board Effects Loop Control
I would like to show you, how to make an on-board effects loop control (switch), as a part of your guitar wiring. It's something known by my from the Jerry Garcia's axe – Tiger.
The loop control will allow you to switch on and off some effect pedals by the toggle in your guitar body. It will also give you a possibility to shape the tone in a very unique way. The loop switch is placed before the volume pot, so you will be able to use it to control the pedal chain output. It means a lot of new, cool tones.
Diagram:
Dick Dale Stratocaster Wiring
Dick Dale signature Stratocaster guitar is a very uncommon Fender's construction. It's got only one pot (as a master volume control), a 3-way pickup selector and a special toggle switch for activating the bridge and the middle pickup only. It's a very handy and "crisp sounding" configuration. Surf guitar enthusiasts know what I mean.
Diagram:
Monday, October 14, 2013
Custom Wiring for Explorer Flying V ML Razorback
In this post I would like to present a custom wiring diagram, designed for electric guitars with high output pickups and three pots. Something right for many metal guitarists. It can be done, for example in: Gibson Explorer, Flying V; Dean ML, Razorback .
This guitar wiring will help you get more screaming and distinct tones.
Main parts: DPDT on-on toggle switch, 500K volume pot, 250K volume pot.
The diagram:
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Crank Up Your Commitment Level
What will raise your commitment level?
Theres nothing like a goal to get you fired up about your playing. One of the rewards of giving guitar lessons is to see a student break out of a period of complacency. Just recently I had a student who was struggling to learn, then he decided hed play his guitar in the school talent show. His practice sessions went from just about zero to more than an hour a day, even more on weekends. He got a standing ovation for his performance, and then decided he would work out a song to play at church. His enthusiasm is absolutely contagious and his commitment to playing is at an all time high. If you want to get excited about learning guitar, you must have a goal.
Some ideas for a goal to set.
Set up a date to perform somewhere. It doesnt matter if its a coffee house open mike, a recital, a talent show or a concert for your family and friends. Theres nothing like a deadline to make you take the guitar out of its case.
Play with other people. No matter if youre a beginning guitar player or an expert, making music with others is a motivator.
Find an accountability partner or practice buddy. Nothing like a little friendly competition to get you going. When I first started guitar I had a friend who was about 6 months ahead of me. If I learned something at my lesson and decided to show off, you can bet the next day he could play it too!
What do you do to motivate yourself?
Theres nothing like a goal to get you fired up about your playing. One of the rewards of giving guitar lessons is to see a student break out of a period of complacency. Just recently I had a student who was struggling to learn, then he decided hed play his guitar in the school talent show. His practice sessions went from just about zero to more than an hour a day, even more on weekends. He got a standing ovation for his performance, and then decided he would work out a song to play at church. His enthusiasm is absolutely contagious and his commitment to playing is at an all time high. If you want to get excited about learning guitar, you must have a goal.
Some ideas for a goal to set.
Set up a date to perform somewhere. It doesnt matter if its a coffee house open mike, a recital, a talent show or a concert for your family and friends. Theres nothing like a deadline to make you take the guitar out of its case.
Play with other people. No matter if youre a beginning guitar player or an expert, making music with others is a motivator.
Find an accountability partner or practice buddy. Nothing like a little friendly competition to get you going. When I first started guitar I had a friend who was about 6 months ahead of me. If I learned something at my lesson and decided to show off, you can bet the next day he could play it too!
What do you do to motivate yourself?
Saturday, October 12, 2013
The 3 Ts Tone
Producing a pleasing, clear tone.
Buzzes and vibrations. Making your notes crystal clear, well defined, and crisp is a true art. Step one is to make sure your notes not buzzing. Getting a buzzing or vibration sound is caused by not pushing the string down hard enough, letting the pressure off, or playing too far away from the fret. Remember, the fret is the metal bar, not the space in between. So play close to the fret, keep firm pressure on and hold it. Once your fingers are stronger and tougher you really dont have to push all that hard. Press the string down just hard enough to get rid of the buzzes.
Clear tone, part 2.
Deadened or muffled strings. After you eliminate the buzzing, strike the string or strings again and see if any of the notes sound muted or muffled. In most cases this is caused by something being in the way. There should be space between the side of your hand and the side of the guitar neck, you need to play with the tips of your fingers, and you need to see if there are any sleeves, bracelets or other parts of your hand blocking the strings. The other cause is having your finger right on the fret, (the metal bar), instead of behind it. These steps will help you clear up the tone that a beginning guitar player is striving for. Your guitar teacher can work with you if youre having trouble finding the cause of the problem.
Buzzes and vibrations. Making your notes crystal clear, well defined, and crisp is a true art. Step one is to make sure your notes not buzzing. Getting a buzzing or vibration sound is caused by not pushing the string down hard enough, letting the pressure off, or playing too far away from the fret. Remember, the fret is the metal bar, not the space in between. So play close to the fret, keep firm pressure on and hold it. Once your fingers are stronger and tougher you really dont have to push all that hard. Press the string down just hard enough to get rid of the buzzes.
Clear tone, part 2.
Deadened or muffled strings. After you eliminate the buzzing, strike the string or strings again and see if any of the notes sound muted or muffled. In most cases this is caused by something being in the way. There should be space between the side of your hand and the side of the guitar neck, you need to play with the tips of your fingers, and you need to see if there are any sleeves, bracelets or other parts of your hand blocking the strings. The other cause is having your finger right on the fret, (the metal bar), instead of behind it. These steps will help you clear up the tone that a beginning guitar player is striving for. Your guitar teacher can work with you if youre having trouble finding the cause of the problem.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Start to KISS!!! Keep it Simple Stupid!!!
Hmm.....!!!
I remember one time ago. When I taught a guy in a tutorial session, I asked him, "what song do u really want to play?". He replied, "Fade to black, Metallica..."
Well, for me it is a good song, some people can play this song easily. But not for this guy, he is really a rookie, he cant play that song, he needs to play more simple thing. And, more simple arrangement and movement.
So, if u want to play something that really big stuff, but suddenly u stuck and cant do the chords or smoke ur finger with the solo. Its time to start KISS!!! Keep it Simple, Stupid!!! (My ex-boss influence to use this terms, he he. Thank you Mr Terrence)
There are a lot of song we can choose. One great example is the Zombie-Cranberries. Even i use this sond as case study for most of my student in the class. It use simple chords and also simple solo. Only using E minor, C, G and D. And these chords is easy to grip and fast to change ur finger position from one to other. The solo part: only a few note to remember.
Then, form time to time try to find other song, and go out learn something new, try something new.
Okay guys!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Do I Have to Use the Pick
Dont give up on the pick too soon.
Many times a beginning guitar student will play with a pick for a few weeks and then decide its easier to play without it. While this is true in the early stages, if you get used to not using the pick it becomes much harder later on. How do I know this? Thats what I did! I spent the first 6 years of guitar playing using just my fingers until a friend of mine convinced me that some songs just sound better with a pick. After deciding he was right I worked on using the pick on at least a few of the songs. It was very frustrating, especially when the pick would drop into the hole or go flying across the room.
Start out slow, hold the pick tight enough to not drop it but dont make a fist.
As I got better at using the pick, I found that using a pick that had grips on it, (Jim Dunlop nylon), made it easier to control. The thickness was also much more important than I realized. The best thing to do is to try different picks and see which ones work for you. Theyre extremely cheap and there are lots and lots of different sizes, shapes, thicknesses and materials. A very general guideline is that a lot of accomplished guitar players use thicker picks for solos and playing fast, and lighter, thinner picks for strumming. Ask your guitar teacher, or better yet, buy a dozen and experiment.
