Learn How to Play Guitar Licks

Guitar Licks Are The Next StepGuitar LicksIf you are new to the guitar then you have probably heard the term 'guitar licks' and may not be quite sure of what they are. Guitar licks are a short, catchy pattern of notes. Licks are different from a riff because a riff can be played with whole chords, but licks are usually leads that are played on one or two strings.A new guitarist will usually begin by imitating other guitar players' licks. This is a great way to begin but as you learn more and more about how to play the guitar, you should combine and play licks from different players and find your own voice.A very common thing that many guitarists do as they start out making up their own licks is that they come up with these patterns while not playing with any other music. Very often, something will sound good all by itself and then when you try to play it in the context of a song with other musicians or instruments, it just doesn't fit. That doesn't mean you have to throw it away. It might just need tweaked a bit by changing the rhythm or a note.Learn To Play Guitar LicksSome of the best music ends up somewhere totally different from the original idea. It's the same with any kind of art and it takes its own course. Making backing tracks of the song is a great way to come up with licks. This way, you start within the song and can noodle until it fits.There are no rules but only best practices for certain people. This is because music comes from within and everyone hears things a little different. Some of the best songs that have ever been written started with just a lick and songs were built around it.Correct practice is the thing that makes a guitar player good. Some guitarists used to claim that too much learning will make you lose the soul of the music and reading music isn't necessary. It's not if you just want to fool around and learn a few chords for fun. But if you want to be an above average player then I think you need to learn music theory. A writer learns how to read before he writes a best-seller and a painter learns how to paint before he paints a masterpiece. All great guitar players continue to evolve and learn. This is because they have a passion for the instrument and are continually seeking knowledge about how to play.Here is a video from one of my favorite guitar teachers. He has tons of great lessons and I use his site a lot for learning new songs and getting ideas to improve my playing.Start off with learning a handful of guitar licks that you can throw into most songs. You can take this guitar learning thing as far as you want or just learn some of your favorite songs. The choice is yours, but learning guitar licks is a great way to continue your journey of discovering all that the guitar has to offer. Just close your eyes, feel the music and have a good time.

Posted on: 4 April 2013 | 12:14 am

What Guitar Theory Can Do For Your Guitar Playing

Guitar theory is music theory relating to the guitar fretboard. It helps you to understand why you use the notes you do, which will help you to become a better songwriter and all-around musician. When you understand where to play and what notes you have available to you, you can be more creative in your use of them.Do I Need Guitar Theory?Most of the things that you have learned on the guitar, you probably have learned without knowing why you played it a particular way. You really know much more than you may realize and as you begin learning theory, the pieces will begin clicking together and learning how to play the guitar is going to become much easier.There are a few things to consider and I don't want to rehash other articles, but you need to figure out how much time you can realistically devote to learning theory. You will then need to decide whether you want a real live guitar teacher, sitting across from you in the same room or whether you want to watch online guitar lessons or DVD guitar lessons.The hardest thing about learning theory is staying focused. When you know how to play the guitar already, it is much easier to only learn other people's songs and play cover songs. It is hard for us to step out of our comfort zones and dedicate the time needed to learn theory. Just look back at when you first picked up the guitar and how overwhelming that was. The hours of dedicated practicing and not giving up no matter how frustrated you were, really did pay off.Learning guitar theory will have a positive impact on your playing. Practicing correctly and having the patience to learn, pays huge dividends in the end. You will be left with a new-found confidence in your guitar playing, which results in less nervousness and that results in less mistakes. You will forever have a marketable skill that can feed you for the rest of your life. You can choose the lifestyle that you want.Everyone may have different reasons for learning guitar theory, but ultimately, it will improve anyone's guitar playing. Your curiosity as you play will lead you to learning more. It's the journey that's fun because once you've learned it, it becomes boring and you will be thirsting for more. With the guitar, you need never worry about being bored or running out of new things to learn.Check out this video, which tries to make learning theory easier and less confusing.There are videos all over YouTube that will help you, just be careful that you don't become overwhelmed.  There are a few really good teachers online with Marty Schwartz and Justin Sandercoe giving some great lessons for free.

Posted on: 6 March 2013 | 9:02 pm

Songwriting Tips For Writing Lyrics

Most of us who listen to plenty of hit records, only know that we like a song, but we don't understand why we like it. Once you understand "why" people like certain songs and that most hit records have certain qualities and patterns that make them popular, then you can begin the practice of writing your own music that other people will enjoy listening to. Many people can write beautiful songs, but not everyone will have a hit record enjoyed by the masses. You don't necessarily need to have a song in the 'Top 100' to know how to write a good song.There are some guidelines for writing songs, however, the whole idea of writing your own music is to communicate a feeling or an emotion and to share an experience with others. Use your creativity and inspiration to express yourself in a cohesive way so that others can share your journey and experiences. Here are a few good guidelines to follow:Have a basic theme and layout for your song and don't change the subject of your song halfway through. Decide what your song is about and begin your story.Verse 1 - Begin to tell your story. Just like in a book or a story, use the first line to grab the listener's attention. Decide the rhyming pattern for your verses. Not every line has to rhyme. You can make two lines that don't rhyme and then have the last two lines rhyme. Just be sure to keep the same pattern for every verse or every chorus.  Your first verse should introduce the theme of the song.Pre-chorus - This is a very short phrase that leads into the chorus. You may or may not want to include this in a song. If you don't want to put lyrics here, you can use this space to put a drum roll or a small lead guitar part. You can make it a crescendo, leading into the chorus.Chorus - Make your phrases shorter and catchier for the chorus. When you put the music to the song, the chorus should sound different than the verse and should actually be the main part of your song. This is what the song is about.Verse 2 and so on - Continue your story. Use the same rhyming patterns as the first verse and the same melody.Bridge - This part will be different and you can either calm the song down, preparing for the last chorus or make it a highlighted part of the song, reaching a crescendo and ending the story. You don't have to use the same rhyming pattern as the rest of the song. You need to make sure the song can get back to the chorus smoothly.Chorus - You can repeat the last chorus a few times if you like and this is a great place to do some improvisation.  You can either end strong or fade out. It is entirely up to you.You can have different layouts or patterns to your song. Don't forget that these are just guidelines.For instance:Example 1                         Example 2                         Example 3Intro                                   Intro                                    IntroVerse 1                              Verse 1                               Verse 1Pre-Chorus                        Chorus                                ChorusChorus                               Verse 2                               Verse 2Verse 2                              Chorus                                ChorusPre-Chorus                        Bridge                                 BridgeBridge                                Shortened Verse 3              ChorusPre-Chorus                        Chorus                                ChorusChorus                               OutroChorusSongwriting is a very personal and individual process. These are just some guidelines to follow, but originality is key. You can do whatever you want in a song you write, however, if you want others to enjoy it as well, it does need to make sense to the listener's ears. Use the songwriting tips to your advantage when writing lyrics for your next song. You never know where you are going to end up until you begin!!

