Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Frank Gambale Magic Chords 2
Continuing our look at Frank Gambales "Magic Chords", today introduces another inversion of the Magic Chord constructed from intervals 1, 2 and 5 or C, D and G if were in C.
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord:
As with yesterdays inversion, todays Chord of the Day can be considered in many different ways.
C, D, G
Csus2 (1, 2, 5)
D11(b7, 1, 11)
Ebmajor 13 (13, 7, 3)
F69 (5, 6, 9)
Gsus4 (4, 5, 1)
Abmaj7#11 (3, #11, 7)
Am11 (b3, 11, b7)
Bb69 (9, 3, 6)
We can use our one Magic Chord in place of 8 different chords all with the same fingering in the same position.
The chord can function as:
C, D, F, Bb and G dominant 7th chords
C, Eb, F, Bb, Ab, G major7th chords
C, A, D, G, F minor 7th chords
chords
Alternatively we could play this chord in several different positions and still have it function in the same way. For example, we could play this inversion in the following positions and it would work as a Cmajor7:
2nd position (B, E, A, E, A) - C major 13
5th position (D, G, C, G, C) - C add9
7th position (E, A, D, A, D) -C69
9th position (F#, B, D, B, E) - Cmajor7#11
10th position (G, C, F, C, F) - Csus4
12th position (A, D, G, D, G) - C69
Try playing through some songs you know and dropping in todays Frank Gambale Magic Chord and yesterdays Magic Chord in place of some other inversions you might use and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord of the Day.
As with yesterdays inversion, todays Chord of the Day can be considered in many different ways.
C, D, G
Csus2 (1, 2, 5)
D11(b7, 1, 11)
Ebmajor 13 (13, 7, 3)
F69 (5, 6, 9)
Gsus4 (4, 5, 1)
Abmaj7#11 (3, #11, 7)
Am11 (b3, 11, b7)
Bb69 (9, 3, 6)
We can use our one Magic Chord in place of 8 different chords all with the same fingering in the same position.
The chord can function as:
C, D, F, Bb and G dominant 7th chords
C, Eb, F, Bb, Ab, G major7th chords
C, A, D, G, F minor 7th chords
chords
Alternatively we could play this chord in several different positions and still have it function in the same way. For example, we could play this inversion in the following positions and it would work as a Cmajor7:
2nd position (B, E, A, E, A) - C major 13
5th position (D, G, C, G, C) - C add9
7th position (E, A, D, A, D) -C69
9th position (F#, B, D, B, E) - Cmajor7#11
10th position (G, C, F, C, F) - Csus4
12th position (A, D, G, D, G) - C69
Try playing through some songs you know and dropping in todays Frank Gambale Magic Chord and yesterdays Magic Chord in place of some other inversions you might use and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord of the Day.
Varitone Project Mk2
This time, my 12-position guitar varitone project is a little bit more complicated. It's still a quite simple circuit, but with a few new configurations. I added a stand-by position – as „0” - and I tuned the filters more for nice „woman tones”. I prefer this version for rock crunch and overdrive/distortion tones. The previous varitone works great for me on clean and bluesy crunch guitar sounds.
Read more »
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
F major 9 Guitar Chord
Following our series of triads, todays Guitar Chord of the Day is a chord thats a little more harmonically complex but very easy to play: F major 9
Heres the fingering for this chord, the open strings give a nice ringing quality to the chord and its easy to play!
Major 9 guitar chords can be replace major 7th chords replacing chords I and IV chords in major keys.
Major 9 guitar chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
F major 9 uses these notes: F, A C, E, G
Our guitar chord uses the notes in this order: F, G, A, E
As you can see this inversion has no 5th (C), its common to leave this note out.
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Major 9 guitar chords can be replace major 7th chords replacing chords I and IV chords in major keys.
Major 9 guitar chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
F major 9 uses these notes: F, A C, E, G
Our guitar chord uses the notes in this order: F, G, A, E
As you can see this inversion has no 5th (C), its common to leave this note out.
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Monday, July 29, 2013
How Often Should You Change Strings
When do you need to change strings?
A fresh set of strings will make your guitar look, sound and feel better. (Kind of like the old barber poles used to say!) While there are no absolute rules, here are some tell tale signs that they need to be replaced:
Why are there so many different kinds of strings and which ones should you use?
The choices are downright mind boggling, but here are the major differences. If you have an acoustic guitar, most people use bronze, phosphor bronze, nickel or silk and steel strings. The bronze and phosphor bronze have a brighter sound, the nickel are a bit duller, and the silk and steel are light and easier to push down. As a result, silk and steel tend to go dead quicker and dont have as a bright a sound. For electric guitar, nickel is the most popular and its more about thickness than the kind of string.