Gradually build up speed and dont get discouraged.
Pick single notes first, be very deliberate, and make accuracy your top priority. The most difficult thing about starting to use the pick is finding the strings. Since you have no feeling it feels like youre kind of swinging the pick at the strings instead of striking them. A good way to practice is to pluck a note and let the pick rest on the next string. That way you learn to judge the distance between the strings. Set your metronome to a slow speed and aim for clear, crisp notes. Once youve mastered a few easy songs, work on scales, solos or fiddle tunes to increase your speed and dexterity. Repetition is the key to learning to use the pick.
Many times a beginning guitar student will play with a pick for a few weeks and then decide its easier to play without it. While this is true in the early stages, if you get used to not using the pick it becomes much harder later on. How do I know this? Thats what I did! I spent the first 6 years of guitar playing using just my fingers until a friend of mine convinced me that some songs just sound better with a pick. After deciding he was right I worked on using the pick on at least a few of the songs. It was very frustrating, especially when the pick would drop into the hole or go flying across the room.
Start out slow, hold the pick tight enough to not drop it but dont make a fist.
As I got better at using the pick, I found that using a pick that had grips on it, (Jim Dunlop nylon), made it easier to control. The thickness was also much more important than I realized. The best thing to do is to try different picks and see which ones work for you. Theyre extremely cheap and there are lots and lots of different sizes, shapes, thicknesses and materials. A very general guideline is that a lot of accomplished guitar players use thicker picks for solos and playing fast, and lighter, thinner picks for strumming. Ask your guitar teacher, or better yet, buy a dozen and experiment.
Gradually build up speed and dont get discouraged.
Pick single notes first, be very deliberate, and make accuracy your top priority. The most difficult thing about starting to use the pick is finding the strings. Since you have no feeling it feels like youre kind of swinging the pick at the strings instead of striking them. A good way to practice is to pluck a note and let the pick rest on the next string. That way you learn to judge the distance between the strings. Set your metronome to a slow speed and aim for clear, crisp notes. Once youve mastered a few easy songs, work on scales, solos or fiddle tunes to increase your speed and dexterity. Repetition is the key to learning to use the pick.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
To Play Fast Learn to Play Slow
Learning to play fast.
At some point everyone sees or hears an amazing guitar player who seems to be able to effortlessly play at blazing speeds. How do they do that? The beginning guitar player sees no way to learn to go that fast, insists they sped up the recording, or used some other electronic trick. Then, they see that guitarist in person and realize he or she is capable of playing fast. So, how do you learn to increase your speed?
Believe it or not, the best way is to learn to play slowly. When learning guitar, you need to remember that if you cant play it slow theres no way you can play it fast. Yes, its really that simple. Here are some tips for learning to increase your speed.
To learn a song note for note, I highly recommend Riffmaster Pro Software. (Affiliate Link). The software enables you to slow down songs without changing the pitch, set up loops so you can work on individual phrases, change the eq settings to emphasize certain instruments, and export the slowed down songs you so you can record and practice them.
Should you purchase the program and have any questions about how to use it, just email me or leave a comment on this blog and Ill be happy to help you figure it out.
At some point everyone sees or hears an amazing guitar player who seems to be able to effortlessly play at blazing speeds. How do they do that? The beginning guitar player sees no way to learn to go that fast, insists they sped up the recording, or used some other electronic trick. Then, they see that guitarist in person and realize he or she is capable of playing fast. So, how do you learn to increase your speed?
Believe it or not, the best way is to learn to play slowly. When learning guitar, you need to remember that if you cant play it slow theres no way you can play it fast. Yes, its really that simple. Here are some tips for learning to increase your speed.
- Get a metronome and USE IT! I have students who buy metronomes and drum machines, use them for a short time and then give up on them. The most common mistake is setting a speed that you cant keep up with. Then the excuses start to come out. I cant play that slow, its boring, the song or exercises dont sound good slow, and many more. Set the rhythm to a slow pace, concentrate on picking each note exactly on the beat, with each note being clean and clear. Dont try to play complicated songs or exercises at first. Dont speed up at all until you can play each note in time without missing a beat.
- Work on major, minor and pentatonic scales. Every song is based on a scale, so practicing scales is a valuable use of your time. Youll learn to recognize the sounds of the different scales which will help you develop the ability to pick out songs by ear.
- Listen to the masters. There are amazing guitarists in all kinds of genres. It doesnt matter if you like rock, metal, country, folk, classical or bluegrass music, with a little research youll find someone you can relate to.
- Practice every day. You dont need to spend hours on exercises but you do need to work on them. One of the quotes I use is: if you think scales are boring, practice them until theyre not boring. If you dont think scales are boring, practice them until they are boring, then repeat step one.
- Get help. A guitar teacher can help you progress by watching and listening to you play and giving you valuable tips and ways to improve.
- Find a practice buddy. Do you know someone who also plays guitar or perhaps another instrument that complements the guitar? Is there a particular style of music that youd really like to play? Find someone to practice with and to hold you accountable. You can do the same for him or her.
To learn a song note for note, I highly recommend Riffmaster Pro Software. (Affiliate Link). The software enables you to slow down songs without changing the pitch, set up loops so you can work on individual phrases, change the eq settings to emphasize certain instruments, and export the slowed down songs you so you can record and practice them.
Should you purchase the program and have any questions about how to use it, just email me or leave a comment on this blog and Ill be happy to help you figure it out.
Bb major13
Following on from yesterdays nasty sounding dissonant chord for todays guitar chord of the day we have a beautiful sounding Bb major 13. This chord is moveable so its easy to transpose to other keys, the root note is on the E string as indicated by the square box on the chord diagram.
This chord involves a bit of a stretch, play the bottom E string with your 3rd finger, the D string with your little finger, the G string with your middle finger and barre your first finger across the B and top E strings. If youre finding this a bit of a stretch to start withtry moving the chord a few frets higher and gradually moving the chord back down as your hand gets used to it. Its a great sounding chord so well worth it!
Major 13 chords can be played in place of major 7th chords, and often in place of major chords. It can replace I and IV chords.
Major 13 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 though almost always the 11th is ommitted.
Bb Major 13 uses the notes: Bb, D, F, A, C, Eb, G
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: Bb, A, C, D, G.
Tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.
Major 13 chords can be played in place of major 7th chords, and often in place of major chords. It can replace I and IV chords.
Major 13 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 though almost always the 11th is ommitted.
Bb Major 13 uses the notes: Bb, D, F, A, C, Eb, G
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: Bb, A, C, D, G.
Tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
C9 guitar chord
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is C9 guitar chord. This chord has its root note on the A string
Dominant 9th chords use these scale degrees: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9
C9 uses the notes: C, E, G, Bb, D
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: C, E, Bb, D, G
9ths make greate blues guitar chords, play todays guitar chord with other 9th chords, 13th chords, or other Dominant 7th chords to spice up you blues rhythm guitar playing.
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
C9 uses the notes: C, E, G, Bb, D
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: C, E, Bb, D, G
9ths make greate blues guitar chords, play todays guitar chord with other 9th chords, 13th chords, or other Dominant 7th chords to spice up you blues rhythm guitar playing.
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Monday, October 7, 2013
F major13 Guitar Chord
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is F major13. Major 13s are beautiful sounding guitar chords and can be played in place of regular major 7 chords.
If you like this chord, you can play a few other Major 13 guitar chords here. Playing this chord involves a bit of a stretch, but it sounds great so is well worth it:
Major 13 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13, though the 11th is usually left out.
The notes of F Major 13 are: F, A, C, E, G, (Bb), D
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: F, C, D, E, A
Major 13 chords can also be written Δ13, so F Major 7, F maj13 and FΔ13 all refer to the same guitar chord.