Posted on: 19 February 2013 | 2:17 pm

Barre Chords

Learning barre chords will allow you to take the same chord shape and move it up and down the neck. It allows you to know all the chords and find the easiest way to play a song.Barre chords or bar chords are a way of playing a chord shape all over the neck. Here is an illustration:By moving this shape all over the neck, you are playing different chords.The index finger becomes the "nut" behind the chord shape. When you are first learning bar chords, practice holding your index finger across the fret and strum each string, making sure that each one rings out clearly. Use your thumb for leverage by placing it around the neck about halfway down. This will help you to exert more pressure on the strings without having to press harder with your index finger.Your index finger will be holding down either all six strings or five strings. The other three fingers of your hand will be forming a chord shape. The most common chord shapes used for bar chords are:E MajorE minorA MajorA minorThe root note of the barre chord is played on the sixth string or the fifth string, depending on which chord shape is used. This is why learning all the notes on the fifth and sixth string can make learning to play the guitar so much easier. Here are the notes on all the strings, with no sharps or flats.You will use the same pattern of intervals for playing barre chords that you learned when memorizing the neck. I will give you an illustration for all the major chords, using the E major chord shape with the barred notes, up and down the neck.To make an F Major chord, you would barre every string on the first fret with your index finger and then, using your other three fingers, form an E chord on the second and third fret.F MajorBarre Across the First FretG MajorBarre Across the Third FretA MajorBarre Across the Fifth FretB MajorBarre Across the Seventh FretC MajorBarre Across the Eighth FretD MajorBarre Across the Tenth FretE MajorBarre Across the Twelfth FretYou can turn these chords into minor chords by lifting your middle finger off of the third string and the pattern is the same on up the neck. For example:F minorBarre Across the First FretFor the A chord shape barre chords, here are the major chords across the neck. The easiest way to do these chords is to use the index finger to barre and then use the fourth finger to push all three strings needed for the A chord shape.B MajorBarre Across the Second FretC MajorBarre Across the Third FretD MajorBarre Across the Fifth FretE MajorBarre Across the Seventh FretF MajorBarre Across the Eighth FretG MajorBarre Across the Tenth FretA MajorBarre Across the Twelfth FretThe next set of barre chords use the A minor chord shape. These are minor chords across the neck:B minor Barre Across the Second FretC minorBarre Across the Third FretD minorBarre Across the Fifth FretE minorBarre Across the Seventh FretF minorBarre Across the Eighth FretG minorBarre Across the Tenth FretA minorBarre Across the Twelfth FretLearn how to play these chords all over the neck and this will give you the freedom to come up with some great riffs and help you to figure out how to play popular songs. Once again, learn how to do this right by starting off slow and practicing until every string that you pick, rings out clear and true. Learning how to play the guitar can be tough but the pay-off is well worth it.

Posted on: 7 February 2013 | 4:41 pm

Learn How To Play Hammer-Ons And Pull-Offs Faster

Hammer-ons and pull-offs are a very common technique for guitar players and using these techniques are a great way to speed up your playing. However, you need to learn how to properly master these little tricks, otherwise, it just sounds sloppy.You need to develop finger strength and left-hand control. The hardest fingers to control on your fretting hand is your baby finger and you will need to develop the control and strength of this finger. You will also need to control all your fingers to work together.  Here are some exercises tabbed out to practice, which will develop your control and finger strength.As you should already know, a hammer-on is achieved by plucking a string only once and hammering down your fingers on the frets and strings to make the note or notes sound out. Try to maintain steady hammer-ons and pull-offs for 30 seconds. As your strength and control improve, try to go for a full minute. Be sure to use a combination of different fingerings to develop the control you need. Practice 10 to 15 minutes per day and you will be amazed at how quickly you see the fruits of your labor.CLICK ON THE TABLATURE TO BETTER SEE ITTwo Finger Hammer-ons and Pull-offsThree Finger Hammer-ons and Pull-offsThe left hand fingering is below the tablature.Here is a video that shows you a few more hammer-on and pull-off exercises that you can use in your actual playing. It always helps if you can make some music while you are practicing. Have fun and get those fingers strengthened up and in control and it won't be long until you are showing off and impressing everyone with your guitar talent.

Posted on: 29 January 2013 | 2:49 pm

Pickups For Your Acoustic Guitar

Amplifying Your AcousticMany people are not aware that placing electric pick-ups on your acoustic guitar is not always going to make it sound better. Acoustic guitars are made in a way to naturally extend the vibrations that your strings are producing, which makes the guitar louder. Adding a pick-up to a great sounding acoustic can have the reverse effect and the electric pick-ups may end up causing feedback in the amplifier.Sometimes, the worse an acoustic sounds by itself, the better it sounds amplified. Just remember, if you are just playing by yourself, you may not want to put a pick-up on your acoustic. You might want to use a microphone strategically placed in front of your guitar, if you need to be louder. If you do want to put a pick-up on your acoustic guitar, the three most common types that you can get for it are:Under-The-Saddle PiezosCourtesy of  www.dv247.comMagnetic Pickups Mounted in SoundholeCourtesy of www.frets.comContact Pickups (Soundboard Transducers)Courtesy of www.frets.comAdding more than one can get an even better sound.A good pre-amp with multi-band EQ is very important to get the right sound out of your acoustic guitar, as well as, an amp with a multi-band EQ on it. You may have to get an amplifier that you use only for your acoustic. The amp you get for your acoustic should have a high-frequency horn and one or two bass-friendly speakers.  Add some reverb and chorus and your acoustic is going to sound great.It's always best to find a professional to install your under the saddle piezos. The contact pickups and the magnetic pickups will not require a professional to install and they are inexpensive. Be sure that you do your homework to find the best pickup for your acoustic. You need to understand what you want out of it and then, make sure you get it. Don't try to do it half-way. Save up to get what is going to do the job for you, otherwise, you won't be satisfied with the sound you get. 