What gauge strings should I use?
There are lots of different gauges, and the thickness is really a matter of what you like and what kind of music you play. For example, bluegrass guitar players usually use a fairly heavy set of strings to get that nice, booming bass and to cut through the other instruments. If you do fingerpicking, a lot of players use lighter strings to move around a little quicker. The best thing to do is to experiment and see what sounds good on your guitar. Keep in mind that the lighter the strings are, the trade-off is less volume and tone. With electric guitars, the type of music again is a important part. If you do a lot of string bending youll want to play lighter strings, if you play jazz youll want to use heavier strings and so on. Again, guitar strings are not real expensive so the best thing is to try different brands and gauges and see what works best. Your guitar teacher or a more experienced friend can help you decide although the final decision depends on what sound youre looking for.
A fresh set of strings will make your guitar look, sound and feel better. (Kind of like the old barber poles used to say!) While there are no absolute rules, here are some tell tale signs that they need to be replaced:
- Do your strings look corroded or black?
- Has it been 6 months to a year, or worse yet, you cant remember?
- Does your electric guitar just sound kind of dull?
- Has your guitar become harder to tune?
- Do you have trouble keeping the guitar in tune?
Why are there so many different kinds of strings and which ones should you use?
The choices are downright mind boggling, but here are the major differences. If you have an acoustic guitar, most people use bronze, phosphor bronze, nickel or silk and steel strings. The bronze and phosphor bronze have a brighter sound, the nickel are a bit duller, and the silk and steel are light and easier to push down. As a result, silk and steel tend to go dead quicker and dont have as a bright a sound. For electric guitar, nickel is the most popular and its more about thickness than the kind of string.
What gauge strings should I use?
There are lots of different gauges, and the thickness is really a matter of what you like and what kind of music you play. For example, bluegrass guitar players usually use a fairly heavy set of strings to get that nice, booming bass and to cut through the other instruments. If you do fingerpicking, a lot of players use lighter strings to move around a little quicker. The best thing to do is to experiment and see what sounds good on your guitar. Keep in mind that the lighter the strings are, the trade-off is less volume and tone. With electric guitars, the type of music again is a important part. If you do a lot of string bending youll want to play lighter strings, if you play jazz youll want to use heavier strings and so on. Again, guitar strings are not real expensive so the best thing is to try different brands and gauges and see what works best. Your guitar teacher or a more experienced friend can help you decide although the final decision depends on what sound youre looking for.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Ab add9 Every Breath You Take
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is Ab add9. This is Andy Summers first guitar chord off the famous Police song Every Breath You Take
from the 1983 album Synchronicity
.
Barre across the 4th fret of the guitar with your first finger and make sure every note sounds cleanly.
This guitar chord involves a bit of a stretch for your fingers. If youre having trouble stretching to finger this chord to start with try moving it higher up the guitars neck and gradually working your way down as your fingers get more used to it.
Weve looked at add9 guitar chords in a few previous posts but this inversion is definitely the most challenging to play cleanly!
Add 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 9
Ab add9 uses the notes: Ab, C, Eb, Bb
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: Ab, Eb, Bb, C, Eb, Ab
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
from the 1983 album Synchronicity. This guitar chord involves a bit of a stretch for your fingers. If youre having trouble stretching to finger this chord to start with try moving it higher up the guitars neck and gradually working your way down as your fingers get more used to it.
Weve looked at add9 guitar chords in a few previous posts but this inversion is definitely the most challenging to play cleanly!
Add 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 9
Ab add9 uses the notes: Ab, C, Eb, Bb
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: Ab, Eb, Bb, C, Eb, Ab
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Multipurpose Guitar Preamp With a TL071 Op amp
I would like to show you the diagram of a simple guitar preamp unit. It's based only on eight parts (including TL071 op-amp).
The preamp is very flexible in use. Can be mounted in a guitar body - as an on-board preamp or as a part of a guitar effect pedal. It's got low power consumption - perfect stuff for work with a battery.
The preamp is based on a very popular circuit, but with this diagram you will get the clear „how to” that you can easily use in your work with guitar electronics.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir The Guitar Tone Legends
Jerry Garcia (1942 - 1995) and Bob Weir were the awesome guitar duo of the Grateful Dead band. The best thing, for me, that I can say about them, is that I don't know what they were exactly doing? Were they playing blues, jazz, folk, rock or what? They were doing just everything! Bob and Jerry were very flexible guitarists and they knew how to improvise.
Read more »
Thursday, July 25, 2013
R I P Doc Watson One of My Guitar Heroes
It was a sad day when I read that Doc Watson passed away on Tuesday, May 29. Ill never forget checking his first record, simply called Doc Watson, out of the library after reading in the liner notes that he liked to play fiddle tunes on guitar. Id never heard anyone do that with a pick, and I was absolutely amazed at his speed and technique.
