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Acoustic or Electric Guitar - Which Is Best For The Beginner October 2, 2006

Posted by Chee Shan in : Beginners , 1 comment so far Tag:, , , , , , ,

Having played the guitar for a number of years, I am often asked this question by eager learners - “Should I start learning with the acoustic or electric guitar?” In this article, I’ll talk a bit about both so you can come to an informed decision.

First of all, let me get something straight. The actual notes and fretboards work the same for both, so if you start with either one, its always interchangeable, although the playing techniques might differ.

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Music - Expression of Emotions! September 12, 2006

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Music - Expression of Emotions!
By Sean Carter

We smile, we love, we cry. We, the human beings experience a wide spectrum of emotions in our life. Some of them are expressed while others die in our own mind. But from time immemorial, our emotions have been voiced through music. Music, which is composed of seven distinct tunes, is actually an expression of human emotions.

Music is characterized by certain qualities like, pitch, melody, rhythm, and frequency. And each type of music is again characteristic by certain degrees of these above mentioned qualities. A rhythmic music characterizes joy while a melody expresses romance. Again, a melody also expresses sorrows. For instance, Latin music is mostly featured by rhythm and certain genre of tune. Latin music is an expression of Bohemian lifestyle which very much complements Latin culture. Variation in melodies and rhythm leads to expression of varieties of emotions. If we look back to Western Classical, It connects us to something universal about human emotions. It makes us reach a transcendental stage of mind. However some composers opine that emotions conveyed through music is something quite abstract and varies according to the different perception of different individuals. One of the notable composers of Western Classical music was, Ludwig Van Beethoven, who gifted the world with musical masterpieces despite of being paralyzed with deafness at very young age (twenty eight). He can be regarded as the profounder of Romantic era of Western classical. Eastern Classical or specifically Indian Classical music has a number of sections and categories. However the two major sections are Hindustani Music from North India and the Carnatic Music from South India.

Each of the songs are known as “Ragas”. The melodies contained in each of these “ragas” reflects various moods according to different times during the day. The Indian Classical music is mainly monophonic, that is, it is based on a single line of melody and has to be sung at a specific rhythm. Any deviation from the above rule is considered as a mistake. Even Folk music conveys something about the culture and lifestyle of a particular region. To be more specific, it generally narrates some popular folk tales of that region. When lyrics are put in a tune, it becomes a song. However, music can also be purely instrumental where one derives pleasure from the tune only. Beautiful notes of pianos, violin, guitars, expresses emotions without any words. Music can express most of human emotions. It expresses joy, ecstasy, romance, and also sorrows, pathos, and agony. In the words of P.B Shelly “Our sweetest songs are those which tells us our saddest thoughts”. Surprisingly, a simple song which is sung from the heart gives us more pleasure than a complex one which is often influenced by human artifacts. Maybe this is a reason why pop songs and rocks are also quite popular today. It is also quite true that likings for particular kind of music largely depends upon the temperaments of individuals. This is the reason why some prefer soft melodies while some like hard rocks. It can be reasonably argued that music is not only an expression of emotions, it is emotion itself. Music without an emotional message is like vacuum. It is like a flower without essence.

The impression of music in human mind is beautifully depicted by William Wordsworth in his poetry “The Solitary Reaper”. The poet is mesmerized by the touching song sung by a lass while the latter was reaping in a field. Though the language of the song was completely unknown to him, he was deeply moved by the emotions conveyed through the notes of her song. The music had left an indelible impression in his mind and in the later years of his life, he sadly reminisces “The music in my heart I bore, long after it was heard no more”. There are lots of sites on the net from where you can send Music Ecards to your friends, colleagues and loved ones like 123greetings.com

Sean Carter writes on holidays, music emotions, Music. He also writes on family, relationships, women’s issues birthdays, inspiration, religion, love and friendship. He is a writer with special interest in ecard industry. He writes for 123greetings.com

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Guitar Lesson: Learn To Play Classical Guitar Without Nails September 9, 2006

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Guitar Lesson: Learn To Play Classical Guitar Without Nails
By Peter Edvinsson

Is it possible to play classical guitar without nails? I guess so as I often do it myself. Many guitarists today and in the past have also done the same. Let me tell you the advantages of no nails playing and give you some tips!

Sharon Isbin in her Classical Guitar Answer Book wrote…

“Classical guitarists can play without nails, but they should be aware that in doing so they are sacrificing certain possibilities of tone color and projection - all of which affect interpretation and musical presentation.”

I have played classical guitar and also improvisational jazz and blues guitar for many years and have been teaching others professionally. I have played with long nails, shorter nails and no nails at all.

I have seen guitar students struggling with their tone on the guitar. Guitarists with problem nails, guitarists not taking care of their nails and subsequently with a terrible tone and some guitarists with perfect nails and still not a good tone because of faltering technique.

I have also met guitarists that were playing without nails and I have seen electric guitarists finger playing without nails like Mark Knopfler and others.

