Guitar Forum and Resources. Buying, Playing, Electric and Acoustic

Lady Gaga's new single, "Born This Way"

2011-02-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Lady Gaga's new single, "Born This Way" Just Released

The 53rd Grammy® Awards on February 13th will determine which of music's and iTunes 2010 top sellers will take home the Awards for their respective categories. Download the GRAMMY® Nominated albums and songs from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Eminem, Justin, Bieber, Cee Lo Green, Lady Antebellum, Arcade Fire, and on and on.

The Beatles' LOVE, the soundtrack to the Cirque du Soleil show and groundbreaking remix album is now available, with two iTunes exclusive songs and iTunes LP. Original Beatles Producer George Martin and his son Giles worked with the entire archive of Beatles' music to create this Grammy® Award Winning album.

iTunes brings you The Beatles

2010-11-16T18:58:00.000-08:00

Well it finally happened and Apple and Apple become friends. At last we can have all the Fab Four and everything they recorded available for legal download.
With a 14 album box set, 16 albums total, and the entire stream of Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964, iTunes brings you The Beatles.

Each album comes with iTunes LP, which features lyrics, photos, and more. The Beatles Box Set includes the band's entire catalog, plus mini-documentary features on each album, and the bands' first performance in the US.

At last you can get the Fab Four and their whole Box Set through iTunes.
The Beatles Box Set - The Beatles
Or start off small with the awesome Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles

The Beatles. The band that changed everything, now on iTunes!

The guitar

2010-06-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

The guitar is a musical instrument of the chordophone family, being a stringed instrument played by plucking, either with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number but sometimes more, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with either nylon or steel strings. Some modern guitars are made of polycarbonate materials. Guitars are made and repaired by luthiers. There are two primary families of guitars: acoustic and electric.

Acoustic guitars (and similar instruments) with hollow bodies, have been in use for over a thousand years. There are three main types of modern acoustic guitar: the classical guitar (nylon-string guitar), the steel-string acoustic guitar, and the archtop guitar. The tone of an acoustic guitar is produced by the vibration of the strings, which is amplified by the body of the guitar, which acts as a resonating chamber. The classical guitar is often played as a solo instrument using a comprehensive fingerpicking technique. Electric guitars, introduced in the 1930s, rely on an amplifier that can electronically manipulate tone. Early amplified guitars employed a hollow body, but a solid body was found more suitable. Electric guitars have had a continuing profound influence on popular culture. Guitars are recognized as a primary instrument in genres such as blues, bluegrass, country, flamenco, jazz, jota, mariachi, reggae, rock, soul, and many forms of pop.

Before the development of the electric guitar and the use of synthetic materials, a guitar was defined as being an instrument having "a long, fretted neck, flat wooden soundboard, ribs, and a flat back, most often with incurved sides". The term is used to refer to a number of related instruments that were developed and used across Europe beginning in the 12th century and, later, in the Americas. These instruments are descended from ones that existed in ancient central Asia and India. For this reason guitars are distantly related to modern instruments from these regions, including the tanbur, the setar, and the sitar. The oldest known iconographic representation of an instrument displaying the essential features of a guitar is a 3,300 year old stone carving of a Hittite bard.

The modern word " guitar ", and its antecedents, have been applied to a wide variety of cordophones since ancient times and as such is the cause of confusion. The English word "guitar" , the German "gitarre" , and the French "guitare" , were adopted from the Spanish guitarra , which comes from the Andalusian Arabic qitara itself derived from the Latin word cithara , which in turn came from the earlier Greek word kithara ( ), a descendant of Old Persian sihtar ( ) ( Tar means string in Persian).

Although the word guitar is descended from the Roman word cithara , the modern guitar itself is not generally believed to have descended from the roman instrument. It is often claimed the modern guitar has it roots in in the arrival of the four-string oud, introduced by the invading Moors into Iberia in the 8th century. Another frequently suggested influence is the six-string Scandinavian lut (lute), which gained in popularity in areas of Viking incursions across medieval Europe. Often depicted in carvings c. 800 AD, the Norse hero Gunther (also known as Gunnar), played a lute with his toes as he lay dying in a snake-pit, in the legend of Siegfried.

Two four string medieval "guitars" that were in use by 1200 were the immediate ancestors of the modern guitar: the guitarra moresca (Moorish guitar) and guitarra latina (Latin guitar). The guitarra moresca is an instrument that displays strong Moorish influences; it had a rounded back, wide fingerboard, and several soundholes. The guitarra latina had a single soundhole and a narrower neck. By the 14th century the qualifiers "moresca" and "latina" had largely been dropped and these two four course instruments were usually simply referred to as guitars.

The Spanish vihuela or (in Italian) " viola da mano ", a guitar-like instrument of the 15th and 16th centuries, is widely considered to have been a seminal influence in the development of the modern guitar. It had six courses (usually), lute-like tuning in fourths and a guitar-like body, although early representations reveal an instrument with a sharply-cut waist. It was also larger than the contemporary four course guitars. By the late 15th century some vihuelas were played with a bow, leading to the development of the viol. By the sixteenth century the vihuela's construction had more in common with the modern guitar, with its curved one-piece ribs, than with the viols, and more like a larger version of the contemporary four-course guitars. The vihuela enjoyed only a short period of popularity in Spain and Italy during an era dominated elsewhere in Europe by the lute; the last surviving published music for the instrument appeared in 1576. Meanwhile the five-course baroque guitar, which was documented in Spain from the middle of the 16th century, enjoyed popularity, especially in Spain, Italy and France from the late 16th century to the mid 18th century. Confusingly, in Portugal, the word vihuela referred to the guitar, whereas guitarra meant the "Portuguese guitar", a variety of cittern. Types of guitars

The guitar player (c. 1672), by Johannes Vermeer

Guitars can be divided into two broad categories, acoustic and electric: Acoustic guitars

There are several notable subcategories within the acoustic guitar group: classical and flamenco guitars; steel-string guitars, which include the flat-topped, or "folk," guitar; twelve-string guitars; and the arched-top guitar. The acoustic guitar group also includes unamplified guitars designed to play in different registers, such as the acoustic bass guitar, which has a similar tuning to that of the electric bass guitar. Renaissance and Baroque guitars

These are the gracile ancestors of the modern classical guitar. They are substantially smaller and more delicate than the classical guitar, and generate a much quieter sound. The strings are paired in courses as in a modern 12-string guitar, but they only have four or five courses of strings rather than six. They were more often used as rhythm instruments in ensembles than as solo instruments, and can often be seen in that role in early music performances. (Gaspar Sanz' Instrucción de Música sobre la Guitarra Española of 1674 constitutes the majority of the surviving solo corpus for the era.) Renaissance and Baroque guitars are easily distinguished because the Renaissance guitar is very plain and the Baroque guitar is very ornate, with ivory or wood inlays all over the neck and body, and a paper-cutout inverted "wedding cake" inside the hole. Classical guitars

Eminent South American guitarist, Agustin Barrios These are typically strung with nylon strings, plucked with the fingers, played in a seated position and are used to play a diversity of musical styles including classical music. The classical guitar's wide, flat neck allows the musician to play scales, arpeggios, and certain chord forms more easily and with less adjacent string interference than on other styles of guitar. Flamenco guitars are very similar in construction, but are associated with a more percussive tone. In Mexico, the popular mariachi band includes a range of guitars, from the tiny requinto to the guitarrón, a guitar larger than a cello, which is tuned in the bass register. In Colombia, the traditional quartet includes a range of instruments too, from the small bandola (sometimes known as the Deleuze-Guattari, for use when traveling or in confined rooms or spaces), to the slightly larger tiple, to the full sized classical guitar. The requinto also appears in other Latin-American countries as a complementary member of the guitar family, with its smaller size and scale, permitting more projection for the playing of single-lined melodies. Modern dimensions of the classical instrument were established by the Spaniard Antonio de Torres Jurado (1817-1892). Extended-range classical guitar

An Extended-range classical guitar is a classical guitar with more than 6 strings, usually up to 13. Flamenco guitars

The flamenco guitar is similar to the classical guitar, but of lighter construction, with a cypress body and spruce top. Tuning pegs like those of a violin are traditional, although many modern flamenco guitars have machine heads. A distinguishing feature of all flamenco guitars is the tapping plates ( golpeadores ) glued to the table, to protect them against the taps with the fingernails that are an essential feature of the flamenco style. Many modern soloists (following the lead of Paco de Lucía) play what is called a flamenca negra, a hybrid of the flamenco and classical guitar constructions Flat-top (steel-string) guitars

Similar to the classical guitar, however, within the varied sizes of the steel-stringed guitar the body size is usually significantly larger than a classical guitar, and has a narrower, reinforced neck and stronger structural design. The robust X-bracing typical of the steel-string was developed in the 1840s by German-American luthiers of whom C. F. Martin is the best known. Originally used on gut-strung instruments, the strength of the system allowed the guitar to withstand the additional tension of steel strings when this fortunate combination arose in the early 20th century. The steel strings produce a brighter tone, and according to many players, a louder sound. The acoustic guitar is used in many kinds of music including folk, country, bluegrass, pop, jazz, and blues. Many variations are possible from the roughly classical-sized OO and Parlour to the large Dreadnought and Jumbo. Ovation makes a modern variation, with a rounded back/side assembly molded from artificial materials. Archtop guitars

These are steel-string instruments in which the top (and often the back) of the instrument are carved from a solid billet in a curved rather than a flat shape; this violin-like construction is usually credited to the American Orville Gibson (1856-1918). Lloyd Loar of the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co introduced the violin-inspired f-hole design now usually associated with archtop guitars, after designing a style of mandolin of the same type. The typical archtop guitar has a large, deep, hollow body whose form is much like that of a mandolin or violin family instrument. Nowadays, most archtops are equipped with magnetic pickups and are therefore both acoustic and electric. F-hole archtop guitars were immediately adopted upon their release by both jazz and country musicians and have remained particularly popular in jazz music, usually with flatwound strings. Selmer-Maccaferri guitars

These are usually played by those who follow the style of Django Reinhardt. It is an unusual-looking instrument, distinguished by a fairly large body with squarish bouts, and either a "D"-shaped or longitudinal oval soundhole. The strings are gathered at the tail like an archtop guitar, but the top is formed from thin spruce (like a flat-top or classical) forced into a shallow dome. It also has a wide fingerboard and slotted head like a nylon-string guitar. The loud volume and penetrating tone make it suitable for single-note soloing and it is frequently employed as a lead instrument in gypsy swing. An 8-string baritone tricone resonator guitar. Resonator , resophonic or Dobro guitars