Posted on: 19 January 2013 | 1:48 pm

Learn How To Play Suspended Chords

Some of the prettiest chords on the guitar are suspended chords and are actually, some of the easiest to play. These are known as suspended chords and basically, you are just changing a note on a chord by removing or adding a finger to the chord shape. Just a quick example would be to play a D chord. Strum the chord again but this time, lift your middle finger off of the high E string. This chord now becomes a D sus2 (D suspended 2). The theory side of this concept is that a major chord consists of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of a major scale. For a sus2 chord, you are removing the third note and replacing it with the second note in a major scale.Refer back to my article on the patterns of a scale. I will be doing an article on intervals soon, which is more advanced. You already might know the concept and music theory will help you to understand why you play certain notes and teach you the mathematics on the fret board which connect the tones.Here are a list of the most common suspended chords.A Suspended ChordsC Suspended ChordsD Suspended ChordsE Suspended ChordsF Suspended ChordsG Suspended ChordsPractice with a metronome and mess around with your chord shapes by lifting your fingers off the neck or moving one of your fingers to another string. You can just experiment to see what sounds good and this can be a great way to begin writing a new song. Shut your mind off to the worries in the day and let your fingers find their own way. You may be surprised by what happens. The video below will help you to understand the theory behind playing suspended chords and will show you an example in the key of D.

Posted on: 12 January 2013 | 8:12 pm

Learning How to Play Slide Guitar

Playing Slide GuitarSlide guitar is a method of guitar playing that uses an object known as a slide, to get a different kind of sound out of a guitar.You can use either a metal or glass slide and it's a matter of preference. You can find them in any size, so be sure that you get one that fits the finger that you play with.The finger that you use is also a matter of preference, as well, but many people use the ring finger or pinky. The reason for using this finger is so that the other fingers are free to fret the strings because you will be doing more than just using the slide throughout the song. You can also use the other fingers to mute the other strings, so no other notes are inadvertently ringing out.Using the SlideWhen you use a slide, you don't press down on the strings with it. You should just be floating over the strings with it. The amount of pressure that you use is something that will have to be practiced. Hold your slide perpendicular to the guitar neck and over the metal fret. This is the one time that you will play on the actual frets to get your sound.You will need to practice moving from fret to fret smoothly. If you pass up the fret just a little or get behind it, your notes will be off and sound tinny. Practice using just the right pressure and moving across the neck and getting right over the fret with your slide. Remember, to take your time and do it right, otherwise, your playing sounds sloppy and bad.Many guitar players will set up a particular guitar of their choosing and use it strictly for playing slide guitar. They will set the strings so that they are higher off the neck than they would be normally. Slide guitar lends itself very well to open tunings, so many guitar players will also keep the guitar they use for playing slide, tuned differently, as well.Practice, Practice, PracticeWhen you are moving from note to note with your slide, the one thing that is required is a side-to-side vibrato technique. This is the one thing that will push your slide playing from good to great. Just listen to any music that incorporates this style of playing so that you can hear where this vibrato is used. You don't want to use it on every note. You can get a real feel for using vibrato by listening to other guitar players.The only way to get good at slide guitar is to practice it. If you use alternate tunings to play slide, you will have to learn where the notes are. The patterns will all change and you are going to have to memorize them. The one good thing about open tunings is that any open string sounds good. Another good tip is when you play a note that doesn't belong, if you quickly slide up one fret or just hit the note open, you can recover quickly and it usually sounds pretty good.Robert JohnsonThe best way to get a feel for slide playing is by listening to some old blues players. They used anything they could to wring different sounds out of their guitars, including butter knives or old bottles. Explore the different sounds and just stop playing and listen. Half the fun of learning how to play the guitar is the journey and it is exciting when you discover a new sound or technique that you can add to your repertoire or even, make it your own signature style of playing.

Posted on: 7 January 2013 | 3:29 pm

The Wah Pedal

Wah Pedal Effects PedalIn the 1960's, more and more guitar effects were being invented and explored. In the 1950's, guitar players had started using the tremolo effect, as well as tape delay, in order to make different sounds on the electric guitar.More and more musicians wanted to use amplifiers for their instruments and Vox was the premier manufacturer of many of the tube amps during that time. The Vox company was looking to save money and needed a more inexpensive way to make a switch on the amplifier that could boost the mid-range tones. They had asked an engineer named Brad Plunkett to try to come up with a cheaper way to get this sound.Ad for Cry Baby Effects PedalPlunkett ended up making a circuit that he could change the frequency of the tone by rotating a knob. He asked a buddy to plug his guitar into the mess of capacitors and wires and when Plunkett started rotating the knob, the wah-wah sound came out of the amplifier.He and his buddy loved the effect that was produced, but then quickly realized that a guitar player already had his or her hands full with the fretting and strumming of the guitar. He noticed an organ volume pedal laying on the table and replaced the inside parts with the circuits, wires and pot that he had put together.He liked the sound that was produced and so did the Vox company. They really had no idea what to call it and someone had suggested that it sounded a lot like a baby crying and thus, the Cry Baby was named.The Cry Baby 535QA wah pedal works by filtering out certain sounds and allowing only certain frequencies to come through, depending on whether you are moving the pedal up or down.Del Casher was the first guitar player to be recorded using a Wah Pedal. He made a record that displayed all of the different sounds that you could get out of one of these pedals.By the 1960's, many of the younger guitar players were exploring the sounds that you could get out of this instrument when using an amplifier. Cream used this pedal to record the song, "Tales of Brave Ulysses." Frank Zappa used the wah pedal and may have introduced the pedal to Jimi Hendrix, who took the use of this pedal to a whole new level. The song of Jimi's that best illustrates his use of the wah pedal is, "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)."The wah pedal will never go out of style and there are so many great songs that have been written that have used this effect. The most amazing thing about the wah pedal is that the sound it creates is instantly identifiable but at the same time, very unique to each player.Two Different Names Same CompanyAs you progress in your journey to learn how to play the guitar, buying and experimenting with different effects pedals can be a great tool that you can use to express yourself. Effects pedals also give you the ability to find your unique voice in this huge world of both, past and present guitar players.

