Playing the Guitar: Learning from the Pros, DVD Style

The guitar is a wonderful instrument and it is easy to learn how to play it. Several people just learn how to play the guitar by doing three simple steps. One, they bought (or borrowed) a guitar; Two, they memorized the chords; the last is that they buy a lyric magazine, pick a song, and strum the guitar. This all sounds so simple but in reality it is not. Unless you know your music, you might end up sounding like a fool and end up embarrassing yourself in front of many people.

Learning how to play a guitar by watching professional guitar players do it on a DVD is really beneficial for beginners and even those who have been playing for a long time. Watching a DVD provides many advantages such as doing this in the privacy of your own home. You can also pace yourself and learn more in a shorter amount of time, back up anytime if you forgot anything, or pause. Using a DVD as a tool, you will not have to go to the hassle of looking for a private tutor and/or spend a lot of money for guitar lessons.

Watching someone else play guitar is the easiest way to learn how to do it. whether that someone is your friend, a private tutor, an artist or someone in a DVD, it is advisable to learn by watching how they do it.

Professional guitar players help other people by showing the simple steps in learning how to play a guitar in a DVD.

The first step they usually show in the video is learning how to tune the guitar. This is particularly helpful for beginners as they usually do not know how to it. This is usually done by playing EADGBE (low to high) and listening to ascertain if there is a problem with the sound. Another thing they will teach will be steps on how to replace a string and tune it again.

The next step is learning different kinds of fretting techniques and chord shortcuts to help in learning the easiest ways of plucking and strumming of the guitar. There will also be different instructions on how to create chord accompaniment when composing a new song.

These DVDs usually are packed with information and is usually focused on only one subject (facet) of guitar playing so a student can learn more about that particular part of playing the guitar.

Easy-to-Learn Guitar Playing Tips for Beginners

Learning to play the guitar can easily be achieved by almost anyone who wants to try it.

Most newbies tend to quit excessively early. This is because most of them are not trying hard enough to learn the instrument and give up the instant they encounter difficulties.

Many of these newbies insist that they no longer have time to practice the guitar or that their fingers hurt. What they do not realize is that practice makes perfect, and the reason they find it difficult to learn to play the guitar is that they do not practice as much as necessary. They simply do not know what it takes to endure the lessons that have to be learned.

For those who do want to learn to play the guitar, here is a list of tips that you need to bear in mind:

1. Invest a little

Learning to play a guitar is almost equal to using the best instrument possible. Naturally, people learn faster and easier if they have the right equipment for the activity.

For this reason, it is important to invest and buy a good, not necessarily the best, guitar. This is because good guitars have better strings that will trigger quality play and better sound. Good guitars provide comfort to those who have not yet experienced playing the guitar.

2. Practice makes perfect

It is important to practice every single day. It is the ONLY way for you to learn how to play the guitar and learn to play it well.

3. Self-learning

For beginners, it may be better to learn to play the guitar by yourself. In this way you will not be pressured and acquaint yourself with yourself with your guitar in as little time possible.

This does not necessarily mean that you do not need an instructor. What is being pointed out here is that it would be better to teach yourself the basics of playing the guitar before you seek the help of an instructor.

The bottom line is to get started and once you are familiar with the guitar, then, it would be easier for you to listen to and understand the instructor. Indeed, learning how to play the guitar is as easy as 1-2-3. It just takes a combination of interest, determination, and grit to advance to the next level.

The Best Guitar Players to Idolize

Many people, guitar players, or music lovers have their own heroes in guitar music. Their hero’s may have served as inspirations with the music they have made or they may be the motivation of many people that is why they would like to learn to play the guitar.

Here are the noteworthy guitar players who compiled groundbreaking profiles in the guitar playing history.

George Harrison

George Harrison was a member of the Beatles. Many people still idolize him for his guitar playing skills even after he left the band to pursue a solo career. He was known as one who played guitar with emotions and feelings and is considered by many to be been the greatest guitarist in the history of rock and roll.

John McLaughlin

John McLaughlin is known for his rock and jazz music. He had many different roles in the music field but it was in guitar playing that he excelled and became famous. He started playing the guitar at the age of 11 and it was through guitar that he made a breakthrough in the music industry.

Robin Trower

Robin Trower is a British guitarist who became the idol of the 1970’s guitar music. He was known for his unique tone and feel with a touch of the blues. He was a member of the famous Procol Harum and was a guitar soloist in the band. One of his famous albums is the Bridge of Sighs, which is considered the best among his many albums.

Randy Bachman

Randy Bachman was a member of two famous Canadian bands, BTO and the Guess Who. He may not seem well known to many guitar players but he has made remarkable contributions in the field of music and guitar playing. He has a talent for writing as well as playing guitar which contributed in his success with these two bands.

Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana became famous not only for his voice but also for playing lead guitar. His music is a blend of Latin, African, blues and rock rhythms as well as percussion. His albums were top quality and he won many awards in the music field. His Best of Santana album is one album to check out if you would like to listen to is top selling music.

There are still many other guitar players who can serve as deserving idols or role models when it comes to playing the guitar - they may be popular and some may be unknown until now. What is important is that they make contributions and influence people to enjoy and love music through the guitar. They serve as inspiration and role models to beginners as well as aspiring professional guitar players.

How to Properly Hold the Guitar

A guitar can be an easy and fun instrument to play. Start by learning the correct method of handling the instrument. Here’s how:

Your body and posture:

You must be comfortably seated, resting your back adjacent to the backrest of your chair making sure that your legs are in front and feet flat on the ground. This position is now your "footing" or support that your guitar is going to rest upon.

Picking up the guitar, held it close to your chest or stomach ensuring that the back of the guitar’s body touches your chest and the neck’s bottom is parallel to the ground. The guitars thickest string must be directed close to the face and the thinnest string must be directed close to the ground.

Generally, a right-handed individual holds the guitar so that the “headstock” is pointing towards the left, while a left-handed individual holds the guitar so that the headstock is pointing to the right.

To play the guitar in a seated position, the guitar’s body should be resting on either one of your thighs. The instrument should be resting upon a leg that is farthest from “the headstock”; meaning, a right handed individual handling a guitar will naturally rest the instrument on his right leg, and a lefty will rest the instrument on his left leg.

Your right arm and hand:

Using the correct hand position is crucial in guitar playing. You will face many problems should your hand be in an incorrect position; your hands will easily tire, it will be difficult for you to play particular chords and you could even hurt or injure your hand if you continue playing using the wrong hand position.

The right hand will be used to "strum" the guitar’s strings in order to produce the varying chord sounds. Rest your right hand and arm over your guitar. The bicep must rest on the topmost part of the guitar’s body and the hand must be properly placed directly on top of your guitar’s sound hole (where sound will be produced). Insure that your position is comfortable.

A left handed individual has two alternatives. The first is to purchase a guitar that is right-handed then re-string it (reversing the sequence of the guitar’s strings), and the other option is to purchase a guitar that is specially made for people who are left-handed.

Focus on your "fretting hand" or the hand that is near the guitar’s neck, when seated in proper guitar position. Your fretting hand’s thumb must be resting at the back of the guitar’s neck, having your fingers positioned in a slightly curled manner, balanced on top of the strings. Keeping these particular fingers with a slight curl at your knuckles is very important.

Your fingers:

Your fingers of your left hand should be bent as well as and should be pressed down onto the guitar’s strings that are located on the “fret board”. The neck’s back should be curved, in order that the hand is molded into the neck’s shape.

Remember that it is alright for you to press or push the thumb at the back of the neck when creating your chords. This is common when one is “playing scales”. Test certain thumb positions so you will know which one you are most comfortable with.

Do not worry too much about the strings that the fingers of your left hand are pushing down at this time as you are just in the process of acquainting yourself with your instrument.

Never worry either, when you can not play a good tune at this early stage. There are still many things to be learned, many stages to go through, and practices to do before you to get the right tones and the right notes to play. You are just beginning, so be patient.