All three principal types of resonator guitars were invented by the Slovak-American John Dopyera (1893-1988) for the National and Dobro ( Do pyera Bro thers) companies. Similar to the flat top guitar in appearance, but with a body that may be made of brass, nickel-silver, or steel as well as wood, the sound of the resonator guitar is produced by one or more aluminum resonator cones mounted in the middle of the top. The physical principle of the guitar is therefore similar to the loudspeaker. The original purpose of the resonator was to produce a very loud sound; this purpose has been largely superseded by electrical amplification, but the resonator guitar is still played because of its distinctive tone. Resonator guitars may have either one or three resonator cones. The method of transmitting sound resonance to the cone is either a "biscuit" bridge, made of a small piece of hardwood at the vertex of the cone (Nationals), or a "spider" bridge, made of metal and mounted around the rim of the (inverted) cone (Dobros). Three-cone resonators always use a specialized metal bridge. The type of resonator guitar with a neck with a square cross-section called "square neck" or "Hawaiian" is usually played face up, on the lap of the seated player, and often with a metal or glass slide. The round neck resonator guitars are normally played in the same fashion as other guitars, although slides are also often used, especially in blues. 12-string guitars

The twelve-string guitar usually has steel strings and is widely used in folk music, blues, and rock and roll. Rather than having only six strings, the 12-string guitar has six courses made up of two strings each, like a mandolin or lute. The highest two courses are tuned in unison, while the others are tuned in octaves. The 12-string guitar is also made in electric forms. Russian guitars

These seven-string acoustic guitars were the norm for Russian guitarists throughout the 19th and well into the 20th centuries. The Russian guitar is traditionally tuned to open G major. Acoustic bass guitars

Prime and bass acoustic guitars These have steel strings or gut strings and often the same tuning as an electric bass guitar. Guitarrón

The guitarrón is a very large, deep-bodied Mexican 6-string acoustic bass played in mariachi bands. It is fretless with heavy gauge nylon strings, and is usually played by doubling notes at the octave, which is facilitated by the unusual tuning of A D G C E A. Tenor guitars

A number of classical guitarists call the Niibori prime guitar a "Tenor Guitar" on the grounds that it sits in pitch between the alto and the bass. Elsewhere [ citation needed ] the name is taken for a 4-string guitar with a scale length of 23" (585 mm) about the same as a Terz Guitar. The tenor guitar is tuned in fifths, C G D A, as is the tenor banjo and the cello. It is generally accepted [ citation needed ] that the tenor guitar was created to allow a tenor banjo player to follow the fashion as it evolved from Dixieland Jazz towards the more progressive Jazz that featured guitar. It allows a tenor banjo player to provide a guitar-based rhythm section with little to learn. A small minority of players (such as Nick Reynolds of the Kingston Trio) close tuned the instrument to D G B E to produce a deep instrument that could be played with the 4-note chord shapes found on the top 4 strings of the guitar or ukulele. The deep pitch warrants the wide-spaced chords that the banjo tuning permits, and the close tuned tenor does not have the same full, clear sound. Harp guitars

Harp Guitars are difficult to classify as there are many variations within this type of guitar. They are typically rare and uncommon in the popular music scene. Most consist of a regular guitar, plus additional 'harp' strings strung above the six normal strings. The instrument is usually acoustic and the harp strings are usually tuned to lower notes than the guitar strings, for an added bass range. Normally there is neither fingerboard nor frets behind the harp strings. Some harp guitars also feature much higher pitch strings strung below the traditional guitar strings. The number of harp strings varies greatly, depending on the type of guitar and also the player's personal preference (as they have often been made to the player's specification). The Pikasso guitar; 4 necks, 2 sound holes, 42 strings] and also the Oracle Harp Sympitar; 24 strings (with 12 sympathetic strings protruding through the neck) are modern examples. Extended-range guitars

For well over a century guitars featuring seven, eight, nine, ten or more strings have been used by a minority of guitarists as a means of increasing the range of pitch available to the player. Usually, it is bass strings that are added. Classical guitars with an extended range are useful for playing lute repertoire, some of which was written for lutes with more than six courses. A typical example is the modern 11 string archguitar , invented and played by Peter Blanchette. Guitar battente

The battente is smaller than a classical guitar, usually played with four or five metal strings. It is mainly used in Calabria (a region in southern Italy) to accompany the voice. Electric guitars

Main article: Electric guitar Glen Campbell playing a Fender electric guitar with three single-coil pickups
This Fender Stratocaster has features common to many electric guitars: multiple pickups, a vibrato unit/tremolo bar, and volume and tone knobs.

Pickups are transducers attached to a guitar that detect (or "pick up") string vibrations and convert the mechanical energy of the string into electrical energy. The resultant electrical signal can then be electronically amplified. The most common type of pickup is electromagnetic in design. These contain magnets that are tightly wrapped in a coil, or coils, of copper wire. Such pickups are usually placed right underneath the guitar strings. Electromagnetic pickups work on the same principles and in a similar manner to an electrical generator. The vibration of the strings causes a small voltage to be created in the coils surrounding the magnets; this signal voltage is later amplified.

Traditional electromagnetic pickups are either single-coil or double-coil. Single-coil pickups are susceptible to noise induced from electric fields, usually mains-frequency (60 or 50 hertz) hum. The introduction of the double-coil humbucker in the mid-1950s did away with this problem through the use of two coils, one of which is wired in a reverse polarity orientation.

The types and models of pickups used can greatly affect the tone of the guitar. Typically, humbuckers, which are two magnet coil assemblies attached to each other are traditionally associated with a heavier sound. Single-coil pickups, one magnet wrapped in copper wire, are used by guitarists seeking a brighter, twangier sound with greater dynamic range.

Modern pickups are tailored to the sound desired. A commonly applied approximation used in selection of a pickup is that less wire (lower DC resistance) = brighter sound, more wire = "fat" tone. Other options include specialized switching that produces coil-splitting, in/out of phase and other effects. Guitar circuits are either active, needing a battery to power their circuit, or, as in most cases, equipped with a passive circuit.

Fender Stratocaster type guitars generally utilize three single-coil pickups, while most Gibson Les Paul types use humbucker pickups.

Piezoelectric, or piezo, pickups represent another class of pickup. These employ piezoelectricity to generate the musical signal and are popular in hybrid electro-acoustic guitars. A crystal is located under each string, usually in the saddle. When the string vibrates, the shape of the crystal is distorted, and the stresses associated with this change produce tiny voltages across the crystal that can be amplified and manipulated.

Some piezo-equipped guitars use what is known as a hexaphonic pickup. "Hex" is a prefix meaning six. In a hexaphonic pickup separate outputs are obtained from discrete piezoelectric pickups for each of the six strings. This arrangement allows the signal to be easily modified by on-board modelling electronics, as in the Line 6 Variax brand of electric guitars; the guitars allow for a variety of different sounds to be obtained by digitally manipulating the signal. This allows a guitar to mimic many vintage models of guitar, as well as output alternate tunings without the need to adjust the strings.

Another use for hexaphonic pickups is to send the output signals to a MIDI interpretation device, which determines the note pitch, duration, attack and decay characteristics and so forth. The MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) interpreter then sends the note information to a sound bank device. The resulting sound can closely mimic numerous types of instruments. Electronics

On guitars that have them, these components and the wires that connect them allow the player to control some aspects of the sound like volume or tone. These at their simplest consist of passive components such as potentiometers and capacitors, but may also include specialized integrated circuits or other active components requiring batteries for power, for preamplification and signal processing, or even for assistance in tuning. In many cases the electronics have some sort of shielding to prevent pickup of external interference and noise. Lining, Binding, and Purfling

The top, back and ribs of an acoustic guitar body are very thin (1 2 mm), so a flexible piece of wood called lining is glued into the corners where the rib meets the top and back. This interior reinforcement provides 5 to 20 mm of solid gluing area for these corner joints. Solid linings are often used in classical guitars, while kerfed lining is most often found in steel string acoustics. Kerfed lining is also called kerfing (because it is scored, or kerfed to allow it to bend with the shape of the rib).

During final construction, a small section of the outside corners is carved or routed out and filled with binding material on the outside corners and decorative strips of material next to the binding, which are called purfling. This binding serves to seal off the end grain of the top and back. Purfling can also appear on the back of an acoustic guitar, marking the edge joints of the two or three sections of the back.

Binding and purfling materials are generally made of either wood or plastic. Bridge

Main article: Bridge (instrument)

The main purpose of the bridge on an acoustic guitar is to transfer the vibration from the strings to the soundboard, which vibrates the air inside of the guitar, thereby amplifying the sound produced by the strings.

On all electric, acoustic and original guitars, the bridge holds the strings in place on the body. There are many varied bridge designs. There may be some mechanism for raising or lowering the bridge to adjust the distance between the strings and the fretboard (action), and/or fine-tuning the intonation of the instrument. Some are spring-loaded and feature a "whammy bar", a removable arm that lets the player modulate the pitch by moving the bridge back and forth. The whammy bar is sometimes also referred to as a "tremolo bar" (see Tremolo for further discussion of this term the effect of rapidly changing pitch produced by a whammy bar is more correctly called "vibrato"). Some bridges also allow for alternate tunings at the touch of a button.

On almost all modern electric guitars, the bridge is adjustable for each string so that intonation stays correct up and down the neck. If the open string is in tune but sharp or flat when frets are pressed, the bridge can be adjusted with a screwdriver or hex key to remedy the problem. In general, flat notes are corrected by moving the bridge forward and sharp notes by moving it backwards. On an instrument correctly adjusted for intonation, the actual length of each string from the nut to the bridge saddle is slightly but measurably longer than the scale length of the instrument. This additional length is called compensation, which flattens all notes a bit to compensate for the sharping of all fretted notes caused by stretching the string during fretting. Saddle

The saddle of a guitar refers to the structure on or parallel to the bridge. The saddle is most commonly found on acoustic guitars, but some models of hollow-bodied electric guitars have it. Its basic purpose is to hold the strings above the bridge and guitar, and to mute the vibration of the string so the strings do not buzz and/or damage themselves or the bridge. It is comparable in size and function to the nut, and variations in its design are not uncommon. Pickguard

Main article: Pickguard

Also known as a scratchplate. This is usually a piece of laminated plastic or other material that protects the finish of the top of the guitar from damage due to the use of a plectrum or fingernails. Electric guitars sometimes mount pickups and electronics on the pickguard. It is a common feature on steel-string acoustic guitars. Vigorous performance styles such as flamenco, which can involve the use of the guitar as a percussion instrument, call for a scratchplate to be fitted to nylon-string instruments. Whammy Bar (Tremolo Arm)

Main article: Tremolo arm

Many electric guitars are fitted with a vibrato and pitch bend device known as a "tremolo bar (or arm)", "sissy bar", "wang bar", "slam handle", "whammy handle", and "whammy bar". The latter two terms led stompbox manufacturers to use the term 'whammy' in coming up with a pitch raising effect introduced by popular guitar effects pedal brand Digitech.

The tremolo arm is common enough that there is a technical term, hard tail , for a guitar without one.