Posted on: 19 December 2012 | 5:26 pm

Effects Pedals-The Flanger

 Boss BF-2 Flanger Effects PedalA flanger can sound like other effects, such as vibrato or chorus because these effects all work by very slightly, delaying the sound. However with the flanger, the delay is altered over time as you are playing. The harmonics of the notes will begin to phase-cancel out, which will result in the sweeping sound.There are different control knobs on flangers, but most often there are four. These controls might be named differently, but they do the same things.Rate-this makes the sweeping sound, fast or slow.Depth-will make the sweep more or less noticeable.Resonance-determines how high the sweep will go.Manual-this is how you determine where the center of the sweep is.Boss BF-3 Flanger Effects PedalThe flanger effect can sound similar to a phaser effect or a chorus effect, depending on how you set it, but it can go even further with its time delay effects. It is often described as sounding like an airplane landing or taking off.One thing you need to be aware of is where you put your effects, if you are using more than one effects pedal. If you put your flanger after the distortion, you will get a much cleaner sound. If you put it before the distortion, you can get some great sounds when using harmonics. Turn up the rate, depth and resonance, and you can get a great vibrato effect after hitting a harmonic.You can get so many different sounds with a flanger and using one can help you set a certain mood to a song. You can get a tone that is totally spaced out or use it in a more subtle way. That's the fun thing about effects, though. You can spend hours discovering the small nuances, as well as, the over-the-top sound that you can get from this pedal.This effect is most often used for hard rock or metal and as you are exploring the sounds, you will come across sounds and effects that you have heard in other popular songs. Have fun in your never-ending quest to master and learn how to play the guitar like a pro.

Posted on: 12 December 2012 | 2:11 pm

More Effects Pedals-Compression

Compression is a subtle effect and controls the volume while giving the sound an intensity. You can use it to get your notes to sustain without having to use distortion. When recording, compression is very important in controlling the overdrive and volume of the instruments.You can use compression to boost your sound when using a tube amp. Some tube amps don't have enough gain or distortion and using a compressor pedal can help to give you better tone. Compression is very helpful when playing country music and funk music.There are a variety of controls on a compression pedal and each particular pedal is different. The level control allows you to adjust the volume of your sound. If you have a tone control on your pedal, you can give your tone more brightness. It you have an attack knob, this determines the emphasis on the beginning of the note. If you have a sustain knob, you can set it for how long you want the note to last or sustain after you hit the string.It is quite useful for rounding out the sound of your guitar when the pick hits the strings when you are playing clean. However, if you want to play with distortion, the individual notes will sound clearer and have better tone, rather than being totally distorted.Experiment with different compression pedals until you find one that is best suited with your particular gear. If you are going to a guitar store to pick out a compression pedal, don't forget to bring your guitar and amp along if possible. You want to find what works best for you because the sound will depend on your particular guitar and amp combo.Everyone should be using a compression pedal or effect when playing the electric guitar. It can help you to sound more professional and help you to better hear the notes you are trying to play when practicing. Have fun experimenting and share your experience with others if you find something that works and sounds good together.Learn all about what makes effects pedals work and what the differences are here!

Posted on: 5 December 2012 | 1:34 pm

Effects Pedals-Distortion

Distortion PedalA distortion pedal adds gain to your overall sound. This will give you chunkier sound for rhythms and a more sustained sound when you are playing leads.Most guitar players use some level of distortion in their playing and it's important not to go overboard with the use of your distortion. Once again, the pedal you use is a matter of personal preference. Not everyone likes the same sound, so it's entirely up to you what you like.If you are buying a new pedal at a music store and you don't have your guitar and amp with you, see if you can borrow the pedal to take home, in order to test it with your gear. When buying a new pedal of any kind, you should take your guitar and amp with you because the sound you hear coming out of another amp is not going to sound like yours.The controls will usually consist of a level control, a gain control and tone control. When you are testing a pedal for the first time, be sure to put your amplifier on the clean setting and be sure that it's turned up enough. Turn the level control of the pedal all the way down and then, slowly turn up the level of pedal until the distorted level is the same as your clean volume. You don't want to blow out a speaker in your amp or blow out your eardrums by having the distortion level too high when you turn it on.Try to get a power device when you start using pedals, instead of using batteries. You don't want to have your battery going dead in the middle of a gig. You can get a power bank to plug all your pedals in. Some may need their own outlet because of the power pack that comes with certain pedals need a higher level of power.Experiment and read reviews of the many different distortion pedals that are available. If you hear something you like that another guitar player uses, just looking at the brand and model number of the pedal may not be enough because, very often, modifications have been made to the pedal.Most amplifiers will have distortion built into them, but that will only give you one particular sound. That is why you see guitar players using a wide array of effects pedals. Take your time and pick something that you like. Remember that even if your favorite player is using a particular pedal, you may not get the same sound, unless of course, you have the same guitar and amp.It can be quite fun searching for the perfect distortion pedal, so do as much research as you can, look and listen to other guitarists' setups and you should be able to find the perfect distortion pedal that will help you to create your unique sound.If you would like to understand how effects pedals work, wikipedia has some great information. Just click here.