As with nearly everything there are pros and cons with the different approaches. I like playing without nails for these reasons:

1. It’s a challenge to find the tone and get the most out of the guitar playing without nails. You have to play with more force to find the upper harmonics and you have to work even more with the guitar technique. No sloppiness is allowed!

2. I like the sweet sound of my fingers touching the strings. The sound created is mellow but the volume will still be satisfying if you play with force and with calousses developed by practising.

3. There is a special feeling involved in letting living flesh touch the strings on a guitar. You will come nearer the instrument somehow.

4. Of course you’ll have the advantage of not risking to have your nails broken as you don’t depend on them anymore.

5. You will be able to play piano with correct finger posture.

6. You can play electric guitar with your fingers without risking to destroy your nails.

I will now give you some of my own advice and experiences from playing without nails.

You might find some more information on the net as there are many other classical guitarists and lute players who want to play without nails. Here are my personal hints:

1. It will take a week or so to build callouses on your fingertips after having filed down your nails. This will improve your guitar playing and tone but until then you have to be careful not to play so intensely as to get blisters.

2. A way to build callouses is to play finger picking on electric guitar or steel string guitar. I have experienced that my blues guitar playing is much more musical and more dynamic as I play with my fingers instead of with a pick on my electric guitar. Sometimes I use to alternate between my thumb and index finger when playing scales and licks and other times my index finger and middle finger or in another classical guitar playing way.

3. You will get a softer and in many ways a more beautiful tone if you cultivate your playing without nails. However you might miss some of the higher frequencies. To compensate for this you can see to it that you always play with fresh new strings and if you are a rich man you might purchase a classical guitar with more treble and less bass.

4. When you use your nail sharpener (you should instead of just clipping the nails off!) to keep your nails short you might as well give your fingertips some grooming with the nail sharpener. This will improve your tone and stimulate your finger tips to become harder.

5. As you practice exercises on your guitar you need to play slowly and with a little more force to get a good tone. It is important that you don’t build tensions as you play. All musicians benefit from learning relaxation techniques and stretching to prevent injuries.

6. Practice especially playing apoyando (support strokes) with all your fingers and listen to the tone and try to improve it as part of your playing.

If you feel that playing completely without nails is to hard for you, you might after this test period let them grow but you can keep them a lot shorter as your technique has improved. They will then work as the claws of a cat. Mostly not used but still affecting your tone and supporting your playing. As with long nails you will have to polish them and take care of them.

There are many more things to say about playing guitar without nails but personally this technique gives me a tone I like and an exciting and rewarding challenge.

Peter Edvinsson is a musician, composer and music teacher. Visit his site Capotasto Music and download your free printable sheet music and guitar tablature at http://www.capotastomusic.com.

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Why Is Music So Bad Today? September 7, 2006

Posted by Chee Shan in : General, Beginners , 2 comments Tag:, ,

Why Is Music So Bad Today?
By Jason OConnor

“Everything that can be invented has been invented.” ~ Charles H. Duell, Commissioner of the US Patent Office in 1899.

“Children nowadays are tyrants. They contradict their parents, gobble their food and tyrannize their teachers.” ~ Socrates

Why is popular music so bad today? I mean, I’m not that old, but jeez, the music of today, with only a few rare exceptions, kinda stinks. Some would say that when New Year’s Eve 1979 ended, we were ushered into an era of lame music that we still haven’t escaped from today.

I grew up in the 80’s and remember listening to the Beatles, John Lennon, Simon & Garfunkel, Roger Waters and Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, and David Bowie, to name a few, with my brothers or my dad. I remember seeing album covers strewn about my brother’s bedroom. Albums, not CD’s. (If you’re a really young reader, albums are like CD’s in that they’re flat and round, but black, and a lot bigger. The get scratched and don’t work just like CD’s though).

Some say that the 60’s were a turbulent time in the U.S. and the world and thus created a perfect environment and culture for innovative and creative music. But let’s face it. These days are pretty turbulent as well. So where’s the Crosby, Still, Nash and Young of today to sing about our involvement in Iraq? Or where is the Paul Simon of today to protest the government’s stance on stem cell research? All we’ve gotten recently is the new Paris Hilton CD. Paris Hilton? Isn’t she just famous for being famous? And her new CD actually got some good reviews.

Before anyone accuses me of painting a broad brush stroke condemning all music after the 70’s, let me say that in more recent times there has been a small amount of good stuff like Phish or Midnite, and even politically-minded music such as U2, but no where near the creative amount of earlier times.

I remember when the Dixi Chicks came out against President Bush and the Iraq war. While not a bad band, they’re hardly going to achieve iconic status. And they paid dearly at the hands of big business for their outspoken views. That’s a far cry from the politically-charged days of Woodstock where many artists were speaking out, and changing things.

