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.
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