All About Guitars|Your Questions, Our Answers
Oct
30
conundrum asked:
What are the factors that make one guitar easier to play than another? I play guitar and I’ve noticed that some guitars are just easier to play. The pick seems to glide through the strings more fluidly and it seems to make a nice sound without much effort on some guitars, but on others it is hard to strum and it just sounds bad. My guitar is like this. I have a Gibson Epiphone and it sounds bad and I have trouble strumming on it. When I play someone else’s guitar or another guitar at a music store, I can play effortlessy. There are other guitars that sound bad and are hard to play, but it always seems like the one that I have is hard to play. Does it have to do with the strings? Does it have to do with how the strings are mounted? I was recently playing my roommate’s Schecter guitar, and the strings felt so firm, yet it was easy to play and it sounded good. I took the strings off of mine and put them on his. So the same strings that were on my bad sounding guitar, sounded good on his.
His guitar was also easier to play. The same exact strings that were on mine were used, yet his guitar was easier for me to play. I must be cursed.
Vanessa
What are the factors that make one guitar easier to play than another? I play guitar and I’ve noticed that some guitars are just easier to play. The pick seems to glide through the strings more fluidly and it seems to make a nice sound without much effort on some guitars, but on others it is hard to strum and it just sounds bad. My guitar is like this. I have a Gibson Epiphone and it sounds bad and I have trouble strumming on it. When I play someone else’s guitar or another guitar at a music store, I can play effortlessy. There are other guitars that sound bad and are hard to play, but it always seems like the one that I have is hard to play. Does it have to do with the strings? Does it have to do with how the strings are mounted? I was recently playing my roommate’s Schecter guitar, and the strings felt so firm, yet it was easy to play and it sounded good. I took the strings off of mine and put them on his. So the same strings that were on my bad sounding guitar, sounded good on his.
His guitar was also easier to play. The same exact strings that were on mine were used, yet his guitar was easier for me to play. I must be cursed.
Vanessa
Oct
19
Filed Under (Guitars) by admin
Peter Clark asked:
So you’ve wanted to be a rock star since before you could walk, but to really be a rock star you need to learn how to play the electric guitar. After all, the guitar players are always the ones at the front of the stage aren’t they?
Problem is it’s not easy to learn to play the electric guitar, it can take years and some say you’re never finished learning. So I’ve written a series of articles about some of the basics of electric guitars, and in this one I’ll have a look at how the timber you choose for your guitar changes the result you get from your guitar, or at least changes the sound.
Now of course the actual sound of the guitar isn’t produced by the timber in the guitar, it’s produced by the strings and it’s taken by the pickups and converted into an electronic signal for the amplifier to use to amplify the sound. So how can the timber which is used to make the guitar change the sound?
The reason is that the timber which makes the guitar affects how the strings vibrate, and so it thus affects their sound because the way the string vibrate affects the sound. And it’s not just the timber used in the guitar which affects the sound either, it’s the complete package. It’s the timber used, the shape of the guitar, the type of guitar, for instance whether it’s a solid or hollow body, and it’s the way it’s constructed.
And it’s the way that the pickup or pickups moves as well.
Lets have a look at some different timbers and how they are used in electric guitar construction.
Mahogany is a hardwood used in many of the parts of an electric guitar that utilize timber. It isn’t the hardest of hardwoods and it emphasised midrange sounds well and resonates well. It is a lovely brown color and looks great.
Ash is used mainly in the bodies of solid body guitars. It is a hardwood and produces a fine resonant sound with a sustained ring and good midrange.
Rosewood is a beatifully looking timber that is used particularly for the fretboards of guitars. It is very hard and looks great and has a wide range of colors.
Maple is often used for guitar necks and is a very dense hardwood with good tonal characteristics. It’s tonal characteristics help with trebles in the sound of the particular guitar.
Alder is similar to Ash but is cheaper so is more common in some of the cheap electric guitars that you can find, but is a good timber even so.
There are more exotic timbers used in electric guitar constructions too. However for the beginner who aspires to a basic level of competence at the electric guitar it is sufficient to understand that the timber you choose in your electric guitar affects the sound it produces. Gradually as you learn more about both playing the electric guitar as well as how they are constructed you can narrow down exactly what guitar it is you want to play, and eventually when you get good enough you can buy the right guitar for your style.
However at first it’s a matter of learning how to play and learning about the different types of guitar. Because it will be some years before you’er good enough to justify spending up big on a great electric guitar that will do everything you want it to.
That’s the point where you need to know enough about them to know exactly which electric guitar is right for you.
Todd
So you’ve wanted to be a rock star since before you could walk, but to really be a rock star you need to learn how to play the electric guitar. After all, the guitar players are always the ones at the front of the stage aren’t they?
Problem is it’s not easy to learn to play the electric guitar, it can take years and some say you’re never finished learning. So I’ve written a series of articles about some of the basics of electric guitars, and in this one I’ll have a look at how the timber you choose for your guitar changes the result you get from your guitar, or at least changes the sound.
Now of course the actual sound of the guitar isn’t produced by the timber in the guitar, it’s produced by the strings and it’s taken by the pickups and converted into an electronic signal for the amplifier to use to amplify the sound. So how can the timber which is used to make the guitar change the sound?