If you think about it, there are only a select few artists or bands that can regularly sell out huge arenas today. These are the icons. And the vast majority of those artists are bands from before the 80’s! Between last summer and this summer, here are some of the really big concert ticket sellers: The Rolling Stones, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton and The Eagles.

I recently read an article that suggested that music and tour promoters, large venue owners and ticket companies are all worried about concert sales taking a plunge after the legendary artists stop touring. They realize it’s going to be hard to sell out big arenas after the dinosaurs become extinct. Who are the artists of today who will reach that status tomorrow?

In a recent interview with Joe Walsh on Sirius Radio Joe said there is not nearly as much improvisational rock anymore. And I agree. When asked what bands he thought were decent these days, he couldn’t think of any for a while, and then finally said he thought the Goo Goo Dolls were good. Hmmm.

Maybe I’m some kind of curmudgeon, but Top 40 today is just not as good as it used to be. Is Kevin Federline really talented? I just found out recently that his nickname is K-Fed. How about fed up? I think K-Fed, J-Lo, X-tina (Christina Aguilera, no joke) and A-Rod all need to get together ASAP and rethink their feeble nicknames, just an FYI.

Here are the top 5 songs right now in the Summer of 2006:

- Fergie - London Bridge

- Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

- Nelly Furtado Featuring Timbaland - Promiscuous

- The Pussycat Dolls Featuring Snoop Dogg - Buttons

- Panic! At The Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies

And here were the top 5 albums of 2005:

- Mariah Carey - The Emancipation of Mimi

- 50 Cent - The Massacre

- Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

- Green Day - American Idiot

- The Black Eyed Peas - Monkey Business

Here are the top 5 albums of 1976:

- Peter Frampton - Frampton Comes Alive

- Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac

- Wings - Wings At The Speed Of Sound

- Eagles - Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975

- Chicago - Chicago IX Greatest Hits

And here are the top 5 albums of 1966

- Original Soundtrack The Sound Of Music

- The Beatles - Revolver

- The Beatles - Rubber Soul

- The Rolling Stones - Aftermath

- The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

Is it just me, or is there a glaring difference between the two 21st Century lists and the second two 20th Century lists? To be fair, I actually own Monkey Business and I like it. Also, Green Day is decent. Admittedly, Wings isn’t the best Paul McCartney music around, but it is Sir Paul after all, and Chicago and The Beach Boys are a little weak. But overall, the lists just don’t compare.

The music industry itself has changed so drastically that I think that is one of the main reasons there is such a chasm between today’s music and the creations of yesteryear. Like sports and medicine, music in another industry that has been a casualty of big business and American capitalism.

No longer does the actual music quality drive the industry. Instead, the people with the money and power at the record companies notice some bad music selling well to young people for example, and therefore decide that from then on they’re only going to find and promote that type of bad music since it made a few bucks. They’ve totally stopped listening to the music and instead only listen to the dollars.

No longer does the music they create determine the success of a band. Instead, entertainment conglomerates tell fans what to listen to, and that determines the success. They do this because they have such a strangle hold on the media. We only have the illusion of choice now. A vicious circle has begun where the whole industry is inexorably spinning down, unable to find purchase on the sides of some slimy corporate funnel, circling downward uncontrollably into the abyss of painfully bad music.

Some bands occasionally slip through the vortex relatively intact, sidestepping the almost institutionalized process of “making it” set in place by music executives. Phish is a great example of this. They became hugely successful in spite of the music industry. Because they were so good and so tenacious in touring and jamming, they attracted a large fan base. The sheer numbers of eventual fans Phish had gave them a power that most artists today can’t have. Most other artists have to do what the people with the purse strings tell them to do. And that often makes for bad music. Unfortunately, Phish isn’t even together any more. But they’re a rare exception in that they came after the 70’s and were highly creative and improvisational.

Another thing that contributes to the poor music of today is technology. These days, Hollywood actors who can’t sing can have singing careers. The engineers touch up their voices, and use every digital sound technique there is to make an average product sellable, just like the magazines airbrush the models and actresses, trimming years off to complete the illusion. There are many ways in which the music engineers can do this in the studio and even for artists on tour.

Ashlee Simpson is a good example of this. First, we saw her on Saturday Night Live getting caught lip-sinking. Then I heard a recent interview where Joe Walsh’s daughter, Lucy Walsh, admitted that as Ashlee’s keyboard player, she always doubled Ashlee’s voice while on tour.

I know that in any era there’s going to be silly music acts like Ashlee Simpson, Kevin Federline and Paris Hilton. I realize that during Bob Dylan’s time there were lots of feeble yet famous music artists then too. My complaint is that it seems like in any other era there was at least enough really fantastic and original music being created to balance things out.

Let’s go backwards. We’ve looked at the popular music of the 21st Century a little in the lists above and I don’t see any really original music in there at all. Some may argue that the grunge era of the 90’s produced some great and original music. I argue that almost all of that music was so heavily influenced by the rock of the 60’s and 70’s that it really wasn’t that original at all.