The important factor here, is that you can comfortably hold the guitar and be at ease with it. The rest of techniques still to be learned will just automatically flow, at your fingertips!

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Essential Guide to Tuning Your Guitar

The guitar is such a simple and convenient instrument: just open the case and start playing. Well, it’s not THAT simple. A good practice before playing the guitar is to tune it first.

Tuning the guitar prior to playing it will ensure that you create harmonious music; for each string has a specific note to play and if it goes out of tune, the sound will seem to be disarrayed. Note that some guitars may not need frequent tuning (well constructed / expensive), but if it is played (to the point of abuse, actually), then it may need tuning. Read on for an essential guide for guitar tuning.

The guitar presents a particular kind of difficulty in tuning because it has six strings, each of which has an individual pitch or a place in the musical staff assigned to it. The string numbers, as more popularly known, from top to bottom are 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, while their musical counterpart are mi, la, re, sol, si, and mi or E, A, D, G, B, and E respectively.

In order to tune the guitar correctly, you must have an axis or a reference pitch. You will need a commercially available pitch pipe or, better yet, acquire a tuning fork in case you don’t have a reliable instrument at hand to give you an axis. Pitch pipes have the bad reputation of changing pitches after some time. Tuning forks are more reliable and easier to use.

First, make the fork vibrate by tapping it lightly on any hard object while holding the handle and then let the handle touch the guitar’s soundboard below or above the sound hole while gently moving it toward the bridge. This will locate the spot where the resonance is at its loudest. You are supposed to hear a high pitched A (la) which should be the same as the sound produced by striking the first string while it is being depressed on the fifth fret.

Now that you have tuned the first string (E/mi), its open sound is the same as the sound of the second string pressed on the fifth fret. The third string on the fourth fret is equal to the open second string (B/si); the fourth string/ fifth fret equals open third string (G/sol); fifth string/ fifth fret equals open fourth string (D/re); and the sixth string/ fifth fret equals open fifth string (A/la).

In order to check the accuracy of your tuning, gently or lightly touch the fifth string directly above the fifth fret wire without pressing the string to the fingerboard. By striking the string in this manner, it should sound similar to that high-pitched tone produced by the tuning fork. Sounds of the string produced this way are called “harmonics.”

Harmonic 5 (Harmonic on the fifth fret) of the sixth string equals harmonic 7 of the fifth string (which is also similar to the open sound of the first string). Harmonic 5 of the fifth string equals harmonic 7 on the fourth string; harmonic 4 of the third string is equal to the harmonic 5 of the second string and harmonic 7 of the first string. Incidentally, harmonic 4 may require lots of practice for some, so I suggest that harmonic 7 of the sixth string be used to tune the open second string. These pairs of harmonics, when sounded together, should produce only one steady tone. If the sound they produce clashes or seems wavy, they are not in tune.

These two methods of tuning must always go together. You may use the harmonics method first then check with the other or vice versa. If, after crosschecking, the strings do not agree with each other, you may have to repeat the whole process. If you still cannot get them in tune, your strings might be defective. If your strings are new, this may even be worse - your ears need tuning!

To avoid all the hassles of manual tuning, a costly electronic device called a strobo tuner is available. Just turn the dial to the string’s name and it will pick the string’s sound through a condenser microphone and tell you if it is in tune through a meter

Other conventional methods of tuning are through imitation of pitches from different musical instruments like the piano, flute, etc. You can even use that portable but silly investment, the pitch pipe. But you have been warned!

Tips on How to Strum the Guitar Properly

A person may execute many strumming techniques on the guitar such as picking and chord inversions. There are different ways of strumming which are sometimes hard to learn and difficult to perform. However, there are a variety of ways a person can learn strumming especially for jazz or country music.

A person’s knowledge of strumming can develop aside from his usual strumming patterns if he learns more on chords and strumming techniques. This will help him master many strumming patterns that will enable him to be more creative in his guitar playing and surpass his old style of strumming. Here are some tips that will help a person to strum the guitar.

1. To be an expert on strumming, a person should first learn the basic steps and patterns as well as the proper way of down stroking and up stroking on the strings of the guitar. It is important that there is smooth execution and a balanced rhythm to the strumming.

2. He must keep a steady rhythm to his strumming; if he wants to have a slow pace on the strum he may do so as long as it is done smoothly and with precision. Sometimes the strokes tend to slow down or speed up if the chords are complicated or more difficult for beginners.

3. There are also strumming patterns that do not require a person to change the pace of his strum or oppose the down stroke or the up stroke. He must only do it with a nice and steady flow with a smooth flicking stroke all going in the same direction.

4. He must make sure that the rotation of his wrist is patterned to the motion of the guitar and his strumming. It does not matter which stroke he is doing or what kind of skill levels he has in his strumming. Remember not to let the wrist tighten while picking or strumming.

There are many variations of strumming and they depend on the skills a person may have on the guitar. The type of the guitar that the person is using will also influence the pattern of his strumming. For many who play the guitar, they see strumming as coming from the wrists and the fast or slow stroking during the strumming is regulated by it.

Getting Acquainted With the Parts of a Guitar

Guitars have been used with so much diversity in many musical forms. The instrument is known by many as a classical solo instrument and the basic musical instrument in rock music.

Get acquainted with this magnificent instrument; know its parts:

1. Headstock. This is found at the edge of the guitar’s neck. It is tailored with the instrument’s head for adjusting the pitch.

2. Tuners. The tuners keep the strings of the guitar stretched beginning at the base down to the knobs. Tuners likewise allow the guitar player to alter or modify the pitch either flat or sharp, depending on the player’s choice of music.

3. Nut. This is a tiny strip of hard medium or material which supports the strings at the intersection where the “headstock” meets up with the “fret board”. The strips can be made of plastic, bone, graphite, brass or any hard medium and indented to secure the stings in position. The nut acts as one of several endpoints assisting the tension of the string.

4. Fret board. Also known as the fingerboard, it is a lengthy wood plank inserted with frets of metal that composes the top of the guitar’s neck.

The fret board of a classical guitar is flat and is a little curved diagonally on an electric or acoustic guitar. The curve is calculated by the radius of the fret board that is the range of a “hypothetical circle” and which the surface of the fret board makes up a segment.

The smaller the radius of the fret board, the more that the curve is evident. When a string is pinched against the board, the string’s “vibrating length” is shortened thus creating a higher pitch sound or tone.

5. Frets. These are strips made of metal, particularly nickel alloy set in alongside the fret board that are positioned in conjunction with the string’s length that mathematically divides it.

When the strings are pushed down from the rear of the frets, this cuts the string's length of vibration to emit different tones or pitches.

6. Neck. The neck is composed of the guitar's fret board, frets, tuners, truss rod and headstock; all are fastened to a long extension made of wood. Usually, the wood that is used for the fret board will be of a different kind from that used on the remaining neck parts.

The firmness or stiffness of the guitar’s neck in accordance to its body is one determining factor of whether it is of good quality or not.

7. Body. The acoustic guitar’s body is an echoing cavity projecting the vibrations through the guitar’s sound hole which enables the audio of the instrument to be clearly heard even with no amplification.

In acoustic guitars, its body is a big determining factor in the overall sound it produces. The soundboard or guitar top is a delicately engineered and crafted component that is usually made out of red cedar, spruce or mahogany.

This very thin slice of wood, generally measuring only 2 - 3 mm thick, supported by different kinds of internal brackets, is the most pronounced and important element in influencing sound quality.

Most of the sound is brought about by the guitar’s top vibration as the momentum of the vibrating cords are transmitted to it.

8. Pickups. This is what really amplifies the cords sound. Most guitars have one to a maximum of three pickups. The kind of pickup is reasonably important, depending on a particular sound that you are aspiring for.

9. Pickguard. Commonly called the scratch plate, is a plastic guard or any laminated medium which protects the guitar’s top finish.