Leo Fender, who did much to create the electric guitar, also created much confusion over the meaning of the terms "tremolo" and "vibrato" by the naming the "tremolo" unit on many of his guitars and also the "vibrato" unit on his "Vibrolux" amps. In general, vibrato is a variation in pitch, whereas tremolo is a variation in volume, so the tremolo bar is actually a vibrato bar and the "Vibrolux" amps actually had a tremolo effect. However, following Fender's example, electric guitarists traditionally reverse these meanings when speaking of hardware devices and the effects they produce. See vibrato unit for a more detailed discussion, and tremolo arm for more of the history.

Another type of pitch bender is the B-Bender, a spring and lever device mounted in an internal cavity of a solid body electric, guitar that allows the guitarist to bend just the B string of the guitar using a lever connected to the strap handle of the guitar. The resulting pitch bend is evocative of the sound of the pedal steel guitar. Guitar strap

A guitar strap is a strip of fabric with a leather or synthetic leather piece on each end. It is made to hold a guitar via the shoulders, at an adjustable length to suit the position favoured by the guitarist.

Guitars have varying accommodations for attaching a strap. The most common are strap buttons, also called strap pins, which are flanged steel posts anchored to the guitar with screws. Two strap buttons come pre-attached to virtually all electric guitars, and many steel-string acoustic guitars. Strap buttons are sometimes replaced with "strap locks" which connect the guitar to the strap more securely.

The lower strap button is usually located at the bottom (bridge end) of the body. The upper strap button is usually located near or at the top (neck end) of the body: on the upper body curve, at the tip of the upper "horn" (on a double cutaway), or at the neck joint (heel). Some electrics, especially those with odd-shaped bodies, have one or both strap buttons on the back of the body. Some Steinberger electric guitars, owing to their minimalist and lightweight design, have both strap buttons at the bottom of the body. Rarely, on some acoustics, the upper strap button is located on the headstock.

Some acoustic and classical guitars only have a single strap button at the bottom of the body the other end must be tied onto the headstock, above the nut and below the machine heads.

Some acoustic and classical guitars come with no strap buttons at all. In this case, one or two strap buttons can usually be added to the guitar, or a "classical guitar strap" (also called a "guitar harness" or "neck strap") can be used, which supports the guitar by hooking into the sound hole. Self-tuning guitars

Main article: Musical tuning

Self-tuning guitars are computerized guitars programmed to tune themselves. The Gibson Robot Guitar, released in 2007, is often mistaken as the first of this kind, but was preceded by the Transperformance system by at least 20 years. Gibson has also released a second, self-tuning model called the Dark Fire. [ citation needed ] Tuning

Main article: Guitar tuning See also: Stringed instrument tunings

The guitar is a transposing instrument. Its pitch sounds one octave lower than it is notated on a score.

A variety of different tunings may be used. The most common tuning, known as "Standard Tuning," has the strings tuned from a low E, to a high E, traversing a two octave range EADGBE. When all strings are played open the resulting chord is an Em7/add11.

A guitar using this tuning can tune to itself using the fact, with a single exception, that the 5th fret on one string is the same note as the next open string; that is, a 5th-fret note on the sixth string is the same note as the open fifth string. The exception is the interval between the second and third strings, in which the 4th-fret note on the third string is equivalent to the open second string.

Standard tuning has evolved to provide a good compromise between simple fingering for many chords and the ability to play common scales with minimal left hand movement. Uniquely, the guitar's tuning allows for repeatable patterns, which also facilitates the ease of playing common scales. There are also a variety of commonly used alternate tunings. Most of these are open tunings, i.e., the unfretted strings produce a simple chord, such as a G Major chord. Many open tunings, where all of the strings are tuned to a similar note or chord, are popular for slide guitar playing. Alternate tunings are used for two main reasons: the ease of playing and the variation in tone that can be achieved.

Many guitarists use a long established, centuries-old tuning variation where the lowest string is 'dropped' down a whole tone. Known as Drop-D (or dropped D) tuning it is, from low to high, DADGBE. This allows for open string tonic and dominant basses in the keys of D and D minor. It also enables simple fifths (powerchords) to be more easily played. Eddie Van Halen sometimes uses a device known as a 'D Tuna,' which he patented. It is a small lever, attached to the fine tuner of the 6th string on a Floyd Rose tremolo, which allows him to easily drop that string from E to D. Many contemporary rock bands retune all strings by several semi-tones, making, for example, Drop-C or Drop-B tunings, However this terminology is inconsistent with that of "drop-D" as "drop-D" refers to dropping a single string to the named pitch. Often these new tunings are also simply referred to as the "Standard" of the note in question e.g. "D Standard" (DGcfad').

Some guitarists tune in straight fourths, avoiding the major third between the third and second strings. While this makes playing major and minor triads slightly more difficult, it facilitated playing chords with more complicated extended structures. [ citation needed ] One proponent of the straight fourth tuning (EADGCF) is Stanley Jordan.

As with all stringed instruments a large number of scordatura are possible on the guitar. A common form of scordatura involves tuning the 3rd string to F to mimic the standard tuning of the lute, especially when playing renaissance repertoire originally written for the lute. Guitar accessories

Though a guitar may be played on its own, there are a variety of common accessories used for holding and playing the guitar. Capotasto

Main article: Capo

A capo (short for capotasto ) is used to change the pitch of open strings. Capos are clipped onto the fret board with the aid of spring tension, or in some models, elastic tension. To raise the guitar's pitch by one semitone, the player would clip the capo onto the fret board just below the first fret. Its use allows players to play in different keys without having to change the chord formations they use. Because of the ease with which they allow guitar players to change keys, they are sometimes referred to as "cheaters" or the "hillbilly crutch." Classical performers are known to use them to enable modern instruments to match the pitch of historical instruments such as the renaissance lute. Slides

Main article: Slide Guitar

A slide, (neck of a bottle, knife blade or round metal bar) used in blues and rock to create a glissando or 'Hawaiian' effect. The necks of bottles were often used in blues and country music. Modern slides are constructed of glass, plastic, ceramic, chrome, brass or steel, depending on the weight and tone desired. An instrument that is played exclusively in this manner, (using a metal bar) is called a steel guitar or pedal steel. Slide playing to this day is very popular in blues music and country music. Some slide players use a so called Dobro guitar.

Some performers that have become famous for playing slide are Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Ry Cooder, George Harrison, Bonnie Raitt, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Duane Allman, Muddy Waters, Rory Gallagher, and George Thorogood. Plectrum

Main article: Guitar pick A variety of guitar picks

A "guitar pick" or "plectrum" is a small piece of hard material generally held between the thumb and first finger of the picking hand and is used to "pick" the strings. Though most classical players pick with a combination of fingernails and fleshy fingertips, the pick is most often used for electric and steel-string acoustic guitars. Though today they are mainly plastic, variations do exist, such as bone, wood, steel or tortoise shell. Tortoise shell was the most commonly used material in the early days of pick-making, but as tortoises and turtles became endangered, the practice of using their shells for picks or anything else was banned. Tortoise-shell picks made before the ban are often coveted for a supposedly superior tone and ease of use, and their scarcity has made them valuable.

Picks come in many shapes and sizes. Picks vary from the small jazz pick to the large bass pick. The thickness of the pick often determines its use. A thinner pick (between .2 and .5 mm) is usually used for strumming or rhythm playing, whereas thicker picks (between .7 and 1.5+ mm) are usually used for single-note lines or lead playing. The distinctive guitar sound of Billy Gibbons is attributed to using a quarter or peso as a pick. Similarly, Brian May is known to use a sixpence coin as a pick. David Persons is known for using old credit cards, cut to the correct size, as plectrums.

Thumb picks and finger picks that attach to the finger tips are sometimes employed in finger-picking styles on steel strings. These allow the fingers and thumb to operate independently, whereas a flat pick requires the thumb and one or two fingers to manipulate.

2010 Guitar Workshop Weekend

2010-04-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

Top Guitar Pickers and Players featured at Twin Falls Resort ... - ... Robert Shafer and Jim Ritchey is a special event at Twin Falls Resort State Park in March. The internationally-recognized players are featured instructors for the 2010 Guitar Workshop Weekend at Twin Falls March 26-28.

Tips on Buying an Acoustic Guitar

2010-04-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

Many people are fond of learning how to play different kinds of instruments. One of the most popular instrument people like to learn is the guitar. A guitar has been one of the most popular instruments over a period of decades and still continues to be a hot favorite among music lovers. While the electric guitar has become popular it has still not been able to match the popularity of an acoustic guitar. Most of the people like the acoustic guitars for the non-metal sound that it has.

If you are one of those who would love to learn how to play the acoustic guitar then I am pretty sure you would want to buy one for yourself. Before setting out to purchase an acoustic guitar for yourself you first need to know the different types of acoustic guitars which are available in the market and then chose one which suits you.

With the wide variety of choice that is existent these days, it is a tough task to find a suitable acoustic guitar for ourselves. While the guitars that are available for exorbitant prices touching thousands of dollars, you need to know that you can actually pick up a good guitar for as low as $100. It is very understandable that the handmade guitars are much more expensive than the factory made guitars.

Depending on the material used and the fact that we have choices between the handmade and factory made guitars the choice of guitars just seem to boggle one's mind. However it should be clearly understood that you don't have to spend an exorbitant amount of money for you to be able to get a good acoustic guitar for yourself. It is no doubt a big temptation to buy an expensive guitar when you see it in the showroom; however that is a luxury and not a necessity.

A ground rule for anyone wanting to buy an acoustic guitar would be to try out lots of guitars which have been manufactured by different kinds of wood. All the different wood used in the guitar is bound to have a unique sound of its own. After trying a few guitars you would be able to figure out as to which material sounds best to you.

Another thing you would want to keep in mind while trying out different guitars would be to see how comfortable it is for you to hold the guitar while you play it. If you find the guitar too heavy or bulky for you, then you know you would have to check for more models before you can finalize on the one which you would like.

One more point that I would like to stress on would be that once you test the weight of the guitar and the way it sounds you need to check if you are able to wrap your hand around the neck of the guitar. There is no point in buying a guitar which has a big neck because if you cannot wrap your hand around it you won't be able to play it. So remember these tips when you set out to buy your acoustic guitar.

2010 Final Four Tickets - Session 1 (Butler vs Michigan State, West Virginia vs Duke) - Semifinals

2010-03-29T13:24:00.000-07:00

2010 Final Four Tickets - Session 1 (Butler vs Michigan State, West Virginia vs Duke) - Semifinals
After a weekend of some major upsets, the Final Four college teams in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament head to Indianapolis, IN this weekend April 3rd and 5th to battle it out for the top spot.

Game 1 will have Butler taking on Michigan State and game 2 will have West Virginia taking on Duke. The winners of each game will square off in the national title game which is set for next Monday.

Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder

2010-03-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder

120° Pattern
Record from the front at 120° The H2 is the only portable recorder with 4 mic capsules on-board for 360° recording. With 4 mic capsules in a W-X/Y configuration, the audio is decoded instantly, bringing these four signals together for unparalleled stereo imaging.