The music of the 80’s matched the hair and clothes of the time, lame. The synthesizer was new then, but the music was reasonably bad, and certainly not timeless. But then we come to the 70’s and 60’s. Those are the decades that last held any hope for people like me who long for fresh, original, creative and improvisational music.

In 1899 the Commissioner of the US Patent Office wrote “Everything that can be invented has been invented.” Alright, maybe he was a little off. But in a way, everything that seems new is really just new combinations of existing things. Music is no different. I’m hoping that we return to the days when the combinations of beats, rhythms, harmonies and melodies become as creative as they were in the 60’s and 70’s.

But maybe things haven’t changed much since even Socrates’ times. He thought kids were tyrants, as if his generation was the last of a dying breed of angelic children. Maybe he just didn’t understand the kids of his era, and maybe I’m the same way.

Jason OConnor runs Rock and Pop Concert Tickets - A great place to buy tickets to cheap concerts across North America. http://www.bestshowticketslasvegas.com

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How to Learn Guitar September 5, 2006

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How to Learn Guitar: Brian’s Story of Success
By Shelby Wright

Are you thinking about learning how to play the guitar? Let me tell you what happened to Brian. He’s a really hot lead guitar player in a local rock band. They are really making an impact in the night scene around town, and there is serious talk of a big city tour and an album soon. The guys are going so well I’d say the chances are high some great things will happen for them over the next year. But it wasn’t always so positive for Brian. He did a degree. It was an Arts degree. Now an Arts degree is not generally a great choice from a career point of view. Worse, Brian’s grades were a close scrape through at best. From an employer’s point of view, maybe some A grades in an Arts degree would suggest there was something up top to offset the lack of directly relevant job training. But there was no such consolation prize for Brian. He could not find a job. The thing was, he had spent most of his three years at university following what was going on in the music world. His studies took second place, after listening to tracks and chatting or reading about music most of the day, and being out around the clubs most of the night.

Now you would think that Brian should pursue his passion for music, and make a career out of it. You are quite right, of course, and that’s what all his friends and family said too. But there was a catch. Brian knew quite a lot about the music scene, but he had nothing to contribute on the stage. He had never learned to play. Not even basic piano lessons at school. And he was certainly no singer. He couldn’t even read music, so teaching it was out of the question. There was a job going teaching English in Korea. It was a contract for a year. Somebody gave Brian an old guitar and some “how to learn to play the guitar” book to take with him, and he plucked away in his spare time while he was away. When he came back he knew enough to join in with some band mates in jamming sessions. He wasn’t very good, but the guys were happy to have him along because they liked hearing what he had to say about artists and their music. He is like a music encyclopaedia, you see. Sometimes from his knowledge he could suggest fresh ideas for new songs they were working on. But he simply was not a real guitar player. He had to face up to the harsh truth. He was no more than a likeable hanger-on around the bands. Nobody took him seriously. I’m not sure how it happened, but he then found a guitar-training course on the internet, and started to really focus on using it to learn how to play the guitar.

To be fair, he had made a start while in Korea, but had achieved little. It seemed like just a few weeks after he started with this new course that the results started to come. Somehow he was able to take all that music he had been listening to and play it himself, nearly as well as the real thing. It was as if a connection had been made and everything came together. The secret seemed to be the jamming tracks in the course, music he could play along with as well as following the main written and video lessons. The multimedia and interactive participation approach turned out to be far better for Brian than just learning from a book. Nearly as good as personal tuition, in fact. At last he was becoming a real musician, a real guitar player. Next thing he moved on from the jamming sessions with the band to a few filling-in gigs on the stage, then a permanent place in a band. It was the internet guitar-playing course that made the difference for Brian, and transformed his life. Now he really can live out his passion for music and make a living through playing his guitar. And the rest, as they say, is history. Or maybe we should wait a few years, and history could well have more to say about Brian.

Shelby Wright is in awe of the power of the information available on the internet to change people’s lives. You can read a review here of the multimedia guitar lessons referred to in the article above. Shelby also contributes private label rights articles to PLRWrittenArticles and writes an information products review blog.

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The Secrets of Correctly Stringing Your Guitar September 3, 2006

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The Secrets of Correctly Stringing Your Guitar
By Thomas Freeland

Why do you care about stringing your guitar you may ask. Well the reason is simple. It will make you sound better because if your guitar is properly strung, you will get longer natural sustain.

This is something that no fx pedal can reproduce, clean natural sustain. Of course after you have this sustain you can play with it all you want with your fx pedals.

Many guitarist make the same mistake when stringing a guitar, they don’t wind enough of the string onto the tuning peg or they wind too much.

Why is this seemingly simple thing so important? Because the greater the angle between the nut (the top part of the guitar) and the tuning peg, the better the sustaining qualities of the string. Simply put, it makes you sound better. And your strings will not go out of tune as fast. Of course you can always wind too much as well, and then the strings will tend to slip out of tune easier. You want to have just the right amount.