The pickups as well as almost all electronics in other electric guitars are framed and inserted atop the “pickguard”. On “acoustic guitars” and several “electric guitars”, the pickguard is directly inserted to the top of the guitar, and on guitars having carved tops; the “pickguard” is raised.

10. Bridge. On acoustic guitars, the key objective of the guitar’s bridge is to hand over or shift the string’s vibration to the “soundboard”, which then shudders the air within the guitar; thus increasing and strengthening the sound created by the cords or strings.

Go ahead, explore the parts of your guitar to better acquaint yourself with this wonderful instrument; test it too and see where it will take you. Enjoy!

Caring For Your Guitar: Effects Of and Solving Humidity Problems

Understanding and being aware of facts about humidity is what meteorologists refer to as "relative humidity." This applies to the air’s ability to take in water or retain or to dry up objects that contain moisture that air surrounds.

The best or perfect level of humidity for a guitar changes from one musical instrument to another, subject to the humidity situations in the workshop or factory where the guitar was assembled.

The humidity at the time that the instrument was being assembled set up the primary dimensions of your guitar. This configuration of dimension is permanently sealed into the entire structure when it is being assembled. Therefore, when humidity changes, each component will expand or shrink unevenly and yet the dimensions of the guitar’s structure will remain uniformly constant.

The most frustrating problem in the care and maintenance of a guitar of high quality is the wood’s tendency to either expand or shrink with humidity changes. Damage brought about by humidity changes requires costly repairs because high quality guitars are made from solid wood. These guitars are expensive the sound is superior compared to the lower priced instruments. However, solid woods are very susceptible to changes in humidity because of their propensity to expand or shrink.

High humidity connotes a “waterlogged” sound from your guitar; it will lack projection and volume having a lifeless and damp tone. The guitar can also be damaged structurally by high humidity.

Usually "bloating" at the back is a problem, most specifically when the back of the guitar is made of extremely hard wood - particularly rosewood. This problem is brought about by the expansion of wood causing the glue on the brace’s edge to detach.

When a guitar is kept in the basement, a problem that may occur is wood deterioration triggered by the intense humidity

The problems brought about by extremely low humidity levels are even more severe. Excessive loss of moisture in the wood makes the sound of the guitar brittle and at some point stress on the wood due to uneven shrinkage results in cracks.

Here are ways to fight humidity:

1. Watch your guitar closely. Examine it every so often so you can watch out for signs of humidity damage. Observe its back; when there is a drop in the humidity it will sink a bit and you can notice this clearly. When humidity rises, backs grow an arch. If the back becomes very, very flat, introduce some moisture, such as placing a dish of water in your storage area.

2. Store your guitar in its case away from any heat, especially in winter. Keep the case lying flat on the floor and never let it lean or hang it on the wall.

3. During periods when the humidity is extremely high, keep your guitar in a room where there is an air-conditioning system as it dries out the air.

When outside conditions are not too hot, such as in spring or on a rainy day, keep your instrument in a warm room, but avoid the basement, as it tends to cool a great deal.

4. There are many available devices to handle extreme dryness. When low humidity occurs in your area during chilly or cold weather, the use of a furnace-mounted humidifier can be very effective as well as hassle-free.

There are also console humidifiers that have rotating belts that are very efficient and space saving which are ideal when your space is limited.

"Dampit," is a very effective product that is placed inside the guitar to absorb any moisture that is inside your guitar.

A guitar that has a good sound now can be a wonderful sounding guitar even ten years later when it cared for properly and carefully.

The sound of a guitar is created by the echoing of wood. When the wood matures the echoing quality will improve, increasing your guitar’s worth. This, plus the model, make, and style of a guitar that will no longer be produced could be of much more value (often many times your purchase price) in 15-50 years.

Just keep in mind that a good quality guitar is also an investment worth your trouble.

Practical Guide to Practice Changing Chords

How quickly can your fretting hand switch from one chord to another? The speed and confidence you have in making chord changes will be key to further mastering the guitar and successfully playing and creating music for the instrument.

The key to learning any instrument, like most intricate human activity, is to develop brain and muscle coordination, more commonly called, muscle memory needed to play the instrument. If you picture a basketball player, for instance, the key to a good shooting performance is the proper hand-to-eye coordination in order to bring the ball up, prepare, aim, and throw it towards the hoop. The different muscles of the arms, wrist and hands will learn the right movements and strength needed to score. Constant practice will condition the brain, eyes, and entire body to know the routine of shooting the ball.

This is similar to guitar playing. The muscles involved would be the arms, wrists and the fingers, with the eyes, ears and brain working in unison to relate the movements to the music being read and the notes produced by the guitar. This is the mechanism that works when a guitar player starts to change chords.

Luckily, there are simple techniques that can help the beginning guitar player to develop these muscle memories and ear training for proper chord changes. Read below and you will see that chord changes are not that difficult to do.

When changing chords, first memorize all the chords involved in the song, and then visualize exactly which fingers of the fretting hand are involved in playing the chords. When playing simple barre chords, the most important finger is the index finger, which will squeeze all 6 strings across the fretboard. So as you move towards playing the chord, you have to position the index finger across the proper fret, or place, along the fretboard before positioning the other fingers of the chord. When playing a broken or simple chord, it is usually the index finger that is the most important finger. Primarily, the index finger and the thumb will form a stable anchor on the guitar neck in order for the other fingers to press the other strings of the chord. The index finger is usually played on the lowest fret and the highest string (by pitch, or string 1), where it could more easily find the proper note, and the other fingers can follow to complete the chord.

When playing a particular song, keep time with the music, but anticipate in which bar and on which beat the next chord will continue. For beginners, it would be preferable to practice the entire song slowly from beginning to end, taking care to change to each chord on time and on tempo. When the student can play the entire song like this without chord errors, he can start increasing the speed to the song’s proper tempo. It would also be helpful to identify particularly tricky chord changes. For instance, 2 consecutive bar graphs would be a relatively simple change, because the guitar player needs only to slide his index finger (which is already in the barre position) to its proper position on the fretboard and quickly press in the other strings of the chord. Changes from simple chords to barre chords – and vice versa – and chords that are positioned at a far distance from each other along the length of the neck are more difficult to perform. Isolate these difficult changes and practice those chord changes. If it is still to difficult with the slow tempo, don’t play the last beat of the last chord and use the time to move your fret hand into position for the next fret. Keep practicing these changes until the short passage can be played without error. Afterwards, go back to playing the entire song as discussed above. When you can play an entire song properly, try different strumming styles to accentuate parts of the song, or a particular beat; or alternate strumming and light plucking to give volume and variety to the music of the song. First, it is best to complete the song by actually copying how the original artist played it on the guitar; then you can add your own twists and extra technique according to your ear and taste. This will help you develop your hands for more difficult chords and finger playing techniques.

Do this for every song, and before you know it, you’ll be playing a new song like a seasoned guitarist in a short period of time.

Beginner’s Tips in Playing Bass

Playing bass is plain and simple, just play the music from the heart, feel the piece and let the listeners enjoy the melody. Here are a few basic tips that could help beginners.

Make a decision about the bass sound to be played. Will it be like a real smooth bass player or just a machine going wild over the sound? It will depend on the rhythm you want to use.

It’s not against the rule to do some personal experiments. Move the track forwards or backwards to see which sounds better. A 2 or 3 millisecond in increments can be used in audio. When the bass is ahead, the drums can sound far behind but if the bass is left behind, the drums may sound “burning”.

Shorter notes sound better than the long ones if a bass part of the audio is “pitched”. Edit some notes taken from other parts of the song to fit them into a totally different phrase. The melody is still familiar but with a different cut because it was inserted on a different line.

Leave some space in the bass part of the song. Notice that famous bass players put emphasis on holes when they try to emphasize a feeling of pressure into the sound. It leaves the listener’s ear hanging in anticipation and then satisfying them just a few beats later.