What's Life Without Accessories?
The Zoom H2 comes with earbuds, 1/8 inch stereo to RCA cable, mic clip adapter, tripod stand, USB cable, AC adapter and a 512MB SD card.

WW-XY mic patterns with 4 mic capsules and signal processing allows Front 90° cardioid, Rear 120° cardioid and 360° polar patterns

AAccommodates up to 16GB SD memory cards

For brilliant stereo recording, and plenty of extras, there's never been a simpler or more functional solution than the H2 Handy Recorder from Zoom.

Zoom H2 Handy Portable Stereo Recorder

What's Life Without Accessories?
The Zoom H2 comes with earbuds, 1/8 inch stereo to RCA cable, mic clip adapter, tripod stand, USB cable, AC adapter and a 512MB SD card.

WW-XY mic patterns with 4 mic capsules and signal processing allows Front 90° cardioid, Rear 120° cardioid and 360° polar patterns

AAccommodates up to 16GB SD memory cards

For brilliant stereo recording, and plenty of extras, there's never been a simpler or more functional solution than the H2 Handy Recorder from Zoom.

Choosing the right microphones

2009-10-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

If you are going to have a recording studio where you record voice or you plan on doing some singing live, you are going to need to have some good vocal microphones. The only problem is that choosing the right ones can definitely be a bit confusing with all the different microphone choices that are out there today.

There are various configurations, brands, and price ranges to consider, so finding the right option can take some time. Here is a look at some of the steps you can follow to find the perfect option for your needs.

First of all, when you're choosing vocal microphones, it's a great idea to go with options that have a dynamic pickup. These options have a special diaphragm that has a moving coil that is attached, which processes the sound waves. These microphones are quite sturdy and do an excellent job processing voices.

It's a good idea to take some time to experiment with the various options that are available. Consider the voices that will be using the mics and see which mics actually work the best with different types of voices. Some microphones may sound great for one person's voice, but a different option may sound better with another person's voice. Matching the mic to the singer is a great idea.

Check out the cardioid pattern microphones as well when considering vocal microphones. These mics emphasize the warm bass undertones in the voice of a singer. It provides a sound that is rich and warm. One of these microphones should be places rather close to the singer, and they can make vocals sound incredible.

Consider whether or not you'll want to go with wired or wireless microphones as well. Both have pros and cons, so think carefully about your specific needs. Although wired mics may be great in the studio, they may not be as helpful in live performances. Keep this in mind when trying to choose mics for vocals.

Of course, your budget should be considered as well when trying to pick out the right mics for doing vocals. There are many great options that are available for prices that are reasonable. Know your budget before you begin shopping so you don't go over budget. Whether you have a lot to spend, or you are on a tight budget, there are some high quality options to choose from.

Vocal microphones come in many different options, and you'll definitely need to choose very carefully when you are making your purchase. With these easy steps in mind, you'll be able to make a wise choice that will work well with your current vocal needs.

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

Great place to check out is Guitar Forum

Chord inversions

2009-06-17T12:32:00.000-07:00

Chord inversions are one of those things that often seem a lot more complex then they really are. A lot of guitar players push off learning how to play chord inversions on guitar because they think it is too complicated for them. In this lesson I will try and break down what chord inversions are and show you how to play a few of them. And once you understand what chords inversions are you will be able to figure out all sorts of them on your own.

Here it goes:

What is a chord inversion?
Unless you know chord inversions, which for this lesson I am assuming you don’t, the chords you are used to playing are all in “root position”. This means that the tonic of the chord is the lowest not (the bass note) of the chord. So, for example, in an Cmaj7 chord the bass note of the chord is C. But whenever a note other than the root (tonic) is the bass note, then the chord is an inversion. Make sense?

As you know, most chords are played with three or four notes on guitar. That means that besides the tonic, there are at least two to three other notes that can bee in the bass position. (For example a C major chord is C, E, G. Besides C there are two other notes that can be first. Cmaj7 is C, E, G, B. Besides C there are 3 other notes).

How to make chord inversions
There are three common chord inversions and they’re called first inversion, second inversion and third inversion. In first inversion the 3rd of the chord is the bass note. (It’s called first inversion because the 3rd of the chord is the first note after the tonic). In second inversion the 5th of the chord is in the bass. (Called second inversion because the 5th is the second chord tone after the tonic). And third inversion has the 7th as the bass. (Called third inversion because….well, you get the idea). Not so bad too far, is it?

The drop-two voicing
Before we look at how the three chord inversions are, this would be a good time to make sure you know what “drop-two” chord voicings are because we are going to use them to build or chord inversions to make them easy to play on guitar. So take a moment to read my post on drop-two chord voicings and them come back to this post and continue where you left of. If you already know what a drop 2 chord voicing is then just keep reading.

Playing chord inversions on guitar
Ok, back to the three Cmaj7 chord inversions. Ok. So the notes of Cmaj7 chord are C, E, G, B. So here is the standard Cmaj7 chord in root position with a drop-two voicing applied:

Now let's see the first inversion. So let’s take the root note and send it to the back of the line. So the chord spelling for first inversion would now be: E, G, B, C. But that note grouping will be hard to play on guitar, so let’s also give it the drop-two voicing. So the new note order would be E, B, C, G.

Blatant Advertising and Self Promotion

2009-05-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

To hear a really cool single by yours truly check it out. I'm on iTunes. The track is Latin American http://bit.ly/4uzkV Downloads @ 99 cents only

If you get the track then send me an email at ianmacshane@gmail.com with your receipt number and I'll send you a really cool PDF file of Guitar chords .

Guitar tuning

2009-05-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

The guitar is a transposing instrument. Its pitch sounds one octave lower than it is notated on a score.

A variety of different tunings may be used. The most common tuning, known as "Standard Tuning," has the strings tuned from a low E, to a high E, traversing a two octave range – EADGBE.

The pitches are as follows:
String Scientific pitch Helmholtz pitch Interval from middle C Frequency
first E4 e' major third above 329.63 Hz
second B3 b minor second below 246.94 Hz
third G3 g perfect fourth below 196.00 Hz
fourth D3 d minor seventh below 146.83 Hz
fifth A2 A minor tenth below 110 Hz
sixth E2 E minor thirteenth below 82.41 Hz

The table below shows pitch names found over the six strings of a guitar in standard tuning, from the nut (zero), to the twelfth fret.

A guitar using this tuning can tune to itself using the fact, with a single exception, that the 5th fret on one string is the same note as the next open string; that is, a 5th-fret note on the sixth string is the same note as the open fifth string. The exception is the interval between the second and third strings, in which the 4th-fret note on the third string is equivalent to the open second string.

Standard tuning has evolved to provide a good compromise between simple fingering for many chords and the ability to play common scales with minimal left hand movement. Uniquely, the guitar's tuning allows for repeatable patterns which also facilitates the ease in which common scales can be played.[19] There are also a variety of commonly used alternate tunings – most of which are open tunings that create entire chord voicings without fretting any strings. Many open tunings, where all of the strings are tuned to a similar note or chord, are popular for slide guitar playing. Alternate tunings are used for two main reasons: the ease of playing and the variation in tone that can be achieved.

Many guitarists use a long established, centuries-old tuning variation where the lowest string is 'dropped' down a whole tone. Known as Drop-D (or dropped D) tuning it is, from low to high, DADGBE. This allows for open string tonic and dominant basses in the keys of D and D minor. It also enables simple fifths (powerchords) to be more easily played. Eddie Van Halen sometimes uses a device known as a 'D Tuna,' the patent for which he owns. It is a small lever, attached to the fine tuner of the 6th string on a Floyd Rose tremolo, which allows him to easily drop that string's tuning to a D. Many contemporary rock bands detune all strings by several semi-tones, making, for example, Drop-C or Drop-B tunings, However this terminology is inconsistent with that of "drop-D" as "drop-D" refers to dropping a single string to the named pitch. Often these new tunings are also simply referred to as the "Standard" of the note in question e.g. – "D Standard" (DGcfad').

Some guitarists tune in straight fourths, avoiding the major third between the third and second strings. While this makes playing major and minor triads slightly more difficult, it facilitated playing chords with more complicated extended structures[citation needed]. One proponent of the straight fourth tuning (EADGCF) is Stanley Jordan.

As with all stringed instruments a large number of scordatura are possible on the guitar. A common form of scordatura involves tuning the 3rd string to F♯ to mimic the standard tuning of the lute, especially when playing renaissance repertoire originally written for the lute.

What Is A Power chord Really?

2009-04-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

In music, a power chord (also fifth chord) is a note plus the note a fifth above, usually played on electric guitar. Theorists are divided on whether the term chord is appropriate, with some requiring the third of the chord for it to be considered an actual chord. Therefore, some would consider it to be a dyad or simply interval. However this usage is accepted among guitar players. In other words, it's a chord with no 3rd.

A power chord is neither major or minor because the intervals between the notes are perfect fifths, and when inverted, perfect fourths. In order for a chord to be considered major or minor the notes in the chord itself must be related by a major or minor interval. However, power chords can 'sound' major or minor to our ears because our brain fills in those missing thirds where it expects them. When the power chord's root is based on a note diatonic in the scale of the song, our ear expects a chord with same root. In addition, such chords are usually played with octave doubling, which makes a different sound than just a 5th.

Power chords are used where a distorted, "overdriven" tone is used, because including the third tends to result in unpleasant harmonics and an indistinct root note when combined with the additional overtones added by an amplifier or distortion pedal. They have the added advantage of being relatively easy to play (see "Fingering" below).

Although the use of the term "power chord" has, to some extent, spilled over into the vocabulary of other instrumentalists, namely keyboard and synthesizer players, it remains essentially a part of rock guitar culture and is most strongly associated with the overdriven electric guitar styles of hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock, and similar genres. When the same interval is found in traditional and classical music, the harmonic interpretation will be much more varied, not necessarily implying a triad with the third degree omitted.

Power chords are sometimes notated 5, as in C5 (C power chord), in which case it specifically refers to playing the root and fifth of the chord, in this case C and G, possibly inverted, and possibly with octave doublings.

What Is A Guitar Chord Really?

2009-04-01T20:34:00.000-07:00

A guitar chord is a chord, a collection of tones usually sounded together at once, played on a guitar.

Chord voicings designed for the guitar can be optimized for many different purposes and playing styles. Guitar chords can be composed of notes played on only a few strings at a time, whether occurring on adjacent strings or not, or on all the strings.

The instrument is generally very capable and versatile for chording purposes, but it does exhibit some differences with other instruments. Most guitars only have six strings, which means that for the very largest of chord-voicings it's often necessary to drop or omit one or more tones from the chord; this is typically the root or fifth. The layout of notes on the fretboard sometimes demands that the notes in a chord do not run in tonal order, or makes possible a chord which is composed of more than one note of exactly the same pitch. Many chords can be played with exactly the same notes in more than one place on the fretboard.