Dont forget you can use Guitar Chord Of The Day as a chord dictionary by looking up different inversions and types of chords using the labels and tags. Learn a new guitar chord every day by subscribing to the RSS feed - tune up and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Major 13 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13, though the 11th is usually left out.
The notes of F Major 13 are: F, A, C, E, G, (Bb), D
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: F, C, D, E, A
Major 13 chords can also be written Δ13, so F Major 7, F maj13 and FΔ13 all refer to the same guitar chord.
Dont forget you can use Guitar Chord Of The Day as a chord dictionary by looking up different inversions and types of chords using the labels and tags. Learn a new guitar chord every day by subscribing to the RSS feed - tune up and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Sunday, October 6, 2013
C7 5b9 Bbm7b5 Gb9 Dbm6
The recent Guitar Chord a Day series 12 Dominant 7th Chords, introduced 12 useful dominant 7th guitar inversions.
Todays guitar chord of the day is actually four chords in one:
- C7#5b9
- Bbm7b5
- Gb9
- Dbm6
Dominant 7th chords are easy to modify to create other chords:
- Lower the 3rd one fret to make a minor7 chord
- Raise the b7 one fret to make a major7 chord
- Raise the root two frets to make a 9th chord
Thinking of our guitar chord as a C7#5b9 - this could be created by taking this dominant 7th chord and raising the root and the 5th by one fret to create a 7#5b9 chord.
Thinking of our guitar chord as a Bbm7b5 - this could be created by taking this dominant 7th chord and lowering the 3rd and the 5th by one fret to create a m7b5 chord.
Thinking of our guitar chord as a Gb9 - this could be created by taking this dominant 7th chord and raising the root note by two frets to create a 9th chord.
Thinking of our guitar chord as a Dbm6 - this could be created by taking this dominant 7th chord and lowering the 3rd and the 7th by one fret to create a m6 chord.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Meeting the physical demands of playing guitar
Playing guitar is harder than you think.
Every day we hear the same complaints. My fingers hurt, my wrist hurts, my shoulder hurts or my arm hurts. Playing guitar is more demanding than most people realize. In the beginning youre going to have aches and pains, much the same as if you were starting an exercise program. Lets take a look at what the causes the pain and some solutions.
Every day we hear the same complaints. My fingers hurt, my wrist hurts, my shoulder hurts or my arm hurts. Playing guitar is more demanding than most people realize. In the beginning youre going to have aches and pains, much the same as if you were starting an exercise program. Lets take a look at what the causes the pain and some solutions.
- Posture. Whether you play sitting down or standing up, the correct posture is important. When sitting down, put both feet on the floor, dont rest your fretting arm on your leg, and try to relax the muscles. Standing requires having a comfortable strap with the guitar positioned where you an easily reach the strings. Again, be sure youre comfortable and can reach the strings easily.
- Warming Up. Before you start working on songs, do some stretching and picking exercises. Start out slowly and work your way up.
- Pressing too Hard. In the early stages of learning guitar you pretty much have to use lots of pressure to hold the strings down. Once youve been playing for a month or so, youll find that since the tips of your fingers have toughened up you dont have to press as hard. This is a common mistake and it can cause pain in the fretting hand wrist as well as fatigue in the fingers.
- The Wrong Strings or Even the Wrong Guitar. Guitar strings come in different gauges or thicknesses, and one way to not have to push so hard is to try some lighter strings. There are also silk and steel strings which have a softer core. A classical guitar has nylon strings which are softer, but the trade-off is usually a wider neck. Guitar bodies also come in different sizes, so try one out before you buy.
- Spending Too Much Time Practicing. While its a good idea to practice every day, keeping the practice sessions short in the beginning is a good tactic. You dont want your fingers to be so sore the next day that you cant practice. Usually 10 to 15 minutes at a time is a good guideline until you get used to playing.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo from Queensrÿche The Guitar Tone Legends
Another great guitar duo. Michael Wilton and Chris DeGarmo made an awsome job in the Queensrÿche band. I like Especially the Operation: Mindcrime album. In one song they can show you shredding, cool melodic lines, progressive riffs and many more.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
12 Major Triads inversion 12
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is the last in our series of 12 major triads.
Play through all 12 of the major triads and try modifying them in the following ways:
To extend this even more, we can include some triadic superimpositions. These are simple chord substitutions where we play triads off notes other than the root note. Here are some examples:
Instead of C maj7 (C E G B) play Em (E G B), G (G B D)
Instead of Dm7 (D F A C) play F (F A C) or Am (A C E)
Instead of G7 (G B D F) play Bdim (B D F) or Dm (D F A)
Even though the triads are harmonically simple you can still get interesting chord using this technique.
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord:
Play through all 12 of the major triads and try modifying them in the following ways:
- Minor - lower the 3rd a semitone
- Augmented - raise the 5th a semitone
- Diminished - lower the 3rd and 5th a semitone
To extend this even more, we can include some triadic superimpositions. These are simple chord substitutions where we play triads off notes other than the root note. Here are some examples:
Instead of C maj7 (C E G B) play Em (E G B), G (G B D)
Instead of Dm7 (D F A C) play F (F A C) or Am (A C E)
Instead of G7 (G B D F) play Bdim (B D F) or Dm (D F A)
Even though the triads are harmonically simple you can still get interesting chord using this technique.
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Crystal Clear Notes and Chords
Do Your Strings Buzz When You Play?
String buzz or vibrations are caused by only one of two things: either youre not pushing hard enough or youre not close enough to the fret. To eliminate buzzing, be sure you push the string down against the fingerboard and keep the pressure on. Once your fingertips toughen up you wont have to use as much pressure as you do at first. Dont forget, the frets are the metal bars, not the spaces in between. Playing too far back towards the nut will cause buzzing regardless of how hard you press the strings down.
Whats That Muffled or Deadened Sound?
The other most common obstacle to clear notes is a muffled or deadened note. The top cause is something being in the way. A sleeve, a piece of jewelry or another finger can block out a string. Bend the fretting hand fingers at both joints and arch them up so they dont hit the other strings. Push up your sleeve and remove the jewelry. The other causes are touching the fret or not pushing hard enough. Make sure your finger isnt right on the fret and that youre using enough pressure to make a clear note.
Follow these steps and your playing will sound better in no time!
Bob Lucas Guitar Studios
123 W. Clinton Place, 2nd Floor
Kirkwood, MO 63122
www.blguitars.net
String buzz or vibrations are caused by only one of two things: either youre not pushing hard enough or youre not close enough to the fret. To eliminate buzzing, be sure you push the string down against the fingerboard and keep the pressure on. Once your fingertips toughen up you wont have to use as much pressure as you do at first. Dont forget, the frets are the metal bars, not the spaces in between. Playing too far back towards the nut will cause buzzing regardless of how hard you press the strings down.
Whats That Muffled or Deadened Sound?
The other most common obstacle to clear notes is a muffled or deadened note. The top cause is something being in the way. A sleeve, a piece of jewelry or another finger can block out a string. Bend the fretting hand fingers at both joints and arch them up so they dont hit the other strings. Push up your sleeve and remove the jewelry. The other causes are touching the fret or not pushing hard enough. Make sure your finger isnt right on the fret and that youre using enough pressure to make a clear note.
Follow these steps and your playing will sound better in no time!
Bob Lucas Guitar Studios
123 W. Clinton Place, 2nd Floor
Kirkwood, MO 63122
www.blguitars.net
Picking technic Single and alternate picking
Hello,
Here I like to tell you about picking technics. In general there 2 kinds of picking tehcnic, namely single and alternate picking.