Avoid making bass melodies that can cause difficulties when playing and playing will not be as enjoyable. Some parts of the bass can be very attention grabbing especially if the rhythm is extremely fast. The trick is keeping the frets static until the melody changes. Like playing drums, bass can be recurring as well, so manage to break lines and chords for some variety. It is not bad to go back to the first simple bass chords just to avoid having a “wreck” with the sound at the end.

The inspiration for playing to suit the bass chords depends on the way the song is played. Sounds with more bass melodies are best heard when the notes are kept higher. Never hesitate to edit notes so that they are comfortable to play. The best advice is to listen to the edited bass chords and be decisive on the good and/or the bad timing. Remember that too much of a good thing can turn out badly, the same with playing bass, when exaggerated, it could ruin the whole piece. A little highlighting on the initial beat of a song’s phrase can do the trick. Enjoy playing!

Lead Guitar Playing Tips

Imagine a famous music band playing when suddenly the lead guitarist’s instrument shut off. See? Everything becomes a blur. That is because the lead guitar provides the main sound in a melody; it leads all the sound in music. The drummer, bass, and others are just accompaniment to the lead guitarist.

There are also basics used in playing the lead guitar. First, make sure that the pick brings out the highest tone. The tones differ with the kind of stroke done. Down strokes give out a fiddle tone that is considered the best since it is derived from simple strokes of the muscles. Notice that slow songs sound better because they use down strokes with over tones.

Timing is important as it gives life to the music played. An easy way the player to know whether or not his timing is bad is to record the piece and listen to it and identify where there is bad timing. It could be that the timing is not bad for the entire song; but it might occur in just one break - that is when there is a small interweave of beats right after a wrong push. Practice again to avoid the same mistake.

One belief is that lead guitar players are fast; and the faster the player is the better the audience thinks they are. But the truth is, if they can’t play smoothly it is useless and probably would end up sounding like tin can. The speed can also be dependent on the pick used. A white, thick, big nylon pick gives a nice lead sound, but this is hard to use if the player opts for speed.

The melody of the music must always be visualized prior to playing it. The lead guitarist should make the lead sound match the song and fit its rhythm. True artists call this as the “T” in lead guitar playing. The break should be taken into consideration as a whole and not with every single note played.

Try playing a gig with better musicians: this way your talent is enhanced since there is the pressure of keeping up with the better musicians. These musicians can teach you many techniques without even doing a “one on one” session; just by merely watching how they smoothly they play the music is enough for you to grasp the “T”.

Avoid playing licks. Concentrate and play smoothly and remember that the simpler the tone, the better. Choose an idol - it could be a fiddle, banjo, mandolin, saxophone, or piano player that you can listen to in order to pick up points and ideas of how to improvise. Listen to the real sound of the instrument and feel the beauty of the sound.

Learning the Guitar Basics: 4/4 Rhythm Strumming

If you are learning how to play the guitar, the basic 4/4 strumming technique is one of the first guitar playing techniques that you must be able to master. This is usually used by beginners to hone their guitar skills and get the feel of the instrument.

In learning the basic 4/4 guitar strumming, you must be knowledgeable about the different basic requirements for guitar playing:

Strokes

Guitar strumming is basically composed of two different strokes: the downward stroke and the upward stroke.

The downward stroke is done by drawing the picking hand (usually, this is the right hand) from the uppermost string down to the other side. The upward stroke is the opposite of the downward stroke.

Finger placing

When reading guitar instructional materials, the fingers are usually assigned numbers. The left-hand fingers are numbered from 1 to 4: the index finger is numbered as 1, the middle finger is numbered as 2, the ring finger is number 3 and the little finger is 4. This numbering is important to remember because tablatures show a beginner how to form chords by placing the fingers properly on the fret board.

The fingers of the left hand are supposed to be placed near the succeeding fret bar to ensure that you get quality sounding vibration from the strings. You must remember not to stress your fingers when pressing the frets.

4/4

If are playing the guitar by reading notes, you can refer to the beat shown near the clef sign to determine if the song should be played with a 4/4 beat as this is what you call the time signature. The time signature looks like a fraction when written in musical notation, the upper number tells one how many beats there are in one measure and the bottom number indicates what kind of note will receive one beat.

D-A-G-A

In learning the basic 4/4 guitar strumming, one can use the different chord families when practicing. One of the most popular chord patterns used in practicing this particular technique is the D-A-G-A chord pattern. It’s very popular because the chord patterns are easy to remember and very easy to perform.

You must first memorize the placement of the fingers on the fret board to be able to do the chords. This can take some time and beginners must be patient. Learning the guitar takes time and dedication and cannot be done overnight.

When you are able to master the chords, you should practice doing the chords one after the other, and this is where the 4/4 strumming comes in. In strumming the guitar in a 4/4 rhythm, you should count 1-2-3-4 repeatedly for each chord and shift to the next chord as you repeat the count. You can use downward strokes for each chord when you begin and then practice strumming the chords upward and then downward-upward.

A beginner will almost always find that the left hand is left out when practicing strumming because the fact is that the fingers are still adjusting to doing the chords properly. It will take time and a lot of practice to do the 4/4 strumming technique but it will be worth it.

When the left hand is being left out, you must not stop the right hand and wait for the left hand to form the chord patterns. Be consistent in your counting and strumming to prevent the right hand from becoming slower and train the left hand to be faster in forming the chord patterns.

After you become comfortable doing the 4/4 strumming technique with the D-A-G-A chord pattern, then shift into doing other chord patterns such as C-E-F-G or G-C-F-G. Opt to learn the different chords and familiarize your fingers with forming them. Learning the chords and strumming should be done simultaneously which will allow you to be able to learn at a much faster rate and understand the mechanics behind playing the guitar.

You must remember that the guitar is an instrument of passion and you cannot be a guitar expert in one night. There are many things that you must learn about the guitar to truly appreciate the beauty of the instrument.

Learning the Guitar Lingo

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.

Types of Guitar

Guitars are the most common instruments played by many music lovers of all ages. Even kids can easily learn to play the guitar. Choosing the right guitar is very easy. There are many types of guitars that can go along with any kind of music. All a guitar player needs to do is identify the kind of music he prefers to know which type of guitar is best for him.

The following are the most common types of guitars.

Classical Guitars

Classical guitars are the father of all guitars. They have been used for many genres and all kinds of music. Classical guitars come with nylon strings which give the guitar a unique and colorful sound. The sizes of classical guitars have been standard for many years. Classical guitars that are of the finest quality are made with spruce or cedar tops. The guitar is able to produce various sounds even with the use of fingernails.

Electric Guitars

Electric guitars are the next most common guitar especially in the 20th century. Electric guitars are known as the main attraction of rock music. These guitars have been famous since rock music was introduced and blend very well with jazz, pop and even blues music. The main difference between other guitars and electric guitars is that they are played with amplifiers because they are unable to produce sound without amplification.

Steel Guitars

Steel guitars acquired their name because they are literally made of steel. These types of guitars are played horizontally. A guitar player may place the guitar across his knees or legs or on a stand. The pedal steels of these guitars are the ones responsible for their unique sounds.

Bass Guitars

Bass guitars are similar to electric guitars. However, there are also variations in these guitars such as the acoustic bass guitars. Although bass guitars fall under the family of guitars, the sounds they produce are very distinctive and separate from any other guitar. The reason is that bass guitars usually have four strings unlike standard guitars that have six to twelve strings.

Many other guitars may be found on the market. There are also the archtop guitars, twelve strings guitars, solid body guitars and the resonator guitars. All these types of guitars produce different kinds of music that can satisfy the taste of many music lovers. All a person has to do is identify his taste for music to be able to decide which guitar is perfect for him and his music.

How to Change Bad Habits in Playing the Guitar

In the course of learning to play the guitar, many people develop bad habits which are disturbing and inappropriate to people. These bad habits are easy to overcome once the person realizes that he has them and becomes familiar with the proper way to play the guitar. Here are some easy steps to follow that will help overcome those bad habits.