Here is how to string your guitar.

Step 1 - Take all the strings out of the package and lay them out from the thickest to the thinnest. When you go to buy strings, always try and get the same gauge, as changing the gauge could mean problems with intonation, and may require truss rod adjustments.

Step 2 - Turn the tuning peg until the hole is in line with the neck.

Step 3 - Starting with the thickest string - The low “e”, thread the string through the bridge (bottom part of the guitar). Each guitar has different ways to do this, but it is usually very easy to see where the strings go.

Step 4 - Next thread the string through the hole in the tuning peg until it is tight. Now back the string up about 3 inches so that it loosens.

Step 5 - Grab the loose part of the string with one hand and with the other start turning the tuning peg. As you turn the peg, hold the string tightly away from the guitar to insure that it wraps tightly, with no slack. This will stop the string from going out of tune as you’re playing. When the string is getting tight against the fretboard, You can let go and continue to slowly turn the peg a little bit more and then top.

Step 6 - Make sure as you turn the peg that the string is winding downward, and don’t let it flip over itself. Your goal is tog et about 2 1/2 to 3 full winds on each string.

Step 7 - Repeat the process with all other strings, but decrease the amount of slack a little bit each time.

All the best,

Tom Freeland
PlayGuitar.com

This is just one of the hundreds of guitar tips that you will get for free simply by becoming a member of PlayGuitar.com’s Guitar Tips. Go to http://www.playguitar.com/guitartips/ and fill out your info. You will be on your way to becoming a better player.

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How To Change Your Guitar Strings September 2, 2006

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How To Change Your Guitar Strings
By Kathy Unruh

Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litte uncomfortable if you have never done it before, but it’s really quite simple and should become a regular part of your guitar care routine. Before you do anything, first take time to make some personal observations such as:

1. Which way do you have to turn the tuning keys to tighten or loosen the strings?

2. How are the strings aligned from the nut to the bridge?

3. Which is the heaviest string?

Taking mental notes will probably save you some frustration and make the job much easier.

Below you will find some helpful steps to follow for changing your strings. Once you’ve changed your guitar strings a couple of times your confidence should begin to grow and you won’t need to refer to these steps any longer. I like to remove all of the guitar strings in order to give my guitar a thorough cleaning, but you can remove and replace them one at a time if you prefer.

Guitar Care and Maintenance Tools:

- Needle-nose Plyers (to cut string ends)
- String Winder
- Soft Cotton Cloth
- Guitar Cleaning Polish (do not use furniture polish, oils, or wax)

REMOVING THE STRINGS

Acoustic Steel String Guitar-

1. Using the string winder , begin slowly loosening the string(s) until completely slack.

2. With the needle-nose plyers, carefully grab the string from the capstan (the part it winds around) and pull through the hole until it is free.

3. Taking the string winder again, use the cut-out at the end of it to grab the pin at the bridge. Gently pull the pin until it comes out of the hole.

4. Continue this process until all the strings are removed.

5. Clean guitar surface thoroughly.

Classic Nylon String Guitar-

Follow steps one and two above. When you come to step three, take your needle-nose plyers and carefully loosen the figure eight knot at the bridge. Pull the string free.

Electric Guitar-

Follow the same procedure as described for an acoustic steel string guitar. However, if you have an electric guitar with a movable bridge you may want to take it to your local music store and have them show you how to do it safely. If the bridge is moved from it’s correct position you will not be able to tune your guitar after restringing it.

RE-STRINGING YOUR GUITAR

Acoustic Steel String Guitar-

1. Bend the ball end of the string slightly and place it inside the hole below the bridge. Some steel string guitars do not have pins. When this is the case, just pull the string throught the hole.

2. Line up the string with any grooves in the pin. Insert the pin into the hole, making sure it is secure.

3. Take the other end and insert into the hole on the capstan.

4. Pull the string through leaving a fair amount of slack between the capstan and the bridge.

5. Bend the string at the point it comes through the capstan to keep it secure.

6. Watching out for your eyes, begin turning the key with your left hand. Once you get it started it may be easier to use the string winder. (For safety reasons, you might want to cut off any excess string. I usually wait until after they’re all on to do this).

7. As you are winding, apply some tension to the string with your right hand to help keep it taught. Make sure you are winding in the right direction! On the bass strings you will be winding counter-clockwise (away from you). On the treble strings you will go the opposite direction.

8. Continue to wind each string until all the slack is taken up. Do not worry about tuning yet.

9. Cut off all excess string length.

Classic Nylon String Guitar-

1. Put the string through the top of the hole found just below the bridge.

2. Pull about 3 inches through.

3. Bringing the string up over the tie block, pass it underneath itself at the original point of entry.

4. Come down over the tie block again and wrap the end of the string around itself in a figure eight type pattern.

5. Insert the other end of the string down through the hole on the capstan.

6. Wrap the string around the back and then underneath itself in order to secure it in place.

7. As described above, begin turning the key with your left hand while maintaining some tension with the other until all the slack is taken up. With a classical guitar you will wind clockwise on the bass strings and the treble strings.