Single picking means we pick a string and then play about 2 or more notes per string. In simple way of explaining with a single pick on a string we play no matter how many notes played on that string.
And for alternate picking means we pick the string on every single note we play. Normally we pick in the motion of down and up stroke continously. For example the stroke will be down, up, down, up, down... and so on.
Anyway, I believe most guitarist being taught of using the technic of alternate picking. I suggest that to be a good guitarist we must learn both so we can get more technics and apply it to our playing to make it more versatile.
Thats it! Generally about picking.
See you guys around.
Here I like to tell you about picking technics. In general there 2 kinds of picking tehcnic, namely single and alternate picking.
Single picking means we pick a string and then play about 2 or more notes per string. In simple way of explaining with a single pick on a string we play no matter how many notes played on that string.
And for alternate picking means we pick the string on every single note we play. Normally we pick in the motion of down and up stroke continously. For example the stroke will be down, up, down, up, down... and so on.
Anyway, I believe most guitarist being taught of using the technic of alternate picking. I suggest that to be a good guitarist we must learn both so we can get more technics and apply it to our playing to make it more versatile.
Thats it! Generally about picking.
See you guys around.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Pain while playing guitar!! Stop!!!
Hello again,
I like to tell you about my experience a few years back. I woke up in a morning one day, without brushing my teeth or go to the washroom I get my guitar plug the cable swtich on the amp and effect and started playing "Master of Puppet-Metallica".
Just in a few minutes i started to feel the pain on my hand muscle and and palm area. But i just carried on my playing. Until one point its really heart. THen i stop and get ready to work. To tell you the truth the pain still there for the whole day. Thats the bad lesson I learnt. Do some warm up before starts playing your guitar.
The point I want to tell you today is if you feel the pain or sore in your hand while playing guitar just stop it immediately and have your some rest. Pain is your bodys way of telling you that youre doing something wrong. Stop and rest is a good solution. If the pain or soreness persists, see an orthopedic specialist to make sure you arent developing tendinitis.
In my case, i need to go to the clinic and have to put my hand bandage. The doctor advise me to rest and not to play the guitar for days. Thats awful, but even awful i heard that somebody had to stop playing guitar for month because of the same problem...
Hope it is not happens to you.
I like to tell you about my experience a few years back. I woke up in a morning one day, without brushing my teeth or go to the washroom I get my guitar plug the cable swtich on the amp and effect and started playing "Master of Puppet-Metallica".
Just in a few minutes i started to feel the pain on my hand muscle and and palm area. But i just carried on my playing. Until one point its really heart. THen i stop and get ready to work. To tell you the truth the pain still there for the whole day. Thats the bad lesson I learnt. Do some warm up before starts playing your guitar.
The point I want to tell you today is if you feel the pain or sore in your hand while playing guitar just stop it immediately and have your some rest. Pain is your bodys way of telling you that youre doing something wrong. Stop and rest is a good solution. If the pain or soreness persists, see an orthopedic specialist to make sure you arent developing tendinitis.
In my case, i need to go to the clinic and have to put my hand bandage. The doctor advise me to rest and not to play the guitar for days. Thats awful, but even awful i heard that somebody had to stop playing guitar for month because of the same problem...
Hope it is not happens to you.
Monday, September 30, 2013
G sus2
Hendrix Chords
The next chord in our Jimi Hendrix chords mini series at Guitar Chord of the Day is a sus2 chord. Jimi used this chord lots, you can here it being slide up and down the fretboard at the beginning and end of Castles Made of Sand
from his second album Axis: Bold As Love
released in 1967, its also used in Little Wing
and many other Jimi songs.
from his second album Axis: Bold As Love released in 1967, its also used in Little Wing and many other Jimi songs.
This chord demonstrates another common technique that Jimi used: fretting notes with his thumb, as you can see in the photo at the top of the page.
Sus2 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 2, 5
G sus2 uses the notes: G, A, D
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: G, G, D, A
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
12 Major Triads inversion 7
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is the next chord in our series of major triads, moving our G Major triad to the A, D and G strings of the guitar.
This triad is a 2nd inversion, as it has the 5th as its lowest note: 5, 1, 3
In a G Major triad these notes are : D, G and B.
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord:
This triad is a 2nd inversion, as it has the 5th as its lowest note: 5, 1, 3
In a G Major triad these notes are : D, G and B.
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Cool Boss DS 1 Mods by YT Users
Boss DS-1 is a kind of constructions, where many parts can be changed, and many circuits can be modified. This is why there's so many modded „orange boxes” on the market.
Some mods are just making the pedal a little bit warmer, colder or boosting more middle frequencies. Some of them makes a new kind of guitar effect stomp-box from the stock DS-1.
Here are some good demos from YouTube, which can show you, what MOD really means.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Les Paul The Guitar Tone Legend
Les Paul (1915 - 2009) was a great guitarist and jazzman - not only a great guitar and recording gear inventor.
Les was a quite popular guitar player in jazz fanciers society. He also put something to the pop music industry. He was playing in radio shows and taking part in music projects with many famous musicians. You can read more about his life in this article: www.lespaulonline.com/bio.html
Here is a very cool interview with this gentleman: www.modernguitars.com/archives/000818.html
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Simple Electric Guitar Idea Bo Diddley Style
This time, I would like to present my idea on how to make a simple electric guitar, from a simple piece of wood, in a simple way :)
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Make a To Do List Set Some Goals and Focus
How to start making progress again.
It happens to the best of us. Were learning songs, working on technique, feel like were getting somewhere, and then we hit the proverbial brick wall! We seem to be getting worse instead of better, our motivations taken a serious hit, and were starting to wonder if this is as good as well ever be able to play. I see and hear this from my students all the time, and experience it myself too.
First things first, take a break.
It sounds wrong, but sometimes the best thing you can do is walk away. Take a few days or even a week or so and just do something else. My feeling is that we still practice in our subconscious mind, and taking a break is the same as going on vacation and not thinking about work. Ive quit playing and working on a song and actually been able to play it better after leaving it alone for a while.
Make a to do list.
Record yourself, listen to how you sound, and make a to do list of things to work on. Were all our own worst critics, so be critical and write out exactly what was good and what needed improvement.
Set some goals for yourself.
After youve listened and critiqued yourself, set a deadline. Decide youll master what youre working on, and hold yourself accountable. Be realistic and reasonable, but be hard on yourself as well. With a specific time frame in mind, your motivation will definitely improve.
Focus.
Now that you have the to do list and goals in place, work on being in focus. Its way too easy to get distracted, let your mind wander, and play things that are easier and more comfortable. Set a timer and use that as a way to give the song your undivided attention. Work on difficult passages, smooth out the rough parts, and again, record yourself. Its hard to hear progress from day to day, so a recording is a good way to judge where you are and where you still need to be.
It happens to the best of us. Were learning songs, working on technique, feel like were getting somewhere, and then we hit the proverbial brick wall! We seem to be getting worse instead of better, our motivations taken a serious hit, and were starting to wonder if this is as good as well ever be able to play. I see and hear this from my students all the time, and experience it myself too.
First things first, take a break.
It sounds wrong, but sometimes the best thing you can do is walk away. Take a few days or even a week or so and just do something else. My feeling is that we still practice in our subconscious mind, and taking a break is the same as going on vacation and not thinking about work. Ive quit playing and working on a song and actually been able to play it better after leaving it alone for a while.
Make a to do list.
Record yourself, listen to how you sound, and make a to do list of things to work on. Were all our own worst critics, so be critical and write out exactly what was good and what needed improvement.
Set some goals for yourself.
After youve listened and critiqued yourself, set a deadline. Decide youll master what youre working on, and hold yourself accountable. Be realistic and reasonable, but be hard on yourself as well. With a specific time frame in mind, your motivation will definitely improve.