1. The person must realize his weak points. This will help him easily identify the habits that are causing him difficulties when learning to play the guitar.

2. It is suggested that the person stop playing the songs or music where his bad practices usually show up. One suggestion is to go back to the basics of playing the guitar. It may take months to remove the bad habits but by practicing the correct way, the person will be able to overcome them.

3. Once realizing the bad habits that were developed, the next step is to analyze how he got to that point. It will help him analyze what he was doing improperly that led to acquisition of the bad habits.

5. The person should take a step to reverse the bad habits and one way to do this is to analyze the reason he developed the habits in the first place. Once he becomes aware of the bad habits, he can perform alternative behavior to replace the bad habits and go back to the basic enjoyment of playing the guitar.

6. The person needs to make sure that he performs the alternative behavior whenever he plays the guitar. It is important that the behavior is effective so that he will not be tempted to go back to the bad habits.

The person should be consistent in doing these steps to overcome the habits and before he knows it, he has rid himself of those habits. He can then go back to the usual music he used to play and he will see that all the bad habits are gone.

Changing bad habits into good ones is not as hard as it may seem. It does require patience and perseverance to be able to get rid of them and learn the proper way to play the guitar. Guitar players should learn to play with the correct techniques and strategies so that they will not develop these bad habits.

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Planet Waves Standard Guitar Picks--Right for Any Hand

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It does not matter if this pick will be used by someone who is six-years old or sixty-years old, the Planet Waves Standard guitar pick will be just what the doctor ordered. The pearl finish is attractive enough for kids to want to use, thick enough not to snap when used on electric guitars, and thin enough not to muddle the sound of the strings.
Why a Medium Guitar Pick?
A medium guitar pick is 0.73–0.81 mm or 0.028–0.031 inches thick. When playing rock or heavier music, or while playing electric guitar with hi-gain amplification or distortion, thinner picks produce muddier, less precise, less controlled sound while thicker picks produce more specific, more controlled and well-shaped tone. Thinner picks also tend to rip or tear more often if used too forcefully, whereas a thicker one is less likely to wear down. Thicker picks are generally used in more discrete genres, such as heavy metal or power metal.

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Celluloid, Historically Speaking
Invented in 1856, celluloid is considered the first invented thermoplastic. This was the first plastic ever used to produce picks, and it is still used today--especially for guitarists aiming for vintage tone. Celluloid is easily molded and shaped, and it was first widely used as an ivory replacement. Easy to manufacture, easy to produce, celluloid is the favored pick of guitarists around the world.
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How to Find the Best Guitar

There are many types of guitars in the different music stores which are available for every one of all ages. If a person is interested in learning to play the guitar, it is important that he purchase his own guitar. The type of guitar depends upon what type of music he wants to play.

He may choose an electric guitar if he thinks rock music is awesome or he may buy an ordinary guitar if he wants to play acoustic. The ordinary may cost less than the electric guitar which also needs requires an amplifier.

If he prefers an electric guitar, here are some tips on how to choose the right one:

1. A person should be sure about his chosen music as choosing an electric guitar means that he will be in aligned with rock music. He may start small – just playing for his own enjoyment, but once he improves with his music he may want his own band that sings and creates their own rock music.

2. It may be tempting to want an expensive guitar that have names suck as Gibson, Les Paul, or the Fender Stratocaster. These guitar brands are very expensive: it is advisable to invest in a cheaper model especially you are still learning to play. More expensive equipment may be purchased later if he is interested in pursuing rock music.

3. He can look for brands like Onyx, Legend, or Orion in the meantime. These are less expensive than the brands mentioned above. As a beginner, one of these electric guitar brands may satisfy a person’s craving for rock music. When the time comes that he is a master of the instrument, then that would be the time to upgrade the equipment.

4. A person who does not have enough money to buy one of the cheaper brands even though he is really interested may be able to find a second hand guitar as an option. After all, he is just learning to play the guitar!

5. A buyer needs to keep in mind that acquiring an electric guitar also requires buying an amplifier. He can try to find stores that provide a wholesale package of the guitar with the amplifier.

It is recommended to assess your needs before buying a guitar. A person must know first what type of music he wants to play then buy an instrument to fill that need. The important thing is that he is happy with the guitar he purchased.

3 Reasons to Buy Guitar Lessons eBook

In this clandestine world of the Internet, people have come to realize the wonders of the new technology. It has brought them many advantages and has changed their lives quite remarkably.

One of the best things that the Internet was able to reveal to humanity was the remarkable uses of the ebooks or the electronic form of books. These virtual replicas of books have gained considerable recognition because they are able to provide the convenience, information, and the feasibility that every consumer is looking for.

For instance, when people started to demand information about learning to play the guitar, many experts found the idea appealing, and thus, created guitar lesson ebooks. This particular type of ebooks were specially made for people who wish to learn how to play the guitar but do not have time to go to the shops or bookstores to search for regular books.

Best of all, guitar lesson ebooks provide additional features that ordinary guitar lessons cannot supply. These ebooks provide interactive features that serve as added benefits for the beginner.

Many ebooks about guitar lessons contain songs that a beginner can use to learn how to play the guitar as easily and as fast as possible. Experts contend that learning to play the guitar with songs playing in the background is a much easier process than reading guitar song tabs.

For people who wish to know why guitar lesson ebooks are consistently gaining recognition, here is a list of some of their benefits:

1. Convenience

One of the best things about this kind of ebook is that you can instantly download them to your computer once they are paid for. This shows that you can instantly start learning the mechanics of playing the guitar.

2. Affordable

Guitar lesson ebooks are available on the Net at very affordable prices and even if some guitar books are cheaper, the additional money that you will spend when you go to the mall or store for books could cost you more.

3. Variety of features

The best thing about a guitar lesson ebook is that it does not just contain the lessons that the learner has to know but also has some added features making the learning process easier and more fun.

For instance, there are ebooks that provide lyrics, chords, transitions, strumming patterns, and songs.

Indeed, guitar lesson ebooks are not just merely new technology but they are especially made to meet the growing demands of the consumers.

Playing the Chords in a Guitar

The final stage in learning to play the guitar is learning to play the chords. This is the most satisfying part of learning the guitar because the beginner will already be playing music with the instrument. Playing a chord simply means striking simultaneously at least two or three strings on the guitar.

In order to play the chords, the beginner should first start with the three most common chords. They are the G major chord, C major chord and the D major chord. These are the easiest chords and they should be the ones practiced first.

When playing the G major chord, the guitar player should place the second finger on the sixth string of the third fret. Then he can place the first finger on the fifth string of the second fret. The third finger is then placed on the third fret of the first string. It is important to remember that the fingers should be curled and should not be touching any other strings that they are not supposed to touch. He can then strike all the six strings in one continuous strum. They should make the sound at the same time and not one at a time.

In playing the C major key, all he can do is place the third finger on the third fret of the fifth string. Then, the second finger may be placed on the second fret of the fourth string. He can finally place the first finger on the first fret of the second string. It is important to be careful and not hit the sixth string. Only the bottom five strings should be strummed when playing the C major key.

The D major key may be difficult for some beginners because all three fingers crowd into a very small area. After the technique id learned this should not be a problem to everyone. The beginner can put the first finger on the third string of the fourth fret. Then he can place the third finger on the second string of the third fret. Finally, he can put the second finger on the first string of the second fret. He can then strum the four bottom strings to play the D major key.

It is important to be familiar with these three basic chords before starting to learn the more complicated ones, as these are the chords that are commonly used to play many songs. He can start learning by choosing songs that only have these three chords for his practice and remember, it is by practicing that a person will be able to master playing chords with the guitar.

Tips on How to Take Good Care of the Guitar

Many guitar players only know how to play their instrument but there are times that they forget to clean and maintain their guitar’s appearance. It is essential to take good care of the guitar’s main parts; where the main components for creating tunes and sound are located. The frets and strings need to be maintained regularly to keep them from loosing their tune and form. Here are some tips on how to take good care of the guitar.