Posted on: 27 November 2012 | 5:05 pm

Effects Pedals-Overdrive

Overdrive PedalIf you want to play rock music, you should invest in an overdrive pedal. Although most amplifiers have overdrive built in, you can get more control by using a pedal and if you have a tube amp, you won't be pushing the tubes too hard. If you have a solid-state amp, using an overdrive pedal will make you sound like you are using a tube amp. Therefore, it would be a great investment, regardless of what kind of amplifier you use, in order to improve your sound. Most overdrive pedals come with three controls: drive, tone (which may be called something else, such as, spectrum, but it controls the same thing) and level. The drive control will determine just how much overdrive you add. The tone controls how much treble you add to the signal and the level control will determine the volume of the pedal. You can use it to make your sound crunchy for rhythms or it can give you that extra push for leads. It just takes some experimentation to get familiar with the different sounds you can get out of your guitar and amp. The level of overdrive will also be determined by a particular song, if you are playing cover songs. Overdrive is an essential effect for playing rock guitar. You can use the overdrive on your amplifier if you don't own a pedal, but to sound professional, you should invest in this effects pedal. There are effects processors that have hundreds of effects built into them, so that you only need one source to create tons of different effects. Most of these effects processors will have a few pedals that you can pre-program and turn off and on. As you improve in your guitar playing, you are definitely going to want to explore the different sounds you can get out of your guitar and you need to figure out which equipment is worth the investment. If you never plan on playing a rock song on your guitar, then you may not want to get yourself an overdrive pedal. As you learn how to play guitar, you are going to want to expand your knowledge and your skills and you need to stay inspired. Experimenting with different tones and effects can broaden your musical horizons and keep you inspired to keep on playing.This video can give you an idea of the sound you can get out of an overdrive effects pedal. The pedal you choose is strictly a matter of personal preference, but this video showcases an inexpensive but very good pedal.To understand how effects pedals work, check out Wikipedia.

Posted on: 26 November 2012 | 5:43 pm

Some Dexterity Exercises

One of the best ways to increase your finger dexterity as you learn to play the guitar is to do exercises that have you using all four fingers. I have put together some exercises that will allow you to become faster and to become more coordinated.Before you sit down with your guitar each day, you should warm up and these exercises are excellent for warming up. The tablature is written for the first fret only, but you can move up and down the neck with these exercises.Start slowly and use a metronome. You can also practice your alternate picking with this tablature. If you mess up on a line, challenge yourself and start over. As many of my lessons have strongly stated, you need to practice correctly, being sure that each note rings out clear, otherwise, you will learn to play wrong.Be sure that you start slow each day, even if you have the practice notes memorized. As you practice, you will see that there are many more combinations of notes and strings that you can make up. These notes are not meant to sound good and they probably won't. Have fun and stick with it. It won't be long until you find yourself playing faster and better than ever!Here is a short video that explains the concept. It shows you how to do the alternate picking. The exercises he shows you start on the fifth fret and you can do these exercises anywhere on the neck. It may be easier when you are just learning how to play the guitar to start further up the neck, since the distance between frets is not as far. Use your own judgement, but remember to learn it entirely in one position and continue to push yourself to learn it in a position that may be more difficult. 

Posted on: 23 November 2012 | 1:34 am

Some Neat Little Tricks To Help Your Playing

Many people think that learning how to play the guitar is difficult and it can be if you are trying to do it on your own. There is help all over the internet these days and You Tube has a ton of videos that can really show you the little tricks that you need to progress with this instrument.The main thing that you need to get out of this article is that once you learn how to play chords and change fluently between them, you have mastered the hardest part of playing the guitar. Once your fingers have learned how to correctly press the strings, you can learn all the little nuances and tricks that make a player sound great.You need to practice slowly and build up speed. That is the ONLY way that you will improve, otherwise, you will only learn how to play wrong. It can be hard holding back to take the time to learn each note correctly.Here is a great video that will help you to learn some of the little things that can take your playing from so-so to great. These are the kinds of tricks that the best players use. So check out this video and use these practice tips to become a master of guitar.With a couple of these tricks up your sleeve, you can entertain others and blow them away with your skill and talent. Start slow and it won't be long until others are watching in awe!

Posted on: 20 November 2012 | 1:24 pm

Picking the Proper Plectrum

The plectrum, otherwise known as a pick, is for some, a necessary tool for their guitar playing. Some people can't play without a pick and they can only play with a particular thickness. Picks come in a variety of sizes and shapes and are made of a variety of materials. Some people may have to use a certain pick because that is the size and shape that they used when they first learned how to play guitar.Certain thicknesses of picks sound different and the way you hold your pick can create different sounds, as well. The closer you hold your pick to the tip, the more control you will have over it. Besides giving you more control, you'll be able to maintain the grip on it and it won't go flying out of your hand in the middle of a song. Holding the pick close to the tip will also result in less string breakage.Try to imagine that the pick is part of your thumbnail. Push the pick down against the strings if you are playing slowly. If you want to play faster, use alternate picking and use your finger to gently push the pick back up against the string. Be sure that when you are alternate picking, your entire arm and elbow are not moving.Many people use a heavy guitar pick for lead playing. It does not flap against the string like a thin pick will, which helps you to control it for more precise, single note leads. A heavy pick will also allow you play faster and the strings will sound louder. A thin pick works best for strumming softly on a guitar. The thickness of the pick makes a big difference in the sound that you get from your strings.There are so many different materials that can be used and once again, it's a matter of personal preference. In the past, many people used tortoise shell to make picks because of the sound they produced, they could be shaped easily and they lasted a long time. Most picks are now made of synthetic materials. Thinner picks are made of nylon and acetal ultem is a plastic that is commonly used. Some picks are made out or wood and stone and many guitar players begin exploring the different materials that picks are made of as they become more knowledgeable in their playing and want to find news way to expand their sound.There are a few common techniques that use a pick to get a particular sound out of the guitar. One common technique is known as a pick slide or pick scrape. All you do is angle the side of the pick against the string and then slide it up the neck. This can be done quickly or slowly depending on what you are trying to do, but you should turn your gain to high when doing these slides.A pinch harmonic is another common technique used. Be sure that your amplifier has the gain turned up. You need to hold the pick as close to the tip as possible and when the pick comes into contact with the string, twist the pick so that your thumb lands on the string, which creates the harmonic and then quickly lift your thumb back off of the string. Different places on the string will give you different tones for the harmonic. This will take some practice but it shouldn't take you long to get it. Look for the sweet spots on each string and listen to the different tones you will get.Using your pick properly will help you to maintain more control over your playing, which helps you to steadily improve and stay inspired. The right hand is as important as the left hand and both of your hands working together is the key to becoming a good guitar player.