Then there was the fingerpicking on the guitar. That I was familiar with, but again his flawless technique had me wondering how in the world anyone could play like that. I had been playing guitar for maybe a year or two at the time, and vowed that Id learn Docs arrangement of Sittin On Top Of The World. The only problem was, I couldnt figure out how he was getting that sound.
I listened, experimented, and finally, after reading the liner notes, (duh), I found that he had tuned his guitar to a D chord. I knew about lowering the 6th string to D, but didnt know about the rest. His tuning from the low notes to the high ones was: D, A, D, F#, A, D. A couple years later I found a guitar tab book, which is still in print, and figured out how to play the song.
If youre not familiar with Doc, check him out on You Tube, or get some of his recordings so you can appreciate the great gift that he gave to the world. His playing, his singing, and his versatility were what made me a fan from the day I heard that first album. So to Doc Watson, Rest In Peace, were going to miss you.
Then there was the fingerpicking on the guitar. That I was familiar with, but again his flawless technique had me wondering how in the world anyone could play like that. I had been playing guitar for maybe a year or two at the time, and vowed that Id learn Docs arrangement of Sittin On Top Of The World. The only problem was, I couldnt figure out how he was getting that sound.
I listened, experimented, and finally, after reading the liner notes, (duh), I found that he had tuned his guitar to a D chord. I knew about lowering the 6th string to D, but didnt know about the rest. His tuning from the low notes to the high ones was: D, A, D, F#, A, D. A couple years later I found a guitar tab book, which is still in print, and figured out how to play the song.
If youre not familiar with Doc, check him out on You Tube, or get some of his recordings so you can appreciate the great gift that he gave to the world. His playing, his singing, and his versatility were what made me a fan from the day I heard that first album. So to Doc Watson, Rest In Peace, were going to miss you.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
F minor 9
Todays chord of the day is a very useful and nice sounding minor 9 chord. This guitar chord is moveable, the square on the A string indicates the root note. This guitar chord can be fingered in a couple of ways either:
Minor 9 chords can be played in place of minor 7th chords, and almost always in place of minor chords. It can replace II, III and VI chords in major keys.
Minor 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, b7, 9
F Minor 9 uses the notes: F, Ab, C, Eb, G
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: F, Ab, Eb, G, C
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
- Barre across the G, B and E strings with you 3rd finger, or
- Use your 3rd finger on the G string and little finger on the B string, the top E string should then be muted or not played.
Minor 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, b7, 9
F Minor 9 uses the notes: F, Ab, C, Eb, G
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: F, Ab, Eb, G, C
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
12 Major Triads inversion 10
Continuing our series of triads, todays Guitar Chord of the Day is the next inversion of our G Major triad on the bottom 3 strings of the guitar.
This guitar chord is a first inversion as B (the 3rd) is the lowest note).
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord:
This guitar chord is a first inversion as B (the 3rd) is the lowest note).
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
A minor 9 Guitar Chord
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is A minor 9. Minor 9 guitar chords can be played in place of most minor chords.
Weve played alternative inversions of this guitar chord here.
Minor 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, b7, 9
A minor 9 uses the notes: A, C, E, G, B - todays guitar chord uses the notes in this order.
It can replace ii, iii and vi chords in major keys.
Learn a new guitar chord every day by subscribing to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Minor 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, b3, 5, b7, 9
A minor 9 uses the notes: A, C, E, G, B - todays guitar chord uses the notes in this order.
It can replace ii, iii and vi chords in major keys.
Learn a new guitar chord every day by subscribing to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day
Monday, July 22, 2013
Minor Scale The Harmonic Minor
The harmonic minor scale almost similar to the Natutal minor scale except for one thing the seventh note is raised for a half tone. This makes the harmonic minor scale has its unique sound character some sort like classical, or there people say that it sound like a little bit like indian or arabic music scale. Now its used in most music genre like rock even, Yngwie J Malmsteen and other big name using it.
Lets take an example from a scale, Bminor for an example: remember! The 7th note of the minor natural scale is raised to halftone. it will become:
1st note: B
2nd note: C#
3rd note: D
4th Note: E
5th Note: F#
6th Note: G
7th Note: Bflat(Original in Natural minor is note A=>raised halftone=Bflat)
I give you another example on another key. The F# harmonic minor scale on the diagram will be more presentable.
Lets take an example from a scale, Bminor for an example: remember! The 7th note of the minor natural scale is raised to halftone. it will become:
1st note: B
2nd note: C#
3rd note: D
4th Note: E
5th Note: F#
6th Note: G
7th Note: Bflat(Original in Natural minor is note A=>raised halftone=Bflat)
I give you another example on another key. The F# harmonic minor scale on the diagram will be more presentable.
