Monday, September 24, 2012
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Monday, January 2, 2012
Friday, June 3, 2011
Play the Guitar: How to Get Started Playing the Guitar
When I began to play the guitar, I learned things the hard way, trying to play chords right away. Yet my fingers just couldn't find the right position to make the guitar sound good. I was frustrated, even though I wanted to play the guitar well.
I bought my first guitar in 1989. But it's only been in the past five years that I've really focused on playing the guitar well. And now, I'm pretty good. I can jam with good musicians and I can sit down and entertain myself for hours with my guitar.
Today, I'd rather play guitar than watch TV. Think about it this way, at the end of an hour of TV, I'm relaxed and I've wasted an hour. After an hour of playing guitar, I'm relaxed and I'm a better guitar player.
TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH
But how I got to where I can play today was very different from the way most guitar teachers teach guitar. Most guitar students start out with a cheap acoustic guitar and immediately try to play chords.
The problem is that cheap acoustic guitars are very hard to play for a first time guitarist. The strings are too big. The neck is too fat. Your fingers are too weak to push down the strings hard enough to get a good sound. Let's face it, most beginner guitar players have a cheap acoustic guitar stashed somewhere in the house. And that cheap guitar is holding them back from being a guitar player.
This means that a cheap acoustic guitar is the wrong way to start playing guitar. I suggest you take a different approach.
START WITH ELECTRIC GUITAR
What I learned is it's better to start out with a decent electric guitar. This will get you started playing comfortably quickly and inspire you to keep playing until you get to the point where you're pretty good-good enough to play with other musicians.
I suggest that you go to a guitar store, like Guitar Center and buy a used guitar for about $300. That's the price point where you get a decent guitar that you can play as a beginner and sound good immediately. A good guitar shop will make sure the guitar set up so that it plays well. I suggest you skip the "starter pack guitars" because they're not good enough that you can play well as a beginner. Getting a used guitar for about $300 will get you a better quality guitar than you can buy new.
Most people choose acoustic guitars because they don't need an amplifier to play. With electric guitars requiring a guitar amplifier to hear which are playing about doubles the cost of getting started. The problem is that cheap guitar amplifiers sound awful.
That's all changed today because you can plug your electric guitar into your iPhone, your iTouch, or your iPad and get thousands of dollars worth of guitar effects for $30 (more on this in another article). You'd pay more than that for a cheap guitar tuner for your acoustic guitar. Just plug in your headphones and you'll sound like you're in front of the stack of Marshall amplifiers.
LOSE THE CHORDS
Instead of starting off trying to play chords, get your hands strong. You need to strengthen your hands by just playing scales. I know, that sounds boring! Yet if you are willing to sit down with your guitar for 15 minutes a day and teach your fingers how to move, in two weeks you'll get enough strength and control to easily make guitar chords. If you don't do this, you're going to be frustrated and stop playing the guitar. Consider this to be "paying the dues" to play guitar.
STRENGTHEN YOUR FINGERS
You don't have to play real scales, all you have to do is exercise your fingers to make them stronger and respond to your mental commands. So start off at the neck of the guitar and the biggest string, and pick and fret (push down the string with your finger, but only hard enough to get a clean sound) and cycle through from your index finger to your middle finger to your ring finger to your pinky, and reverse that. Go slowly, making sure that you have a nice clean tone for each string.
Then move to the next string, and repeat. Do this for 10 or 15 minutes every day, or for 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening. Over two weeks your fingers will gain strength and you'll increase the dexterity so your brain will know how to move each finger. Now you start form chords. (More on that in another article.)
I learned an awful lot from a downloaded course that I could watch on my computer. It cost less than an hour with a private instructor. I suggest that you check it out. http://playtheguitar.biz
Look for other articles where I share ideas on how to get started playing the guitar quickly.
