Tag Archive for ‘Lessons’

How To Buy The Perfect Guitar – Guide For Beginners

There is a popular joke that goes ? There is a frog driving one way on the highway, and a banjo player driving the other way ? what?s the difference. Answer, the frog has a gig.

There are so many different instrument s out there that it is difficult to say which one is the best, but certainly one of the most versatile instruments out there is the guitar.

For centuries, the guitar has been around, and in that time, it has grown in stature and use because it is so easily adaptable to many different styles from jazz to heavy metal, and Spanish to classical. Learning the guitar and mastering it can be the joy of an entire lifetime. However, buying that first one can be painful sometimes.

There are so many different makes and models that suit this or that style that it is easy to get lost in all the choice. As a friend if mine who has been in the music business says, ?You have to go with your gut?. Always listen to that little voice and watch that you don?t override it. Some prefer the mellow sound of the ?flat top?, or acoustic, and others love to blast everything to pieces with an electric that sounds like its on steroids, but there is one common guideline that makes the best sense of all ? ?If you?re starting out, get something that isn?t pricey. There are many good makes out there that are ideal for starting on.

There are reasons for going with the inexpensive first. When you start out, all the instruments in the store are like candy, they all look so beautiful, and when you watch someone test playing one, it?s intoxicating, and all you know is that you want that one!

Work with the sales staff, but first check and see if the store is a good one. You will know if it?s a good one by how many professional musicians go there. In a good store, the staff doesn?t try to push you into getting the most expensive one there; they work with you to your playing level and to your budget.

Good sales staff know that starry eyed look that beginners get and will steer you in the right direction according to your needs and your budget. They know that many who start playing can lose interest quickly when they find out what it takes to get to where they can play that beautiful music they heard being played by a pro. Do not make yourself crazy just enjoy the adventure.

So, when you?re looking for the ?perfect guitar? for you, remember to listen to that little voice, and when you also listen to the sales person, you will get something that is ideally suited to you. So, is there such a thing as the perfect guitar?? Go looking and find out. Remember in the end it comes down to what you want and your preferences.

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A Look At Famous Guitarists and Their Guitars – Guitar Players

If you like music, then you know about an American guitarist, singer and songwriter named Jimi Hendrix. He was classed as one of best and influenced many a budding guitarists with his music.

Though starting in England it wasn?t until the Monterey Festival in 1967 that he was recognized worldwide. He later went on to headline The 1969 Woodstock Festival and with his style of playing using guitar feedback and overdriven amplifiers he turned an undesirable sound into a highly popular type of music.

HIS GUITAR-FENDER 60s REVERSE HEADSTOCK STRATOCASTER

Another amazing artist is Jimmy Page, from England he is also a composer and record producer. He started out as a Studio guitarist then joined a band called the Yardbirds, which played from 1966 to 1968. He then founded one of best and most popular English bands called Led Zepplin. In rock history, Jimmy Page is a legend in his own right. as a guitarist and songwriter. Page was also ranked the #9th greatest guitarist of all time.

HIS GUITARS-GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC, GIBSON CUSTOM SHOP JIMMY PAGE DOUBLE NECK ELECTRIC

You can?t talk guitarists without talking about? Slowhand? Eric Clapton. This English award winning rock guitarist, singer is also a songwriter and composer. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 3 times and was one of the best musicians of the 20th and 21rst centuries. Though he?s tried different styles, the blues are always present in his playing. He has played with Cream, The Yardbirds and blues ?rock band John Mavril & the Bluesbreakers.

HIS GUITAR-ERIC CLAPTON ARTIST SIGNATURE STRATOCASTER

Another great guitarist, from America, is Joe Satriani. His style of instrumental rock music in a world previously dominated by pop opened the doors for a completely new type of music. His blues and rock tone has a warm sound and the influences of such artists as Jimi Hendrix , Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck can be heard in his music.

HIS GUITARS-IBANEZ JS100, IBANEZ JS1000, IBANEZ JS1200

Fame came to Carlos Santana and the Santana Blues Band in the late 60s and early 70s. With a fantastic blend of rock, blues, jazz, salsa using Latin instruments such as congas, and timbales it was a sound with great melody that Santana perfected over the decades to come.

HIS GUITAR-PRS SANTANA II GIBSON SG

AC/DC is an Australian hard rock band and its co-founder Angus Young is an amazing guitarist and songwriter and is ranked in the magazine Rolling Stones list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time at 96th. He is known for his schoolboy ?uniform outfits and his hard edge style lead guitar playing.