Try to familiarise this scale until u get use to it.
"Ultimate Guitar Speed Learning System"
The Fastest & Easiest Way to Accelerate your Guitar Playing Click here to check it out NOW! Its got heaps of hot tips & tricks. I highly recommend it!
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Still Trying To Learn To Play Guitar
Its a trick question!
Whats the difference between Im going to learn to play guitar and Im going to try to learn guitar? Trying implies that youre not sure about your decision to play, while going to shows more determination.
When a beginning guitar student signs up for lessons and then tells us theyre willing to give it a try, or that theyre going to try it for a couple months, a red flag goes up. Like any other pursuit, you need to commit to it. We have students that "dont want to spend much money in case I dont like it," or will buy an el cheapo instrument until "I get better." What message are you sending to yourself? It screams maybe Ill be lucky and be able to learn guitar.
Go in with a can do attitude.
Music is something you can enjoy for a lifetime if you keep at it. I have a parent who keeps telling his child she needs to become more passionate about music, yet hes been telling me for a couple years about how he loves music and hasnt done anything to pursue his so-called love. So when you decide youre serious about learning and when you commit to learning, thats when your success rate increases.
Ill leave you with 2 of my favorite quotes:
Whether you think that you can, or that you cant, you are usually right.
Henry Ford
Do, or do not, there is no try.
Yoda
Whats the difference between Im going to learn to play guitar and Im going to try to learn guitar? Trying implies that youre not sure about your decision to play, while going to shows more determination.
When a beginning guitar student signs up for lessons and then tells us theyre willing to give it a try, or that theyre going to try it for a couple months, a red flag goes up. Like any other pursuit, you need to commit to it. We have students that "dont want to spend much money in case I dont like it," or will buy an el cheapo instrument until "I get better." What message are you sending to yourself? It screams maybe Ill be lucky and be able to learn guitar.
Go in with a can do attitude.
Music is something you can enjoy for a lifetime if you keep at it. I have a parent who keeps telling his child she needs to become more passionate about music, yet hes been telling me for a couple years about how he loves music and hasnt done anything to pursue his so-called love. So when you decide youre serious about learning and when you commit to learning, thats when your success rate increases.
Ill leave you with 2 of my favorite quotes:
Whether you think that you can, or that you cant, you are usually right.
Henry Ford
Do, or do not, there is no try.
Yoda
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Acoustic Guitar Volume Control
This post is about a simple volume control wiring for acoustic guitars. It's designed to work with a sound-hole magnetic pickup.
Diagram:
Friday, July 19, 2013
Understand your guitar selector switch
Most guitar especially for those which have more than 1 pickup have selector switch. Attached on the body and normally below the 1st E string on the body of a stratocaster guitar. And on the top shoulder for Les Paul. Its a basic things to understand the switches on which pickups its toggling. First, you need to understand what is the switch for???
The selector switch is meant for you to select you desire pickup to be play. Some people misunderstand it as to select a desired sound, which is not exactly the correct terms.
Normally there are 2 types of selctor switch.
1. The 3 way switches
2. The 5 ways switches.
THe 3 way switches is normally placed on the guitar with 2 pick up. For easy
reference the Gibson Lespaul, that has 2 humbucker or soapbar type pickups. 1 near the bridge and one near to the neck. As it has 3 way switches it has 3 types of selection. 1st toggle normally for the bridge pickup, 2nd toggle is for the neck and bridge pickup. the 3rd toggle is for the neck pickup
The 5 way switches is normally attached to the guitar with 3 pickups on board. Like the Fender stratocaster. Even, ibanez Jem or RG has this kind of switches. It doesnt matter the pickups should be single coil or humbucker. The 5 way switches giving us the option to choose the pickups: like these:
Toggle 1. Bridge pickup
Toggle 2. Bridge and middle pickup
Toggle 3. Middle pick up
Toggle 4. MIddle and neck pickup
Toggle 5. Neck pickup
If you have either this 2 types of the switches and not working what it suppose to be you should consult with the technician.
So. Why we need to understand? Coz by understanding it we can toggle the switch to pickups that produce the correct tone and sounds we want. Each toggle, giving a different character, tone and sound from the respective pickup on the guitar.
Simple mistake that the beginners do is not selecting the right pickup on the right time. For example Normally they put the switch for the bridge pickup for soloing or do the powerchords. But then, to do some plucking, clean strumming or ryhthm, they still using the bridge pickup. So the sound is so dry, They should change it to toggle number 2(or for 5 way switch, toggle number 2 or 4)
I believe you should try to explore your guitar switch now. And try to use it in different situation. Like during solo, harmonic, playing blues, some plucking, arpeggios, different genre.