Mark S A Smith is passionate about playing the guitar and he loves to teach people how to get started playing guitar music fast.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
How to Start Playing Guitar - Part One of Three - Which Guitar to Buy
One of the most important first decisions (after deciding that you want to start playing guitar) is which type of music you want to play. Usually, people want to start playing the music they listen to. And while that is a good initial thought, each type of music is filled with sub-genre's and some are extremely hard to begin with. For example, I love jazz music, but even after 30 years of playing, I still find it difficult to really play jazz the way I want to. (If jazz is your passion, and jazz guitar is what you want to learn to play, then I strongly suggest getting a personal instructor.)
If you already have your style of music decided, the first step is what type of guitar to buy. Generally, your choices are acoustic or electric. (Obviously with an electric, you'll need someway to hear the guitar. Buying the right amp is a whole other conversation!) With acoustics, there are six string, 12 string, resonators, acoustic/electric, classical or nylon string, and jazz acoustic guitars. Though there are hundreds of different styles of guitar, this list is complete enough for this conversation. With electric guitars, your choice really depends on the type of music you aim to play. I have three electrics; Fender American Strat used for Rock, Blues. Fender Strat with a humbucker pickup in addition to two single coils, used for heavy rock. And a hollow body jazz guitar, used for jazz. For the purposes of this article, I will focus only to acoustic guitars.
Below is a list of what style of acoustics guitars are generally used for which type of music.
Folk, mellow rock, rock, oldies, "camp fire songs, Alternative, Pop"- Acoustic 6 string own this category. Though 12 strings add a wonderful sound, many players in this style use fingerpicking, which is much more difficult with a 12 string.
Country, Blues, Bluegrass- The Resonator rules here. Though too twangy for some, I play a 6 string reso for blues almost exclusively. For country, the reso adds a wonderful depth to the music, though 6 strings are more popular for modern country songs. With Resonators, there are several choices. Round neck, square neck, biscuit or spider bridge, tri-cone or single cone, wood body or metal body. It's all a matter of personal taste. One thing is very important, a square neck can only be played with a slide and can not be fingered like normal guitars. The strings are raised very high making any type of playing besides slide impossible. If you want a versatile guitar, get a round neck, that can be played like any other 6 string guitar but still gives you that great reso sound and the option to play bottle neck slide.
What brand/model of guitar to buy.
Price is a HUGE deciding factor. Guitars range from $79.00 to well over $10,000. For the most part, guitars priced over $3,000 are usually signature models or special editions and are more of collectors models. If you are just starting out, decide on your budget but even if you have millions, I would suggest you avoid anything over $3,000.
For the rest of us, budget is very important. If you are someone who really sticks to their decisions, and if your budget allows, then I suggest you look at guitars in the $700 to $2000 range. If you think this may be a passing fad, then spend around $150 to $300. If you are somewhere in between, then aim for a guitar in the $250 to $700 range.
What is the real difference in pricing? Three main things.
Sound. More expensive guitars are always made from real, solid wood. Cheaper guitars use laminates or, if they are real wood, cheaper quality woods. I've owned cheap guitars and high end guitars and the difference in sound is astounding. Sure, you can buy a cheaper guitar, add high quality strings and have the guitar set up by a luthier, but it will only sound like a cheap guitar with good strings. Also, a main factor in sound is intonation. That means that the guitar is it tune with itself. There are ways to check intonation that are pretty easy but no easy way to fix it. While you're in the guitar store, either tune the guitar to standard tuning (EADGBE) or have the salesperson do it. Then play each string while holding the sting down on the 12th fret. The sound should be exactly the same as when the string is open, only one octave higher. Unless you have perfect pitch, you'll need a tuner to make sure that the string is in tune both open and at the 12th fret. If it is right on for every string, the guitar has good intonation. If it is off a little, any decent guitar tech can adjust it. But, if it is off quite a bit, then the guitar will always sound out of tune whenever you play a chord. If this is the case, put the guitar down and find another.