The reason is that the timber which makes the guitar affects how the strings vibrate, and so it thus affects their sound because the way the string vibrate affects the sound. And it’s not just the timber used in the guitar which affects the sound either, it’s the complete package. It’s the timber used, the shape of the guitar, the type of guitar, for instance whether it’s a solid or hollow body, and it’s the way it’s constructed.
And it’s the way that the pickup or pickups moves as well.
Lets have a look at some different timbers and how they are used in electric guitar construction.
Mahogany is a hardwood used in many of the parts of an electric guitar that utilize timber. It isn’t the hardest of hardwoods and it emphasised midrange sounds well and resonates well. It is a lovely brown color and looks great.
Ash is used mainly in the bodies of solid body guitars. It is a hardwood and produces a fine resonant sound with a sustained ring and good midrange.
Rosewood is a beatifully looking timber that is used particularly for the fretboards of guitars. It is very hard and looks great and has a wide range of colors.
Maple is often used for guitar necks and is a very dense hardwood with good tonal characteristics. It’s tonal characteristics help with trebles in the sound of the particular guitar.
Alder is similar to Ash but is cheaper so is more common in some of the cheap electric guitars that you can find, but is a good timber even so.
There are more exotic timbers used in electric guitar constructions too. However for the beginner who aspires to a basic level of competence at the electric guitar it is sufficient to understand that the timber you choose in your electric guitar affects the sound it produces. Gradually as you learn more about both playing the electric guitar as well as how they are constructed you can narrow down exactly what guitar it is you want to play, and eventually when you get good enough you can buy the right guitar for your style.
However at first it’s a matter of learning how to play and learning about the different types of guitar. Because it will be some years before you’er good enough to justify spending up big on a great electric guitar that will do everything you want it to.
That’s the point where you need to know enough about them to know exactly which electric guitar is right for you.
Todd
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Oct
19
Filed Under (Guitars) by admin
Ian Williamson asked:
The guitar is one of the most sought-after musical instruments today. Its popularity is manifested through-out the radio stations and the music videos on MTV. Almost all types of music in modern pop culture have been influenced by the guitar in one way or another.
For people who would like to get their hands on a guitar, they must first learn the guitar lingo. The guitar lingo is made up of weird-sounding words that are unique to the guitar world.
The guitar lingo also applies to the guitar parts. You must be able to know the parts of a guitar to be able to know how to play it. Here are some of the guitar parts:
-Body
This is also referred to as the sound box. This is the largest guitar part and it comes in different shapes and sizes. The acoustic guitars usually have a hollow body, while electric guitars have solid or semi-solid bodies. Acoustic guitars have hollow bodies because they rely on the body structure for sound resonation and electric guitars use electronic pick-ups to amplify the sound.
-Headstock
The headstock is the part at the end of the guitar which holds the tuning keys. It is connected to the neck of the guitar.
-Nut
The nut is the piece between the guitar neck and the head. It is a small rod with indentations to hold the guitar strings in place.
-Neck
The neck is the long section which holds the fret board.
-Fret board
The fret board is divided into different notes by small metal rods. The number of frets in a fret board varies depending on the type of guitar and the brand. Modern electric guitars usually have 20-22 frets in the fret board.
-Bridge
It is a part of the guitar’s body and it is important for sound resonance. It gives elevation to the guitar strings so they can produce vibrations.
-Pick-up
The pick-up is an electronic device which acts like a microphone: it picks up the vibrations from the strings and converts the vibrations into electrical impulses. They are usually found in electric guitars
-Amp
The amplifier a speaker box from which the sounds of the electric guitar are magnified.
-Capo
This is a device which is attached to the fret board which allows a player to play the same chord structures but in a different key.
Listed below are some of the different words that you might encounter in learning how to play the guitar.
-Riff
Guitar riffs pertain to musical pieces which are parts of a song.
-Reverb
It is added to the sound of the guitar through an effects box or through amplifiers to make the sounds more natural.
-Tablature
Guitar tablatures or more commonly known as guitar tabs are written music for guitars. It is similar to musical pieces (with notes and other musical symbols) but the notes are translated into guitar frets. It’s a useful tool in learning how to play the guitar.
-Vibrato
It refers to a guitar technique where the string is slightly bent at a fast rate to Produce a longer resonating sound.
-Arpeggio
This refers to a technique where you remove notes from a specific chord. You can then use these to create an adlib lead technique or add to the rhythm of the song.
-Pick
This is the small device which guitar players use to strike the guitar strings and is usually made of plastic.
-Whammy bar
This is an attachment to the bridge of electric guitars that can be used to bend the pitch of the notes. You can pull the whammy bar to be able to make your guitar “cry.”
-Plucking
It’s a picking technique where a player does not strum the strings all at once but hits the strings one by one to attain a softer and more defined tone.
-Palm mute
This is a technique where a player uses his picking hand (usually the right hand) to mute the strings while strumming to be able to attain a distinct tone. It is very popular in the punk rock world.
The world of guitars is composed of many other new words and you must be able to master these or at least have an idea of what they are to be able do to appreciate the wonderful instrument that is the guitar..
Adrian
The guitar is one of the most sought-after musical instruments today. Its popularity is manifested through-out the radio stations and the music videos on MTV. Almost all types of music in modern pop culture have been influenced by the guitar in one way or another.