To tell you the truth, in the first few years i started playing, after i learned the use of the switch, I was approach by a man that also a guitarist and asked, "YOur guitar sounds good, I believe it so expensive". Well, I bought the guitar only for $150 dollars, But, I toggled the switch to the right pickup on the right time, makes my guitar sounds like an expensive guitar.
The selector switch is meant for you to select you desire pickup to be play. Some people misunderstand it as to select a desired sound, which is not exactly the correct terms.
Normally there are 2 types of selctor switch.
1. The 3 way switches
2. The 5 ways switches.
THe 3 way switches is normally placed on the guitar with 2 pick up. For easy
reference the Gibson Lespaul, that has 2 humbucker or soapbar type pickups. 1 near the bridge and one near to the neck. As it has 3 way switches it has 3 types of selection. 1st toggle normally for the bridge pickup, 2nd toggle is for the neck and bridge pickup. the 3rd toggle is for the neck pickupThe 5 way switches is normally attached to the guitar with 3 pickups on board. Like the Fender stratocaster. Even, ibanez Jem or RG has this kind of switches. It doesnt matter the pickups should be single coil or humbucker. The 5 way switches giving us the option to choose the pickups: like these:
Toggle 1. Bridge pickup
Toggle 2. Bridge and middle pickup
Toggle 3. Middle pick up
Toggle 4. MIddle and neck pickup
Toggle 5. Neck pickup
If you have either this 2 types of the switches and not working what it suppose to be you should consult with the technician.
So. Why we need to understand? Coz by understanding it we can toggle the switch to pickups that produce the correct tone and sounds we want. Each toggle, giving a different character, tone and sound from the respective pickup on the guitar.
Simple mistake that the beginners do is not selecting the right pickup on the right time. For example Normally they put the switch for the bridge pickup for soloing or do the powerchords. But then, to do some plucking, clean strumming or ryhthm, they still using the bridge pickup. So the sound is so dry, They should change it to toggle number 2(or for 5 way switch, toggle number 2 or 4)
I believe you should try to explore your guitar switch now. And try to use it in different situation. Like during solo, harmonic, playing blues, some plucking, arpeggios, different genre.
To tell you the truth, in the first few years i started playing, after i learned the use of the switch, I was approach by a man that also a guitarist and asked, "YOur guitar sounds good, I believe it so expensive". Well, I bought the guitar only for $150 dollars, But, I toggled the switch to the right pickup on the right time, makes my guitar sounds like an expensive guitar.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Warm Sounding Telecaster Wiring Mod
Warm, smooth sounding Telecaster guitar, this is my target in this post.
I would like to show you a simple mod of a wiring, which will make your Tele more jazzy and warm. If you like to play slow muddy blues or jazz with this awesome Fender guitar, it can be interesting for you. To make this wiring, you need only two extra parts: 270k and 15k resistors.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Dissonant Guitar Chords
Following yesterdays very nice sounding C Major 9 Guitar chord, todays Guitar Chord is full of clashing semitone intervals: its a dissonant guitar chord that is made up entirely of 6 notes a semitone apart. These nasty sounding chords are easy to find on the piano - just rest your elbow one a cluster of note - but surprisingly hard to find on the guitar.
This chord and our other dissonant guitar chords sound pretty nasty, so reserve them for special occasions!
Todays dissonant guitar chord uses the notes B C C# D D# E
If youre feeling particularly brave, check out the other very dissonant guitar chords here.
Tune in tomorrow for another (but more ear friendly) Guitar Chord Of The Day.
This chord and our other dissonant guitar chords sound pretty nasty, so reserve them for special occasions!
If youre feeling particularly brave, check out the other very dissonant guitar chords here.
Tune in tomorrow for another (but more ear friendly) Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Challenge Yourself!
Need to get off the plateau?
Sometimes it seems like progress has come to a stop and youll wonder if youll ever get better. Relax, its something that we all go through. Ive had band practices where we just couldnt seem to do anything right and it was everyone in the group. When that happens, you just take a break and try again tomorrow. How to explain it? Could be youre not in the mood to play or practice, youve got other things on your mind, youre tired or there are more pressing problems.
Crank up the intensity and the challenge level.
After properly warming up, (you do warm up, dont you?), isolate the problem or problems and spend extra time on those. Set your metronome to a speed where you can play the passage comfortably, and then play through without a mistake several times. Dont increase the speed until youre sure you can get through the trouble spot perfectly. This builds confidence and makes you feel like you can play the difficult part with ease. If you catch yourself giving up and playing something you already know it just makes things worse. Issue a challenge to yourself and make it a game. Beginning guitar students tend to avoid the problem instead of working through it. Play so slowly you cant make a mistake and then build from there. The advantage of using a metronome is that you can increase speed in tiny increments so that you hardly feel like youre playing faster. Balance the intensity with the playfulness and youll get off the plateau and on your way to playing and sounding better.