Focus.
Now that you have the to do list and goals in place, work on being in focus. Its way too easy to get distracted, let your mind wander, and play things that are easier and more comfortable. Set a timer and use that as a way to give the song your undivided attention. Work on difficult passages, smooth out the rough parts, and again, record yourself. Its hard to hear progress from day to day, so a recording is a good way to judge where you are and where you still need to be.
Take Me Out To The Ballgame Fingerstyle Guitar
Since its opening day I thought Id post my fingerstyle guitar arrangement of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. This was influenced by the picking of Doc Watson, Merle Travis and Chet Atkins.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Are You Multitasking Instead of Focusing
Why multitasking is overrated.
The more Ive become involved in teaching, the more I try to simplify practice. I see many students trying to do too many things at once. Theyll be working on new songs when the old ones still need work, theyll try to play faster when they cant play slowly, or theyll try to keep a beat before they know where the notes are. While each aspect of practice is important, the ability to focus on one area at a time is the key. If youre tired of a song, put it away for a while instead of adding another new one. If you want to play faster you have to be able to play slowly, without any mistakes. If you want to keep a good, solid rhythm, you have to be able to concentrate on that. Dont forget the 3 elements of playing music well: Timing, Tone and Touch. The more you work on those, the more tools you have to be able to express yourself through the music.
The more Ive become involved in teaching, the more I try to simplify practice. I see many students trying to do too many things at once. Theyll be working on new songs when the old ones still need work, theyll try to play faster when they cant play slowly, or theyll try to keep a beat before they know where the notes are. While each aspect of practice is important, the ability to focus on one area at a time is the key. If youre tired of a song, put it away for a while instead of adding another new one. If you want to play faster you have to be able to play slowly, without any mistakes. If you want to keep a good, solid rhythm, you have to be able to concentrate on that. Dont forget the 3 elements of playing music well: Timing, Tone and Touch. The more you work on those, the more tools you have to be able to express yourself through the music.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Get use to your guitar pick
Hello again,
Talking about the pick for me by choosing the right guitar picks will make not only the comfortablity, though it will give u a good sound and tone.
YOu should have ur favourable guitar picks. THere are a lot of shape and thickness. Also they made from some different material and color. Spend some time to get a different types of picks and do some experiment so will know the different of each and then choose your best one for you. Get use to it, appreciate it and love it.
Those pick in the picture is in my collection.
Talking about the pick for me by choosing the right guitar picks will make not only the comfortablity, though it will give u a good sound and tone.
YOu should have ur favourable guitar picks. THere are a lot of shape and thickness. Also they made from some different material and color. Spend some time to get a different types of picks and do some experiment so will know the different of each and then choose your best one for you. Get use to it, appreciate it and love it.
Those pick in the picture is in my collection. For your information there is no pick can last forever. One day somehow it will torn up and overused. U need to change it, is good to have stocks of picks. DOnt be so stingy by having just one pick. Put ur pick stock in your guitar case so u can get it easily when u need it next time. ALso good if you have pick holder attached to your guitar.
Have fun
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Wiring Inspired by Jerry Garcias Guitar
If you're a fan of guitar DIY and The Grateful Dead (with Jerry Garcia as a lead guitarist), this wiring diagram can be interesting for you. It's based on Jerry Garcia's guitar - The Tiger.
This is not a copy of the Tiger's wiring. It's designed to get most of Tiger's tone options, but it's also customized to be mounted in guitars that you can easily buy today.
Here is my project:
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Warm up
Hello guys!
Today i like to tell you that to do a ginger warm up is important before u start playing your guitar, no matter where and when. It is is good for your finger muscle and also can help you to gain fluency, speed and accuracy on the guitar neck
You gain the most out of these exercises if you use a metronome. Start slow and built up the speed. Dont force yourself into a tempo that youre not ready for. Make sure your arms and wrists are relaxed. Failing to do so may result in a RSI like tendinitis (wrist inflammation).
Just to make sure we understand eachother in terms of finger naming:
Just to make sure we understand eachother in terms of finger naming:
Warm Up ExercisesThis first exercise helps to develop your fluency, speed and left hand-right hand coordination. Start slow and build up the speed. Use fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4 of your left hand, dont skip the little finger. Use a pick and do alternate picking. The exercise doesnt stop at the end of the tabs, continue for the rest of the neck. Be RELAXED!
Wishing u all the best.
...
Friday, September 20, 2013
Stereo Guitar Wiring
This is my project of the quite simple stereo (two channels) guitar wiring.
Every channel of the wiring has got his own, unique tone characteristic and his own, separate output socket.
It is something very useful, if you want to connect your guitar to two amps, or to two different sets of effects.
It is also useful for recording in studio. It allows you to record two, different sounding, but symmetrical tracks. You can use them together, as stereo guitar tracks, or chose only one, because it will be the best sounding track for some part of your song.
There is also possibility to use this wiring as a mono circuit, by choosing only one output (channel) from two. In standard wirings you don't have that kind of choice.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Solo technic Vibrato
In such way vibrato, is giving a better sound of our guitar solo. Making our playing so charecteristic and dynamic. It sounds so alive and being since the classical era to rock and heavy metal. Its critical to do the correct technic of doing it, sometimes, by overdoing it will make you playing sound offpitch.
Generally for me I use 3 kinds of vibrato. Depends on which situation is the best. I call it:
1. Conventional vibrato
2. Classical Vibrato
3. Tremolo Vibrato.
The conventional vibrato is widely use by the electric guitarist, no matter what are the genres their playing, in rock, metal, pop, fusion, jazz, even blues and alternatives. The technic it to press on tight over the note and make the bends movement repeatedly. ANd make sure everytimes you bend the string it will return back to its normal position or else it will be offpitch. The keyword her is bending it up and down. Of course continously
The classical vibrato, normally played on the classical guitar. But I saw BB King is always does it. Meaning to say it can be done using the electric guitar. It sounds nice and totally awesome. For me it give more attitude. The technics is to hold the note tight and make the movement back and forward repeatedly. The keyword is back and forward movement.
While the Tremolo vibrato is COOL!!! But to do this your guitar must have tremolo on the bridge. Make sure it is properly attached. The technics is just slightly wham the tremolo up and down continously. If you are the rock guitar player you will be looking and sound like PRO. Just be careful, make sure the tremolo back to its original tension before doing another wham. Even, you can explore and do some experiment to make a nice vibrato with your tremolo. I ll tell you later on this.
My advise is listen to what you play. Make it a good sound. Because listening the good sound is what the music is all about.
UPDATE: Discover a brand new way to learn
the electric / acoustic guitar online without
attending guitar lessons. Click here now
Generally for me I use 3 kinds of vibrato. Depends on which situation is the best. I call it:
1. Conventional vibrato
2. Classical Vibrato
3. Tremolo Vibrato.
The conventional vibrato is widely use by the electric guitarist, no matter what are the genres their playing, in rock, metal, pop, fusion, jazz, even blues and alternatives. The technic it to press on tight over the note and make the bends movement repeatedly. ANd make sure everytimes you bend the string it will return back to its normal position or else it will be offpitch. The keyword her is bending it up and down. Of course continously
The classical vibrato, normally played on the classical guitar. But I saw BB King is always does it. Meaning to say it can be done using the electric guitar. It sounds nice and totally awesome. For me it give more attitude. The technics is to hold the note tight and make the movement back and forward repeatedly. The keyword is back and forward movement.