Quality and Durability. I bought an inexpensive 12 string several years ago, and within two years, the bridge (the part of guitar that holds the strings down to the face of the guitar) pulled away from the guitar. Though it could be fixed, the fix would cost $150. The guitar only cost me $300. Not worth it. Another big factor is the neck. Poorly made necks have a tendency to pull away from the guitar, making it either very hard or nearly impossible to play. If a neck gets warped, it is time to throw the guitar away or get ready for a hefty repair bill. And if you spent a few hundred (or less) on the guitar, any repairs won't be worth it. While we are on the neck, inexpensive guitars usually have "high" action. That means that the strings are high off the neck. High strings are common on cheaper guitars because it costs time and money to set up a guitar properly. Many beginners quit playing because their fingers hurt and they are unable to properly finger or sound many of the chords. My opinion to all my students is to make sure the guitar you buy has acceptable action or get ready for very sore fingers and having to build incredibly strong fingers and hands!
Resale Value. Inexpensive guitars are almost impossible to resell when you are either ready to upgrade or are ready to quit playing. I once bought a guitar for $200 for my son. He played it for around two hours then it sat in his room for 6 months. I went to trade it in and was offered a whopping $25 dollars store credit. Another guitar I paid $1500 I sold on eBay two years later for $1200. Big difference.
I assume you know what type of music you want to play and have your budget in mind. Below, I will list several guitar makes/models that I have experience with and have recommended to students and friends.
Budget Guitars $100 to $200- Rouge, Epiphone (some models) Carlos, Fender acoustics, Applause. Hohner, Jasmine
Mid Priced Guitars- $200 to $700 Garisson, Ovation, Washburn, Takamine, Breedlove, Seagull, Alvarez, Yamaha, Epiphone
Higher End Guitars $900 to $2000- Martin, Taylor, Gibson, Breedlove Guild, Blueridge, Alvarez
Again, unless you really don't believe that you will stick to playing the guitar, then I strongly suggest you at least look into a mid priced guitar. Check used guitars as well. Never buy a budget guitar used, but you probably can get a great deal on a mid priced or high end guitar on eBay or your local music store.
The reason I only discussed acoustic guitars is that I have been playing acoustics for over thirty years and have a lot of experience with them. As for electrics, my experience is only with Jazz guitars, Fender Strats and Telecasters, and Gibson Les Pauls. Though I don't think there is any need to know anymore than these three!
In the next article in this series, I will discuss beginning guitar lessons and tips to getting the most out of your start.
Tom
T Patrick Phelps is a professional writer and accomplished guitarist. His knowledge of guitars and his innovative teaching methods, combined with his writing skills, have afforded him the ability to write numerous EBOOKS centered around guitars and guitar playing. He offers private guitar lessons for adults in the Central New York area. Visit http://www.tpatrickphelps.com for more information, to purchase an EBOOK, or to contact for lessons.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tips For Playing Electric Acoustic Guitar
For the experienced player, an acoustic guitar is an
indispensable songwriting tool, practice partner, and the most
portable means to take your music with you. Here's a series tips
for playing an acoustic electric guitar designed to help you get
the most out of this versatile instrument.
Whether you are a songwriter, guitar teacher, coffee shop
musician, studio musician or someone who just plays purely for
pleasure the sound of an acoustic guitar can enhance your project
and inspire your creativity.
Sometimes, because of the volume of the other instruments in the
band, the size of the venue or particular recording project we're
working on, it's necessary to amplify the acoustic guitar ... it
happens to all of us so we need to be prepared!
Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 1
If you are buying an acoustic electric guitar there's an
incredible range to choose from, the first thing to keep in mind
is that no matter pick-up, microphone, effects unit, amplifier or
P.A you run your guitar through they can only amplify the
original sound.
That's the key, you should get the best acoustic guitar for your
particular application. The guitar must sound great without the
pick up and amplification, no amount of electrical effects can
save a poor sounding acoustic instrument.
I repeat, if you are considering buying an acoustic electric
guitar make certain that the guitar sounds great before you plug
it in.
Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 2
What type of acoustic guitar do you need? Do you need a six
string, steel strung guitar? Would a nylon string acoustic guitar
be more suitable? If you are a solo artist maybe a 12 string
acoustic guitar would be best.
Which guitar is best? The answer will depend entirely on your
application. To help you get started here is a couple of general
observations.
(a) The bulk acoustic rhythm guitar that we hear on the radio is
played on a six string, steel strung guitar played with a pick.
(b) Nylon guitars are becoming more popular in pop music due to
their capability to produce harmonic content in a frequency range
that will not affect the lead vocal. In this situation the nylon
strung guitar is generally played with a pick, instead of being
played with the fingers as it would be played in classical music.
(c) The 12-string guitar works most effectively by itself or with
little accompaniment for it takes up a lot of the frequency and
musical range.
Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 3
What size acoustic guitar will you need? Do you need a Jumbo,
Dreadnought, 7/8 or folk size?
Keeping in mind we want to get the best acoustic sound from the
guitar. Essentially the top of a guitar is similar to the sound
board of a piano, you should avoid guitars with volume/tone
controls etc, mounted on the guitar top. Ideally, we want the
guitar top to vibrate freely, even the wrong type of bridge pins
can significantly effect the tone and projection of your guitar.
A guitar that has brass bridge pins will have far less volume
than a guitar with rosewood bridge pins. Make certain you have a
close look at all these details. It's just common sense, but a
lot of great instruments are over-looked and all they need is a
slight adjustment.
In this situation the added weight of the brass bridge pins would
restrict the vibrations of the guitar top, reducing the volume
and projection of the instrument. Simply by replacing the brass
bridge pins with wood bridge pins would give the guitar a
completely different and improved sound.
In theory a Jumbo size acoustic guitar should give us the best
acoustic sound. In some cases this in not practical because of
the sheer size of the instrument and the size of the person
playing the guitar.
The most popular size is the dreadnaught size acoustic guitar.
However, some players find the sound of the dreadnaught guitar
too "boxy" and prefer the 7/8 of folk size guitars.
Lead guitarists tend to favor smaller body guitars because they
tend to have a more balanced sound to them and are easier to cut
through the band when playing with other musicians.
Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 4
Do you need a cut-a-way acoustic? This is an important question,
the majority of acoustic electric guitars available in most music
stores are cut-a-ways. Working on our "best acoustic guitar
sound" theory it makes sense that the standard acoustic (non cut-
a-way) guitar will have a fuller, richer sound as the guitar top
is left intact.
If you are playing acoustic rhythm and don't need to play lead
parts up on the 15th,17th frets you don't need a cut-a-way.
Tips for playing acoustic electric guitar: tip 5
Public enemy number one of the acoustic guitar is feedback.
So you go out to the average music gig and hold your beautiful
acoustic guitar up to the average little dynamic microphone. All
is going well until, they turn on the amplification and ... there
it is feedback!
How do we overcome this howling, annoying sound? A simple way to
overcome the feedback issue is to:
(a) use a "feedback buster" this is little rubber plug that fits
in the sound hole of your acoustic guitar, essentially it reduces
the feedback problem be making the top of the guitar similar to
that of a solid body acoustic guitar, whilst it greatly reduces
the acoustic qualities of the guitar, the feedback buster can be
quickly removed without having to loosen the strings.
(b) try and move away from the amplifier/ speakers and definitely
don't face your acoustic guitar into the speakers.
We've now covered some of the basic tips for playing acoustic
electric guitar, take your time a get the best acoustic guitar
without the electronic's and the rest will be a piece of cake.
Mike Hayes is a teacher, author, speaker and consultant. Get his tips and tested strategies proven to boost your guitar playing his membership site at http://www.guitarcoaching.com today.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
An Intervallic Method for Memorizing and Playing Scales on the Guitar
Discover the only method that will enable you to memorize and play over 150 scales on the guitar in hours instead of years!