Guitars can vary both in the number of strings they have, and in the way they're tuned. Most guitars used in popular music have six-strings and are tuned (from the lowest pitched string to the highest): E-A-D-G-B-E. The internal intervals present among adjacent strings in this tuning can be written 5-5-5-4-5 (being mostly perfect fourth intervals plus one major third interval near the middle). Conventionally, the string with the highest pitch (the thinnest) is called the first string, and the string having the lowest pitch is called the sixth.

What Guitar Books To Buy?

2009-03-07T20:31:00.000-08:00

So many books and material out there, but be careful when you invest because some are better than others. You can't go wrong with some publishers like Hal Leonard. They seem to get it right and have an Amazing selection.
Best Selling Hal Leonard books
Some of these books come with a CD and some don't but they cost even less without the CD even though they are the same title. I recommend the The Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar Method: A Complete Guide with Step-by-Step Lessons and 45 Great Acoustic Songs

I've purchased this one myself and it is the perfect book for beginners and has a great choice in there. So what you buy is crucial because it's like you have a great teacher or a teacher that sucks in what you study bookwise. So one day you can play like Johnny Guitar and be the toast of the town.

Now the Complete Guide comes in 3 Volumes so if you don't want to have to get the 2nd and third later then there is the Complete Series with CD as well.

Of course this is for the Acoustic Guitar and for any beginners out there I recommend learning on the Acoustic first before the Electric just because it will make you a better player in the long run due to the wider neck of the Acoustic.

2009-01-29T18:33:00.001-08:00

Download and listen to over $4,093.74 Worth of the most Advanced Super Food Seminars, interviews with Famous Raw Food Authors, and a large download library of Nutritional Coaching Archives, Articles, Recipes and More - (ALSO INCLUDED: Hundreds of Dollars in Un-Advertised Bonuses as Well)!

When you gain access to this $4,093.74 Members-Only Site for only $27* per month - you will get some of the most compelling, life-changing lectures, interviews, and product reviews ever assembled into one place.The Top 5 worst things you can ever put into your body...

Health Is Crucial to play your Instrument. Guitar or Xylophone.

2009-01-01T19:04:00.000-08:00

The Site youre about to visit.... 62.5% of our members give the site an A+ - saying it's the ABSOLUTE best website they have ever seen!

How the physiological structure of your face and body change with raw and living foods. How to eliminate skin irregularities. How to strengthen and brighten your eyes. How to stimumulate natural collagen production. And so much more!
Have your Best Day Ever

Okay let's figure out what i'm saying. If you pick up a guitar you need to be in peak condition to get the most out of your instrument. I've just signed up myself to get my body to the stage where every day is my Best Day Ever

If youre energy is low, don't play guitar!! That's right. If youre down youre playing will be suffering. Your efforts will be thwarted. You need to feel healthy to play your best, to learn your best. That's why i'm so excited to find this amazing site. I want my Best Day Ever everyday.

Great New Album by Neil Young

2008-12-21T18:58:00.001-08:00

Sugar Mountain-Live At Canterbury House 1968 (CD/DVD)

Latin American Rhythm Stretches You.

2008-12-16T20:30:00.001-08:00

Rhythm is hard to obtain if your'e white and can't dance. (Guilty) So nothing better is to take the challenge and try some Latin American Rhythm. I did so a good few years ago back in South Africa, Johannesburg. I'm proud of the tracks we recorded. They really are cool. You can hear the obvious leanings towards Beatlesque solo'ing in my playing here. It's quite interesting to see how I adapted my love of English Rock Guitar into the track. I managed to get my track onto iTunes. You can check it out from first going here.
and from there you can hear it on iTunes.
If you do me the great favor of spending the 99 cents to download please visit back here and let me know. I will return the favor by sending you some really cool Music Tab's in Ebook format.

So back to what I was talking about. Rhythmically Latin American is challenging as there are usually fast chord changes and you have to keep time. Mostly 8 beats to the bar it's a workout to be at the top of your game when you approach this style of playing. Think of those Flamenco dancers and what they normally dance to.

We were influenced greatly by that excellent album and movie done by Ry Cooder. If you haven't seen the movie and you dig guitar then go rent this. It's called Buena Vista Social Club with Ry Cooder. Ry Cooder is world famous for his guitar playing and here he did an amazing Documentary style movie with forgotten Cuban musicians. In so doing he brought them out of the shadows and they became famous all over again. Great stuff. I HIGHLY Recommend this Album or the Movie which is even better. Buena Vista Social Club
Movie. Great Stuff !! If you are a musician you will be moved by this movie.

Callouses are necessary

2008-12-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

How do you get frustrated when you start playing guitar?
Apart from the learning curve of everything involved, the one big factor is your fingers will be feeling like the are being tortured each time you sit down to play.
I remember this well as a beginner back when I started. This is what lead me to write this post.
There is no quick fix but once you keep at it your skin on the tip's of your fingers will realize that something is up and will start to develop more skin to cover the soft skin that was there. Then guess what? It keeps doing just that and forms what we call a callous. Dictionary translation ( v : make insensitive or callous). That's exactly what we want. Make insensitive so that your fingers don't care how long or how much pressure you are applying.
What sucks?
Stop playing for a week or two and your callouses will soften.
What's the fix? Never stop playing.
What's the payoff? You can actually play the guitar. Now get to it.

Check it Out!!

2008-11-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

Up to $75 in Instant Rebates with MF23 Coupon ... go there and use this coupon.

Tune Up Timing Timing Timing

2008-10-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

It's all about timing. If you don't own a metronome and practice with one you are out of time. Did you hear me? You cannot play and practice guitar without a metronome.
If you aren't in tune you won't want to keep on trying to get your timing in tune. Get it? Timing and tuning all in one. Ha ha. What I mean is you should get your grubby hands on this excellent tuner and metronome all in one... Plus if you go from here you will get a 38% savings on either of these great Metronomes<iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=httpwwwbuyitl-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B000AAGM0M&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="padding-top: 5px; width: 131px; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" align="left" frameborder="0">

Bring Out the Fab Four

2008-10-23T22:55:00.000-07:00

Here it is readers. The main recommendation for any and all of you. To learn Guitar is one thing. To want to learn Guitar is another thing. You need the BEST Group EVER to inspire you. The Beatles of course. If you don't start with them you are nowhere.

The Beatles Complete Chord Songbook

I'm telling you this is Crucial. Get the Fab Four people.

The Definitive Bob Dylan Songbook

2008-10-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

Listen up people. If you don't get the new Dylan Double CD set then you should at least get the The Definitive Bob Dylan Songbook and learn some chords from this book.
Here you can get it cheaper as there are some Used copies or you can buy it new from here as well.
Dylan Songbook

Tell Tale Signs

2008-10-17T13:27:00.001-07:00

Dylan Once Again

2008-10-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

I told you about Strawberry Fields. You know the place where nothing is real.
Well Here's another place you should Go. Were everything flow owoes.

I told you if you want to play Guitar. Then Dylan's a Star.
His new Album's old. His songs can be told. Go Get it right now.

This Album is a Must Have ok !!! Two CD Set. It's Genius. He's a Genius.

2008-10-09T10:10:00.001-07:00

Pick Tips from Brad Davis

2008-09-17T10:11:00.001-07:00

2008-09-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

Learning Guitar Chords - When you first start learning guitar you might find the hardest thing is trying to learn the guitar chords. So what are the easy to learn guitar chords? An easy way to learning guitar chords is through progression and becoming familiar ...

You Need A Book !!!

2008-09-12T11:15:00.000-07:00

One of the most logical way's to start playing Guitar seriously is to get a decent book. Too many out there can blindside you and you end up with a so so book that doesn't have the best methods or starts too simple or too advanced. I've had that problem myself. So I can tell you without doubt that a good Guitar Lessons book is worth investing in. Out of all of them that I have maybe bought, tried, or browsed at a bookstore the one I keep coming back to as the best for teaching from the word go is one from the Hal Leonard Publishing company.
The Hal Leonard Acoustic Guitar Method: A Complete Guide with Step-by-Step Lessons and 45 Great Acoustic Songs

It works on so many different levels. It comes with a CD for all the songs you will learn. So I HIGHLY Recommend this book as I've used it, lent it, lost it and rebought it. That's my advice for now.

Easy Guitar Songs - Easy Songs to Learn on the Guitar

2008-09-11T21:30:00.001-07:00

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kenn_Bell]Kenn Bell

A lot of beginning guitar players get bored with traditional lessons early on, and would like to learn some easy songs to play on the guitar in order to break up the monotony of learning basic notes and chords. We will take a look at some easy to learn songs that you can learn to play on the guitar.

Nirvana: About A Girl

About A Girl by Nirvana is a very fun and easy song to play. The basic verse is simply a progression of "A" and "G" chords played in the open position. The chorus is a little bit more complicated, but can be picked up easily by most guitar players.

America: Horse With No Name

Horse With No Name is a popular song written by Dewey Bunnel from the band America. The song consists of two chords, "E minor" and "D". The same chords are repeated throughout the verse as well as the chorus.

Jimmy Buffet: Margaritaville

Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet is easy to play and is always a crowd favorite. The chord progressions goes D-A-G throughout the song. The song is also a great one to learn because beginners can play the basic chords and learn the more advanced stuff such as the walking bass line as they progress.

Some other fun and easy songs to learn on the guitar are:

Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd

For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield

If Not For You by Bob Dylan

Help! by The Beatles

Three Marlenas by The Wallflowers

Hurt by Johnny Cash

Before You Accuse Me by The Blues

Fire by Bruce Springsteen

House of the Rising Sun by The Animals

I Shot the Sheriff by Bob Marley

Happy by The Rolling Stones

Another great easy to learn guitar song for the Christmas holiday is Silent Night.

It's good for beginning guitar players to learn some easy to play songs on the guitar. It can be a nice break between learning the technical stuff and makes learning to play the guitar a much more enjoyable experience.

If you would like to find out more on learning easy guitar songs or want to know what the best websites are for online guitar lessons, check out http://easilyplayguitar.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenn_Bell http://EzineArticles.com/?Easy-Guitar-Songs---Easy-Songs-to-Learn-on-the-Guitar&id=1383496

Easy Ways To Learn To Play Guitar

2008-09-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the more common ways to learn to play the guitar. Try each method to see what works best for you.

Group Lessons: Yes, learning guitar in a group setting can be less intimidating for the beginning musician. You not only get the benefit of having a teacher to help you along you can often judge your progress by where the other students are in the class. The worst part about taking guitar lessons in a group setting is the teachers time is divided so you may not get as much attention as you might need.

Private Lessons: This is the best way to learn to play the guitar if you can find the right teacher. The instructor can gauge your progress each week and custom design your lessons for you. You have your teachers’ undivided attention and you can ask anything you feel is not clear.