Sometimes it seems like progress has come to a stop and youll wonder if youll ever get better. Relax, its something that we all go through. Ive had band practices where we just couldnt seem to do anything right and it was everyone in the group. When that happens, you just take a break and try again tomorrow. How to explain it? Could be youre not in the mood to play or practice, youve got other things on your mind, youre tired or there are more pressing problems.
Crank up the intensity and the challenge level.
After properly warming up, (you do warm up, dont you?), isolate the problem or problems and spend extra time on those. Set your metronome to a speed where you can play the passage comfortably, and then play through without a mistake several times. Dont increase the speed until youre sure you can get through the trouble spot perfectly. This builds confidence and makes you feel like you can play the difficult part with ease. If you catch yourself giving up and playing something you already know it just makes things worse. Issue a challenge to yourself and make it a game. Beginning guitar students tend to avoid the problem instead of working through it. Play so slowly you cant make a mistake and then build from there. The advantage of using a metronome is that you can increase speed in tiny increments so that you hardly feel like youre playing faster. Balance the intensity with the playfulness and youll get off the plateau and on your way to playing and sounding better.
C Major 9 Guitar Chord
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is C Major 9. Major 9s are great sounding chords, weve featured a few more of these Major 9 guitar chords here. As with yesterdays chord of the day, this guitar chord can be played with just two fingers - however this one involves much more of a stretch than yesterdays guitar chord.
Major 9 guitar chords can be replace major 7th chords replacing chords I and IV chords in major keys.
Major 9 guitar chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
The C Major 9 guitar chord uses the notes: C, E, G, B, D
Our C Major 9 chord uses the notes in this order: C, D, G, B, E
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 9 guitar chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
The C Major 9 guitar chord uses the notes: C, E, G, B, D
Our C Major 9 chord uses the notes in this order: C, D, G, B, E
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
Monday, July 15, 2013
4 Conductor Humbucker Connections
I made a diagram, which shows how 4-conductor guitar pickups (humbuckers) are configured. It can help you understand how many kinds of guitar p-up wiring (like coil-split, series, parallel) works.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
E add 9 Guitar Harmonics
Today we start a new occasional mini-series on Guitar Chords that mix fretted notes and harmonics , todays Guitar Chord of the Day is E add9.
Mixing fretted notes and guitar harmonics is a great way to add some more tonal color to your guitar chords. As mentioned in our previous post on guitar harmonics chords, the harmonics are indicated by the diamond shapes and are played by resting your finger lightly on the string and removing it once the string is sounding.
The two harmonics on the 12th fret above are both played with the little finger.
Add 9 chords can replace almost all major chords. It can replace chords I , IV and V in major keys.
Add 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 9
E add9 uses the notes: E, G#, B, F#
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: E, G#, B, F#, B, E
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Mixing fretted notes and guitar harmonics is a great way to add some more tonal color to your guitar chords. As mentioned in our previous post on guitar harmonics chords, the harmonics are indicated by the diamond shapes and are played by resting your finger lightly on the string and removing it once the string is sounding.
Add 9 chords can replace almost all major chords. It can replace chords I , IV and V in major keys.
Add 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 9
E add9 uses the notes: E, G#, B, F#
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: E, G#, B, F#, B, E
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Blues Guitar Chords A9
Following on with our series of Blues Guitar Chords, todays Guitar Chord of the Day is A9.
Blues typically follows a 12 bar pattern based around Dominant 7th Chords:
||: A7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | E7 | D7 | A7 | E7 :||
Weve look at many different ways of playing dominant 7th chords on the guitar before, but we can make the blues progressions more interesting to play and listen to by using extended chords.
9th chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9
A9 uses the notes: A, C#, E, G, B
The root note of the chord isnt played in this inversion, but we can imagine a root note on the E string to help us locate where to play the chord.
Try playing through the above blues chord progression with 9th chords and tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.
Blues typically follows a 12 bar pattern based around Dominant 7th Chords:
||: A7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | E7 | D7 | A7 | E7 :||
Weve look at many different ways of playing dominant 7th chords on the guitar before, but we can make the blues progressions more interesting to play and listen to by using extended chords.
9th chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, b7, 9
A9 uses the notes: A, C#, E, G, B
The root note of the chord isnt played in this inversion, but we can imagine a root note on the E string to help us locate where to play the chord.
Try playing through the above blues chord progression with 9th chords and tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.
Friday, July 12, 2013
George Lynchs Guitar Pickup Selector Stupidly Wonderful
Did you seen George Lynch's Kamikaze or Skulls and Snakes guitar? They are two-pickups guitars, and they don't have any toggle or lever-action switch. How is George Lynch selecting the right pickup?