Check it out!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
See Who’s Playing Glastonbury This Summer
The full Glastonbury lineup is out! To be held June 24-26 at Worthy Farm in Somerset, England, the festival will feature headliners U2, Coldplay and Beyonce. In addition, The Mirror reports today that Kanye West, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin and husband Jay-Z will join the former Destiny’s Child member on stage during the festival.
Though Glastonbury is technically already sold out, refunded and cancelled tickets will go on sale this Sunday, April 17, at 9 a.m. via www2.seetickets.com/g2011/?.
The full Glastonbury lineup is as follows:
June 24
Pyramid Stage
U2
Morrissey
Biffy Clyro
B.B. King
Wu-Tang Clan
Two Door Cinema Club
Metronomy
The Master Musicians of Joujouka
Other Stage
Primal Scream
Mumford And Sons
Fleet Foxes
Bright Eyes
The Wombats
The Vaccines
The Kills
Brother
Chipmunk
John Peel Stage
DJ Shadow
Example
The Coral
I Am Kloot
Darwin Deez
Cage the Elephant
Miles Kane
Mona
Stonefield
Cocoon
The Park Stage
Crystal Castles
Caribou
Special Guests
Big Audio Dynamite
Warpaint
Jenny & Johnny
Caitlin Rose
Dylan Le Blanc
Group Love
Narisarato
West Holts
Cee Lo Green
Chase And Status
Jimmy Cliff
Heliocentrics with Mulatu
Little Dragon
Gonjasufi
Dengue Fever
Ziriguidum
Acoustic Stage
Brit Floyd
Raul Malo from The Mavericks
Eric Bibb
Hothouse Flowers
Newton Faulkner
The Otway Band
Sean Rowe
Gabrielle Aplin
Rainy Boy Sleep
East Dance
Fatboy Slim
Fatboy v. Carl Cox
Carl Cox
Ke$ha
The Midnight Beast
Katy B
Fenech Soler
Mike Posner
Beardyman
Oxlyers On West
Annie Mac
Erol Alkan
James Holden
Jamie xx
Sbtrkt Live
Jim Jones Revue
King Blues
The Guillemots
Emmy the Great
Summer Camp
Dry the River
Danny and the Champions of the World
Spirit Of 71
Melanie
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Edgar Broughton
Shpongle DJ Set feat Raja Ram
Murray Lachlan Young
Noel Harrison Trio and Friends
Solstice String Quartet
Glade Stage
Asian Dub Foundation
Younger Brother
Robert Babicz
Engine Earz
Dub FX
Pathaan
Nathan Lee
June 25
Pyramid Stage
Coldplay
Elbow
Paolo Nutini
Tinie Tempah
Rumer
The Gaslight Anthem
Tame Impala
Stornoway
Other Stage
The Chemical Brothers
White Lies
Friendly Fires
Jimmy Eat World
Jessie J
Twilight Singers
Treetop Flyers
Alice Gold
John Peel Stage
Glasvegas
Battles
Noah and the Whale
The Horrors
Warpaint
Anna Calvi
Dry the River
Yuck
Brave Yesterday
The Park Stage
Wild Beasts
James Blake
Special Guests
Tame Impala
The Walkmen
Graham Coxon
Those Dancing Days
About Group
Baelearic Folk Orchestra
Ellen & The Escapades
West Holts
Big Boi
Janelle Monae
Aloe Blacc
Fools Gold
Omar Souleyman
Brandt Bauer Frick
Nicolas Jaar Live
Narasirato
London Afrobeat Collective
Acoustic
Deacon Blue
Nick Lowe
Pentangle
Thea Gilmore sings Dylan’s John Wesley Harding
The Webb Sisters
Emily and The Woods
Isobel Anderson
Kassidy
Simon Lynge
East Dance
Professor Green
Devlin
Labrinth
Wretch 32
Jodie Connor
MistaJam
Skepta
Yasmin
Giggs
MZ Bratt
P Money
Griminal
Dot JR
Oxlyers On West
John Digweed
Sander Kleinenberg - 5K Live featuring Dev