CD Lessons: There are many instruction CDs available in nearly any style you can think of. The advantage of this style of learning is you can listen to the CD as many times as you want. Any part that is not clear can be replayed as many times as needed. The disadvantages include the songs may not be the ones you desire to learn and the instruction is more general without any way of knowing where you are in your musical journey.

DVD Lessons: Instruction on DVD includes all the good and bad points of the CD instruction. The number one advantage to learning guitar by watching DVD video is you can see what the instructor is doing. Visual learning goes a long way toward answering the questions burning in your mind.

Music Books: Music books are a time-honored way

to learn how to play the guitar. You can find more books on more different styles than most any other way to learn. You need to be proficient in reading music if you do not know the song you are learning. Most folks have a hard time getting the song right if they do not know the song they are learning.

Internet: In these modern times the Internet is a wonderful resource in learning to play the guitar. There are many websites that will show you how to play the exact notes your guitar hero plays. Membership sights are plentiful where for a small monthly fee you can learn most any style you choose.

Friends: Do not overlook your guitar playing buddies. Most guitar pickers are a friendly bunch who will be more than happy to help you along.

Slowing Down Recordings: You can purchase software that slows down your favorite recordings. This allows you to hear each phrase at a speed where you can pick out the different notes. This is a great way to learn to play.

Playing With Other People: The very best way to learn to play the guitar is to get together with other people and play. This is the fastest way to learn. You will learn more by getting out and playing with other people than you ever will sitting at home playing by yourself.

The method you decide to use to learn to play guitar is up to you. Try to practice four or five times a week for 30 minutes at a time and you will be playing guitar before you know it.

Alternate Picking

2008-09-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

When attacking the more difficult scales or solo's and also when need to get fast chord changes, you need to know alternate picking. Of course every guitarist that can play properly might be reading this thinking DUH!! But for the beginner this is probably a new concept. So as you hit a string with your pick going DOWN, you can repeat quickly by doing an UPStroke, or picking DOWN and then DOWN again and UP UP again is also alternate picking. Thrash guitarists rely totally on perfecting this technique. This is also called SWEEP PICKING where we SWEEP DOWN DOWN or UP UP and then alternate if necessary. With Chords this is natural. You strum Down and the Up again to repeat the chord. Now apply that to a single string and you are doing Alrernate Picking. More on Sweep Picking next time...

Always Tune Up

2008-08-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Any Guitarist will tell you to always practice with your Guitar in Tune before you begin. I highly recommend you get yourself a decent tuner. Much like the one advertised.

Bob Dylan

2008-08-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

If you want to start learning to play the guitar, I suggest you start with Robert Zimmerman. Heard of him? Otherwise known as Bob Dylan. That’s right.

Plenty guitar players are still learning the chords to the songs of Zimmerman. Tablature arrangements of his songs are being downloaded from the internet by the hundred every day. Careful , a lot of these are written with the wrong key but still at least they tried to get it right.

Robert Zimmerman is one of the best all time songwriters in our universe, he’s carried a guitar around all the time, always plays guitar on stage but does he qualify as a guitar hero? Well Dylan is essentially a rhythm guitarist - a guy who sings and plays the guitar. Can we learn anything about guitar playing from him? I think so, okay maybe he doesn't "do" much but it seems hard to believe we cannot benefit from watching a guy who expressed himself on the guitar without even thinking. It's part of his language.

Dylan's music was born in the era of the protest song. The sixties was full of young people protesting about the injustices of society. The war going on in Vietnam was the catalyst but people had been unhappy with straitlaced American and European society for many years. The main gripe in the protest movement was personal freedom. White people griped about how black people were not free. They complained about being sent to a war that was unjust. They were not happy with the homemaker's role that was forced upon women. They felt generally stifled by society.

Take "Knocking' On Heaven's Door", a song written for a movie nobody cares about any more. The movie has vanished from our hearts and minds but the song has stayed. Just like "All Along The Watchtower", a song expressing the confusion an individual feels in a complex and hostile world. This song has lived in our consciousness for many years, too, but probably because of the definitive version made by Jimi Hendrix.
Dylan's song "Blowin' In The Wind" is the definitive protest song of the nineteen sixties. It is a list of the ills of mankind with a suggestion that the solution is an ongoing matter for anybody who cares. Rolling Stone magazine made a list of the 500 greatest songs of all time and "Blowin' In The Wind" came in at number 14.

Forty years after it was first released. That song carries a whole lot of power.
Of course Dylan wrote many other songs that became icons in their own way. "Just Like A Woman" was supposed to be about Dylan's affection for either Joan Baez or a New York socialite who moved in the Andy Warhol circle. A song about a woman, but this too is on Rolling Stone's list of all time greats.

"Blowin' in the Wind" was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, a folk trio who would mesmerize huge crowds of music lovers at their concerts back in the sixties and they still do some gigs even today. Well 3 hundred thousand copies of Blowin in the wind were sold in the very first seven days after it’s release. Many people have said that Dylan might not have sold records in those numbers relying on his own singing. Dylan’s latest album “Modern Times” will tell you that he’s actually a great player and confirms that you need to trust me on this one and start with some Dylan chords and songs so you can start walking before you can run and this will make your playing skills take off on guitar.

Check It Out..

2008-08-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

Click on the new Youtube Videos' just above to learn some great songs, scales and more.

To supercharge your playing you totally can kick ass by going Here!

Position On The Fingerboard

2008-08-23T11:23:00.000-07:00

POSITION IS DETERMINED BY THE FRET ON WHICH THE FIRST FINGER PLAYS
AND THIS IS INDICATED BY A ROMAN NUMERAL. A POSITION ON THE FINGERBOARD
(STRICTLY SPEAKING) OCCUPIES FOUR ADJACENT FRETS. SOME
SCALES HAVE ONE OR MORE NOTES THAT FALL OUTSIDE THIS FOUR FRET
AREA AND THESE NOTES ARE TO BE PLAYED BY REACHING OUT WITH THE
1st OR 4th FINGER WITHOUT SHIFTING THE ENTIRE HAND. . i. e. FINGER
STRETCH OR F. S. . . WHEN THE OUT OF POSITION NOTE IS A SCALE TONE
THE F. S. IS DETERMINED BY THE FINGERING TYPE. . (FINGERING TYPE
I = 1st FINGER STRETCH, TYPE IV = 4th F. S. ) WHEN THE OUT OF POSITION
NOTE IS NOT A SCALE TONE AND MOVING UPWARD USE F. S. 1, AND MOVING
DOWNWARD F. S. 4. . . REGARDLESS OF FINGERING TYPE.

Some Guitar Terminology

2008-08-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

For the REAL Beginner here are some Terminology and basic concepts that all Guitar players and musicians have to know...

# Scales: What are scales? They are individual notes whcih differ from each notes Major or Minor starting point. Example. C Major has it's ascending scale pattern that will be different from C Minor's pattern and so on. So C Major would start on C and then go to D, E, F, G, A, B, and end on C again. You need to master all of your important scale patterns and be able to play them anywhere on the guitar with ease.

# Chords: Chords are Voicings of two or three or even 7 notes played all at once to make a CHORD sound. When you Strum the guitar by holding down more than one note at a time you are making a Chord. To be able to play all the important chord patterns for the guitar and know how to play them anywhere on the neck and this is how you will be able to enjoy playing most songs that are heard on radio or classic songs that you know and love.

# Improvisation: This means to accompany any song on the fly with great rhythm, solo bit's or lead phrases without the actual notes in front of you. You are basically making stuff up as you go but it will somehow fit and sound right next to what the drummer, bass player and singer is doing.

# Finger Speed: This means developing your hand left or right that frets the note to become more flexible and accurate and thereby get faster on teh fretboard. This means exercises to improve your speed and endurance.

# Licks and Phrases: This means playing solo bits and the style in which you play. Example it may sound country or it may sound metal or it may sound bluesy. Learn to play in the styles of all your favorite guitar players including Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and this will give you a sound or style that you will become your own in the end.

Learn to Play Guitar Like Robert Johnson

2008-08-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

Robert Johnson was one of the greatest blues guitar players of the 1930's, and as such he is considered one of the "grandfathers" of rock and roll. He traveled around the Mississippi delta area playing and singing, and recorded 29 songs in 1936 and 1937. Despite the fact that his career seems quite limited when compared to contemporary artists who tour the world and release a new album every year, Johnson's impact on popular music cannot be denied. Eric Clapton, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, the Allman Brothers, and Jimmy Page all mention Robert Johnson when they are asked to name their musical influences. Johnson had an undeniable talent, and his life and career have some valuable lessons to teach anyone who has dreams of following in his footsteps. If you want to play guitar like Robert Johnson, here are a few dos and don'ts.

Do use any resources you have to learn music. Robert Johnson loved music from the time he was very young, but as the son of a sharecropper he did not have access to music schools, fancy instruments, or private teachers. He did make the most of the musical equipment he had, though, and found a friend who could teach him how to play the harmonica and Jew's harp when he was still a young boy. He and his friend began using these simple instruments to accompany one another while they would sing new verses to popular songs that they made up as they went along. They never failed to draw a crowd when they sang on the street corners, and it was a great way for Robert to learn what things would please an audience and develop a stage presence. As he grew older, he went to other musicians that he knew and asked them to help him learn to play the guitar. He never received any formal musical training, but his inquiring spirit and his ability to learn from observation helped him to understand the structure of chords and harmony that he needed to replicate the sounds that he heard. If you are fortunate enough to be able to pay for music classes, take advantage of them and use your knowledge to make yourself a better player.

Don't be discouraged if you aren't successful right away. Robert used every opportunity he had to listen to guitarists that played at roadhouses and taverns in his area. When he gained some confidence, he brought his own guitar to the gigs with him and hung around, just hoping for a chance to join in on a jam session with the pros. For years, they discouraged him. It seemed like every time they let him play Robert would break a guitar string or commit some blunder that would not go over well with the audience. Instead of giving up, Robert moved to another community where his reputation as a bungler would not follow him and kept practicing. He would work in the cotton fields just enough so that he could support himself and spend hours and hours every day playing his guitar in the woods until his blues solos sounded the way he thought they should. He then began to travel from town to town and played for the tips that people would throw him as he stood on the street corner or in the town square. People were appreciating him more and more and the early criticism he had heard mattered less and less.

Don't be afraid to be different. The more Robert traveled, the more his confidence grew. He was soon adding tricky rhythm patterns to his guitar solos and using his feet and legs to stomp out accompanying percussion sounds. He created an entirely new sound that was admired by people in all parts of the south. Little did he know that guitar players would still look up to him 70 and 80 years after he was gone. If you learn some lessons from Robert Johnson's life and work, they will surely help to make you a better musician.

Stop wasting money on 1-on-1 guitar lessons! Check out Steve Krenz's Learn and Master Guitar, it beats the pants off anything out there. It's the most comprehensive and thorough instructional guitar course available today.