Posted on: 4 November 2012 | 1:05 pm

How To Keep Your Guitar In Top-Notch Condition

You will be happy to know that your guitar can last a lifetime, as long as you take care of it. It's not like a car that becomes less reliable as time goes on. In fact, many guitars become better with age! However, there are a few easy things that you need to do to keep it in great shape.One of the easiest ways to maintain your guitar is by cleaning it regularly. A very useful tool for keeping the neck and pick-ups free from dust is a feather duster. To help preserve your strings, you should wipe them down after each use. Our fingertips have natural oils on them and when those oils stay on the string, they tend to turn the strings rusty, the sound quality suffers and the strings don't sound as bright as they should. A clean, cotton cloth or chamois works great for cleaning the strings. For the body, dust it regularly and a quick coat of furniture polish or guitar polish can help it to keep its luster. Be sure to keep all liquids away from the metal hardware and pick-ups.Your guitar should be protected anytime you are traveling, regardless of the mode of transportation you are using. A hard shell case works best, but a gig bag is better than nothing. If at all possible, keep the guitar in the same area as the passengers. chances are that the conditions won't be too hot or too cold, which can cause damage to your guitar when you take it from one temperature to another too quickly. A good case will also protect it from damage if it is dropped or something falls on it.Your guitar will always be safer if you keep it in an environment where the temperature is not constantly changing. You cannot control every aspect of this, but make every attempt to keep your guitar in a room where the temperatures are between 65 and 80 degrees. If you have to store your guitar for any length of time, try to keep it in a place where the climate is controlled. Do not take the strings off of the guitar, otherwise, the neck might bow. You should lower your strings about a half-step to allow for any swelling or shrinking of the wood.Humidity also has a bearing on the condition of your guitar. If the environment is too dry, the guitar can crack. If there is too much humidity, the guitar may swell or bow. If the air is too dry where you live and play your guitar, you can get a guitar humidifier. If there is too much humidity in the air, you can buy those little crystal packets of dessicant, that helps to draw moisture out of the air. You have probably seen these little packets in some of the things that you purchase, which warn you not to eat. If you are not sure about the conditions of your home or environment where the guitar will be, you can buy a hygrometer, which will measure the humidity of a room.If something does happen to your guitar and it seems to go out of tune a lot or becomes harder to play, you may want to take it to a guitar technician to get it checked out. Sometimes, the neck or the bridge may need to be adjusted. If you have never been taught how to do these adjustments yourself, you really should take it to a professional. If you want to learn how to make these adjustments, be sure that you watch a video that shows you what to do and explains the steps thoroughly or that you ask someone that you know personally to show you how to do this. You could seriously damage your guitar if you don't understand what you are doing.By using common sense and by not putting any undue stress on your guitar, your guitar should give you a lifetime of joy and will hopefully, become an extension of you. As long as you take care of your guitar and treat it with kindness, it will give back to you and then some.

Posted on: 18 October 2012 | 2:13 pm

Essential Blues Chords

When you first learn how to play the guitar, you will more than likely, need a few good lessons on beginner's blues guitar, as well. Most of today's music was born from the blues and it's a lot of fun to play. If you want to play the blues, you should learn some of the more common chords that are used. Many of the chords that are used are known as 7th chords.You won't necessarily use seventh chords for each and every chord. Sometimes, you may just add the seventh chord at the end of change. Here are a few examples of common blues progressions.Here is another blues progression:The best way to begin understanding how to play the blues is to start listening to some old blues standards. You can hear the rhythms and can begin seeing the patterns in many of these old songs. There are many rock songs that are based on these patterns. Check out some old recordings by Johnny Lee Hooker, B.B. King, Muddy Waters. You can find many performances or recordings on YouTube.Check out this video of some of these old classics. The video is pretty long, but gives you an opportunity to hear many different rhythms and styles.Sit back and enjoy!!

Posted on: 7 October 2012 | 2:20 pm

Learn How to Play The Guitar-Alternate Tunings

Alternate tunings can be a great way to open up the guitar to you and are just one more way that you can learn how to play the guitar. Many blues players tune their guitar in different tunings, especially when they are playing slide guitar. There are many different ways to tune the strings and as long as the strings don't break from winding them too tight, you can tune your guitar any way that you want it.The problem with tuning your guitar differently is that you have to learn the notes on neck again. That is why, although there are many different tunings, individual guitar players only play a few, choice alternate tunings. The tunings that each individual prefers could be based on the key that he or she sings in or just a tuning that sounds good personally.I will list a few of the more common alternate tunings, so that you can experiment with them. Most of the time, an alternate tuning will make a song easier to play because all of the strings can be strummed without fretting anything, which will result in a common chord.Open D Tuning:This type of tuning lends itself well to blues playing and is great for playing slide guitar.Open G Tuning:Keith Richards from the Rolling Stones loved this tuning and used it a lot. This is also a favorite of blues slide players.Open C Tuning:This is not used quite as much as open D or open G, but still used plenty. Singer/Songwriter Joni Mitchell used this tuning.Dropped D Tuning:The only string that changes is the low E string and just tune down to a D. This was very popular in nineties grunge music.Jimmy Page D Tuning:As the name implies, Jimmy Page did a lot of experiment with this tuning. It has a very celtic sound.These are just a few different tunings and there are many more to be found. When you begin learning how to play the guitar with alternate tunings, you are going to have to learn the different chord shapes for each tuning. This is where guitar players who have learned some music theory will benefit. Finding the notes to make chords will be a little easier. However, there are plenty of online guides that can show you every chord in every tuning imaginable. Explore the world of alternate tunings and you will see just how infinite the guitar can be. Learning and mastering a few different tunings can help to get you out of a musical rut and open up an entirely new world for you. 