8. Keep the string as straight as possible as it continues from the capstan through the nut and down onto the neck.

9. You should not have any excess string length, but if you do, cut it off.

Electric Guitar-

Follow the same procedure as described for the acoustic steel string guitar.

I hope you found this information to be helpful. Remember, establishing a good guitar care routine will insure many long years of musical fun and enjoyment!

FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in your e-zine or on your web site as long as you include the following information:

Kathy Unruh is a singer/songwriter and webmaster of ABC Learn Guitar. She has been writing songs and providing guitar lessons to students of all ages for over 20 years. For free guitar lessons, plus tips and resources on songwriting, recording and creating a music career, please visit: http://www.abclearnguitar.com

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Basic Guitar Chords September 1, 2006

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Basic Guitar Chords: How to Easily Master the Guitar Chords You Must Know
By Peter Bussey

One of the first challenges faced by the advancing guitar player is learning a core group of basic guitar chords. Why is it so important to learn these basic chords? Chords form the backbone of most rock and pop songs, and provide the harmonic accompaniment to the melody and instrumental solos.

Rhythm guitar based on basic chords provides many of the most memorable rock riffs… think AC/DC’s “Back in Black” or The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. What’s really amazing is that by learning no more than 10 to 15 basic guitar chords, you will be equipped to play thousands of rock and pop songs!

First let’s establish the definition of a chord. A chord is three or more different musical notes played together. In the case of the guitar, this means that at least three strings are strummed or plucked simultaneously to sound three or more notes. Since the guitar has six strings, the maximum numbers of notes in a guitar chord is six. All chords can be placed in one of three groups based on the musical structure of the chord: Major, Minor, or Seventh. Each of these chord groups has its own “sound” or “feel”. Major chords sound stable and complete. Minor chords can evoke a more somber or pensive mood, and Seventh chords are jazzy and somewhat incomplete sounding.

There is no standard list of “basic guitar chords” that every one agrees to. However, there is general agreement that there is a list of somewhere between 8 and 18 basic guitar chords (open string) that every guitarist must know cold. These chords are used in all musical styles from rock and pop to country, jazz, and classical. No matter where you are on your guitar-playing path, you should take the time to learn and master the basic chords. Getting these right will ensure you have the basic tools and skills to learn many songs and increase your playing enjoyment.

So what are the basic guitar chords? Our basic stable includes the major and minor chords from four common musical keys, A,G,C, and D. They are played as “open chords”, that is at least one string in the chord is not fretted (pressed down with a finger). Open chords are easier to learn and play than more advanced chords such as Barre chords, or complex chords further up the guitar neck. Our list of basic major and minor chords is:

A Major (or A), A Minor (or Am), C, D, Dm, E, Em, F, G

These chords can be best learned as chord “families” (by key) that can be combined into great-sounding chord sequences that make up lots of popular songs. Using this chord family approach is much more interesting and useful than just memorizing a bunch of chords in random order!

These chords grouped by chord family (key) are as follows:

A Family (Key of A): A, D, E
D Family (Key of D): D, Em, G, A
G Family (Key of G): G, Am, C, D, Em
C Family (Key of C): C, Dm, Em, F, G

Tips for Learning the Basic Chords:

1. Pick a Chord Family and master it. This will give you quick success and let you play great sounding progressions right away.

2. Use a Guitar Chord Chart as a reference tool. A chord chart shows each chord as an easy to read “chord diagram” with exact finger positions. See this example of a chart of basic guitar chords.

3. Find the chords and lyrics for an easy song that is based on the chord family so you can apply your skills. Many great songs are based on only three chords!

4. Ensure each string sounds right. Take care to make sure that each string is sounding clearly, and that only the strings that should be played are played.

5. Practice, practice, practice! Every day, practice continually change from one chord to another until you can do it rapidly. Learn the chord families one at a time.

6. Master all the basic chords first. Only then move on to Barre chords and other more complex chords. First things first!

7. Expand with 7th chords. As a next step you can easily expand on your basic chord knowledge by adding 7th and minor 7th chords based on the nine basic major and minor chords.

8. Have fun using your new skills! Enjoy your musical ability by applying it to learning a small set of 5-10 songs you know really well and can confidently play at any time.

Copyright 2005 Peter Bussey of www.guitar-players-toolbox.com

This article can be reprinted freely online, as long as the entire article and the resource box are included.