For people who would like to get their hands on a guitar, they must first learn the guitar lingo. The guitar lingo is made up of weird-sounding words that are unique to the guitar world.
The guitar lingo also applies to the guitar parts. You must be able to know the parts of a guitar to be able to know how to play it. Here are some of the guitar parts:
-Body
This is also referred to as the sound box. This is the largest guitar part and it comes in different shapes and sizes. The acoustic guitars usually have a hollow body, while electric guitars have solid or semi-solid bodies. Acoustic guitars have hollow bodies because they rely on the body structure for sound resonation and electric guitars use electronic pick-ups to amplify the sound.
-Headstock
The headstock is the part at the end of the guitar which holds the tuning keys. It is connected to the neck of the guitar.
-Nut
The nut is the piece between the guitar neck and the head. It is a small rod with indentations to hold the guitar strings in place.
-Neck
The neck is the long section which holds the fret board.
-Fret board
The fret board is divided into different notes by small metal rods. The number of frets in a fret board varies depending on the type of guitar and the brand. Modern electric guitars usually have 20-22 frets in the fret board.
-Bridge
It is a part of the guitar’s body and it is important for sound resonance. It gives elevation to the guitar strings so they can produce vibrations.
-Pick-up
The pick-up is an electronic device which acts like a microphone: it picks up the vibrations from the strings and converts the vibrations into electrical impulses. They are usually found in electric guitars
-Amp
The amplifier a speaker box from which the sounds of the electric guitar are magnified.
-Capo
This is a device which is attached to the fret board which allows a player to play the same chord structures but in a different key.
Listed below are some of the different words that you might encounter in learning how to play the guitar.
-Riff
Guitar riffs pertain to musical pieces which are parts of a song.
-Reverb
It is added to the sound of the guitar through an effects box or through amplifiers to make the sounds more natural.
-Tablature
Guitar tablatures or more commonly known as guitar tabs are written music for guitars. It is similar to musical pieces (with notes and other musical symbols) but the notes are translated into guitar frets. It’s a useful tool in learning how to play the guitar.
-Vibrato
It refers to a guitar technique where the string is slightly bent at a fast rate to Produce a longer resonating sound.
-Arpeggio
This refers to a technique where you remove notes from a specific chord. You can then use these to create an adlib lead technique or add to the rhythm of the song.
-Pick
This is the small device which guitar players use to strike the guitar strings and is usually made of plastic.
-Whammy bar
This is an attachment to the bridge of electric guitars that can be used to bend the pitch of the notes. You can pull the whammy bar to be able to make your guitar “cry.”
-Plucking
It’s a picking technique where a player does not strum the strings all at once but hits the strings one by one to attain a softer and more defined tone.
-Palm mute
This is a technique where a player uses his picking hand (usually the right hand) to mute the strings while strumming to be able to attain a distinct tone. It is very popular in the punk rock world.
The world of guitars is composed of many other new words and you must be able to master these or at least have an idea of what they are to be able do to appreciate the wonderful instrument that is the guitar..
Adrian
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Oct
14
Filed Under (Guitars) by admin
Violette Skies asked:
I want to learn how to play the guitar and am planning on asking my mom for a guitar for Christmas/my birthday.
I want an acoustic guitar and am wondering what length I should get and if there is any type that is best for beginners.
Oh and I’m about 5′10 if height has anything to do with the length I should get.
Any comments, recommendations and suggestions would be much appreciated.
Jim
I want to learn how to play the guitar and am planning on asking my mom for a guitar for Christmas/my birthday.
I want an acoustic guitar and am wondering what length I should get and if there is any type that is best for beginners.
Oh and I’m about 5′10 if height has anything to do with the length I should get.
Any comments, recommendations and suggestions would be much appreciated.
Jim
Oct
13
Filed Under (Guitars) by admin
Jules asked:
I have a cheap guitar that I am learning on and am planning to eventually buy a better quality guitar.
I have a cheap guitar that I am learning on and am planning to eventually buy a better quality guitar.
My current guitar is 43″ long. I was wondering if when I buy a new guitar, will I be able to use the same hard-cover case for that guitar if it is shorter than 43″ long?
How snug of a fit is necessary for the guitar?
Thanks!
Correction - it’s 41″ long.
Michele
Oct
13
Filed Under (Guitars) by admin
ScarsOnBroadway.com (L) asked:
Ok. well i play acoustic guitar and i think its time to get an electric guitar, and i was wondering, what type of guitar can i get that is not crappy and for a low price
Ok. well i play acoustic guitar and i think its time to get an electric guitar, and i was wondering, what type of guitar can i get that is not crappy and for a low price
(do not tell me a Fender Squire b/c i know they are crap. thank you)
Leo
Oct
12
music_literature_freak asked:
If I practice every day and have a lesson once a week, how long will it take for me to become really good? I already know how to read music (I play the violin and the piano), and I already have an acoustic guitar. I know this question should be in the music section, but I wanted to put this question in the adolescent section to see what people my age have to say about this.
If I practice every day and have a lesson once a week, how long will it take for me to become really good? I already know how to read music (I play the violin and the piano), and I already have an acoustic guitar. I know this question should be in the music section, but I wanted to put this question in the adolescent section to see what people my age have to say about this.