Yousef
Zinc
Krafty Kuts with Dynamite MC
Dreadzone
Cherry Ghost
Patrick Wolf
Pulled Apart By Horses
Brother
Fujiya & Miyagi
Phoenix Foundation
Exlovers
Spirit Of 71
Terry Reid
Linda Lewis
BJ Cole and Emily Burridge
Nick Lowe
Pink Fairies
Charlie Dore & the Hula Valley Orchestra
Bex Marshall
Tom E.Lewis
Baku Dan with Moussa Kouaty
Glade Stage
Lee Scratch Perry
Don Letts
Hiatus Feat. LKJ
Prem Joshua
Tristan
Gaudi Live
Tom E.Lewis
Black Jesus Experience
June 26
Pyramid Stage
Beyonce
Pendulum
Plan B
Paul Simon
Laura Marling
Don McLean
The Low Anthem
Fisherman's Friends
Other Stage
Queens of the Stone Age
Kaiser Chiefs
Eels
TV on the Radio
Bombay Bicycle Club
The Noisettes
Cold War Kids
Clare Maguire
Dan Mangan
John Peel Stage
The Streets
Robyn
Hurts
The Vaccines
Everything Everything
OK GO
The Joy Formidable
Foster The People
Ragu Dixit
My Tiger Timing
The Park Stage
Gruff Rhys
Lykke Li
John Grant
The Bees
James Vincent McMorrow
Jonny
Sea of Bees
The Pierces
Troy Ellis & Hall Jamaica
West Holts
Kool & The Gang
Hercules and Love Affair
The Go! Team
Duane Eddy
Bellowhead
Jah Wobble & the Nippon Dub Ensemble
Jamie Woon
The Hidden Orchestra
Acoustic
Suzanne Vega
Imelda May
John Cooper Clarke
Wine Women & Song
London Community Gospel Choir
The Magnets
Iona Marshall
Caitlin Rose
Ellyn Maybe
East Dance
Pete Tong
The Japanese Popstars
Steve Lawler
Claude Vonstroke
Azari & 111
Funkagenda & Chris Lake B2B
Mark Knight
Matt Hardwick
Oxlyers On West
Subfocus & ID
Photek
DJ Fresh
Caspa & Rod Azlan
Skream & Benga
Joker
Metronomy
dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip
Egyptian Hip Hop
Crystal Fighters
Cults
Esben And The Witch
Mirrors
Spirit Of 71
System 7
Nik Turner’s Space Ritual
Robyn Hitchcock
Chris Jagger
Gringo Ska
Nigel Mazyln Jones
Avalon Free State Choir
Glade Stage
Plump DJs
Pretty Lights
Freestylers
London Elektricity
Camo & Krooked
Mr Nice
Correspondents
Sashi & The Wild Beans
Oxlyers On West
Annie Mac
Erol Alkan
James Holden
Jamie xx
Sbtrkt Live
Jim Jones Revue
King Blues
The Guillemots
Emmy The Great
Summer Camp
Dry the River
Danny and the Champions of the World
New Jerry Garcia Footage: ‘Playing Guitar was My Main Trip’
The Grateful Dead Movie – first released in 1977 – is scheduled for a one-night re-release in 540 theaters on Wednesday, April 20, and will feature never-before-released footage of late frontman Jerry Garcia talking about learning to play guitar.
“I wanted to teach myself [to play guitar],” says Garcia in the new interview, below. “I wasn’t really into [singing and writing lyrics. I got into that when we started performing. Playing the guitar was my main trip … Even so I wasted a lot of time in terms of learning. I still am not learning as well as I could be under different circumstances. But it’s the only way I can interface my personality with the problem of learning. It’s worth it for those moments where it’s on and your technique isn’t standing in the way.”
The film captures The Grateful Dead’s five-night stand at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco during the fall of 1974.