Everything is made in a very simple way. These guitars are equipped with a push-pull potentiometers. The volume pot is also a pickup selector switch.
This is how it looks like:
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Ab Major 9 Guitar Chord
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day is Ab Major 9. This guitar chord has its root on the D string. Major 9 guitar chords can be replace major 7th chords replacing chords I and IV chords in major keys.
Heres the fingering for this guitar chord shape:
Major 9 guitar chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
F major 9 uses these notes: Ab, C, Eb, G, Bb
Our guitar chord uses the notes in this order: C, Ab, Eb, G, Bb
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Major 9 guitar chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
F major 9 uses these notes: Ab, C, Eb, G, Bb
Our guitar chord uses the notes in this order: C, Ab, Eb, G, Bb
Tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Simple Guitar Wiring for Volume Pedal Users
This time, I will show you some simple guitar wiring. It doesn't have any volume and tone control. It will be great, if you prefer to use only pedals for this things. The only control in this guitar circuit is a load pot. It can be used for adding a little bit of warmth/smoothness to the guitar tone, or as a stand-by switch.
Diagram:
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
I Always Play Better at Home!
Sound familiar?
A common complaint from students, we hear it all the time. My reply, "yes, but I wasnt there listening to you." What causes this and what can you do about it? The obvious cause is that when you practice at home no ones really listening, and if they are its not from a critics viewpoint. More than likely youre more relaxed, sitting and practicing in an area youre comfortable with, and feeling more confident. When you get to your lesson, the pressures on whether real or imagined. Try as I might, its very difficult to put a student at ease enough to play as well as they do at home.
It happens to the best of us!
When I went back to college, I had to take class piano. In addition to playing an electronic keyboard through headphones, wed have to play a real piano, one on one with the teacher listening. In 2 years I can honestly say I NEVER PLAYED AS WELL AS I WAS CAPABLE OF. It was totally frustrating, especially considering that I could play my guitar in front of hundreds of people and not be the least bit nervous.
Whats the answer?
Its simply a matter of confidence. In the back of my mind I knew I wasnt as good at the piano as I could be and probably, ok, certainly, didnt practice as much as I should have. Id work on the songs but the finger exercises got a quick once over a couple days before I had to play for her. So, if you want to play well for your teacher or at the next open mic or recital, practice a lot, work on trouble spots and think positive. Henry Ford once said "whether you think you can do a thing or think you cant do a thing, youre right.
A common complaint from students, we hear it all the time. My reply, "yes, but I wasnt there listening to you." What causes this and what can you do about it? The obvious cause is that when you practice at home no ones really listening, and if they are its not from a critics viewpoint. More than likely youre more relaxed, sitting and practicing in an area youre comfortable with, and feeling more confident. When you get to your lesson, the pressures on whether real or imagined. Try as I might, its very difficult to put a student at ease enough to play as well as they do at home.
It happens to the best of us!
When I went back to college, I had to take class piano. In addition to playing an electronic keyboard through headphones, wed have to play a real piano, one on one with the teacher listening. In 2 years I can honestly say I NEVER PLAYED AS WELL AS I WAS CAPABLE OF. It was totally frustrating, especially considering that I could play my guitar in front of hundreds of people and not be the least bit nervous.
Whats the answer?
Its simply a matter of confidence. In the back of my mind I knew I wasnt as good at the piano as I could be and probably, ok, certainly, didnt practice as much as I should have. Id work on the songs but the finger exercises got a quick once over a couple days before I had to play for her. So, if you want to play well for your teacher or at the next open mic or recital, practice a lot, work on trouble spots and think positive. Henry Ford once said "whether you think you can do a thing or think you cant do a thing, youre right.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Em Guitar Chord Beginners Guitar Chords
The Eminor guitar chord (also written as Em), is an easy guitar chord shape to play. You can start with an E Major guitar chord and remove your first finger.
Heres the fingering for the Em guitar chord, its typically played with your 2nd and 3rd fingers as in the photo, but its common to play it with the 1st and 2nd fingers too.
As you can tell from changing between E major and E minor, there is only note difference between major and minor chords.
Eminor uses these notes: E, G, B
Minor chords use the scale degrees: 1, b3, 5
Minor chords have a sad sound compared to major chords. Try this chord together with the G major guitar chord and check the full list of beginners guitar chords
As you can tell from changing between E major and E minor, there is only note difference between major and minor chords.