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

Learn Acoustic Guitar Chords - Play Tons of Songs Fast

2008-08-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

First off, it is important to know what a acoustic guitar chord is. It is when you play three or more notes chords simultaneously that are "eligible" to be a chord.

A power chord is usually used in hard rock songs and usually uses 2 chords together. These can usually combine to equal incredible sounding notes even though they are only using two chords.

How to learn these chords?

First off, it is important to know how you can learn these chords. There are many different things you can do such as finding self help books that will support you when you are trying to learn chords! You can also find online website guide that will teach you various amounts of chords individually!

By finding the teaching method that suits you; you'll be able to learn chords in no time. It's a great option for anyone out there who is learning the guitar.

Self Help Guitar Books

You probably are searching for the self help guitar books that will ultimately help you out dramatically if you use them. One of the greatest books you can find; is going to your local Barnes and Nobles or even checking with Amazon.

This book is known as the Guitar Chord Encyclopedia which can be bought for a very cheap price. You'll be able to hear and see the chords as you play them with the book.

Another great thing about this is that you can combine it with a online lesson software or a self-help guitar lesson tutorial that can boost your guitar learning abilities!

You'll notice that you'll hear a varying emotion with each chord that you strike. Some chords may be extremely pleasurable to the ears, give off positive emotions; while others are rather mellow and sad. Some chords you'll just absolutely hate - just be sure to find the best chords that will suit you!

The most simple chords for you to learn in the beginning are going to be the major chords as opposed to the minor. The faster you can learn, the faster you can play the guitar

You also want to consider learning the guitar tabs as well; these can definitely boost your knowledge about learning the guitar as you will be able to know exactly where to place your hand, what note to play, how to play it, and when to play it - guitar tab (tablatures) will quickly allow you to play simple rock songs almost immediately!

Who wants to Learn to Play Guitar Step-By-Step with songs like: Pink Floyd, Green Day, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles? Learn how to play the guitar, hold a guitar correctly, how to perfectly tune your guitar, play every chord with ease, and develop habits that will make you play any song. Visit http://learn-to-play-the-guitar-now.blogspot.com - for a Step-By-Step Tutorial on how you can play any song you want!

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

Learn Guitar - 5 Easy Rock Songs For Guitar Beginners

2008-08-12T21:31:00.000-07:00

Some of your most favorite guitar songs are much simpler than you can ever believe. You can start playing some of the popular songs right now if you spend a couple of days learning the basics of the guitar! It's not as hard as you think; but of course - there are also tough songs to learn. Just be patient and start with these beginner songs before you think about doing the tricky famous guitar solos

When you play these songs, you definitely want to make sure that you go to a search engine such as Google, MSN, Ask.com, or Yahoo, and type in "Artist name + Guitar Tabs". If you do not know how to read guitar tabs then you should definitely research that as well. Guitar tabs are excellent for beginners; but you will have to learn some things before you start reading those.

Oasis - Wonderwall
Wonder wall is a great song that is simple even for beginners. Even though it is simple it is also extremely appealing and a song with great meaning that made the hot hot top 100 when it made it's debut in the Autumn of 1995. They even made the top 10 in the U.S - this song and the rest can be played with a simple acoustic guitar.

Look up: Wonderwall + Guitar Tabs - to find great guitar tabs on this song!

Chili Peppers - Californication
Californication is a great song that's known for it's unique video and it's creative lyricism. It's a great song that used to be popular that many people may recognize as it was released in 1999. It reached billboards in U.S and UK charts as well!

It's a great song for beginners that you can start playing today as soon as you learn "How to read Guitar Tabs", and how to know the basics of the guitar!

Coldplay - God Put a Smile Upon My Face
"God give Me Style, He Give Me Grace, God Put a Smile Upon my Face" - This song is classic for Coldplay fans. This song was so popular that even rapper 50 Cent had to use those same lyrics in his song! It's the fourth single from "A Rush of Blood to the Head" which was introduced in 2002.

Nirvana - Come as You Are
This the awesome song written by Kurt Cobaine and became the second best single - only be behind "Smells like Teenage Spirit. Uses a simple guitar strum, that is really "gritty sounding", yet appealing. It's great song for you to try out if you are listening to!

Neil Young - Heart of Gold
This was Neil Young's most popular song, and even made the Rolling stone top 500 list. It's a great song when he was recovering from a bad back injury. It's a great song with a harmonica sound and deep meaning. It's a very simple song that was definitely popular and accessible for many beginners to play!

If you go to Imeem, and type all of these songs in, you should be able to stream them and listen to the songs yourself!

Who wants to Learn to Play Guitar Step-By-Step with songs like: Pink Floyd, Green Day, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles? Learn how to play the guitar, hold a guitar correctly, how to perfectly tune your guitar, play every chord with ease, and develop habits that will make you play any song. Visit http://learn-to-play-the-guitar-now.blogspot.com/ - for a Step-By-Step Tutorial on how you can play any song you want!

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

2008-02-20T16:41:00.000-08:00

You Just Gotta Have An Amplifier When You Play The Guitar!

If you want the ultimate, amazing sounds when you are playing the guitar then no doubt about it, you have got to have an amplifier for your guitar playing experience! An amplifier will give you the guitarist, the ability to stand out more when playing for a crowd, the other instruments will not be so loud, that they totally end up drowning your sounds out. An amplifier will also allow you the ability to create some really amazing special affects when you are playing guitar, along with always having a more controlled, smooth sound, when playing the guitar. Ofcourse obviously, you will also have a tremendous amount of volume, which everyone loves. The sounds that you can create will be mind blowing, compared to playing the guitar without an amplifier.

Keep in mind when you are out shopping for the perfect amplifier that you do not need to purchase the first one that you come across and always, no matter what, try out the amplifier, before you take it home! It depends on which type of guitar you are playing as to what kind of amplifier you will be needing for your purchase. Each one may sound a little bit different. Some amplifiers may not give you a crisp, smooth, loud sounding guitar, as you are hoping for, because it may not be compatible with your guitar that you are using. Take your guitar with you, everywhere you go. Just in case you are out one day and decide to go into a music store to purchase an amplifier for your guitar. This way, you will have it with you so that you can try it out with that amplifier before you decide

on purchasing it or not.

Volume is key when you are playing the guitar, so having the correct amplifier is a must when it comes to creating those unbelievably, outrageous, loud tunes! You will know right away if the amplifier you are looking at buying is right for you or not, if when you crank it up, it begins to sound poor, like crackling or unclear, you will know to look for something different for your guitar. There will many different types of amplifiers to choose from when you are out on your search for the perfect amplifier for your guitar playing fun. Bigger is not always better when it comes to purchasing the best amplifier, you will find that many smaller amplifiers have the ability to offer you the best quality sound. You want good, quality sounding volume so that you can play your little heart out and know that everyone in the audience is enjoying themselves and what they are hearing.

Amplifiers will change your guitar playing experience completely. Once you have the wonderful experience of playing your guitar hooked up to an awesome amplifier, you will never go back to playing guitar with one. The sounds are amazing and incredibly loud, which is what every rock star wants!

Are you ready to get started playing the guitar? Click here to sign up for a FREE six-part guitar teaching course.Scott Brooks has been playing guitar for over 25 years.

1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music

...AND THIS IS WHERE ZIGGY PLAYED GUITAR

2008-02-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

by Adrian Mourby

When I was young, there was a song by Roger Miller lodged in the charts: "England swings like a pendulum do, bobbies on bicycles, two by two, Westminster Abbey the tower of Big Ben, the rosy red cheeks of the little children." So bad was this song that the English Tourist Board bought every copy and melted them down. That's what I was told. Nevertheless, enough people had heard Miller's doggerel to deter a generation of music fans from ever visiting the UK.

But maybe enough years have passed. This month, the English Tourist Board's successor, Enjoy England, is launching a campaign to market our pop heritage worldwide. After all, The Beatles made Liverpool famous; Happy Mondays did the same for Manchester, after a fashion. So stand by this year for "England Rocks!", which intends to get us out visiting the venues and birthplaces, the sources of inspiration and the curious streetscapes that ended up on En-glish album covers.

The campaign's pride and enjoy is a hi-tech map on the web where you can type in the name of a band or of a place and see where it fits into the musical history of our nation. What we have is a mixture of the obvious, the arcane and the downright bizarre.

That zebra crossing in Abbey Road is listed, of course. Not surprising given that it is the location of what must be the ul- timate album image, snapped during a 10-minute photo shoot in 1969. A lamp post outside 23 Heddon Street W1 is also on the map because the cover of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars was shot there one night in 1972.

Some locations make it on to the map because they provided unforgettable inspiration. The Thames at Waterloo Bridge gets in simply because Ray Davies wrote about it in "Waterloo Sunset". And Primrose Hill in NW1 is there because Paul McCartney encountered the "Fool on the Hill"

there. Rather tenuously, Cambridge has made a bid for stardom because the lawns outside King's College inspired Roger Waters of Pink Floyd to write "the lunatic is on the grass".

Allegedly. More impressive claims are to be found by the River Tyne, which gets three plugs as the inspiration for Dire Straits's "Southbound Again", Jimmy Nail's "Big River" and Lindisfarne's "Fog on the Tyne".

But it is not surprising that the really big "Oh my God, I must go there" stuff is to be found in Liverpool.

Three of its locations - Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields and that Ferry Across the Mersey - really did inspire great anthems. Moreover, you can visit the stat-ue of Eleanor Rigby (dedicated to "All the lonely people") and stay in the Hard Day's Night Hotel (opening shortly). And there are lots of statues of the Fabulously Wealthy Four themselves - at John Lennon air-port, at the Cavern Walks shopping centre, over the Beatles Shop in Matthew Street and outside the reconstructed Cavern Club itself. You can also visit Mendips, the childhood home of John Lennon, and Forthlin Road, the home of Paul. Both houses now belong to the National Trust.

There are some other imaginative bits of blue pla-query, including Freddie Mercury's house in Logan Place, Ridgmount Gardens, where Bob Marley smoked his first UK wacky baccy, and the tree into which Marc Bolan smashed his Mini GT on Barnes Common. Some of the memorabilia stretch the point, though. Would a Pulp fan really go all the way to Castle Market in Sheffield because Jarvis Cocker worked on a wet fish stall there?

Some places do deserve a place in the rock hall of fame.

The University of Leeds refectory has a reasonable claim as the place where, in 1970, The Who recorded Live at Leeds. In Brighton there are Quadrophenia Tours for people who want to relive Franc Roddam's Mods and Rockers epic. In St Mary's Churchyard, Henley, you can visit the stone marking where Dusty Springfield's ashes were scattered and join her fans celebrating Dusty Day on 15 April.

On the whole, though, this is a promotion that will ap-peal primarily to the nerds who already knew - or cared - that the Arctic Monkeys'

first gig was at The Grapes in Sheffield. For most of us, the places on this map are going to be more a talking point than a point of pilgri-mage, but as long as England Rocks rather than swings, the UK will survive it.