While the Tremolo vibrato is COOL!!! But to do this your guitar must have tremolo on the bridge. Make sure it is properly attached. The technics is just slightly wham the tremolo up and down continously. If you are the rock guitar player you will be looking and sound like PRO. Just be careful, make sure the tremolo back to its original tension before doing another wham. Even, you can explore and do some experiment to make a nice vibrato with your tremolo. I ll tell you later on this.
My advise is listen to what you play. Make it a good sound. Because listening the good sound is what the music is all about.
UPDATE: Discover a brand new way to learn
the electric / acoustic guitar online without
attending guitar lessons. Click here now
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Warm up
Hello guys!
Today i like to tell you that to do a ginger warm up is important before u start playing your guitar, no matter where and when. It is is good for your finger muscle and also can help you to gain fluency, speed and accuracy on the guitar neck
You gain the most out of these exercises if you use a metronome. Start slow and built up the speed. Dont force yourself into a tempo that youre not ready for. Make sure your arms and wrists are relaxed. Failing to do so may result in a RSI like tendinitis (wrist inflammation).
Just to make sure we understand eachother in terms of finger naming:
Just to make sure we understand eachother in terms of finger naming:
Warm Up ExercisesThis first exercise helps to develop your fluency, speed and left hand-right hand coordination. Start slow and build up the speed. Use fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4 of your left hand, dont skip the little finger. Use a pick and do alternate picking. The exercise doesnt stop at the end of the tabs, continue for the rest of the neck. Be RELAXED!
Wishing u all the best.
...
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Improving Your Guitar Chords What Beginners Need to Know
Does your chord playing need work?
One of the most frustrating parts of beginning guitar lessons is getting your chords to sound good. These tips will help you make your chords sound like they should.
Stop the strings from buzzing. One of the things you need to work on when you play guitar chords is eliminating string buzz. The causes are: not playing close enough to the fret, not pushing hard enough and not keeping the pressure on. The frets are the metal bars, not the spaces in between. You want to get your fingers close to the frets, but not touching them. If youre close to the fret and theyre still buzzing, push harder. In the beginning stages your fingers arent tough yet so you need to push harder. If you get a buzz after a second or two, youve let the pressure off.
Making the strings ring clear. A muffled or deadened sound is usually caused by something being in the way. It can be a sleeve, a fingernail, or another finger. Arch your hand so that each finger is bent at both joints and the fingers come down as straight as possible. This will get the fingers out of each others way. Be sure your sleeve isnt blocking the string and keep your left hand fingernails trimmed. The last cause is having your finger right on the fret instead of behind it.
Checking your progress. If youre not sure how the chord sounds, play each string individually while holding the chord so you can find the source of the trouble. Work to position your hand and fingers so that all of the strings are making a clear sound. You also need to be sure that youre not playing strings that dont go in the chord. At the top of the chord grid there are Xs and Os. An X means the string isnt played, so be sure you dont strum that one. Os are played open, you have no finger on there but it is part of the chord.
One of the most frustrating parts of beginning guitar lessons is getting your chords to sound good. These tips will help you make your chords sound like they should.
Stop the strings from buzzing. One of the things you need to work on when you play guitar chords is eliminating string buzz. The causes are: not playing close enough to the fret, not pushing hard enough and not keeping the pressure on. The frets are the metal bars, not the spaces in between. You want to get your fingers close to the frets, but not touching them. If youre close to the fret and theyre still buzzing, push harder. In the beginning stages your fingers arent tough yet so you need to push harder. If you get a buzz after a second or two, youve let the pressure off.
Making the strings ring clear. A muffled or deadened sound is usually caused by something being in the way. It can be a sleeve, a fingernail, or another finger. Arch your hand so that each finger is bent at both joints and the fingers come down as straight as possible. This will get the fingers out of each others way. Be sure your sleeve isnt blocking the string and keep your left hand fingernails trimmed. The last cause is having your finger right on the fret instead of behind it.
Checking your progress. If youre not sure how the chord sounds, play each string individually while holding the chord so you can find the source of the trouble. Work to position your hand and fingers so that all of the strings are making a clear sound. You also need to be sure that youre not playing strings that dont go in the chord. At the top of the chord grid there are Xs and Os. An X means the string isnt played, so be sure you dont strum that one. Os are played open, you have no finger on there but it is part of the chord.
Do You Own These Helpful Tools For Learning Guitar
Give Yourself a Jump Start With These Accessories
1. Music Stand. Ive had many students tell me when they practice they put the music on the floor, the coffee table, the side of the bed, or propped up somehow. These ways all promote poor posture and playing position. A wire, folding music stand only costs about $15-25 and is a worthwhile investment. The "industrial strength" ones you see professional musicians use can run from $60 up, but the sturdiness and ability to adjust it make it worth the extra money. Either way, this should be on the top of your list.
2. Electronic Tuner. Like every electronic device, tuners are dropped in price to the point where no one should be without one. Even if you know how to tune its a great tool. They range in price from under $10 to $100+, but most people can get by without one thats priced high. Even the low to mid priced ones have many features that were only available on expensive models a few years ago.
3. Metronome or Drum Machine. A metronome or drum machine will help you develop a solid sense of rhythm. Either one is fine, but a drum machine is a little more fun to practice with.
4. Digital Recorder. While not an absolute necessity, the ability to record your playing is a great tool to see how youre progressing. Most people are surprised at how different they sound and at how many mistakes they dont hear. Just remember, recordings dont lie!
5. A Good Teacher. Its possible to learn on your own, but finding a good teacher can accelerate the process. Beginning guitar lessons are the most crucial, since they can help you get started using the right techniques.
6. Software to Slow Songs Down. One of the most useful tools we use at the studio is a program to slow songs down. A good choice is RiffPro. Click Here!(Affiliate link)
1. Music Stand. Ive had many students tell me when they practice they put the music on the floor, the coffee table, the side of the bed, or propped up somehow. These ways all promote poor posture and playing position. A wire, folding music stand only costs about $15-25 and is a worthwhile investment. The "industrial strength" ones you see professional musicians use can run from $60 up, but the sturdiness and ability to adjust it make it worth the extra money. Either way, this should be on the top of your list.
2. Electronic Tuner. Like every electronic device, tuners are dropped in price to the point where no one should be without one. Even if you know how to tune its a great tool. They range in price from under $10 to $100+, but most people can get by without one thats priced high. Even the low to mid priced ones have many features that were only available on expensive models a few years ago.
3. Metronome or Drum Machine. A metronome or drum machine will help you develop a solid sense of rhythm. Either one is fine, but a drum machine is a little more fun to practice with.
4. Digital Recorder. While not an absolute necessity, the ability to record your playing is a great tool to see how youre progressing. Most people are surprised at how different they sound and at how many mistakes they dont hear. Just remember, recordings dont lie!
5. A Good Teacher. Its possible to learn on your own, but finding a good teacher can accelerate the process. Beginning guitar lessons are the most crucial, since they can help you get started using the right techniques.
6. Software to Slow Songs Down. One of the most useful tools we use at the studio is a program to slow songs down. A good choice is RiffPro. Click Here!(Affiliate link)
Monday, September 16, 2013
D minor7 b5
Todays guitar chord is D minor7b5. It is a moveable chord with its root note on the A string. Dm7b5 is also known as D half diminished.
Four Chords For The Price of One
m7b5 chords can also be considered as different inversions of other chords, Dm7b5 can also be considered as Bb9, F minor 6, E7#5b9. Heres why:
Dm7b5 = D F, Ab, C
Bb9 = Bb, D, F, Ab, C
F minor 6 = F, Ab, C, D
E7#5b9 = E, G# (Ab), B# (C), D, F
As you can see these chords contain the notes of the Dm7b5 chord, so you can also play this inversion in place of these chords too.