Posted on: 2 October 2012 | 7:52 pm

Learn How To Play The Guitar - Double Stops

Double stops are simply put, two notes played at the same time. Learning how to play guitar is mostly about learning patterns and shapes on the guitar neck after you have learned to press the strings down correctly. Playing double stops will give your leads attitude and allow you to express yourself.There are common patterns and shapes that are used to play double stops and you can play double stops across the entire neck. Some of these patterns are played on adjacent strings. Here are common patterns using the 1st and 2nd strings.Double stops can really fatten up your lead playing. You can find these patterns all over the neck and in every key. Very often, a double stop uses thirds, which just means that the root note is used and the third note of the scale. That is not always the case, however. Sometimes, double stops are played using the fifth note of the scale.Many rock songs use the octave double stop. Across all the strings, except for the fifth  and sixth strings(where all rules change), you can find the same note two strings down and two frets up. Here is some tablature showing you this pattern.If you want to hear some examples of double stops, put on any Chuck Berry song. He was the king of the double stops and he plays them in just about every song that he plays.Here are two exercises you can use to practice playing double stops:Practice moving things around a bit. Remember, rules are meant to be broken and if it sounds good, go for it. There are double stops all over the neck and all you have to do is to find them. Finding them yourself can be half the fun. So take what you have learned here and start finding double stops all over the neck.

Posted on: 30 September 2012 | 10:37 am

How To Play The Guitar-Most Used Guitar Chords

When you are learning how to play the guitar, you start off with a few common chords. As you continue on and learn more songs, you have probably noticed that the same chords are used over and over again in most songs. The chords that are going to be displayed are the most common chords used in most songs today.If you learn these chords, you will be able to play almost any song there is. Granted, there are some songs that are quite complicated and use different variations of a chord. Very often though, lifting one finger and playing an open string or fretting one extra string can help you find those variations. It will take a little experimenting but if you have these chords memorized, you should do fine.A MajorA MinorA7B Major B7C MajorD MajorD MinorD7E MajorE MinorE7F MajorF MinorG MajorG7There you have it. 16 chords and you can play just about any song written. Many blues songs have the following 3 chords in them:E, A7, B7There are many pop and country songs that have the chords, G, E minor, C, and D in them. The chords may not be in that particular order, but those chords make up the song.Here is a goofy little video that shows 35 songs that the chords, G, Em, C, and D are used in.As you continue to learn how to play the guitar, you will begin recognizing common patterns and chords. You don't have to learn hundreds of chords when you are learning how to play the guitar, unless you want to. The most popular songs are usually the most simplest. Remember, it's all about having fun and playing the guitar can give you endless hours of enjoyment.

Posted on: 6 September 2012 | 3:19 pm

Telling A Story With Your Guitar

After you learn how to play the guitar a little better, you will begin learning whole songs and possibly, even writing songs. Remember when you were learning to read a book and how quickly you learned? Writers of books and articles, write in a way that will communicate with the reader. Compare reading and writing with learning how to play the guitar.When you first began reading, you learned the alphabet so that you could begin forming words. From learning words, these words were put together in a way that formed a cohesive sentence. When a book is written it is kept within a certain subject area and the sentences put together to form paragraphs. Finally, the paragraphs were put together in a sequence that made sense to form an entire book or article. Making music is the same. Music is usually written and turned into a song.The guitar starts with the notes, which is like the alphabet. You then learn to form chords and leads by mixing different notes and that's just like the words. Your chords and leads are played in a logical way to form sentences. Your chords and leads are separated into certain parts, for instance, intro, verse chorus, verse, chorus bridge, chorus and outro, which make up the sequence of an entire song.Your experience with writing or listening to a song is pretty much the same as writing or reading a book. You hear a series of notes and it communicates to you in a way that evokes a primal emotion. When words are added to the music, what you hear can relate to a emotion you have experienced or an emotion that you want to experience. Writers and musicians want to evoke emotion from the listener and share an experience together.When you are learning how to play the guitar and begin learning more leads, you use scale patterns to help you to memorize the notes. However, when you begin playing solos, you should not play scales. You want to use the notes in the scale that fit the song, but you don't want to play it in a scale pattern. Mix the notes up and be sure to use bending and vibrato, in order to add color and expression to your leads.This is called phrasing. If you gave a speech and you said all the words in an even tone, never varying pitch or pausing, everyone would be asleep in 2 minutes because it would be so boring. When you learn how to play the guitar, you need to learn the many techniques that will help to keep everyone on the edge of their seats, poised in eager anticipation of what your next note will be.Always try to be learning new licks. If you hear something that you really like, learn it. Have you ever noticed that you seem to hear the same licks in different songs, especially in blues music. A combination of licks, with your own notes in between, can make a stellar lead guitar part.Tell a story with your music. Be sure that you pause between licks and end the link intentionally. You don't have to be playing a note constantly. Just like when speaking, there are pauses that let you know the speaker is starting a new sentence. Learn how to find that voice inside of you that will allow others to share and become a part of your story.You may start off just wanting to show off or get more girls, but soon you will discover a whole, new, better reason for wanting to learn how to play the guitar.