Twang Twang, You Suck At Guitar.

2008-02-02T14:36:00.000-08:00

What's That Buzzing?

It's you man ! Youre buzzing all over them frets. Why? Finger Placement chump. It's all about Fingering.

Come on, play the guitar like Eric Johnson. Not gonna happen but listen to Eric. He's so famous for his perfect tone, impeccable phrasing and neater than neat guitar notes. It's only the select few that can reach his heights but this will give you and idea of how each note is crucial to the overall sound and quality.

Nuff Said, now go practice....1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music

What To Look For In A New Guitar

2008-02-01T20:29:00.000-08:00

So you want to buy a new guitar. Well consider that most if not all new guitarists aren't sure of what kind of guitar they should buy when they decide to purchase. So let's break it down in discuss what to look for and things that will help you choose what Guitar to invest in.
Tone
1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music
First decide are you going to play an Electric Guitar or an Acoustic?
This is probably the single most important thing to look at in a guitar. Is it country, rock, blues, or jazz, and will you need to have a tone that fits your musical genre? Of course you will. You wouldn't want to play a guitar that is perfect for country music in a heavy metal band. So this is the First thing to consider.

Blues

So If you are playing blues, you need a guitar that has a bluesy tone. That being said, there are a few guitars that are perfect for that style: Semi-acoustic electric guitars with "soapbox" humbuckers sound great, as do Fender Stratocasters. The other important thing to achieve a blues tone is your strings. In blues, the heavier the string, the better the sound. You can't achieve the right sound using extra light gauge strings. They won't have the resonance, the bottom end or the mid range of the heavier strings.

Also if you are playing electric guitar blues style then your amplifier will make a difference on your tone. If you are using a vintage amplifier, preferably tube amp, you will notice a BIG difference in the tone.

Country

Country music wants a brighter tone from the electric guitar. To get the brightest tones, it is best to use a guitar with single coil pickups. The two best guitars for this category are the Fender Stratocaster and Fender Telecaster. Using a Tele, it is as easy as plugging in and playing really. On the Strat, there is a secret that a lot of guitarists don't know that I am going to share with you.

A lot of Nashville guitarist call it the 'Nashville Sound'. Simply put your toggle switch all the way to the bridge pickup. Then start sliding it back to the next position toward the neck. In between the bridge position and the second position, you will find a sweet spot. The switch will not be locked into place on either pickup but the sound is awesome. It takes only a minute to find it and when you do, the sound is incredible.

Again, the amplifier plays a big key on the sound of an electric guitar as well. A lot of Nashville musicians use a Peavey Classic VT/Series Tube amplifier or the newer Peavey Classic. Behringer also makes a great amplifier that is used in country music.

Jazz

For jazz guitarist, a good semi-acoustic electric guitar is almost vital. The pickups on these guitars are usually humbuckers. For tone, a medium gauge set of strings is suggested.

As far amplifiers go, just about any 'natural' sounding amplifier will work. My personal recommendations are Mesa Boogie, or Peavey. They recreate a good sound.

Rock

Last but not least, let's look at rock and roll. Getting the right tone for rock and roll is tricky. Maybe you want a heavy sound that a standard 6 string can't give you so you get a 7 string guitar. The best 7 string guitars are made by Ibanez. Since the conception in the late 80's or early 90's, Ibanez has perfected the tone from the instrument.

If you don't want a 7 string but want that same tone, you can get the same tone from a 6 string using heavy gauge strings. The guitar should have humbucker pickups to get better tone as well. Guitars recommended for this are Gibson Les Pauls and Ibanez.

For a more modern top 40 rock style, the sound would vary. For the retro sounds heard in a lot of today's alternative music, Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters are used. Sometimes, the Fender Jaguar is played as well. For the heavier sounds, you would need a guitar with the humbuckers and probably two of the best guitars for this would be the Gibson Les Paul and Paul Reed Smith.
1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music
To get the tone at the amplifier, it is important to have a good tube or solid state amplifier that can model a tube amp. Mesa Boogie has the leading edge on tone in rock music as does Marshall. Other good amplifiers are made by Peavey, Crate, Behringer, and Fender.

Playability

The way the instrument plays determines a lot on your happiness with it. You can have a guitar that makes the most beautiful sound but you hate to play it. It is said that the perfect guitar will be like an extension of your body. I have found this to be true with my number 1 axe. Whenever I pick it up and play, it feels like a natural extension of my body.

After you pick the guitar that you want for tone, play it and see if it frets right. If the strings are too high, adjust the torsion rod and intonation. This in itself could make the world of difference on your guitar. If you don't know how to adjust these yourself, call your local guitar shop. It usually costs no more than $14 and takes about 30 minutes to do it.

Think about these things before purchasing your first or next guitar. It may save you a lot of headache and money

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Helpful Information On Learning Your Basic Guitar Chords

2008-01-25T10:24:00.000-08:00

1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music

Learning guitar chords can be very complicated and even confusing at times, even for a more advanced guitar player. There are so many different guitar chord combinations that trying to remember all of them can really be a headache. It is going to take a lot of determination and dedication in order to achieve this goal. Learning these guitar chords is vital to your guitar playing ability and techniques. These different chords can give you the experience of performing great sounding solo acts as well as what you can achieve playing with others.

If you can just allow yourself the time that it will take to practice and learn these guitar chords, you will be prepping yourself for learning how to play many different amazing, rock n roll songs, to impress your family and friends with. They will be shocked at your new abilities of your guitar playing techniques, and they will definitely love it. Everyone loves a rock star and seeing someone play their heart out on any instrument is just aspiring and an overall wonderful experience. It might even motivate you to try and pick up learning a new instrument, perhaps even a guitar. Anyone can play the guitar and learn the chords if they really, really want it. That is all it takes. The desire and just going after what you want.

An actual chord is three different notes that are played together, so if when you strum any three guitar strings, you are then creating three different sounds at once. The highest amount of guitar chords is six. These guitar chords are placed into three different categories, minor, seventh and major. All of the chord groups will have their

own sound and their own little feel to them, making them all different and unique. Major chords sound very stern and more complete, where seventh chords have more of an incomplete sound to them and more upbeat, minor chords can create a more solemn or mellow mood sound.

Break the chords down into little families, each one doing something different, then these can be combined in sequences with one another, creating a song. Breaking the chords down in such a way will prevent you from having to just rely on memorizing and getting bored with the whole idea of it. It keeps things fun and interesting for you, during this learning process. By learning how to play chords in this manner you will allow yourself the ability to master the goal at hand, instead of skipping around to new chords, doing that would only cause you frustration and confusion.

Learning guitar chords is quite difficult but it does not have to feel impossible for you. If you apply yourself properly and dedicate your time to learning the chords in different ways then you will soon be on your way to a more professional sounding guitar and much better techniques than you ever had before. It will not happen overnight, practice, practice and more practice, did I say practice? Yes, practice, that is the key!

1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music

Play Them Guitar Strings

2008-01-24T22:01:00.000-08:00

Guitar strings come in many shapes and materials. This How-To will help you choose guitar strings for your electric guitar

So you should Ask yourself these questions first:

Firstly what style of music do you play? Is your normal touch with the guitar soft or hard? What kind of tone do you prefer?

Based on how you answer these questions, you will be able to determine what type of guitar strings will work best for you. Keep in mind that these questions are related to each other; in most cases, a certain style of music requires a typical tone, although the 'rules' can always be broken.

What types of guitar strings are there? Well strings come in different gauges (thicknesses), alloys and windings. How does each factor influence the tone and your playing?

1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music

Gauge: A heavy gauge means a thicker string, a light gauge a thinner string. A thicker string produces a heavier and more cutting tone, while a thinner string sounds softer and produces a less 'present' or cutting tone. Thinner strings break more easily; you will get less mileage for your money from a thin string than from a thick string. String bending gets easier as string thickness decreases. Specifically, the range of pitch attainable in a bend (before breaking) is greater with a thinner string and the amount of force required for a given pitch change is less. On the other hand, heavy strings sustain better than light ones. The heavier the strings, the longer they will ring after a note is plucked or a chord is strummed. - The string gauge is usually indicated on the sleeve, e.g. .010-.046; this means the highest string (E-string) measures .010 inches in diameter, the lowest .046 inches. String gauges available for electric guitar typically range from .008-.038 to .12-.54. - Using heavier gauge strings means more tension on the neck of the guitar; you might have to adjust the warp of the neck by turning the truss rod in order to get the right action.

Alloy: The type of metal of which guitar strings are made influences their tone and playability. - Chromes: Strings with chrome as part of the alloy, produce a mellower, warmer tone, so do pure nickel strings. Chromes sound flatter in comparison to pure nickel.

1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music

Buying Guitars . Steps To Think About

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Guitars are favored instruments by almost all musical performers today. Anywhere you go, you will find this instrument or one of its relatives. With the ability of creating dashing sounds or emotional undertones, the guitar is the all round choice for any music lover. Guitarists like Jimmy Hendrix and Eric Clapton brought this instrument to the masses.

The electric guitar uses an amplifier to produce louder sound. This guitar has a base and is fit for rock groups. Then there is the Spanish guitar can be played with only strumming the strings. No extra amplification is required. It is lighter in tone than the electric guitar.

1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music

Let us now look at how we can buy a guitar. Always a safest option is to physically inspect and purchase the product from a nearby store. However if you purchase online then keep in mind the following factors. Ensure that the guitar is shipped by a reputable packing and mailing agency. These agencies will also give you the option to call them up and have them inspect your product.

Go to reputable sites and verify your retailer. If you are purchasing from a private individual, be extra careful. It is always advisable that you buy from a big store that has reputation. Remember, that the retailer has to give you a 30 day money back option. It is necessary for all retailers to do this, although unfortunately they do not all do it. You need to see how the instrument plays so if you do order online be sure that you can return it if it is no good. For any music lover can tell

you that simply playing different models of the same instruments in a store gives out different quality.

How do you become a top quality guitarist? Decide what type of guitar do you want to play. There are many types in various categories and a good choice has to be made in the beginning. To avoid confusion, select the simplest instrument first. The Spanish guitar or a simple acoustic should be fine.

Finding a good teacher is important. The teacher must have good communication skills with positive attitude. He or she must understand that guitar is not am easy instrument to learn by any means and it will take the student some time to get use to the various aspect of the instrument.

The next step of course is practice. Without proper practice and exercise, a guitarist can not develop his or her skills and muscles in the arm. This leads to pain and frustration later on. IT also reduces the playing time of a musician.

Following these simple steps can stop you from suffering a great deal while mastering the guitar once and for all.

Guitars are excellent instruments and are used today in all kinds of music. They are used in solo performance as well as in ensembles. Every orchestral performance today includes at least 2 guitarist's playing different types of instruments. Guitars give bass to the entire band and can be of great help in playing the lead.

1st Guitar Fret A Cool Resource for Guitars and Music