Peter Bussey has been an avid guitar player for over 10 years. In 2004 he became Editor of The Guitar Players Toolbox, a website dedicated to helping advancing guitar players improve with practical tools, tips, and information. Visit http://www.guitar-players-toolbox.com for a variety of free, practical resources such as guitar chords, guitar chord charts, song chords, and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Bussey

The First Step and Most Important Thing in Learning Guitar August 31, 2006

Posted by Chee Shan in : Beginners , add a comment Tag:, , ,

The First Step and Most Important Thing in Learning Guitar
By Don Lee

Most of the guitar lovers playing guitar for few years but still unsatisfied with their progress. They feel like still stand at the starting point and can’t enjoy their playing. This mainly caused by most of them don’t build up a strong foundation at the begining. I found that some of the guitar learners even just playing guitar for one to two years but are more better than so many that playing for over five years. This is the foundation problems. Me myself was an example when I started playing guitar long time ago.

The secrets of learning guitar are mostly base on the foundation.To have a good foundation for future success,we need three important factors :-

1.Listening:

Ear training is a MUST basic training that every guitar learner should have. But most of them avoid this as quite a boring and time-consuming job. Without a good listening, we are unable to move to higher level. To overcome this problems, I suggest that guitar learners may choose one of the well known Ear Training software on internet. I found that there are few really good software that will improve your listening step by step and really FUN. You feel like playing game when you learn.

2.Daily practice: (Both fingers and ears)

Daily practice is another important thing we should do.(Ex.fingers exercises, practice for the basic scales) I suggest that beginners practice PENTATONIC SCALES at the starting point because this scales are the most simple scales that only have 5 tones. Try to practice 20 to 30 minutes daily. Remember that even just 20 minutes of RELAX and CONCERNTRATION DAILY practice is more effective than few hours of unconstant practice.

3.Look for a teacher:

You may find either private guitar teacher or guitar lessons on internet. For my opinions,learn guitar from internet maybe better because of the convinience of time and cheaper. There is just one question of learning from internet that what lessons to choose, what lessons are really work. Myself as a guitar lover have been playing guitar for 15 years.

I do the research on guitar lessons from internet over 5 years for myself and my groups. I’ve spent a lot of money for it. Recently I just built up my own little web page telling guitar lovers a few good guitar lessons that really work and would like to share with all of you.

If you are interested to learn guitar, please visit my website at www.geocities.com/bestguitarlessons/bestguitarlessons.html and look at it yourself.

Regards,

Don Lee

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Lee

Glue of Repetition August 29, 2006

Posted by Chee Shan in : Uncategorized, General, Beginners , add a comment Tag:, , ,

We all want to learn how to play the guitar, but we also need to learn how to practise the right way. Ideally, the most efficient way, so we save time and enjoy ourselves more!

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The Glue Of Repetition
By Jamie Andreas

One of the joys of knowing how to practice correctly is the feeling of confidence when you decide to learn a new song, piece, or exercise. When you first sit down to practice you have the same feeling that a craftsman has when he/she sits down to build a new project. There is no doubt about the final result; you know what you are doing. You have done it many times before.

You know how to plan your work, and you know how to work your plan. You know which steps to take, and you know how to take them. For whatever amount of time you have decided to sit down and work, you know you will accomplish something, and what’s more, you have the wonderful certainty that what you do accomplish will be there the next day, or whenever you pick up the work again.

The work is enjoyable and you look forward to it. And, like a chef who gets to eat the meal after creating it, or a carpenter who gets to sit in the room he has built, you get (earn) the pleasure of sitting (or standing) with your instrument and playing the music, and having it be something special and something enjoyable for you and anyone else who may be around.

How different this is then what most guitar students experience! How different this is from what many of you reading this actually go through in your attempts to learn to play. I know, because I was there, in the pit of despair, and because I have spent all my adult life pulling people out of that pit. And it’s pretty crowded down there!

Down there, it’s more like this: every day you pick up your guitar and get in the ring with that new piece, or song, or something your teacher gave you in the lesson. You try to put on your best attitude, and you grab that piece with both your guitar playing hands, and you wrestle! You give it all you got, it’s like wrestlemania, but that big bad dude won’t budge, he won’t go down. Or, you get him down, but he won’t stay down. You think you got him, but as soon as you turn your back, he’s up and he’s on your back! A lot of you will find yourselves losing your enthusiasm for getting back in the ring.

Before I knew how to do correct practice, I used to feel like a kid who was building a sand castle. Every day I’d go back to build it higher, but it had gotten washed away overnight. Or I felt like a person who kept putting money in the bank, and the bank kept going bankrupt and I lost everything I put in. When I learned how to practice, I felt like I was building something day by day, and nobody and nothing was messing with it overnight. The structure was there waiting for me the next day, and I could invest more time and effort into it, feeling secure that it would in fact be there the next day.

This was a really good thing for me, because I am not a person who deals well with frustration. I get mad real easy, so I’m sure that everyone else in my world is also a lot better off thanks to the fact that I learned how to practice.

Once you understand the mechanics of correct practice, including the mental, emotional and physical aspects of the process, the most powerful tool you can use when you sit down to practice is what I call the Glue Of Repetition, and this glue is applied with another tool, one that every student I have ever taught is required to get, and learn how to use properly: a metronome.