Also: Is there anyone here who plays the guitar and is good? How long have you been playing the guitar for? How long did it take you before you became good at the guitar?
Troy
Oct
12
Filed Under (Guitars) by admin
Justin Sours asked:
How to choose the right guitar teacher for you
by Justin Sours
http://www.guitarmadeez.com
Teaching yourself is not a bad idea
The journey of teaching yourself is very exciting and also very interesting and if you do choose to teach yourself, you’ll definitely appreciate the guitar more. For the most part I have taught myself. I started playing completely on my own for about 6 or 7 years, then I had felt that I had reached a plateau. Everyone recommended that I take lessons to overcome the plateau but I was very reluctant. I was extremely low on money and I didn’t have a very good feeling about the places in my area that were offering lessons.
Choosing a guitar teacher can be an extremely complicated task
So many guitar stores, music stores and general places offer lessons however the quality of the lessons definitely varies. Today, guitar lessons can be anywhere from $20-100 and up per hour which will definitely hit your pocket pretty hard. I found some places only gave 30 minute lessons for 20$-$50 which is absolutely ridiculous. 30 minutes is barely enough time to tune a guitar let alone give an eventful lesson. Also, due to contrary belief there are allot of weirdo guitar teachers out there, believe me…I know!! One of my teachers for a 30 minute lessons showed up 5 minutes late then had the nerve to ask me if he could go smoke a cigarette outside. That was the last time I had lessons with that guy…. I’ve had allot of guitar teacher horror stories and I’ve definitely learned the “hard way” in choosing guitar teachers. I now would like to share with you what I’ve learned about choosing guitar teachers and hope you won’t make the same mistakes I had made.
Always schedule a minimum of 1 hour for a guitar lesson
I’ve seen guitar lessons that are anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours, however a vast majority of guitar teachers only teach 30 minute guitar lessons…. 30 minutes is nothing! Do not be fooled into thinking you’ll get better from one 30 minute a week lessons. If you do decide to take guitar lessons, you must take a minimum of one hour in order to get better. I learned this the hard way. I scheduled to take 30 minute guitar lessons at a guitar shop near my house. I was 10 minutes early; my teacher was 5 minutes late. He then fed me the sales pitch on supplies I needed from that very shop and then kicked me out after about 20 minutes of nothing and said that he had to prepare for the next lesson. This is unacceptable! Be smart; schedule a minimum of one hour for a guitar lesson.
Beware of getting guitar lessons from a guitar shop
I’ve noticed that taking guitar lessons at a guitar shop are usually half-assed. This is not always the situation. Just be knowledgeable enough to understand the quality of lessons that you deserve.
Try to find a teacher that a friend recommends
Friends that are good at playing guitar are the perfect byproducts for good teachers. If you have a friend who’s amazing at guitar, ask him who his teacher is. If your friend sucks at guitar, know not to take guitar lessons from his teacher. It’s as easy as that.
Never take guitar lessons from a teacher who is not passionate about playing
I took guitar lessons once from a teacher who seemed to know everything in the world about the guitar, equipment, effects, theory, etc., yet he had never played anything in front of me and “let loose”. I had finally asked him to play something and it seemed pretty half assed and inhabited no “soul” to the music. I felt pretty let down. Some people may know what their talking about when it comes to guitar lessons/theory and whatnot, however find a teacher that gets excited while teaching you. Learning guitar is an adventure and your teacher must be able to excite you.
Never take guitar lessons from a teacher who doesn’t impress you while playing
This goes back to what I was talking about earlier. Would you take Spanish lessons from a person with a bad Spanish accent and who has never been to Mexico? No! Take lessons from the Spanish teacher who’s been to Mexico hundreds of times and that knows something about the culture and that most of all impresses you while teaching you. Model yourself after what impresses you and the people that impress you, not only in guitar but everyday life.
If you hear someone that is an amazing guitarist at a concert, party, bar, wherever… That should be your teacher
Many successful people model themselves after previously successful people, just as great guitarists model themselves after previous great guitarists. If you ever see someone playing and they inspire you to learn guitar, or to play like them someday, don’t be afraid to ask them where they learned or even if they could possibly teach you guitar lessons. Guitar Center, random guitar shops, bars, coffee shops and many other places are perfect for finding an amazing guitar teacher.
Harry
How to choose the right guitar teacher for you
by Justin Sours
http://www.guitarmadeez.com
Teaching yourself is not a bad idea
The journey of teaching yourself is very exciting and also very interesting and if you do choose to teach yourself, you’ll definitely appreciate the guitar more. For the most part I have taught myself. I started playing completely on my own for about 6 or 7 years, then I had felt that I had reached a plateau. Everyone recommended that I take lessons to overcome the plateau but I was very reluctant. I was extremely low on money and I didn’t have a very good feeling about the places in my area that were offering lessons.