1. Polish and clean the fingerboard of the guitar at least every six months. A person may use a soft cloth and apply lemon oil on the bridge and the fingerboard of the guitar. This will keep them from drying out when they are not in use. Always handle the guitar with care when cleaning it.

2. It is important to adjust the truss rod when he changes the string gauge of the guitar. The strings tension may vary if there is a constant change of the climate. The tension tends to tighten if the weather is cold and if the climate is humid, the strings tend to loosen.

3. He may adjust the saddle by using a little piece of cardboard that will raise the strings vertically or he may remove the shims to lower its height.

4. When the guitar is transported, it is important that the strings be loosened. It is essential to pack the peg-head portion of the case with towel or a piece of clothing to protect the body of the guitar.

5. The frets should be polished or he may use a fret dressing that will remove any cloth or lint (from packing materials) remaining on the frets; this may vary with the type of cloth the owner uses to pack his guitar.

6. He needs to make sure to snug the tuners twice a year. Tuners tend to loosen automatically because they are made of wood or metal that creates contraction at different rates. He must be careful not to over tighten the knot to avoid any cracking on the peg-head.

7. He must remember not to carry the guitar with the luggage. There are airlines that allow a person to carry a guitar along with him on the plane. He should not forget to call before going to the airport to confirm that they will allow him to “carry on” his guitar.

Taking good care of the instrument is essential to maintain its features. A person must always realize that he should not only know how to play the instrument but should also know how to take good care of his guitar as well.

Guitar Playing Jargons to Master: Are They Really Worth Your Time?

Since the inception of communication, man was able to communicate with others by using symbols and actions. As man continued to develop, his knowledge continued to grow at an exceptional rate, and his communication development improved as sounds and simple words evolved.

As time passed society gradually developed small communities where people of the same class or group could relate to each other. Today communication has been transposed to a newer dimension: people are creating new words to fit their group. This is probably the why many musicians have created, and use musical jargon. Guitar playing jargon evolved so that guitar players could communicate within the context of their music.

This jargon in particular has created an exclusive social milieu where the people who know how to play the guitar are the only ones who can understand it.

While many people are against it, the jargon used by the guitar players has in some way, protected the people. It enables musicians and artists to protect their intellectual rights from people who wish to take advantage of what they can provide.

The only problem with musical jargons like those used by the guitarists is that it becomes an exclusive form of communication that only those who understand it.

People who are not familiar with this type of communication, but are interested in learning how to play the guitar find it really hard to understand or learn.

Some people contend that learning how to play the guitar as well as learning how to understand jargon would be a nice if learned in tandem. Knowing these things, you could not only learn to play the instrument but be able to take part in a social group where each could understand the other.

Guitar-playing jargons have the propensity to create an atmosphere of superiority and expertise, where people who understand the lingo can actually have an advantage over others.

It might be hard for a beginner to learn and master the jargon, but the benefit would be that they would able to communicate with others who play guitar when using their musical jargon.

Learn to Play the Guitar Online

There are many reasons why a person might like to learn to play the guitar online. There are many sites in the internet that help a person expand their knowledge about this great instrument. It has been proven that the traditional methods, which include using books and magazines, are not effective for a person who wants to learn to play without spending time memorizing the chords and learning through visual tools.

Nowadays, many people visit sites of the internet that provide techniques to learn fast to play the guitar with a complete tools and guidelines. Here are some features about learning how to play the guitar online:

1. A beginner may forget about textbooks and magazines because online learning will provide a beginner the exact guitar lessons and have audio visual images that allow a person to see and hear the tones he will follow.

2. A person will be provided with high quality tablature. Online lessons will teach a person how to read TAB. This will allow a person to easily pick up the guitar TAB, and read it faster than learning from textbooks or magazines.

3. Online lessons about the same as hiring a personal guitar instructor. There are techniques and methods a person may develop in his continuing learning about the guitar.

4. It will provide a person unlimited access to the guitar lesson. A person may choose when he wants to access his lessons.

5. Online lessons will help a person develop his own technique of playing the guitar. He will be able to execute soloing styles and he may apply these when playing.

6. A person may save more money because of the free access that an online guitar lesson offers. Hiring a personal instructor may be expensive especially if he is a slow learner.

7. A person will learn the correct way to use finger style techniques and realize that he will have more knowledge of picking and strumming.

8. A person may learn how to write his own songs and be creative with the notes of his composition.

Online lessons are especially created for people who are interested in learning to play the guitar with little or no effort because all of the needed tools and information are there with just one click.

Full Size Acoustic Guitar with Free Carrying Bag and Accessories - Black

This is a 41" Full Size guitar for the beginner to intermediate user. The guitar features: - Solid Spruce Top, Mahogany Colored Back and Sides with white trim, Rosewood Fretboard and Bridge, Dot Inlay on Fretboard, Stainless Diecast Tuning Pegs, Traditional Headstock w/ Inlay, Fully Bound with Abalone Trim on Perimeter, Mahogany Neck with Truss RodIt includes the following accessories. A $25 value, absolutely free: Free Nylon Gig Bag and Free Strap. The Steel String Acoustic Guitar is perhaps the most versatile and common guitar type. The Steel String Acoustic Guitar has a loud, bright ringing tone that clearly projects to the listener. This type of guitar is the backbone of most country and bluegrass bands. It's perfect for backing a singer and its stylistic palette encompasses everything from New Age and Country Blues, to hot Bluegrass flatpicking, jazz fusion and "unplugged" rock. Sound, beauty and price were all blended together when this guitar was created. From the deep, warm tones of the Mahogany back and sides to the loud, bright projection of the Solid Spruce top you'll never want to play anything else after you've put your hands one one of these guitars.
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The Best Technique to Hold a Guitar

It is important for a person to learn how to handle the guitar properly while learning to play. As a beginner, he must understand that it is not advisable for him to learn to play while he is standing. He must make himself comfortable with his position so that he will be able to execute correctly while playing his guitar. He must learn that the first technique to learn is how to hold the guitar before attempting to play it. Here are some guidelines you need to know to hold the guitar properly:

1. Find an armless chair where you can sit comfortably and place your back against the back of the chair. Remember not to repeat any mannerism such as slouching.

2. When holding the guitar remember to have contact from the chest and stomach with the back part of the guitar. Make sure that a parallel position of the lower neck of the guitar to the floor is maintained.

3. He should place his face near to the first string of the guitar- which is the thickest one. With the other hand, the sixth string, which is the thinnest one, should be vertically aligned with the floor.

4. A right-handed person holding the guitar will point the headstock to the left (this is the normal position); while the left-handed player will let the headstock point to the left.

5. A person who is left-handed must find a guitar especially designed for left-handed people as most guitars are designed for right-handed guitar players.

6. If a person is seated on a chair, he must make sure that the entire body of the guitar rests on his laps; holding the face of the guitar with the right hand while the left hand supports the bottom neck part.

7. Now that the left hand is ready on the frets, he must concentrate on the positioning of the fingers on the frets before executing the chords. The thumb will rest at the back of the fretting hand supporting the fingers on the front.

Holding the guitar properly is an important factor. If he holds the guitar in the proper way when playing, he will have the confidence to execute well.

Learning to Strum the Guitar

Learning how to play the guitar takes time even if it does not guarantee that the person will become a rock star. One can still do it by practicing often then harnessing his skill.

There are two ways for z person to start strumming the guitar. The first is doing it with the fingers and the other is doing it with a pick.

Practice starts by finding a place where you won’t be disturbed. Positioning does matter a lot so it’s best to put the guitar over the right knee (for a right handed person and vise versa if left handed) in order to play well.

There are some rules that you must remember when strumming. Of the 5 fingers, only 4 are used. The thumb touches and from to time adjusts to the three brass strings. The index, middle and ring fingers will handle the three treble strings. The pinkie is not used since it is the shortest finger and is not conducive to playing the guitar.