HIS GUITAR-GIBSON ANGUS YOUNG SIGNATURE SG

One of the most famous bands of all times is by far The Rolling Stones. One of the co-founders. Keith Richards is a guitarist from England and sings as well as produces music with lead vocalist Mick Jagger. Together they have written and produced many hit songs and Richards is rated number 10 on the Rolling Stones Guitarist list.

HIS GUITARS-FENDER 1950s TELECASTER, GIBSON LES PAUL CLASSIC

These are but a few of the most famous guitarists and the guitars they play!

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How To Pick Your First Guitar

Have you decided that you are ready to be the next Eric Clapton? If you are going to go out and start to play, you will want to choose a guitar that's right for you. There are thousands out there, and you need to pick a good one. How do you choose?

One of the main things that beginners get distracted by is the appearance of the guitar. But it is the least important factor when you are just learning. More important things to think about are price, quality, and action. If you can find on that fits the criteria, and look the way you want, then you will be in top shape!

First you need to consider the action you want on your guitar. What is action? A guitar's action is how far the strings are off of the fret board. The kind of action you pick will have alot of play the ease of playing the guitar. Try not to get a guitar with high action because it will make it difficult and may end up with you quitting.

The higher the action, the harder you need to press to get the chords you are looking for. Make sure you pick a guitar with low action. This will make it easier to press the frets when you are getting started.

Bring a guitarist friend, or even better yet your teacher, along to help you pick out your guitar. Take everything the sales people at the music store say with a grain of salt, after all, they just want to sell you a guitar and might not have your best interests in mind.

In general, you can find some great guitars from manufacturers like Fender, Ibanez, Gibson, Ovation, and more. In general, all the top manufacturers make guitars for entry level, and they are made in Asia. Expect to spend a few hundred for a good one.

Make sure you know if you are getting an acoustic or electric guitar. This will depend on the styles of music you want to play, and the style of guitar you are interested in buying. Getting an electric guitar may be a good idea because you can practice and the sound won't be too loud if you are not hooked up to an amp.

The only down side is the electric guitar will take a bit more equipment. You will need an amp, and eventually effects pedals. Remember, you are getting a guitar to learn to play, and that is most important. Resist the temptation to buy the pretty one with tobacco sun burst!

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Acoustic Guitar Lessons – 5 Tips To Help Select The Right Course

For you to be able to play the acoustic guitar to a very high standard is going to take you a number of years practicing it. There are various online acoustic guitar lessons now available but they won't help you to master this instrument. In fact it is going to take more than one lesson before you have learnt everything there is to know about this beautiful instrument. Plus along with practicing lots you need to have the patience to remain focused as you learn.

If you are looking for high quality acoustic guitar lessons online this can prove difficult. What you will soon discover is that there are thousands for you to select from some which are for free and others you pay a fee for. The problem with many of these is that the quality of the material they contain is poor or the lessons are not as good as you would have hoped for. In this article we offer just a few tips to help you try to find the right online acoustic guitar lessons for you.

Tip 1 - It is best to look for those lessons where they come with good quality videos and images that are sent to you on a DVD or which you are able to download directly onto your PC. Remember it is these lessons you will be using to learn the correct techniques for playing an acoustic guitar which will make mastering it much easier.

Tip 2 - The lessons should be ones that contain good quality audio files as well that come either as downloadable files or are presented to you on CD's but enable you to jam along with the music being played easily. The sound quality is important as you need to be able to hear what the piece of music you are trying to play really should sound like when done so correctly. Using these lessons means no longer will you have to spend hours peering at books in order to understand the way in which notes of music should be played.

Tip 3 - You should look for online acoustic guitar lessons that is provided with audio commentary. These lessons will help you to understand the finer points of the various technique you are learning and you will feel as if you are having one on one lessons with a personal tutor.

Tip 4 - But not only should you have the online lessons there should also be a book which will help you to learn about guitar TABs. It is important that if you are looking to be able to play the acoustic guitar proficiently then you need to know how to read guitar TABs.

Tip 5 - If you are able to find online acoustic guitar lessons where they come with good quality flash ones. Ideally they should be ones which allow you to interact so you learn more about the parts of the guitar including the fretboard. Also look for those where you are taught the theory with regard to the kind of guitar you are intent on learning to play. Certainly lessons can prove very beneficial to those who have only just started to play the acoustic guitar.

One of the big advantages to taking online acoustic guitar lessons is you can do them when it is convenient to you. Also you have the opportunity to do them wherever you want. For example if you yourself unable to sleep at 3 in the morning you could get up a practice for a while, but you need to remember to keep the volume down when you do.

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