Choosing a guitar teacher can be an extremely complicated task
So many guitar stores, music stores and general places offer lessons however the quality of the lessons definitely varies. Today, guitar lessons can be anywhere from $20-100 and up per hour which will definitely hit your pocket pretty hard. I found some places only gave 30 minute lessons for 20$-$50 which is absolutely ridiculous. 30 minutes is barely enough time to tune a guitar let alone give an eventful lesson. Also, due to contrary belief there are allot of weirdo guitar teachers out there, believe me…I know!! One of my teachers for a 30 minute lessons showed up 5 minutes late then had the nerve to ask me if he could go smoke a cigarette outside. That was the last time I had lessons with that guy…. I’ve had allot of guitar teacher horror stories and I’ve definitely learned the “hard way” in choosing guitar teachers. I now would like to share with you what I’ve learned about choosing guitar teachers and hope you won’t make the same mistakes I had made.
Always schedule a minimum of 1 hour for a guitar lesson
I’ve seen guitar lessons that are anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours, however a vast majority of guitar teachers only teach 30 minute guitar lessons…. 30 minutes is nothing! Do not be fooled into thinking you’ll get better from one 30 minute a week lessons. If you do decide to take guitar lessons, you must take a minimum of one hour in order to get better. I learned this the hard way. I scheduled to take 30 minute guitar lessons at a guitar shop near my house. I was 10 minutes early; my teacher was 5 minutes late. He then fed me the sales pitch on supplies I needed from that very shop and then kicked me out after about 20 minutes of nothing and said that he had to prepare for the next lesson. This is unacceptable! Be smart; schedule a minimum of one hour for a guitar lesson.
Beware of getting guitar lessons from a guitar shop
I’ve noticed that taking guitar lessons at a guitar shop are usually half-assed. This is not always the situation. Just be knowledgeable enough to understand the quality of lessons that you deserve.
Try to find a teacher that a friend recommends
Friends that are good at playing guitar are the perfect byproducts for good teachers. If you have a friend who’s amazing at guitar, ask him who his teacher is. If your friend sucks at guitar, know not to take guitar lessons from his teacher. It’s as easy as that.
Never take guitar lessons from a teacher who is not passionate about playing
I took guitar lessons once from a teacher who seemed to know everything in the world about the guitar, equipment, effects, theory, etc., yet he had never played anything in front of me and “let loose”. I had finally asked him to play something and it seemed pretty half assed and inhabited no “soul” to the music. I felt pretty let down. Some people may know what their talking about when it comes to guitar lessons/theory and whatnot, however find a teacher that gets excited while teaching you. Learning guitar is an adventure and your teacher must be able to excite you.
Never take guitar lessons from a teacher who doesn’t impress you while playing
This goes back to what I was talking about earlier. Would you take Spanish lessons from a person with a bad Spanish accent and who has never been to Mexico? No! Take lessons from the Spanish teacher who’s been to Mexico hundreds of times and that knows something about the culture and that most of all impresses you while teaching you. Model yourself after what impresses you and the people that impress you, not only in guitar but everyday life.
If you hear someone that is an amazing guitarist at a concert, party, bar, wherever… That should be your teacher
Many successful people model themselves after previously successful people, just as great guitarists model themselves after previous great guitarists. If you ever see someone playing and they inspire you to learn guitar, or to play like them someday, don’t be afraid to ask them where they learned or even if they could possibly teach you guitar lessons. Guitar Center, random guitar shops, bars, coffee shops and many other places are perfect for finding an amazing guitar teacher.
Harry
Comments Off
Oct
09
Filed Under (Guitars) by admin
Christopher Sung asked:
This article is devoted to learning how to play guitar (and even those just thinking about learning to play or giving the gift of music to a loved one) and how to approach gaining some kind of proficiency on the instrument. Now, we’ve all seen people playing the guitar at various times, sometimes on TV, sometimes up close (a real treat), playing various kinds of music and at varying skill levels. I think the hardest obstacle to overcome when you’re /www.activemusician.com”>learning how to play the guitar or thinking about starting is the thought that playing the guitar is only something musicians can do, or is only for people who are musically inclined. The simple fact is that anyone can learn to play the guitar. It’s just a matter of spending some time with it on a regular basis, and practicing in a manner that’s both fun and productive. Once it becomes part of your routine, it’s only a matter of time before your skill level and confidence develop.