The guitarist can start by putting the right hand over the body of the guitar. The thumb should then touch the lowest string which is the low E.

At the same time, the left hand should touch the easy G chord and the index finger can go to the third fret at the top which is known as the high E string.

The right thumb will then stroke the 4th string then adjustments of the fingers can be made to hear it at different sounds and intervals.

If the person feels uncomfortable letting the fingers do the work, then he should start by using a flat pick. Some people have said that this is the easiest way to learn since a guitar has steel strings. By holding the pick with the thumb and ring finger then practicing it at different intervals, in time you will get the feel of playing the guitar.

Strumming is the best way to learn how to play a guitar. This can be done by buying a song book and reading the chords or learning them from friends.

When you are ready to move from drills to a playing a song, it is suggested that you have the music playing in the background.

Strumming is not only for beginners as some of the most skilled guitarists do this to warm up before practice or a gig. Everyone has to start somewhere and it starts by knowing the basics.

A Brief History of the Guitar

The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments today. Most of the music that you hear on the radio uses guitars in many different ways: pop, rock, reggae, blues, ballads and everything else is influenced by the guitar.

The guitar, together with the drums and the piano compose the modern music scene equipment set. The playability of the guitar has made it one popular instrument. A guitar can be played by a learning child or an experienced guitar player. It’s not “picky” about its players.

Today, the electric type of guitar is most often used in musical production. The guitar has been enhanced with a very good accompaniment in the form of the effects box. Today, guitars can emulate the sounds of a piano, a violin, even the sounds of the human voice and is continuously widening its horizons.

With the functions and features of the modern electric guitar, one can’t help thinking about the beginnings of the instrument. Where did the guitar come from? This article tries to give a brief history of the wonderful musical instrument, which is the guitar.

The creation of the guitar cannot be traced to a single person. The guitar came about through the evolution of its predecessors. Its image has also undergone change throughout the centuries. Today, playing the guitar is a symbol of talent and musical prowess, but during the early times, the guitar was actually a symbol of being poor and it was refuted by most classical musicians.

Predecessors

There have been many guitar-like musical instruments in the ancient times, up to as many as 5,000 years ago. Instruments which look like the guitar were seen in statues which were recovered in archeological expeditions in the Iranian region of Susa. However, the very first documented mention of the instrument dates back to the fourteenth century. At that time the guitar-ancestor had three pairs of strings (usually referred to as double courses) and a single string with the highest tone.

Some say that the word “guitar” came from the word “qitara”. Qitara is an Arabic name for the different kinds of lutes during the early times.

Evolution

The guitar, as we know it, is said to originate in Spain. It is believed that the people of Malaga invented the instrument. The guitar evolved from having three pairs of strings to four pairs of strings and eventually six single strings.

The guitar began to become popular in the 16th century. It was played by the lower and middle classes as a counterpart for the vihuela which was played by the aristocrats. The vihuela was tuned like a lute but had a body similar to that of the guitar.

The guitar made a serious evolution during the 18th century: the double strings where replaced by single strings and a sixth string was added. In the 1800s, Antonio Torres de Jurado gave birth to the classical guitar. Basically, he increased the size of the body of the guitar. The guitar still struggled because it was considered as an instrument for the taverns - an instrument which could not be used for classical music. In Spain, where people hated the piano, the guitar found refuge. However, it was also tainted by the views that guitars were for gypsies and for no-good bums who asked for loose change in bars.

Electric guitar

The modern electric guitar was invented in 1931. The electric guitar uses electronic “pick-ups” to enable it to produce sound. The pick-ups convert the vibrations from the strings into electric signals. The body of the electric guitar is semi-solid or solid, depending on the design. The structure of the guitar took a great leap when the electric guitar was born, no longer did its sound depend on the structure and construction of the body, but on the quality of the pick-ups and soundboard.

The sounds of the electric guitar can also be altered to be able to achieve a desired tone. The use of the guitar effects box has given the guitar a wide array of sounds. I is continuing to garner popularity in all fields of music, even in classical music.

The guitar is a very dynamic musical instrument. Through evolution, the guitar has made its mark on the modern music scene. From crude instruments with many variations, the guitar has become a real and much-sought after instrument.

Tips in Choosing the Best Songs to Play the Guitar with

Learning how to play the guitar is not only based on learning how to strum the chords it also includes learning to play the songs. If the player is a beginner, it may be a little difficult for him to play songs with the guitar.

Here are some tips for beginners in choosing which songs to play the guitar with:

1. The best time to choose songs and play a song with a guitar is after the beginner has mastered the basic skills of guitar playing. He should already know how to hold a guitar, strum and tune the guitar.

2. The beginner should already be familiar with the chords before he chooses a song that he can play. He should know the basic chords as well as the more complicated ones before choosing a song.

3. He needs to practice shifting chords before he can play a song. He should practice by continuously moving the fingers to learn the different chords. This will make the fingers more flexible when changing chords.

4. When choosing a song, he can first choose songs that use only the basic chords; start with songs that use only 2 or 3 chords for the rest of the song.

5. The songs that he chooses should not also be too up-tempo so that he can easily follow along with the chords and the speed of the song. A beginner may have a difficult time following the chords and shifting his fingers if the song is too fast - start with the slower mellow ones.

6. The beginner may check out the songs like “As Tears Go By” by the Rolling Stones, “Day Tripper” by the Beatles, “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees and “Paint it Black” by the Rolling Stones. He will find these songs easy to play with the guitar since they have simple chords and they are not too fast for beginners.

It is important to remember that beginners need not rush and jump into playing songs immediately. They should be patient and learn the most perfect time to play a song with a guitar. Playing the chords of another song with the guitar is the greatest achievement of beginners and why it is important to be ready to choose easy songs first to avoid frustrations and pressure.

The Easy Way to Play the Guitar

Many people are interested in knowing how they can learn to play the guitar. First you must be dedicated to learning about the instrument before learning how to play it. Many times a person tends to be interested only during the first few days of lessons because the guitar can be harder to learn and play than perceived

A person must have time to spend for his guitar lessons and realize that by practicing and learning the basic techniques slowly so he will know the process needed to play it and be good at it. Here are some tips for beginners on how to play the guitar:

1. A person must learn how to hold the guitar properly and correctly. A person is recognized as a guitar player based on how he holds the guitar. He must remember that when sitting the position must always be comfortable with his position and to sit leaning forward.

2. If the person is sitting on a chair, he must rest the body of the guitar on one of his legs where it is comfortable and easier to play. If the person is right-handed, it means that his right leg will be the one supporting the guitar, while those left-handed persons will rest the body on their left legs.

3. A person should focus in his fretting hand so he must place his hand where he has the nearest reach to the neck of the guitar especially when he is sitting. Remember to place the thumb of the fretting hand at the back of the neck of the guitar. The fingers should be in a curled position where they are placed above the strings of the guitar.

4. He should do different kinds of picking exercises to improve his picking ability. Do not worry about how fast you play as a beginner, what is important is to play smoothly and slowly and execute the correct notes with clarity and precision.

Playing the guitar can provide much fun for a person. Guitar playing can be easy as long as interest and dedication are maintained. A person can play the guitar easily and in many ways but is important that he is comfortable and enjoys what he is doing.

Learn to Play the Guitar

Many people are willing to learn to play the guitar. The music it brings to its listeners should be enough reason for a person to be interested in this great instrument. However, the problem is how he will start his lessons. There are many options available for a person who wants to learn to play the guitar. The important thing is that he must be willing and focused to learn the basics. Here are some tips for beginners who may be interested in learning:

1. As a beginner, a person must show interest in learning to play the guitar. He can enroll in tutorials or hire a personal instructor. It will cost him more but the quality of learning could give him satisfaction.

