Tag Archive for ‘Play’

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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7 Tips To Help When Playing Lead Guitar

It takes more than a natural talent to play a lead guitar it also takes time dedicated to learning the theory and techniques of playing the instrument. Many people have learnt how to play a lead guitar and are now looking to improve their skills, but some find it easier than others. In this article we provide some tips which you make find useful in the future to help improve your playing lead guitar.

Tip 1 - Although you may think that learning the basics of playing a lead guitar isn't important because it is boring, then think again. Certainly if you aren't willing to spend time learning even the basics when playing lead guitar it can prove very difficult indeed.

Tip 2 - Although you would like to start playing the lead guitar stood up or jumping around, this really isn't the best way to learn. You will find it a lot easier if you practice your playing when sat in a comfortable chair. This way you will find that you are more and so can retain things much more easily and also you won't become so tired so quickly when you are practicing.

Tip 3 - You need to make sure that you discipline yourself to carry out practice when you should. Therefore if you decide that each day you are going to spend 45 minutes practicing then make sure that you keep to this and don't slope off 10 or 20 minutes before you should.

Tip 4 - Although economy picking is easier it is far better if you also learn alternate picking. If you do not learn this technique then you are going to find it more difficult to learn more complex techniques or faster pieces of music. With alternate picking you are learning how to alternate between the down and up strokes as you pick the guitar strings. It takes time but you will soon be playing these picks in an automatic way and the speed at which you pick the strings will increase.

Tip 5 - You need to spend plenty of time on learning the various lead guitar playing techniques. Which means practicing how to play slides, bends, pull offs, hammer ons, vibratos and other techniques used by lead guitarists today. If you can learn and master these techniques not only will your playing become more colorful but more expressive as well.

Tip 6 - To play certain lead guitar solos you will need to learn how to repeatedly play scales. The types of scales that are most commonly used by guitarists today to help them with their playing and which they learn are the Pentatonic and E Blues scales. If you can master these scales then you will find that they make a good framework for your playing and can help you to then start creating your own music.

Tip 7 - This final tip for playing lead guitar is of course for many the most important and is the one that says that you should practice, practice, and practice. The more time you spend on practicing a piece then you will find it much easier to remember and over time you will find them much easier to play. It is best when you start learning to play each piece you do so slowly at first and then build up the speed of playing them using a metronome.

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