When I started learning the guitar, there were a couple of learning aids I found to be indispensable. They include:
Learning to Play Guitar Chord Reference Book - This is really helpful when you’re not sure how to play an F chord or a B minor, or want to learn some other ways to play it
Artist Songbook - This is a songbook which has the piano, lyrics, and guitar chords to your artist’s favorite songs, and is great for learning how to strum and change from chord to chord
Classical Guitar Book - This helps you familiarize yourself with the feel of scales and arpeggios, and also improves your sight reading
Guitar Tab Songbook - As you progress, you’re going to want to play some of the guitar parts from your favorite songs note-for-note, meaning exactly as your favorite guitarist plays them. This type of book has the music for this both in standard notation and guitar tablature
I had a very insightful guitar teacher who started off each lesson by showing me a new chord and how to play it. Some good chord reference books that tackle these types of chords are the Whole Book of Guitar Chords and The First Book of Chords for the Guitar both written by Dan Fox. Once I had a feel for the chord, he would choose a song from a songbook from one of my favorite bands that used this chord (say a B minor or an A7) and would have me learn that song using an appropriate strum pattern. My mom played the piano, and would often visit the music store to buy sheet music songbooks from her favorite artists, so eventually I got her to buy me a few gems of this type:
Beatles Complete - This is a valuable book for two reasons. One is that it’s The Beatles. The second is that The Beatles composed songs with relatively few and very easy to play chords (”I Saw Her Standing There” has three), and also songs with many and often unorthodox chords (”Michelle” has, um, a lot), especially when used in rock music. This makes it a great vehicle for learning new chords incrementally via their songs
Neil Young - Decade - My brother wore out this recording and when I started playing some of the tunes from it on the guitar, it gave his little brother some instant credibility. Many of the songs in this book were recorded by Neil on the acoustic guitar, so it lends itself to the beginner who’s learning on an acoustic
Led Zeppelin Complete - This is a strange and beautiful book. It has the main guitar riffs for every Led Zeppelin song on the first five albums (I - IV and House of the Holy) but it’s in standard notation. I spent a summer learning every song in this book and not only did my guitar playing improve, but so did my sight reading
Eric Clapton Deluxe Revised - This contains some of the best songs from Cream, the Layla disc by Derek and the Dominoes, and some of Eric’s early solo work, but it’s unique in that it has a separate section with some of Eric’s best guitar solos transcribed. Eric is a great role model when you start learning how to play a guitar solo, because some of his solos are simple enough that they can be played by a beginning-intermediate guitar player (though it takes a lifetime to learn to play it with as much feeling as Eric)
Once we covered the chord of the week and the song that went with it, we would tackle a classical piece. One of the best classical books I can recommend, especially if you’re not a classical guitarist, is Classical Studies for Pick-Style Guitar - Volume 1. This book is great for developing your right-hand picking and also for developing your sight reading since all the music is in standard notation. There are some interesting pieces by Matteo Carcassi, which require you to arpeggiate various chords, and also some Bach Inventions that are arranged for duet guitar, so you can play with a friend. You can hear how this sounds in an on-line guitar lesson I created at WholeNote - Bach’s 8th Invention.
The one thing that’s changed over the past decade in sheet music for guitarists is the emergence of guitar tab songbooks. In the late 1990’s, an archive of guitar tablature files was collectively created and dubbed the On-Line Guitar Archives (OLGA), in which random guitarists from around the world created text files containing their own transcriptions of how to play your favorite songs by your favorite bands. The problem was that the quality and accuracy of the transcription was hit or miss. Sheet music companies finally wised up and started releasing accurate note-for-note transcription books, which were the real deal. In my day, you were a god if you could play the guitar solo, “Eruption”, played by Eddie Van Halen off Van Halen I, because you had to learn it by ear off the record, which is pretty much impossible. Today, you can just buy the Van Halen I guitar tab songbook and get all the music for Eruption both in guitar tab and standard notation. Oh, and they also throw in the rest of the songs from Van Halen I, and from Van Halen II, as well. I’ve always loved the whacked-out intro that Eddie plays in Mean Street, which opens the Fair Warning recording. The Van Halen Guitar Anthology Series has the tab for this, note for note, including every last harmonic, pick scrape, bend, and tap. It’s unbelievable. And it’s not just Van Halen. You can find similar guitar tab songbooks for The Beatles, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana, Green Day, Audioslave and pretty much anyone else you can think of.
Finally, as you develop your practice routine, the one thing most often overlooked during practice is being able to play in time. When you start to get comfortable with chords and strumming, there’s a natural tendency to stop or to hesitate while switching between chords. A good metronome will make you aware of this and force you to play in time. The Qwik Time QT-7 Quartz Metronome is a good budget option and provides a good click, while the Wittner Wood Case Metronome w/ Bell and Cover is the kind you can hang onto forever and pass along from generation to generation (and I should know - I have one from my grandfather). The Fender MT-1000 Chromatic Tuner/Metronome is unique in that you get both a metronome and a guitar tuner in one convenient package. Very handy, indeed.
You too can learn to play the guitar today! Hopefully, this gives you a bit of direction as you learn to play the guitar. Remember that it’s simply a matter of spending some time regularly practicing some of the basics and then applying them to your favorite music. Keep expanding your knowledge of the basic chords and learn to play songs that use them, along with the strumming patterns of the tune. Combined with some classical pieces for dexterity and developing your sight-reading chops, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the guitar in no time!
Ernest
This article is devoted to learning how to play guitar (and even those just thinking about learning to play or giving the gift of music to a loved one) and how to approach gaining some kind of proficiency on the instrument. Now, we’ve all seen people playing the guitar at various times, sometimes on TV, sometimes up close (a real treat), playing various kinds of music and at varying skill levels. I think the hardest obstacle to overcome when you’re /www.activemusician.com”>learning how to play the guitar or thinking about starting is the thought that playing the guitar is only something musicians can do, or is only for people who are musically inclined. The simple fact is that anyone can learn to play the guitar. It’s just a matter of spending some time with it on a regular basis, and practicing in a manner that’s both fun and productive. Once it becomes part of your routine, it’s only a matter of time before your skill level and confidence develop.