Posted on: 25 August 2012 | 7:12 pm

7 Tips To Help Beginners Learn How To Play The Guitar

If you are trying to learn how to play the guitar, you need as much good advice as possible to stay on track and to steadily improve your skills. It is very important that you learn correctly when you are first starting out. If you begin by learning incorrectly, your playing will never improve and you will become frustrated and give up. Use these tips, in order to become the best guitar player possible.Always tap your foot when you are playing, so that you can develop timing and coordination of movement. As you practice this technique, you won't have to think about the timing of a song and it will be as internalized and as thoughtless as breathing.To build calluses quickly, soaking your fingers in salt water can help. You should also practice more than usual, and using an acoustic guitar will build your calluses a lot quicker than an electric guitar. Just remember, give your fingers a break if they start hurting. Everyone has to go through this. You don't want to develop a blister or a cut on your fingertip, otherwise, it will be days before you can play again.Be sure that you are using the correct posture. Your back should be straight and your hand should be placed that will give you the greatest reach of the frets. Be sure that you are arching your hand properly and holding your thumb behind the neck. If your hand is big enough, you can even wrap your thumb entirely around the neck and use it to play the low E string. Just be sure that you are holding your hand in a position that is comfortable for you and that you are not slouching, otherwise, you will get tired out way too quickly.Make sure that you aren't pressing too hard when you press down. Try to find the lightest touch possible, while still allowing the notes to ring out clearly. You become tense when you try to push the string too hard. This can limit your dexterity and may bend the string as you are pushing.When you are trying to learn something new on the guitar and you just can't seem to get it, instead of getting frustrated, put that lesson aside and sleep on it. You will be surprised when you try to practice it the next day and you get it on the first try. Your hand and brain develops muscle memory and as long as you practiced correctly, the muscle memory develops when you give your brain and hand a rest.Be sure that you learn songs that are suited to your skill level, but find one or two songs that you can learn that push you beyond your limits. Just be sure to take it slow and break everything down into small chunks. Start off slow and build up your speed. Take your time and don't expect to learn these hard songs overnight. It may take you a few months to learn it, but when you finally get it right, it will boost your confidence and you can show off.As you progress in your playing, it will help if you find someone to jam with. Maybe someone else you know is just learning or you know someone who enjoys sharing their knowledge. This will help you to perfect your timing and you both can learn off of each other.Just continue to stay inspired. That's the real key to success as learn how to play the guitar. You can have the greatest teachers and the greatest lessons in front of you, but if you can't find a reason to pick up the guitar and play it with your whole heart and soul, it's all for naught.

Posted on: 22 August 2012 | 1:35 pm

Learn How To Play The Guitar-The F Chord

Just about everyone who has ever tried to learn how to play the guitar has struggled with the F chord. Seems to be that this is the guitar chord that makes or breaks you when you are learning. This chord will probably cause you more frustration than anything else that you are trying to learn when you are first starting out.By practicing until you get it right, your fingers will be learning how to be more dexterous in the process and getting this chord down will improve your strength and flexibility.Here are some different ways of playing the F chord. Just remember that there are a variety of alternatives for playing an F chord and they are all dependent on the sound you want for the song. This is why you should learn the F chord in all positions. You will be limiting yourself by not being able to fully master the art of hearing and then playing the exact sound that you want, as well as, slowing down your progress, by not fully developing your dexterity.An F Barre Chord (Hardest)You first need to lay the side of your first finger across the first fret, pressing every string down firmly. Practice strumming each string with only the first finger down until every note rings out clean and clear. While keeping your first finger "barred" across the first fret, take your other three finger and form an E chord. Practice until each string is heard clearly as you pick each string.F Chord (Hard)So far, you have been told to arch your fingers and press only the first fingertips onto the string. For this chord, you are going to lay the top of your first finger across the E and the B strings, and press firmly. You then place the other fingers in the same position of the F barre chord, in the shape of an E chord.F chord (Not Quite As Hard)This is a great way to play the F chord if you do a lot of strumming. Playing the F chord like this will make it easier for you to change chords when you are playing open chords. Going from a C to an F is a very common chord change in songs and some songs just don't sound as good if you are playing barre chords because there are no open strings ringing out.There are other ways to play an F chord and as you become more advanced in your playing and knowledge, you may want to learn the different variations of this chord. At this point, these are the F chords that you should focus on. Stay inspired, practice each day and it won't be long until you know how to play the guitar.

Posted on: 14 August 2012 | 11:44 am

Learn How To Play The Guitar-7 Common Beginner Mistakes

There are a few mistakes that almost everyone who is trying to learn how to play the guitar make. If you are aware of these issues, you can quickly correct them, in order to become more proficient on the guitar. 1. Placing your fingers too close to the fretbar. Your fingertips need to press down in between the frets. If you have your finger too close to the fret bar, you will get a lot of string buzz.Correct way2. Strumming too hard or too lightly. If you bang on your guitar too hard, you will end up breaking the strings and it won't sound controlled. If you don't strum hard enough, you won't be able to hear what you are playing.3. Only using one finger to play lead. You should never learn to play lead like this. It takes too much time and you will always sound sloppy. Learn how to play lead guitar using all four fingers, in order to acquire speed and dexterity.4. Using your fingers to do vibrato or bending. It comes from the wrist. A new guitar player might try to make the vibrato or bend by using only the finger, but all the action starts in the wrist.Wrong way to press5. Not using your fingertips to press the strings. Too often, beginners are not arching their hand properly and instead of using the fingertips, they tend to try to use the top third of their finger to hold down a string. This might be okay if you were only playing one string, but when you are playing an open position chord, the open strings will sound, either out of tune or muffled.The Right WaySide View of The Correct Way6.  Not muting the strings that you don't want to hear. Muting the strings is going to take practice. Depending on what you are doing, you may need to use the side of your picking hand to mute out the strings that you don't want to ring out. You can also use your fretting hand to gently touch the strings that you don't want to hear.7. Trying to learn a riff or lick too fast.  Most players start out too fast, instead of breaking the song down and learning it slowly. If you practice the lick wrong or sloppy, you are going to play it sloppy. It takes longer to un-learn playing it wrong than it does to break the riff or song into bite-size pieces and start off slowly and build up your speed to play it correctly.If you find yourself making any of these mistakes, don't feel too bad, because many people who are just starting out end up doing the same things. Take your time and learn how to play guitar correctly, right from the start. If you want your guitar playing to improve over time, you must play correctly.

Posted on: 8 August 2012 | 3:42 pm