Minor7b5 chords use these scale degrees: 1, b3, b5, b7
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: D, Ab, C, F
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
m7b5 chords can also be considered as different inversions of other chords, Dm7b5 can also be considered as Bb9, F minor 6, E7#5b9. Heres why:
Dm7b5 = D F, Ab, C
Bb9 = Bb, D, F, Ab, C
F minor 6 = F, Ab, C, D
E7#5b9 = E, G# (Ab), B# (C), D, F
As you can see these chords contain the notes of the Dm7b5 chord, so you can also play this inversion in place of these chords too.
Minor7b5 chords use these scale degrees: 1, b3, b5, b7
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: D, Ab, C, F
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Guitar Wiring for Metal Maniacs Two Pickups Version
This guitar wiring is very similar to the previous one (Guitar wiring for metal maniacs), which is designed for guitars with only one, high output pickup, made to play rock/metal. This is just a 'two pickups version' of it.
Read more »
Saturday, September 14, 2013
Nice DIY Pedals from YT Users
I would like to present some home-made constructions of guitar stomp boxes. I think, these pedals are really cool, so can promote guitar DIY and give you some inspirations.
Fuzz Face on BC108
Craig Anderton Tube Sound Fuzz
Dr Boogie
Friday, September 13, 2013
C7 9 Guitar Chord
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is C7#9. 7#9 chords are commonly known by guitarists as The Hendrix Chord, though jazzers prefer to call them altered chords. Weve featured a few other Hendrix chords and altered jazz guitar chords in previous posts.
This guitar chord is fairly simple to play but is less well known than the regular Hendrix chord inversion. This inversion has its root on the top E string of the guitar.
7#9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, b7, #9
C7#9 uses the notes: C, E, G,Bb, D#
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: E, Bb, Eb, C
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
7#9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, b7, #9
C7#9 uses the notes: C, E, G,Bb, D#
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: E, Bb, Eb, C
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Some Great Effect Unit Case DIY
This little tea tin box can be a great housing for a guitar effect unit. Its too thin for a stomp-box, but will work OK as some control-by-hand unit.
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| rosette on top - good place for potentiometer |
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| nice drawing |
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Memorizing Difficult Passages
Whats keeping you from playing the song perfectly?
Beginning guitar students often hit a plateau where they wonder if theyll ever get any better. This usually happens after a couple months, when they realize what theyve gotten themselves into. A mental block forms, and pretty soon theyve convinced themselves that "that part doesnt sound right." Sometimes thats true, but a lot of times its their perception of what its supposed to sound like.
How to get over it and get on with it.
Bob Lucas
www.blguitars.net
Beginning guitar students often hit a plateau where they wonder if theyll ever get any better. This usually happens after a couple months, when they realize what theyve gotten themselves into. A mental block forms, and pretty soon theyve convinced themselves that "that part doesnt sound right." Sometimes thats true, but a lot of times its their perception of what its supposed to sound like.
How to get over it and get on with it.
- Listen to a recording of the song. By listening to a correct version of the piece, you start to understand exactly what it should sound like. The best time to do that is when youre not trying to play the song. I had a banjo song that I learned wrong, and the way I corrected it was to listen to the recording over and over until I knew what it was supposed to sound like.
- Slow down. I know, it sounds better fast. I also know if you cant play it slow you cant play it fast. Slow, deliberate practice is how you get over the hump and polish up the song.
- Have your guitar teacher play it with you. Learn the phrasing, the correct fingering and the correct dynamics. Practice the trouble part, then the parts before and after it, then build up speed.
- Be patient. Too many beginners try to do too much too soon, and then cant understand why theyre not making enough progress. Take the advice above and youll find that your progress will be slow but steady.
Bob Lucas
www.blguitars.net
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
5 Reasons to Take Guitar Lessons
Why should you take guitar lessons when there are so many other more affordable ways to learn? Lets find out.
1. The teacher can answer your questions. You cant ask a DVD a book or a CD a question. There are many good, helpful resources available, but being able to ask a question of a live teacher is a huge advantage. Theres a lot to be said for getting an instant answer explained in terms you understand.
2. A teacher will catch bad habits. Playing in front of your teacher, he or she will immediately be able to see if youre forming a habit that will catch up with you later. Getting feedback right away will help you learn correctly from the beginning.
3. Your teacher can motivate you. Ive found that teaching yourself is very difficult because you need motivation. If you have no one to play for or to be accountable to, its very easy to get in a rut and just play the songs youre comfortable with.
4. An instructor will make sure you progress. Sometimes a new student will attempt a piece thats just not possible yet. Many of my students will hear a song theyd like to play and then be surprised at how hard it is. "But it sounds easy" is something I hear a lot. A good teacher will make sure that you move forward and not become discouraged by trying to play something youre not capable of at the moment.
5. The teacher will help you set goals. Having goals is an important part of learning to play guitar. The most difficult students we have are the ones that have no idea of what theyre trying to do. Too often someone will say "I just want to play the guitar." The nice thing about guitar is that its extremely versatile. You can play any kind of music on it and you can decide how good you want to be. Ive had students who were happy playing a half dozen chords and singing around the campfire while others studied for years to reach the level they desired.
1. The teacher can answer your questions. You cant ask a DVD a book or a CD a question. There are many good, helpful resources available, but being able to ask a question of a live teacher is a huge advantage. Theres a lot to be said for getting an instant answer explained in terms you understand.
2. A teacher will catch bad habits. Playing in front of your teacher, he or she will immediately be able to see if youre forming a habit that will catch up with you later. Getting feedback right away will help you learn correctly from the beginning.
3. Your teacher can motivate you. Ive found that teaching yourself is very difficult because you need motivation. If you have no one to play for or to be accountable to, its very easy to get in a rut and just play the songs youre comfortable with.
4. An instructor will make sure you progress. Sometimes a new student will attempt a piece thats just not possible yet. Many of my students will hear a song theyd like to play and then be surprised at how hard it is. "But it sounds easy" is something I hear a lot. A good teacher will make sure that you move forward and not become discouraged by trying to play something youre not capable of at the moment.
5. The teacher will help you set goals. Having goals is an important part of learning to play guitar. The most difficult students we have are the ones that have no idea of what theyre trying to do. Too often someone will say "I just want to play the guitar." The nice thing about guitar is that its extremely versatile. You can play any kind of music on it and you can decide how good you want to be. Ive had students who were happy playing a half dozen chords and singing around the campfire while others studied for years to reach the level they desired.
One Man Guitar Shows
When we are thinking about some music, where guitars are the significant part, were usually thinking about bands. What about one man guitar shows? Is there some successful music perfomed only by a one guitarist?
I think, yes. Lets listen (YT vids):
Pat Metheny:
Dont Know Why
Song For The Boys
Robert Fripp
Frippertronics demo
Barney Kessel
Heres That Rainy Day
Joe Pass
Satin Doll
Bill Frisell
Shenongoah
Keep Your Eyes Open
Edward Van Halen
Eruption
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Monday, September 9, 2013
Tom Petty The Guitar Tone Legend
Today i would like to tell you something about Tom Petty. Hes not a „guitar virtuoso” for me. Hes not like Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani or Jimi Henrix. Hes not playing fast and complicated, but he is a great guitarist. Tom is a master of strumming and minimalistic riffs in the background.
Maybe someone would like to say, that there is nothing difficult in just guitar strumming and just playing few notes/chords. I think, that there IS something difficult. Feeling, dynamic, smoothness, aggression – you can make it in many different ways. You can be boring, or you can have passion.
If you dont know too much about Tom Pettys music, here are some cool videos.