When I started learning the guitar, there were a couple of learning aids I found to be indispensable. They include:
Learning to Play Guitar Chord Reference Book - This is really helpful when you’re not sure how to play an F chord or a B minor, or want to learn some other ways to play it
Artist Songbook - This is a songbook which has the piano, lyrics, and guitar chords to your artist’s favorite songs, and is great for learning how to strum and change from chord to chord
Classical Guitar Book - This helps you familiarize yourself with the feel of scales and arpeggios, and also improves your sight reading
Guitar Tab Songbook - As you progress, you’re going to want to play some of the guitar parts from your favorite songs note-for-note, meaning exactly as your favorite guitarist plays them. This type of book has the music for this both in standard notation and guitar tablature
I had a very insightful guitar teacher who started off each lesson by showing me a new chord and how to play it. Some good chord reference books that tackle these types of chords are the Whole Book of Guitar Chords and The First Book of Chords for the Guitar both written by Dan Fox. Once I had a feel for the chord, he would choose a song from a songbook from one of my favorite bands that used this chord (say a B minor or an A7) and would have me learn that song using an appropriate strum pattern. My mom played the piano, and would often visit the music store to buy sheet music songbooks from her favorite artists, so eventually I got her to buy me a few gems of this type:
Beatles Complete - This is a valuable book for two reasons. One is that it’s The Beatles. The second is that The Beatles composed songs with relatively few and very easy to play chords (”I Saw Her Standing There” has three), and also songs with many and often unorthodox chords (”Michelle” has, um, a lot), especially when used in rock music. This makes it a great vehicle for learning new chords incrementally via their songs
Neil Young - Decade - My brother wore out this recording and when I started playing some of the tunes from it on the guitar, it gave his little brother some instant credibility. Many of the songs in this book were recorded by Neil on the acoustic guitar, so it lends itself to the beginner who’s learning on an acoustic
Led Zeppelin Complete - This is a strange and beautiful book. It has the main guitar riffs for every Led Zeppelin song on the first five albums (I - IV and House of the Holy) but it’s in standard notation. I spent a summer learning every song in this book and not only did my guitar playing improve, but so did my sight reading
Eric Clapton Deluxe Revised - This contains some of the best songs from Cream, the Layla disc by Derek and the Dominoes, and some of Eric’s early solo work, but it’s unique in that it has a separate section with some of Eric’s best guitar solos transcribed. Eric is a great role model when you start learning how to play a guitar solo, because some of his solos are simple enough that they can be played by a beginning-intermediate guitar player (though it takes a lifetime to learn to play it with as much feeling as Eric)
Once we covered the chord of the week and the song that went with it, we would tackle a classical piece. One of the best classical books I can recommend, especially if you’re not a classical guitarist, is Classical Studies for Pick-Style Guitar - Volume 1. This book is great for developing your right-hand picking and also for developing your sight reading since all the music is in standard notation. There are some interesting pieces by Matteo Carcassi, which require you to arpeggiate various chords, and also some Bach Inventions that are arranged for duet guitar, so you can play with a friend. You can hear how this sounds in an on-line guitar lesson I created at WholeNote - Bach’s 8th Invention.
The one thing that’s changed over the past decade in sheet music for guitarists is the emergence of guitar tab songbooks. In the late 1990’s, an archive of guitar tablature files was collectively created and dubbed the On-Line Guitar Archives (OLGA), in which random guitarists from around the world created text files containing their own transcriptions of how to play your favorite songs by your favorite bands. The problem was that the quality and accuracy of the transcription was hit or miss. Sheet music companies finally wised up and started releasing accurate note-for-note transcription books, which were the real deal. In my day, you were a god if you could play the guitar solo, “Eruption”, played by Eddie Van Halen off Van Halen I, because you had to learn it by ear off the record, which is pretty much impossible. Today, you can just buy the Van Halen I guitar tab songbook and get all the music for Eruption both in guitar tab and standard notation. Oh, and they also throw in the rest of the songs from Van Halen I, and from Van Halen II, as well. I’ve always loved the whacked-out intro that Eddie plays in Mean Street, which opens the Fair Warning recording. The Van Halen Guitar Anthology Series has the tab for this, note for note, including every last harmonic, pick scrape, bend, and tap. It’s unbelievable. And it’s not just Van Halen. You can find similar guitar tab songbooks for The Beatles, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews Band, Nirvana, Green Day, Audioslave and pretty much anyone else you can think of.
Finally, as you develop your practice routine, the one thing most often overlooked during practice is being able to play in time. When you start to get comfortable with chords and strumming, there’s a natural tendency to stop or to hesitate while switching between chords. A good metronome will make you aware of this and force you to play in time. The Qwik Time QT-7 Quartz Metronome is a good budget option and provides a good click, while the Wittner Wood Case Metronome w/ Bell and Cover is the kind you can hang onto forever and pass along from generation to generation (and I should know - I have one from my grandfather). The Fender MT-1000 Chromatic Tuner/Metronome is unique in that you get both a metronome and a guitar tuner in one convenient package. Very handy, indeed.
You too can learn to play the guitar today! Hopefully, this gives you a bit of direction as you learn to play the guitar. Remember that it’s simply a matter of spending some time regularly practicing some of the basics and then applying them to your favorite music. Keep expanding your knowledge of the basic chords and learn to play songs that use them, along with the strumming patterns of the tune. Combined with some classical pieces for dexterity and developing your sight-reading chops, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the guitar in no time!