2. He needs to make sure that the instructor he hires has a full knowledge of what he is teaching. He must consider this fact because instructors pass on their influence and style to their students.

3. If a person depends on books and magazines, he must practice the important basics of alternate picking and strumming and be aware of how he holds the pick and executes his strumming.

4. He must memorize the position of the chord to the fret of the guitar. After he has mastered the basics, then it is time for him to execute them being able to follow the fingering tips and techniques.

5. It is important to have a repeated routine to practice the basics he has learned. Continuous practice is better to master his lessons. Make it a habit to create a new scale pattern for finger execution on a one-finger per fret positioning.

6. He may also access the Internet and check out sites that provide lessons on learning to play the guitar. Online lessons provide high quality images and sound files that can help a person learn the techniques and execution.

7. Learning online gives a person the capability of knowing more about guitar essentials and developing solid soloing techniques. He may also learn how to incorporate his knowledge so that after mastering the basics it is time for him to improvise with new chords.

Learn how to play the guitar. It is really fun and enjoyable if a person has the skills and knowledge to play the instrument and a great achievement.

How to Strum Like Your Guitar Heroes

There are few more enjoyable activities for a person than to interpret and create music by playing an instrument. And by far, the most popular instrument that people want to start to learn is the guitar. The guitar can be heard in practically any popular and rock music recordings, and nearly all people are aware of. It is an instrument that can be carried anywhere, and can be played for many kinds of music and songs. Whether you play the guitar with a band, a small instrumental group, or accompany yourself while singing, the instrument always delivers musical enjoyment.

After learning the rudimentary chords on the fretboard, the aspiring guitarist always starts to learn strumming so that he can carry a tune or song. Strumming is one of the most difficult parts of guitar playing for the beginner. Many people still believe that the key to playing depends on learning to keep the strumming hand comfortable, flexible and moving fluidly. However, how the fretboard hand is used is just as important in strumming.

Included in this article is a very short lesson to illustrate and study different 1-bar strumming patterns that can be adapted and applied to songs that the beginning guitarist would like to play.

When playing the guitar in the example, or in any tune, it is very important to remember the following things:

-Do not tighten the muscles of your strumming hand, keep them very loose;

-When strumming, always use an up and down motion, (as one would when shaking hands), from the wrist up and down to loosen it up;

-When playing sheet or tablature music, and you encounter a muted chord (shown as notes or tabs with an "x" crossed over them), take the pressure off the strings that you are pressing, and strum the chord. You should hear just a deep scratch of the strings, with no notes ringing;

-If the chord includes open strings, you might have to block them out by very lightly pressing on them with your non-fretting fingers. You can also just take the side of your fretting hand and lay it lightly across all 6 strings, and strum the guitar.

-The muted chord is one of the most important aspects of strumming. In addition to stressing the rhythm of the song, the muted chord when strummed can aid a guitar player simulate a percussion instrument together with the regular guitar strumming.

First, let’s pick three simple chords that you can interchange to practice strumming. These three chords have a structural relationship to each other and are usually found used together in one song. Simple songs, such as pop or folk songs, are examples of songs that use these major chords frequently. The E major chord can be played with the open 1st, 2nd and 6th strings. The 1st fret of the 3rd string and 2nd frets of the 4th and 5th strings are pressed to complete the chord. The A major chord is played with the 1st, 5th and 6th strings open. The 2nd frets of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings are pressed to complete the chord. The D major chord is played by the 1st 4 strings, and the 4th string open. The 2nd fret of the 1st string, 3rd fret of the 2nd string and 2nd fret of the 3rd string are pressed to play the chord.

Prepare by trying to get familiar with fretting just one particular chord (for instance, the A major chord). Practicing getting both strumming and resting hands in place for muted chords and then comfortably switching them back into the next position to play a chord. By practicing a few times, you can do this faster with the fretboard hand. Soon you can alternate muted chords while continuously moving the strumming hand up and down at the same time. This will make your guitar strumming sound a lot better.

In the short sample below, the timing is in 4/4 measure, meaning there are 4 beats to a bar. Down arrows mean a down strumming stroke, up means and upstroke and an “x” denotes a muted chord. Start slowly and complete the bars, then work up to a faster tempo when you are comfortable. Try to change the patterns and chords to develop your own practice sequence. Afterwards, apply this to chords and bars of a song you know, and you are on your way to playing songs on the guitar. The pattern is: ? ? X ? ? ? X ?

Types of Guitars: An Introduction

The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments today. There are different kinds of guitars that are available out for different guitar players. Guitars are different in terms of playability, overall appearance and sound quality.

Here are some of the types of guitars that guitar players or aspiring guitar players can choose from:

Acoustic

If you want go get into the guitar world, you can start learning with an acoustic guitar.

Acoustic guitars are dependent on their structures and body shapes for resonating sounds. Unlike the more modern electric guitars, they don’t rely on other external devices to enhance sounds. The natural vibrations of the strings are resonated by the body of the guitar.

Acoustic guitars are generally made out of wood. The neck is usually made from mahogany and the fret board is made of maple or rosewood. There are many kinds of acoustic guitars, here are some of them:

1) Classical

Classical guitars are very popular and are usually the choice guitar for beginners. The strings are usually made from nylon. They are usually played in a standard sitting position and used in playing classical music. Classical guitars produce whole sounds which are very pleasing to the ear.

Flamenco guitars are similar to classical guitars, however, they produce crisper and thinner sounds than the other classical guitars.

2) Steel-top

Steel-top guitars are much similar than the classical guitar but are constructed to be more resilient. The parts of the steel-top guitar are reinforced and their bodies are significantly larger than the classical guitars. They also produce a warmer tone than the classical guitar.

3) 12-String guitar

A normal guitar usually has 6 strings, but the 12-string guitar, as its name implies, has 12 strings. Each string is accompanied by another string with the same note but is usually tuned in a higher octave. This guitar produces a semi-chorus effect which is very pleasant to the ear.

4) Resonator

This type of guitar is similar to the steel-top guitar, but the steel in the middle of the soundboard is used to amplify the sound from the vibration of the guitar strings to produce a very thin and distinct sound. These guitars are generally used when playing the blues. There are also variations of the resonator guitar: the square-neck resonator guitar is played on the lap like a piano or organ; and the round neck resonator guitar is played like a common guitar. Resonator guitars work very well with glass or metal slides.

5) Archtop

The archtop guitar was inspired by other instruments such as the violin and the cello. An archtop guitar usually has the f-hole design. Jazz players prefer archtop guitars. Some archtop guitars can command a price of about $25,000.

6) Acoustic Bass

Acoustic bass guitars are bass guitars without electronic pick-ups. The body of the guitar is used to produce the sound. They are usually 4-stringed guitars but there are acoustic bass guitars which have 5 or 6 strings.

Electric

Electric guitars make use of electronic pick-ups to amplify the vibrations of the guitar strings. They are usually connected to electric amplifiers. Electric guitars have a solid or semi-solid body type and they don’t use the body for sound resonance so usually make very little or no sound when played without an amplifier. The concept used by electric guitars is that the energy of the strings is diverted into electrical impulses and not directly into sound so that they are able to achieve an amplified sound.

Electric guitars usually have control knobs for changing the volume or the tone of the guitar. There are also pick-up selectors in electric guitars and many electric guitars use multiple pick-ups to achieve the best guitar sounds. These pick-ups gather and produce different tones from the guitar. The tone knobs are used to shift from a bass-intensive sound to a treble-intensive sound or vice versa.

Some electric guitars also have whammy bars. These bars are attached to the guitar to shift notes without changing the finger positions on the fret board. Whammy bars are used to produce “crying” guitar sounds and are a very useful tool when performing rock and roll songs or even ballads. The use of the whammy bar in less expensive guitars is not advised because it may cause the strings to go out of tune.

These are some of the basic types of guitars that are available for everyone. Guitars are made to fit the preferences of the player in terms of playability and sound. Choose the guitar that best fits your preference.