Eminor uses these notes: E, G, B
Minor chords use the scale degrees: 1, b3, 5
Minor chords have a sad sound compared to major chords. Try this chord together with the G major guitar chord and check the full list of beginners guitar chords
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Fender Jazzmaster Wiring Mod
Fender Jazzmaster is a very versatile kind of an electric guitar. Four pots and two switches are giving a lot of tone configurations. It's also something interesting for me, as someone who like to get his own way of signal control.
I made a customized diagram of the Jazzmaster wiring. The basic difference is in the way of controlling brightness and darkness of the guitar tone. My wiring has got many options for both pickups. The original Jazzmaster circuit is offering more for the neck, than for the bridge position.
Diagram:
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Some Cool Pedal Board
This is a very cool sounding pedal board. Very original. Awesome modulation effects. Just listen: Beavis Pedal Board Noize
-
-
Friday, July 5, 2013
Custom Wiring Diagram for HSH Guitars Ibanez RG JEM
Today I would like to present my wiring project for guitars with HSH pickup set – like Ibanez RG or Jem. It can give you a few more options than a standard guitar wiring. You will get more pickup configurations and a special possibility to make your guitar tone warmer or smoother.
Wire colors are like in DiMarzio pickups (red, black, green, white and bare), so if you have pickups from other manufacturer, you need to check out his color system.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
D 69 guitar chord
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day can be substituted for almost any major chord. As the D69 name suggests, its an ordinary D Major chord with an added 6th and 9th.
This chord is moveable and has its root note on the E string (indicated by the black box in the chord diagram). You can play alternative inversions of the 69 guitar chord here.
69 chords can be played in place of major chords. It can replace chords I, IV and V in major keys.
69 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9
D69 uses the notes: D, F#, A, B, E
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: D, F#, B, E, A, D
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
This chord is moveable and has its root note on the E string (indicated by the black box in the chord diagram). You can play alternative inversions of the 69 guitar chord here.
69 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 6, 9
D69 uses the notes: D, F#, A, B, E
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: D, F#, B, E, A, D
Subscribe to the RSS feed and tune in tomorrow for another Guitar Chord Of The Day.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Cool Tracks With Guitars IV Western Movie
On this playlist, Im presenting three cool tracks, based on western movie vibes (hell yeah!). Do you remember old-school spaghetti westerns, where Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson is giving the one way ticket to some bad guys? Always with some nice backing track (usually by Ennio Morricone).
Of course, selected songs have some great guitar riffs.
| Click to listen |
1. Sundance Kids - Dead Cowboy
2. Long Desert Cowboy - Face in the Sand
3. 6 Notes - Goodbye Old Alliance
-
Tone Control for Distortion Overdrive and Fuzz Pedals
Have you heard about Big Muff Tone Control. It's a very simple, but also very effective tone control circuit, which is an important part of the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff pedals. It is also used in many other stomp-boxes, including DIY constructions.
This circuit can have a great impact on a tone of distortion, overdrive or fuzz stomp-boxes. Important thing about it, is that this tone control is affecting the pedal signal even when the potentiometer knob is at 12 o'clock.
This circuit can have a great impact on a tone of distortion, overdrive or fuzz stomp-boxes. Important thing about it, is that this tone control is affecting the pedal signal even when the potentiometer knob is at 12 o'clock.
Here, I would like to present my modification of Big Muff Tone Control. I only have changed the values of parts - to reach different frequency response. (If you want typical BMTC, search online for it - there are a lot of good sources.)
Read more »
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
F add9
Todays Guitar Chord of the Day, is a nice variation on a standard major chord: its a standard major chord with an added 9th. This chord is moveable and has its root note on the guitars A string.
You can either play this as a four string guitar chord, or barre across the G and E strings with your first finger.
Add 9 chords can be played in place of pretty much all major chords. It can replace chords I , IV and V in major keys
Add 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 9
F add9 uses the notes: F, A, C, G
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: F, A, C, G.
Tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.
You can either play this as a four string guitar chord, or barre across the G and E strings with your first finger.
Add 9 chords use these degrees of the major scale: 1, 3, 5, 9
F add9 uses the notes: F, A, C, G
Our inversion uses the notes in this order: F, A, C, G.
Tune in tomorrow for another guitar chord of the day.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Dm Guitar Chord Beginners Guitar Chords
Todays Guitar Chord of the day is D minor, an easy chord to play and another essential beginners chord shape. The Dm guitar chord is played with just 3 fingers, be careful not to let the bottom E string ring.
Heres the fingering for the Dminor chord, put your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the E string, your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the G string and your 3rd finger on the 2rd fret of the B string:
The Dminor chord uses these notes - D, F, A (thats why you dont want to play the open bottom E string as the note E is note in this chord)
Minor chords use these notes from the scale 1, b3, 5 and generally have a sad sound compared to major chords.
Minor chords use these notes from the scale 1, b3, 5 and generally have a sad sound compared to major chords.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)