Ernest
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Oct
04
Filed Under (Guitars) by admin
Victor Epand asked:
The list for popular types of guitars can be endless. Guitars come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and types. There are acoustic guitars, electric acoustic guitars, semi hollow guitars, electric guitars, twelve string guitars, four string bass guitars, five string bass guitars; the catalog goes on and on.
Acoustic guitars
Acoustic guitar is independent of any external device to be heard. The acoustic guitar is more sober than other instruments commonly found in bands and orchestras. To play within such groups the sound is often externally amplified. Acoustic guitars, which are available today, feature a variety of pickups. This enables the player to increase and adjust the raw guitar sound.
Prominent subcategories feature within the acoustic guitar group
Classical and flamenco guitars; steel string guitars, that comprise the folk or flat top guitar; arch top guitar and the twelve string guitars. There are unamplified guitars also in the acoustic guitar group.
Such types are designed to play in various registers such as the acoustic bass guitar. The tuning of the acoustic bass guitar is similar to that of the electric bass guitar.
Classical guitars
These are normally strung with nylon strings, to be played in a seated pose and are used to play a variety of musical styles together with classical music. The classical guitar is designed in such a way that it allows the execution of solo polyphonic arrangements of music
Portuguese guitar
The Portuguese guitar is a 12 string guitar used in Portugal for the customary Fado songs.
Archtop guitars
Steel string instruments feature a violin inspired f hole design where the top (and often the back) of the instrument are engraved in a curved rather than a flat shape.
Flat top (steel string) guitars
Here the body dimension is typically considerably larger than a classical guitar and it has a narrower, resistant neck and stronger structural design
Resonator, resophonic or Dobro guitars
The hum of the resonator guitar is created by a metal resonator fitted in the middle of the top.
Tenor guitars
Some classical guitarists call the Niibori prime guitar a Tenor Guitar on the grounds that it sits in pitch between the alto and the bass.
Harp guitars
This consists of a usual guitar, with additional harp strings strung on top of the six normal strings. The instrument is generally acoustic and the harp strings are adjusted to lower notes than the guitar strings, for an added bass range.
Acoustic bass guitars
This type has steel strings or guts strings in it and often has the same tuning as an electric bass guitar.
12 string guitars
Instead of having only six strings, the 12 string guitar has six courses made up of two strings each, like a mandolin or f lute.
Electric guitars
Electric guitars are the types, which have solid, semi hollow, or hollow bodies, and generate minute sound without amplification. The electromagnetic vibrations of the strings are converted into electrical signals, which are supplied to an amplifier via a cable or radio transmitter. Sound outputted is regularly modified by other electronic instruments or the natural distortion of valves (vacuum tubes) in the amplifier.
Pauline
The list for popular types of guitars can be endless. Guitars come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and types. There are acoustic guitars, electric acoustic guitars, semi hollow guitars, electric guitars, twelve string guitars, four string bass guitars, five string bass guitars; the catalog goes on and on.
Acoustic guitars
Acoustic guitar is independent of any external device to be heard. The acoustic guitar is more sober than other instruments commonly found in bands and orchestras. To play within such groups the sound is often externally amplified. Acoustic guitars, which are available today, feature a variety of pickups. This enables the player to increase and adjust the raw guitar sound.
Prominent subcategories feature within the acoustic guitar group
Classical and flamenco guitars; steel string guitars, that comprise the folk or flat top guitar; arch top guitar and the twelve string guitars. There are unamplified guitars also in the acoustic guitar group.
Such types are designed to play in various registers such as the acoustic bass guitar. The tuning of the acoustic bass guitar is similar to that of the electric bass guitar.
Classical guitars
These are normally strung with nylon strings, to be played in a seated pose and are used to play a variety of musical styles together with classical music. The classical guitar is designed in such a way that it allows the execution of solo polyphonic arrangements of music
Portuguese guitar
The Portuguese guitar is a 12 string guitar used in Portugal for the customary Fado songs.
Archtop guitars
Steel string instruments feature a violin inspired f hole design where the top (and often the back) of the instrument are engraved in a curved rather than a flat shape.
Flat top (steel string) guitars
Here the body dimension is typically considerably larger than a classical guitar and it has a narrower, resistant neck and stronger structural design
Resonator, resophonic or Dobro guitars
The hum of the resonator guitar is created by a metal resonator fitted in the middle of the top.
Tenor guitars
Some classical guitarists call the Niibori prime guitar a Tenor Guitar on the grounds that it sits in pitch between the alto and the bass.
Harp guitars
This consists of a usual guitar, with additional harp strings strung on top of the six normal strings. The instrument is generally acoustic and the harp strings are adjusted to lower notes than the guitar strings, for an added bass range.
Acoustic bass guitars
This type has steel strings or guts strings in it and often has the same tuning as an electric bass guitar.
12 string guitars
Instead of having only six strings, the 12 string guitar has six courses made up of two strings each, like a mandolin or f lute.
Electric guitars
Electric guitars are the types, which have solid, semi hollow, or hollow bodies, and generate minute sound without amplification. The electromagnetic vibrations of the strings are converted into electrical signals, which are supplied to an amplifier via a cable or radio transmitter. Sound outputted is regularly modified by other electronic instruments or the natural distortion of valves (vacuum tubes) in the amplifier.
Pauline
Comments Off