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers:
Refugee (live)
Dont Come Around Here No More
You Got Lucky
Runnin Down A Dream
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Sunday, September 8, 2013
The 3 Ts Timing Taste and Tone
Lets start with #1, Timing.
The key to sounding good is the ability to keep a rock solid, steady beat. Nothing is more frustrating than to play with or listen to a musician without good rhythm. How do you develop this sense of timing? In a word, METRONOME! Its amazing how many people balk at using a simple tool and continue to struggle with timing. You can purchase a metronome for as little as $20 or even find one for free on the internet.
How does it work?
You set a tempo, (speed), and practice slowly so you develop a sense of timing. Think of this as the pulse of your music. Like your heartbeat it should be steady and rhythmic. A beginning guitar student can start with a simple timing pattern using open strings. The important thing at first is to play something easy so that note reading isnt the problem. Play whole notes, half notes and quarter notes, then build speed. Your guitar teacher can give you more details.
The key to sounding good is the ability to keep a rock solid, steady beat. Nothing is more frustrating than to play with or listen to a musician without good rhythm. How do you develop this sense of timing? In a word, METRONOME! Its amazing how many people balk at using a simple tool and continue to struggle with timing. You can purchase a metronome for as little as $20 or even find one for free on the internet.
How does it work?
You set a tempo, (speed), and practice slowly so you develop a sense of timing. Think of this as the pulse of your music. Like your heartbeat it should be steady and rhythmic. A beginning guitar student can start with a simple timing pattern using open strings. The important thing at first is to play something easy so that note reading isnt the problem. Play whole notes, half notes and quarter notes, then build speed. Your guitar teacher can give you more details.
Friday, September 6, 2013
What Are You Working On
Are you practicing or just "noodling around" on your guitar?
To make continual progress, you need to be working on something. While its fun for a beginning guitar player to perform songs he or she already plays well, it doesnt do a lot for moving forward. Im not saying playing guitar should be all work and no play, but if youre looking to play better its necessary to work at it. Each serious practice session should at least have a couple of goals, things youre working on.
Scales and alternate picking.
One way to move along is to improve your playing techniques. Scales help with muscle memory as well as developing your ear. Most people seem to think that playing by ear is a mysterious skill that can only be learned by talented, gifted students of music. However, once you know a little theory and you get used to the sound of scales and chords youll find that it is a skill that most people can learn. Using alternate picking, (picking down and up), is a good technique to develop while practicing scales. It helps you find the strings and maneuver the pick. Youll find that many songs have passages that are simply scales or parts of scales.
Songs that are a challenge.
You dont have to choose a song thats way over your head, but your playing will improve with songs that are at least a little more difficult than what youre used to. Most beginning guitar books and most teachers will provide you with songs and exercises that get progressively harder. I dont encourage my students to gloss over songs, but I do try to keep them moving forward. Once youve got a song to a level where you just need to polish it up, see if your guitar teacher thinks youre ready to tackle another.
Keep on keepin on.
The last bit of advice for today is to not get discouraged, dont be in too big a hurry, and remember that playing guitar is a long term commitment. Too many times the student will "pull the plug" when things get more difficult, and then years later pick up the guitar again, wishing they hadnt stopped!
To make continual progress, you need to be working on something. While its fun for a beginning guitar player to perform songs he or she already plays well, it doesnt do a lot for moving forward. Im not saying playing guitar should be all work and no play, but if youre looking to play better its necessary to work at it. Each serious practice session should at least have a couple of goals, things youre working on.
Scales and alternate picking.
One way to move along is to improve your playing techniques. Scales help with muscle memory as well as developing your ear. Most people seem to think that playing by ear is a mysterious skill that can only be learned by talented, gifted students of music. However, once you know a little theory and you get used to the sound of scales and chords youll find that it is a skill that most people can learn. Using alternate picking, (picking down and up), is a good technique to develop while practicing scales. It helps you find the strings and maneuver the pick. Youll find that many songs have passages that are simply scales or parts of scales.
Songs that are a challenge.
You dont have to choose a song thats way over your head, but your playing will improve with songs that are at least a little more difficult than what youre used to. Most beginning guitar books and most teachers will provide you with songs and exercises that get progressively harder. I dont encourage my students to gloss over songs, but I do try to keep them moving forward. Once youve got a song to a level where you just need to polish it up, see if your guitar teacher thinks youre ready to tackle another.
Keep on keepin on.
The last bit of advice for today is to not get discouraged, dont be in too big a hurry, and remember that playing guitar is a long term commitment. Too many times the student will "pull the plug" when things get more difficult, and then years later pick up the guitar again, wishing they hadnt stopped!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Cool Tracks With Guitars III Blues
Here comes another playlist. Today Im presenting songs in blues vibes. They are showing few different schools of blues guitar. You will find here some modern licks and some portion of vintage, old-school way of playing.
| Click to listen |
1. Still Nameless - Pure Truth
2. Doctor Blues - America
3. Gleb Bones - Opposite street
4. Chino - La noche da para mas
5. Nicolas Larouche - Dawn Rock
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Wednesday, September 4, 2013
F Guitar Chord Beginners Guitar Chords
Todays guitar chord of the day, is another guitar chord for beginners. After mastering the open chords, the next tricky chord to learn is Fmajor. This is a really useful chord because its used lots in very common keys.
The F Major guitar takes a little bit of practice and is often the first chord that beginners learn to play using a barre. This is where one finger is laid flat to hold down more than one string. In this case the first finger is laid flat over the top E and B strings at the first fret. Using the edge of your finger rather than placing your finger flat helps the notes to sound clearly.
Once you have your first finger holding down the E and B strings at the 1st fret, place your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string, and your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the D string. The A and bottom E strings are not played in this chord inversion. Heres the fingering for this guitar chord shape:
If youve got the hang of this, you can also play the F major chord as a barre chord. Here the first finger is lying across all of the strings on the 1st fret. It takes a little more practice to play, but it does mean you can play all 6 strings.
And heres the fingering for F Barre Chord, its still written as F major (or just plain F) but were using a barre with our finger to play it:
Practice changing between the Fmajor chord and the C major chord and try working through all of the beginner guitar chords listed here.
The F Major guitar takes a little bit of practice and is often the first chord that beginners learn to play using a barre. This is where one finger is laid flat to hold down more than one string. In this case the first finger is laid flat over the top E and B strings at the first fret. Using the edge of your finger rather than placing your finger flat helps the notes to sound clearly.
If youve got the hang of this, you can also play the F major chord as a barre chord. Here the first finger is lying across all of the strings on the 1st fret. It takes a little more practice to play, but it does mean you can play all 6 strings.
Practice changing between the Fmajor chord and the C major chord and try working through all of the beginner guitar chords listed here.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Em major9 The James Bond Spy Chord
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is the famous chord used at the end of the Dr No James Bond
theme. You can hear it on youtube here, its the very last guitar chord you hear and has an unresolved dissonant quality - most of all it sounds pretty cool!
This James Bond Chord is also know as the Spy Chord, but really its an E minor Major 9. The first part of the description refers to the 3rd of the chord, the second part to the 7th of the chord: so it has a minor 3rd and Major 7th in.
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord:
Minor major9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, 7, 9
The E minor major 9 guitar chord uses: E, G, B, D# and F#
Our inversion uses them in this order: E, G, B, D# and F# (you can also optionally let the top E string ring if you want)
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord of the Day.
theme. You can hear it on youtube here, its the very last guitar chord you hear and has an unresolved dissonant quality - most of all it sounds pretty cool!Minor major9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, 7, 9
The E minor major 9 guitar chord uses: E, G, B, D# and F#
Our inversion uses them in this order: E, G, B, D# and F# (you can also optionally let the top E string ring if you want)
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord of the Day.
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