People who understand correct practice know that repetition by itself can just as easily harm you as help you. Because of muscle memory, you can practice mistakes over and over and learn them just as well as the notes you are supposed to be playing. But we will assume that you realize this already, and are well on your way to being able to practice correctly. So let me make some points that will bring you even closer.

Before you can apply the glue of repetition, there is something you must achieve first with the music you are playing. And achieving this often takes fully half of the entire time and energy needed to master the music. And that thing you must achieve is this: one correct playing of the notes being practiced.

I have often sat with someone working on one measure of music for twenty minutes while they made attempt after attempt to get just one correct run-through of a complex lick from a rock solo, or a passage from a classical piece. They made attempt after attempt, and also mistake after mistake! This is what happens for most people, even me. Depending on the complexity of the music, it can take quite an effort to nail the notes square on the head as they should be, as they must be. And realize that this means every note, every pick stroke, every finger, all of this correct, as well as the proper form and relaxation being maintained. If all of this is not exact, the results will be flawed. And when you try to build on those flawed results, you will get more flawed results.

During the process of achieving that one correct run through, every mistake must be pounced on. Our awareness, our attention must be so powerful that we are aware of everything we do and everything we don’t do, but should. And then we must fortify our Intention so that the next run through comes out differently, either getting us what we want, or bringing us closer to it until we get it, that one correct playing of the notes. After this magnificent achievement, it is time to apply the glue of repetition.

Usually, that first correct playing of the music will, and should be done, no tempo. Then, there should be many repetitions done also no tempo. This is the beginning of applying the glue of repetition. To make the glue set and become strong, we take out our metronomes.

The Basic Practice Approach, which we find at the end of “The Principles” (and ties everything together into an actual program of action when practicing), tells us to begin by stripping away the rhythm from the notes. This means making all notes into equal time values. This is done so that all the movements associated with making those notes can be done consciously, and examined and experienced consciously. Having to observe the actual time values of the music, where some moves must be faster to create shorter notes, is often the thing that prevents us from becoming as aware as we need to be of certain movements, especially the ones we are having trouble with.

In addition, the metronome, by being used so that four clicks at 60 represents one note (our starting point in going from no tempo to slow tempo when using the Basic Practice Approach) forces us to play much slower than most people ever would bother to do. Doing so leads to incredible discoveries by whoever does bother to.

From there, the glue of repetition is applied until it sets into the muscle memory, and we can ask our body and mind to perform the movements at a slightly higher speed. Again, the metronome allows us to do so by a much smaller increment of speed than we would otherwise use if left to ourselves. By putting the metronome on 80 and taking 4 clicks per note, the increased demand on our playing mechanism is very slight, and usually easily handled. From there, it is a matter of simply working it up, maintaining full awareness and “quality control” as we go along.

When we reach a speed that taxes us, that makes us feel like we are just about making it hang together, that is called our “working speed”. That is the speed to stay at for awhile, and apply the glue of repetition until the music is strong enough to bear the greater strain of a faster speed. It may take minutes, days, or months, depending on the demands of the music, and our level of development.

This “working speed” is our limit (our temporary limit). One very important thing to realize is that this limit, once achieved, must be worked up to everyday.

Another important (and pleasant) thing to realize is that the speed we work for hours or years to attain with a particular piece or technique after awhile becomes very easy for us. When it does, I call this my “falling out of bed” speed, the speed at which I can play something even if I have just fallen out of bed (yes, I sleep with my guitar). There are a number of things I worked for years to bring to a very high professional level, that I honestly didn’t know if I ever would reach, that I can now play immediately (or give me a few seconds at the most), after falling out of bed. For those of you who don’t sleep with your guitar, this means that you will be able to play it at that speed even before being warmed up.

When the music begins to be “in our fingers”, when muscle memory, and the other forms of memory discussed in On Memorizing, ear and eye memory, are strong, it is time to let the plane leave the ground. It is time to begin to use the metronome as most people do, and set it to the basic beat of the music, and observe the rhythm, although still at a very slow speed, one that requires our fastest movement to be equivalent to a speed we already reached when using the Basic Practice Approach. It is also time to begin playing from memory, and developing the fullest emotional relationship to the music (as we would if we had memorized our lines for a play, and were ready for a dress rehearsal to bring the character fully to life.)

Everything I have said is a description of what is commonly referred to as “woodshedding”, meaning going out to the woodshed for hours at a time to practice. However, what we are talking about is a very intelligent type of woodshedding, one where the woodshed is well stocked with a copy of “The Principles” and a metronome!
About the author
Guitar virtuoso, recording artist, composer, and teacher of 30 years, Jamie is recognized by music experts around the globe for her major contribution to the advancement of guitar education. With a straight forward writing style, her tried and true, result-oriented guitar book, “The Principles of Correct Practice For Guitar”, powerfully reveals the correct practice methods that no other book has revealed…taking the student from the beginning stages all the way to the highest levels of virtuosity. Learn more at www.guitarprinciples.com